We’ve all seen the hallowed faces of supermodels on magazine covers and fashion week runways. Their cheekbones seem impossibly high and defined while the lower part of their faces are sunken in giving them a dramatic look.
But even if you don’t have Kate Moss bone structure, through some clever makeup tricks you can fake a perfectly angular face, Kim Kardashian style.
Much of the recent hype with highlighting and contouring could be attributed to Kim Kardashian who created a buzz when she posted numerous snapshots of her contouring routine that demonstrate how makeup can make a dramatic difference in your overall appearance.
There are hundreds of videos on YouTube and countless blog posts detailing the steps to creating the illusion of a perfectly chiseled face. When I discovered highlighting and contouring, I was convinced this was the Holy Grail of makeup that would have me looking like I just stepped off a New York Fashion Week Runway. I immediately stocked up on expensive products eager to give this whole thing a try. However, I quickly realized that highlighting and contouring was not for the makeup newb and my bronzer always seemed to end up in all the wrong places.
So while I fantasized about looking like this:
I actually looked something more like this:
After several attempts I was almost ready to give up and leave this whole contouring business to the professionals, but I decided to first do some research on the mechanics of this whole process.
Defined cheekbones and an angular face are a primary standard of beauty today. Highlighting and contouring mimics the light and shadows cast on your face when the sun hits it. So the darker contouring line drawn under your cheekbones creates a fake shadow creating the illusion of hollow cheekbones, while the highlighting brings the light back onto your face.
When I first started it seemed like I had two options: harsh, caked on lines or light sweeps of bronzers that were barely noticeable. However, after studying countless tutorials and YouTube videos, I think I’ve finally got it right. While I’ll probably never have Rosie Huntington-Whitely’s cheeks, after lots of practice following these basic steps, I’ve been able to use makeup to slim down and define the appearance of my face.
Here’s how to do it:
1) Start with a clean moisturized face. Apply primer and foundation.
2) Now that you have a good base to work with, take a cream highlighter and apply it to your forehead, chin, bridge of the nose, under and around the eyes, and to the tops of the cheekbones.
3) Things get a little trickier when the bronzer comes out. This is where mistakes happen. Use a matte, powder bronzer to ensure that the lines aren’t too dramatic. Now suck in your cheeks to find your cheekbones and work from your ear down to about an inch away from your mouth in short, downward sweeping motions. Then use a small eye shadow brush to draw thin lines down either side of the nose.
4) Use a blending sponge to seamlessly blend the highlighter and bronzer to get rid of any harsh lines.
5) Finish off with a loose, white finishing powder.
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