‘Off Campus’ star Ella Bright and I use the exact same blush combo, so naturally I’ve decided we’re kindred spirits
Here’s how these shades hooked both a beauty editor and the woman behind Hannah Wells herself
Finding something in common is obviously the key to friendship. So despite the fact that Ella Bright is the star of Off Campus and I’m a rabid fan who can’t seem to get out of a rewatch cycle, we clearly have the show in common.
We're also both a bit obsessed with Mika Abdalla, who plays Allie. She's one of her closest confidantes and I'm admiring her haircut from afar, but whatever. Don't get bogged down in the details. We're basically best friends.
It was our identical blush combos that sealed the deal for me. After watching Bright decode her makeup routine in a recent Allure video, I was elated to learn that we count two of the same makeup products as our essentials.
Like, we use the exact same blush combo. Kindred spirits, guys, I know. This might be a dramatic reaction, but out of all the blush formulas in the world, the fact that we both reach for the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wand in ‘Pillow Talk’ ($60 at MECCA) and the NARS Blush in ‘Orgasm’ ($59 at MECCA) is kinda wild. The powder in Bright’s ‘Orgasm’ pan is actually completely smashed to pieces, but she perseveres with using it in the name of the perfect flush. I've also been there, though I'm thrilled to share that my current one is perfectly intact.
I also clocked, however, that she might be applying the aforementioned combo a bit better than me. Awkward, I’m the beauty editor. Bright shared that she always applies two dots of blush at the very top of her cheekbone to get her face looking “snatched”, with a little product applied onto her nose and the inner corners of her eyes too. Sounds random re: the inner corners, but it looked great, and it makes sense that it would tie the whole tonal look together. I’m usually an 'apples of the cheeks only' girl, so I might be taking a few tips from her there.
While I rewatch the vid to finesse my flush placement, please enjoy my ramblings about why these products are the best in the blush business…
Why I love the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wand in ‘Pillow Talk’
I like to describe my ideal blush aesthetic as a ‘cloud’ of colour. I don’t want harsh lines or too much precision in my placement - I want it to look like the flush is floating hazily over my cheeks. This is one of the few formulas I can lock in that ‘airy’ look with - in fact, the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($45 at Sephora) is the only other.
The Charlotte Tilbury formula is my fave for being able to build my ideal level of blurry colour, though - it blends in super seamlessly. It still lasts impressively despite the blendability - once your colour sets, it’s truly not budging. And like all of Tilbury’s products, it adds some kind of soft-focus magic to the skin that makes you look almost professionally lit. Love it sick. Again, both Bright and I clearly have immaculate taste in blush formulas, because I’ve been testing for ten years, and this is one of my all-time faves.
Why I love the NARS Blush in ‘Orgasm’
The shade feels fitting for an Off Campus star, right? This was my first favourite blush ever, and I’ve been swiping it on for about a decade now. We briefly broke up when I realised liquid blush formulas were the secret to my desired finish, but as much as I love a cloud of colour (and the blurry finish the matte Tilbury formula provides), I’m a shimmer devotee through and through.
I find that a subtle sweep of this works a treat as a topper, adding flecks of peachy-pink sparkle without caking on any of the heaviness that tends to come with powder products. This stuff is so silky it doesn’t change the texture of the liquid blush you just laid down - it’s only about adding a little extra longevity and a dusting of delicate glitter. And now that I’ve got Ella Bright’s backup on the matter, I’m more confident than ever that I’ve found the best blush combo to ever exist.
Main image credit: Getty
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Delaney began her career in the Australian beauty media industry in 2015, landing amidst the glossy world of women’s lifestyle magazines (or more literally, in their beauty cupboards). Since then, she has gone on to write across a multitude of beloved Australian media brands, including OK!, NW, InStyle, and Harper’s BAZAAR. She’s covered every side of beauty content, from directing beauty editorial shoots to rounding up the best glossy serums for golden hour skin. Having spent nearly a decade immersed in the beauty realm, Delaney’s knowledge of beauty is as extensive as her collection of tinted lip oils (read: extremely extensive). Delaney is currently the Digital Managing Editor of BEAUTYcrew, and her beauty wisdom also appears across beautyheaven, ELLE and Marie Claire. She enjoys channelling her personal hobby (testing beauty products) into her professional work (talking about testing beauty products), and considers perfecting the art of a cat eye in a moving car her life’s greatest accomplishment.
