Cherry-Red Blush Plays the Ingenue and the Provocateur

Written by LAURA REGENSDORF
Photography by HUY LUONG
Makeup by GRACE AHN
Hair by DAVID VON CANNON

The makeup artist Grace Ahn knows glamour. Based between New York and Los Angeles, she is the one to call for doll lashes (Stephanie Hsu for the Vanity Fair Oscar Party), burnished skin (Paloma Elsesser for Vogue), and a statement nude lip (Jamie Lee Curtis for the SAG Awards). But Ahn is equally sought out for her adventurous risks—always flawlessly executed—like the full face of galactic blue glitter she recently painted onto Joan Smalls. Here, the makeup artist and Committee member test-drives a new cherry-red blush in two contrasting looks.

The brief was simple; the execution, anything but. That is the transfixing result when you give the makeup artist Grace Ahn the task of interpreting blush—in this case, the color of a perfectly ripe Bing cherry. The formula in question is Saie’s newest Dew Blush, called Cherie and available only at Violet. In the tube, the blush registers as a vibrant, energetic pop. But on skin, the water-based gel tint reveals its versatility, like a first-time actor with serious range.

Ahn’s two looks, by turns ethereal and decadent, illustrate the point. “This Saie formula is truly a universal blush, in my humble opinion,” says the makeup artist, explaining that its blendability is key to a reliably foolproof application. “Just one small dab on the apples can give a very natural flush,” she says. For more drama—borderline libidinal, in the best possible sense—it’s a matter of building up the pigment, letting the color roam further across the cheeks and around the temples.

Getting to put exquisitely good makeup into the hands of exquisitely good makeup artists is a raison d’être of VIOLET GREY. It’s also why Ahn is a treasured member of the Committee of Industry Experts, tasked with testing and approving upcoming launches. “My favorite hobby in the world is to discover and try new beauty products,” she says, “so to be part of a group of like-minded beauty ‘nerds’ is truly a joy.” Now that Cherie is on THE SHELVES, we hope the pleasure is all yours.

ARTIST PROFILE

Name: Grace Ahn
Profession: Makeup Artist
Where to Find Her: New York & Los Angeles
Represented by: Day One Studio
Instagram: @gracegraceahn