There’s a lot of real estate on your cheeks, and you've probably noticed that the shades meant for the hollows have no business on the apples. The success of 'perfect' cheekbones or that flush that feigns coyness very much relies on placement. But since the system failed us by not making blush application part of the standard junior-high curriculum, we asked makeup artist Suzy Gerstein to help us make a hard-and-fast guide to where to put what colors—and why. Today we're talking pale pink.

The Effect: Pale pink is great for highlighting. Wearing it by itself is a subtle way to add structure to your face without contouring—it will catch light on the high planes of your face. It’s also great to layer with bright pink to add depth, especially if you have darker skin.

The Placement: Place the blush between the under-eye circles and the center of the cheekbone, being careful to not get into the fine lines under your eyes. This color will enhance those.

The Products: I like Marc Jacobs Beauty Shameless Bold Blush Naughty. Also, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Ethereal Glow. It's like cotton candy for the skin.

—Suzy Gerstein

You can follow Suzy on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. Here's her website. Illustrations by Suzy Gerstein.