Just like skin care, makeup is not “one size fits all.” Have you noticed that certain makeup shades bring out facial features while other shades conceal facial features? Your client’s face structure plays a very important role in determining how to apply makeup, in particular which facial features to highlight to make them look their very best.
Here’s how to balance your client’s features and emphasize the assets of their face shape – round, oval, heart-shaped or square – by using makeup to contour.
• Oval Faces
Oval faces are considered symmetric with perfect proportions. The length of an oval face is about one and a half times its width, and the jaw line is slightly tapered. If your client falls in this category, you’re in luck! Oval faces work well with most makeup trends and usually require little highlighting or contouring.
Your ideal makeup look is blush applied in an upsweep motion from the most prominent part of the cheeks, the apples, and toward the temples. Then, add either a bold lip or a bold eye (not both!) to finish the look.
• Round Shaped Faces
Because round faces are generally fuller – face width is about equal to face length – they also tend to look more youthful as compared to other face shapes. To help add definition to a round face and achieve a more oval look, contour the jaw line, temples and cheeks. Slim and lengthen the face by applying bronzer under the cheekbones and apply blush above the imaginary line at the base of the nose. To help further pronounce the cheekbones, sweep a highlighter on top. As features can get lost in a round face, a smoky eye with a strong eyeliner helps further define the face.
• Square Shaped Faces
Square faces are characterized by strong facial lines, such as an angular jaw and broad forehead. To soften the “corners” of the face, contour the hairline by the jaw line and temples. Your ideal makeup look is soft and shimmery, which will help further soften angular features. By highlighting the middle of the forehead, under the eyes and nose, and chin you will draw attention to the center of the face and away from the strong lines of the jaw and forehead. Finish the look with a rosy cream blush on the apples of the cheeks and a sheer lip with soft pink lip gloss.
• Heart Shaped Face
Heart-shaped faces are wider at the forehead with prominent cheekbones and more tapered at the jaw line. To create the illusion of an oval face, contour the temples and underneath the cheekbones and apply a highlighter to the middle of the forehead, under the eyes and the chin. Play up your beautiful cheekbones with a light application of blush. Avoid too much blush or highlighter on the cheekbones since they’re already pronounced!
• Pear Shaped Face
Pear-shaped faces are usually fuller in the jaw and narrower near the forehead, so creating the illusion of either a fuller upper face or a slimmer jaw, will help make such face look more oval. To create the illusion of a narrower jaw line, use bronzer to slim the contours of the jaw. Use blush to bring attention to the upper cheek bones, adding volume to the upper half of the face to create balance. Use a powder highlight in the middle of the face, such as the center of the forehead and tip of the chin to make the face appear more centered. Finally, accentuate the eyes rather than the lips to downplay the wider lower face and choose a muted lip color.
Taking note of your client’s facial features is just as important as their face shape when applying makeup. If clients have a facial feature they are not particularly fond of, you can use makeup to help adjust how it looks.
• Nose
A concealer can dramatically change the appearance of the client’s facial features. Light colors help lengthen and fill out facial features and brighten the skin. On the contrary, dark colors help reduce, deepen and conceal features.
To make a long nose appear shorter, apply a darker concealer or foundation right on the tip of the nose and blend in well to make the nose appear shorter. Make a short nose appear longer by applying a light foundation along the top of the nose to give it a less-defined edge and look more lengthened. Broad noses can be made to appear narrower by applying a darker concealer or foundation to both sides of the nose. You can widen a narrow nose by applying a light concealer or foundation down both sides of the nose.
• Eyes
If your client has close-set eyes, you can make them appear wider by applying a light, shimmery shadow to the entire lid. Working outward, line the eyelid halfway across the eye. Avoid lining the inner third of the eye, as this will only draw attention to the inner eye accentuating the closeness of the eyes.
When it comes to narrow set eyes, you can also enhance their appearance! It’s all about the technique of shaping, highlighting and shading. First, open up the eye with an eyelash curler extending lashes away from the eye. To further help create the illusion of a larger eye, dab a highlighter or shade of white shimmery eye shadow under the brow bone and blend, a touch to the center of the lid and also the inner corners – the eyes will instantly pop and light up! Using dark eyeliner, draw a line close to the upper lash and extend the line just outside the corner of the eye.
