How To Apply Makeup for Your Face Shape

Monday, April 22, 2013

--Guest Post By Priyanka Arora

It’s true, beauty does lie in the eye of the beholder… but, what the heck, there is no problem using makeup to accentuate the beautiful, and downplay the not-so-beautiful, features! Makeup is to women what sports are to men. Okay, maybe that went a little far, but you do understand, right?

The most difficult part of female anatomy to strategically beautify is the face because it is most exposed. Proper care has to be taken to maintain it and present it in its best light. In this article, I will explain the common face shapes and some makeup tips to suit each shape.

Makeup Tips for Square Shaped Faces

A woman with a square face, like Demi Moore, will have strong facial features, especially the jawbone. Makeup can be used to make the strong features a bit softer.

Apply blush with circular strokes on the cheeks, then contour the jawbone using a light colored powder in upward strokes to make the jawbone seem less sharp. Use symmetrical patterns on square shaped faces and always use upward brush strokes. Focus on softening the strong features.

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Makeup Tips for Round Shaped Faces

Celebrities like Drew Barrymore and Ginnifer Goodwin have round faces. A round face is generally associated with health. Such faces are long as well as wide, but when applying makeup, you can make the round shape look longish through clever contouring tricks.

To do this, use two shades of foundation. Use a light foundation on the forehead, cheeks, and chin. Use a darker foundation on the jaw line, face sides, and cheeks. You can also apply the darker shade to the neck area to cover up double chin. Once the basics are in place, blend them upwards to the hairline and downward to the neck, leaving the illusion of a longer face.

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Makeup Tips for Heart Shaped Faces

Heart shaped faces, such as Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Love Hewitt, have a broad forehead and a narrow chin area. When applying makeup, the purpose is to draw attention not to the chin but to the eyes, and create the clever illusion of an oval face.

Use eye shadow and a dark eyeliner to give eyes an intense feel. The cheek and temple area should be given a wider look through contouring. Highlight the chin area so it appears fuller and the overall look will be an oval face.

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Makeup Tips for Oval Shaped Faces

Celebrities like Megan Fox and Jessica Simpson have oval faces. Oval faces are considered to the best face type for women. It is the ‘perfect’ shape with excellent symmetry. All other facial types strive to have oval appeal so if you already have one, you are really lucky.

There are no specific makeup tips except that you should avoid heavy contouring lines, which can throw off the natural balance of an oval face. Otherwise, you are free to experiment with latest trends and colors.

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Makeup Tips for Long Shaped Faces

Having a long or oblong shaped face, like Gwyneth Paltrow, means you can play with new makeup styles and colors as the face has more surface area for experimentation. A long face has length but lacks in width, so makeup can be used to address this shortcoming.

If you contour the lower chin, it will appear less lengthy. Further, if you apply blush on the cheek, it adds width to the face, making the overall look closer to the oval shape. Don’t go for glaring and shocking colors. Go for neutral palette for awesome appeal.

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Priyanka Arora is a guest blogger and an author. She loves to write and research on various issues related to women like best make up tips, how to look beautiful, fit and healthy. Initially she is working with sitagita.com – a global website which focuses on women’s beauty, health, fitness, relationships, parenting etc.