It’s time purple blush gets the recognition it deserves. It’s beautiful! It’s versatile! It’s especially flattering on people of color. If you’ve never thought to try one before, at least hear us out.

Why it works

It goes without saying (though we’ll say it for good measure) that anyone can wear any color they want. If purple’s your favorite color, and you want to wear it on your cheeks, it works because purple’s your favorite color and you want to wear it on your cheeks. Moving on.

If you need some more convincing, we can also get technical. “You’ll typically look best with a purple blush if you have a yellow undertone because it’s a complementary color to your skin,” explains Fenty Beauty Global Makeup Artist, Priscilla Ono. Ever notice how some brightening primers have a lavender tinge? That’s because purple is opposite to yellow on the color wheel, and when combined in equal doses, the two hues cancel each other out. Both golden and olive undertones can veer sallow when you’re tired, and that’s when you’ll see a brightening effect the most. On the other hand, if you punch up the pigment so color sits on top of skin rather than totally blending in, the opposite tones amplify each other. You’ll find that sheer lavender shades end up reading more pink than even pink does, and richer plums add a really natural, glow-enhancing flush, like you’d get from going on a run.

What to buy

You don’t need to have golden undertones to love yourself in purple blush. And actually, says Priscilla, “The best thing about purple blush is that it can be worn by any skin tone—it’s all about finding the right undertones.” For fair skin, she suggests a lighter lilac with a little bit of pink in it, like Em Cosmetics’ Little Lilac, Ere Perez’ Hey, or Clinique’s Pansy Pop.

Medium to tan skin tones should choose a violet-y fuschia, like Nars Aroused, Lorac’s Ultra Violet, or Glossier Cloud Paint in Eve.

And deep skin tones can handle the true purples—Nudestix blush in Moodie Blu, Rare Beauty’s Faith, and Dehiya’s Warrior are good examples. If all that sounds confusing, you can also just go with Priscilla’s favorite universal shade, the Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in the shade Drama Cla$$. Don’t be intimidated by its blue-ish tone in the pan. “It starts sheer on skin and turns into a pinky-violet shade that was designed to suit all skin tones.”

How to use it

There’s no special way you need to use purple blush. Priscilla uses it to shape the face in different ways, just like she would any blush. “If you want a more youthful look, I always say to apply blush to the apples of the cheeks. If you want your cheeks to appear lifted, apply blush where you would typically apply your highlighter. And if you want a more contoured look, I would apply blush in the hollows of the cheeks.” You can also use it to create a soft monochromatic look: purple blush looks beautiful smudged onto lids and lips. But a nude or brown-y mauve lip is also a winning match.

See? Surprisingly wearable! A true sleeper hit. Would you try out purple blush this fall?

Photo via ITG