Learning how to apply blush correctly is trickier than it might seem. "Smile, and dust it onto the apples of your cheeks," is the common advice. Even with this seemingly simple direction, it's easy to go overboard and find yourself looking a little clownish. But there's at least one good reason you should be wearing blush: It brightens up dull skin and gives you an instant glow.

To make things easier, keep scrolling for the six mistakes almost everyone makes when applying blush.

#1: Thinking It's Just For Cheeks

When you spend a lot of time in the beauty industry, you pick up tips from makeup artists. One of the best blush tricks we've learned is from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's go-to makeup artist Florrie White, who suggests that blush isn't just for your cheeks. As well as subtly applying the color to the apples of your cheeks, you should also add some to your temples to create a natural highlight, according to White. Not only will this pull your whole face together (kind of like matching the color of your accessories), it'll create an all-over glow. You can even dust a little across the bridge of your nose for that just-been-on-holiday look.

#2: Choosing the Wrong Color for Your Skin Tone

Makeup artist Katey Denno, who works with Amanda Seyfried, Isla Fisher, Mindy Kaling, and more, says that when finding the right shade of blush for your skin tone, "The goal is to pick a shade that matches the color of your cheeks when you have a natural flush." So how do you pick correctly? If you're really pale, you want a cool pink; olive complexions want an apricot shade; and for darker skin, a super-pigmented blush is the way to go. You can see more of how to find the right shade for you with our guide to the perfect blush color for your complexion.