When it comes to applying blush, the method pretty much seems like a no-brainer, right? Swirl, tap and swipe. But a pro will tell you this isn't quite true.

Just like you'd never consider the same eye makeup look for hooded eyes as you would for monolids, the shape of your face plays a major role in the way blush can make your face look. If you apply your blush any which way, you run the risk of making your face appear rounder, too severe and pointy, or older.

We spoke to makeup artist Kirin Bhatty, who's beautified stars like Jessica Paré, Alessandra Ambrosio and Jenny Slate, to learn best (and worst) blush techniques for your face shape.

If you Google "blush emoticon," you'll see a prime example of what should be avoided when applying blush. "With round faces, your eyes are already drawn to the apples of the cheeks," says Bhatty, "so you don't want to deposit too much color on the apples." Instead, subtly sculpt your round face by applying blush just above your cheekbones. "You want to push the color up from the cheekbones and into your hairline to minimize that roundness."

And if a sparkly blush like Nars Orgasm is your go-to, you may want to rethink your choice. "You don't want to use anything too luminous or pearly, because it's just going to sit on the apples of a round face and draw more attention to that area.

The polar opposite of a round face, square faces are made up of lots of angles (think Angelina Jolie). But if you're not careful, those angles can end up looking too sharp or harsh.

To smooth out an angled face, Bhatty suggests envisioning your natural flush in an embarrassing or heated moment. "Create a soft blushing effect by starting at the apples of your cheeks and depositing the color at that focal point. Then blend and diffuse the color out toward your temples." Consider the ends of your eyebrows your stopping point. If you get too blush-happy and push the color all the way into your hairline, you'll further emphasize the square shape of your face.

For natural diffused color, Bhatty uses a cream blush first, like Nars Matte Multiple applied with a wet BeautyBlender, then applies a sheer powder blush in a corresponding color. "You want blush to appear smooth and sheer, not like an overwhelming punch of color." Bhatty's powder blush picks include Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush and Nars Blush.

If you have a long, oval face like Jessica Alba's (lucky you), your blush endgame is to create a wider shape to open up the face and make it look fuller and softer.

"Start at the apples of the cheeks, and blend the color out toward your ears in a horizontal shape," says Bhatty. But if your blush starts to look like a football player's eye black, you've gone too far. Make sure to blend out your color with a big fluffy brush like the Charlotte Tilbury Bronzer Brush to avoid a stripey appearance. "Also, watch out for sculpting too much along your cheekbones, because that can make a long face look too angular."

Women with heart-shaped faces walk a risky line when applying blush. Done the wrong way, you could end up exaggerating your pointed chin to the effect of the evil queen in "Snow White." But you also don't want to pile blush on the apples of your fuller cheeks. Bhatty suggests placing your fingers over your cheekbones, and applying the blush just a smidge under that area. "You want a sculpted effect similar to contouring. This is going to bring the focus away from the bottom of the face and back to the cheekbones."

"With heart-shaped faces in particular, the traditional way of applying blush [from the apples to the hairline] will make a V-shape, which will really exaggerate the chin area.