Get Edgy, Give Your Face Contours!

Many women aren't endowed with high cheekbones or defined facial structures.  Because of this, they think makeup can't work for them or, contrarily, pile on too much makeup to compensate for the Hollywood-like features they don't have.

The fact is, you don't need high cheekbones to create a defining look.  All you need is regular makeup and a few tricks in your pocket.

Use Three Different Highlights

When you're doing your own makeup and trying to achieve a contoured look, use three different-colored highlights – a light, medium and dark.  The medium should be the natural color of your skin tone and the light and dark should fall a few shades away from that. Here is how each different shade contributes to the contouring process:

• The light shade will primarily bring out the natural beauty of your eyes.  You want the shade of skin around your eyes to be vibrant.  You want your eyes to pop.  Draw people in by applying a light shade of your favorite makeup just below your eyes.
• Apply the dark shade beneath the areas you want to pronounce like the cheekbones, chin and jaws.  This will help give you that contoured look, even if you don't have a naturally defined facial structure.  Contrasting this dark shade with a light will embellish those key areas.
• Use the medium shade – the shade that mimics your natural skin tone – to blend the light and dark shades together.  This will make all of the areas you enhanced with the light and dark shades look natural.  As a simple rule of thumb, use the medium shade anywhere you don't use the light and dark.

Tiffany Johnson, a MAC makeup artist, elaborates on this process and shows you how you can give your face contours in a matter of minutes.  In the video below, she uses MAC makeup, but you can use any makeup you want.

Here, Tiffany employs some of the same practices we do at our salon for hair and make up in Perth, Australia.  Whether you're getting ready for a big event or just another day at work, use these makeup tips to define your cheekbones and bring attention to your unique facial characteristics.