Ditch Your Purple Blush, Orange is the Cool-Girl Hue of AAFW

We’ve seen pink, we’ve seen purple, but one of the breakout blush tones at AAFW has been orange blush — the chic, the outdoorsy hue will be everywhere this summer.

While Afterpay Australian Fashion Week has been defined by grey and often torrentially rainy days, the runways have been resplendent with floaty, skin-baring looks we’ll be wearing in the summer. What goes for clothes, also goes for beauty.

I first glimpsed orange cheeks at Bondi Born, where Clarins Head of Makeup-Artistry Anne Salem directed a distinctly outdoorsy complexion. The hero product was Joli Blush in “Cheeky Peach” ($51) swept liberally across cheeks, the nose bridge, chin and temples to give a slightly ruddy, sun-kissed complexion.

The slightly diffused, plush-peach lip was created by pressing powder blush over lip oil.

“We used Jolie Blush to diffuse the lips for a muted lip with a hint of colour – a powder blush helps us achieve this,” Salem explained.

The MUA explained that to make this look work, your lips need to be “extra primed”.

“We prepped with Lip Comfort Oil in Apricot ($39) – this hue complemented the Jolie Rouge, Cheeky Peach perfectly,” she said.

This muted, lived-in apricot reminded me of the diffused, muted peach seen on Elodie Russel, front row at Fashion Week.

We then spotted it again at Matteau, another relaxed, beachside collection that put the spotlight on fresh complexions using Rose Inc products rolling down the runway.

The glowing, healthy base was achieved with their Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum ($76) — the closest you can get to bare skin while still wearing foundation.

Meanwhile, the ever so soft, supple peach luminescence was created using Rose Inc Blush Divine Radiant Lip and Cheek Colour ($45) in “Anemone” a bright coral,  “Heliotrope”, a soft Apricot, and “Foxglove” a warm terracotta.

Nose blush has been popularised by TikTok, but we typically see it in soft pinks and lilacs that are more ethereal, childlike or straight up Bridgerton.

These shades favour porcelain complexions and lighter skin tones. Orange, meanwhile, is a colour far more workable for a multitude of skin tones — and the sun-flushed application is far from childish or princess-y.

The orange, sun-soaked flush heralds a more outdoorsy feel, reminiscent of strolls along Bondi Beach, returning from a bush walk in summer or even holidaying in the Greek Islands (we can dream). It is less insipid and girlish, more womanly, strong, and ultimately chic.