How can I cultivate ruddy cheeks?

August 3, 2008 9:53 PM

How can I cultivate ruddy cheeks?

I find ruddy cheeks to be impossibly attractive. When I see someone with them, I think that person must be vigorously healthy; playing soccer and having sex constantly. I understand that it is a stereotypically British trait, and that it occurs more frequently in men, which sucks, because I'm neither. Can I, pale as the driven snow (Michigan-American with Polish/Swiss decent), make my cheeks look like that? I'll become flush for a brief period after running, and sometimes when I'm tipsy, but would prefer an abiding luster.

Mind that your spanking jokes are kept to a minimum. A bare minimum.

posted by boy detective to health & fitness (14 comments total)

This is what blush is for. I reccommend a gel-based cheek stain, such as the ones made by Tarte.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:59 PM on August 3, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Many women wear blush to achieve that look. I would say, possibly most, because I think it would be unusual for a person to be habitually red just in the cheeks and not red-faced all over.
posted by frobozz at 10:02 PM on August 3, 2008

Suppose I should have mentioned that I've used both tints and liquid blushes successfully (ThePinkSuperhero, thank you, those look right up my alley. Esp. "Tipsy"), but am looking for a natural solution.
posted by boy detective at 10:45 PM on August 3, 2008

"Ladies pinch. Whores use rouge."
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:48 PM on August 3, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

that's EXACTLY why ladies and whores alike use rouge. I really love benetint (liquid) and dandelion (powder) by benefit. I, too, am of ghostly pallor.
posted by moxiedoll at 10:52 PM on August 3, 2008

I can't think of what a natural solution might be (beyond pinching, of course). Long term, there's makeup tattoo (which, to be fair, is not any more "natural" than rouge). I also knew someone who could force his face to turn red on command...that might be worth researching.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:00 PM on August 3, 2008

Alas, from my perspective at least, when pale women are also ruddy, it tends not to confine itself to the cheeks. Women have thinner skin, so when the blood vessels are near to the surface of the face, it wants to be so all over. I'm both cadaverously pale and wildly ruddy--- on my cheekbones, lower cheeks, nose, chin, and a bit between my eyebrows. I spend piles of time and money neutralizing the redness all over so I can replace it where I want it with Mac blushcreme in Lilicent. Go figure.

The only things that seem to increase it naturally are alcohol (red wine and gin particularly), anger, and sex. The first and last are particularly fun.
posted by mostlymartha at 11:09 PM on August 3, 2008

Just like Moxiedoll I use Benetint by Benefit. Gives you that ruddy, debauched, rolling about in the fields look.

The natural look can probably only be achieved the Little House on the Prairie" way - by pinching them.
posted by lottie at 11:13 PM on August 3, 2008

Eat more vegemite, of course!
posted by osloheart at 12:15 AM on August 4, 2008

I have this condition (luck/curse of the Irish) and it's more obvious after I've scrubbed my face and, I presume, exfoliated the skin. Perhaps that would work for you too?
posted by zippy at 12:38 AM on August 4, 2008

I have a red face all the time because I have that very common English condition, Rosacea. Having a ruddy face is actually not that pleasant, my face is often very hot and over time it's bad for the blood vessels in your face.

I would suggest sticking to blush or eating a bowl of hot chilli.
posted by wingless_angel at 12:39 AM on August 4, 2008

Another girl who goes from cadaverous to completely red-faced at the drop of a hat (or at few drops of booze) here. Like zippy, I've noticed that when I use an exfoliating face wash, but the effect does not last very long.

On the subject of liquid blushes, I've been hearing a lot about Smashbox's O-Glow, a clear gel that is supposed to turn your cheeks a shade of pink to match your natural blush. The reviews I've seen have been pretty mixed, with some people getting a natural-looking result and others saying that it just turned their cheeks bright pink. Personally, I'm thinking that it's probably more hype than anything, but I've a friend who swears by it. If there's a Sephora in your area they should have a tester or a sample for you to try.
posted by kosher_jenny at 1:38 AM on August 4, 2008

Take a lot of niacin.
posted by notashroom at 10:03 AM on August 4, 2008

How are your iron levels? Don't take if you don't need it, but iron deficiency or anemia can exacerbate paleness, so correcting it might give you a healthy flush. I haven't taken Floradix but they have a pdf (lower right of screen) that was pretty interesting.

I can think of a few physical activities that give a nice healthy glow too!
posted by for_serious at 12:05 PM on August 4, 2008