The Art of Makeup

Well, just as I am fascinated with fashion, I am with makeup.  I love the magic of it, you can fix mostly anything if you know how to do it (without looking like you have a plaster of makeup on).  Playing with makeup is very fun and easy, if you don't like it, it is as easy as washing your face and starting all over.  So dedicate a day just to play with makeup, try different looks, the only witness will be you and your mirror, and always remember, you can just wash your face and it will all be gone.  If you like it, you now have learned something new, you can try whenever you want.

One of the things I have learned in the past few years is contouring.  Contouring is used to slim down the face and make it seem more defined.  You didn't think those models had perfect bone structures on their face, did you?  This is a fun step and it makes a great difference when you apply it. Once you master it, and with the right tools, it can be done in as little as 3 minutes-and it's worth it!  So, what you want to do is grab a small brush such as this one...

Next, find any matte shadow, concealer, or makeup that is at least 5-10 shades darker than yours. I like to use one by Physician's Formula called Canyon Classics, which comes with 4 different colors (remember, it has to be matte, no shimmer in it whatsoever). Concealer or foundation sticks are perfect for this, but cream products need a lot more blending. 

Third, apply the contour lines  on your cheekbones starting from the top of your cheekbone down to the corner of your lip.  This is a bit exaggerated in order to show you the exact position of the line.

Optional Steps:

Defined Jawline-  Apply contour lines to your jawline. This gives the illusion you have perfect bone structure, and it will actually make your face look a lot slimmer. Start with the bone right in front of your ear, all along the jawline.  I love the definition it gives to the face.

Smaller Forehead- I always skip this step since my forehead is very tiny, but if you need it, apply the contour lines on each side of the forehead at about a 45 degree angle.  Again, I don't need this step, as you can see, the contour lines are almost covering my whole forehead!

To contour the nose, you need a smaller, more precise brush such as this one.

Smaller Nose-   Apply contour lines to each side of your nose, and form a "v" in the middle of both nostrils.  I know this looks silly, but trust me, it looks VERY good, once it is blended.





Ok, so now that you have all your lines, it's time to blend!
-Blend the cheekbones up, toward the apples of your cheek.
-Blend the jawline lines down, towards your neck.
-Blend your forehead lines back, into your hairline.
-Blend your nose lines up and down.

Now you need a blending brush, and I like to use a flat blush brush.  Make sure you blend very well, you want these lines to look natural, you don't want to see lines down your face, so blend, blend, blend! Enjoy your perfectly structured face!