FEATURE: Small eyes
MAKEUP TRICK: Use fake makeupeyelashes, contrast eyeliner and eye shadow and apply highlighter
Celebrity makeup artist Edy London has revealed her best makeup tips to accentuate your facial features, no matter the shape or size. (pictured, how to make smaller eyes look bigger)
Edy revealed: ‘Of course I’m going to start with the eyelashes. A pair of lashes that will lift your eyes upward is the perfect choice for someone with small or single-lidded eyes.
‘A great trick to make your eyes look bigger is to contrast the inner and outer corners.
‘An example would be creating an extended eyeliner on the outer corner, followed by dusting the inner corner with a light reflective texture eyeshadow to help open up for maximum effect.
‘Even if you have a unique lid or your crease is not very defined, you can create one.
‘This simple step is one of the key techniques to enlarge your eyes.
“Using a small brush along the socket, choose your preferred contour color to buff along the socket.”
The beauty expert continued: ‘Applying highlighter under your brows will give an instant lift and create an illusion of more space in this area.
‘Using black eyeliner alone can contribute to making your eye appear smaller, so if you want to close your eye, this is where you should start.
‘However, using eyeliner to open the eye can also work by using a white or beige pencil on the inner eye line, which helps keep the eye bright and open.
“Adding definition on top with a darker color will help enhance this look.”
FEATURE: Rounder face
MAKEUP TRICK: Use your hand as a guide to place the contour product right on your cheekbones.
The makeup artist revealed how the hand could be used as a guide to show where to place contour product on the cheekbones
Edy explained how the trick, when done with “precision and the right techniques and brushes”, could make a “huge difference” to your appearance.
She advised: “Take a flat rectangular brush to help chisel out some cheekbones and start by using your hand to find the perfect spot to place the product.”
‘Make a line with your hand from the top of the ear with your fingers towards the lips; This is where the outline should be placed.
‘Place the short, dense chisel brush, using a contour cream or powder that is a few shades darker than your foundation, horizontally in the area with the line you created.
‘Try keeping the brush closer to the side of your face rather than close to your lips; You want to spread the tan up your face instead of inward.
Edy explained how the trick, when done with “precision and the right techniques and brushes”, could make a “huge difference” to your appearance.
‘To help blend, twist the brush vertically and use whatever product is left on the bristles to move the contour outward and blend it well into your foundation.
‘This will mean that you will have a smooth-looking contour, without harsh or dark lines.
‘Be sure to extend the contour towards your face, adding a little to your temples and the top of your forehead, as neglecting the rest of your face can make your makeup look incomplete.
“Focusing on your best features draws attention away from your imperfections, so don’t forget to highlight the areas of your face you’re most proud of.”
FEATURE: Sharp eyebrows
MAKEUP TRICK: Highlight under the eyebrows to help feminize the face.
Edy explained: ‘Focus on enhancing the feminine features of your face: lift your eyebrows and enhance your eyelashes!
‘The right shape of your eyebrows feminizes your features.
‘Lift the eyebrow by maximizing the space between the lash line and the eyebrow by tidying and shaping the eyebrow area.
“Fill in and define your brows with an angled brow brush.”
She continued: ‘Once the area is clean, use a highlighter or concealer on the brow bone directly below the brow, which will help create lift.
‘Long eyelashes are the key to a feminine look.
‘You can achieve this by using strip lashes, lash extensions or coats of thick, dark, volumizing mascara.
‘Don’t forget the lower lashes.
‘Eyebrows are a very expressive feature of the face; In fact, they are the first communicator through our facial expression.
‘Over time, eyebrow trends have rightly gained a place in history. From decade to decade we have seen all kinds of shapes and sizes that have been iconic in adding glamour, drama and expression uniquely to their era!’
FEATURE: A large forehead
MAKEUP TRICK: Use a large, dense brush and a contour product to play with the shape of your face.
Edy explained how using a “large, dense brush” and a “contour product” could help conceal a large forehead or chin.
Edy explained: ‘As much as a hairstyle can help change the appearance of your face shape, makeup can too.
‘Contouring plays an important role in avoiding non-invasive treatments and still effectively hiding imperfections.
‘As with defined contouring to help slim the face, you can create a more voluminous contour effect by using a large, dense, rounded brush to lightly apply the product to the same area.
“It means your cheekbones look lifted with less intensity than the chiseled brush creates.”
She explained: ‘Contour doesn’t always mean structure and definition. You can also use these techniques for the opposite!
“Adding a touch of color to the apples of the cheeks helps brighten the complexion and gives it a smooth, natural, healthy and youthful appearance.”
FEATURE: THIN LIPS
MAKEUP TIP: Put your lipstick on the sharp end of a lip brush to outline your pout.
Meanwhile, the makeup artist suggested that those with thinner lips use a product to highlight their features.
Edy suggested: ‘Using your favorite lipstick, draw a little on your lips with the sharper side of a flat lip brush and continue filling in with the wider side.
“I recommend matte lipstick for over-lining, as it’s less likely to smudge into the creases around the lips.”
Meanwhile, she continued: ‘Exfoliating your lips never disappoints.
“It helps the lip appear larger and helps remove dead skin in preparation for a longer-lasting lip product.”
And he added: ‘Lip lining always works. Use a concealer over lipstick that is already overlined with the tip of a flat lip brush.
“Add a light shine in the center rather than all over to give a subtle, plump pout.”
Meanwhile, the pro suggested that “less is more,” continuing, “Sometimes simply adding definition to an uneven lip line or balancing a fuller bottom lip with your top lip, for example, can make all the difference.”
‘Small and subtle can be just as effective in creating beautiful, natural, even fuller lips.
“For those already blessed with fuller lips, you can exaggerate the volume with a light gloss.”
FEATURE: A big nose
MAKEUP TIP: Draw shadow lines to create the illusion of a smaller nose
Edy explained: ‘Once you’ve prepared your base with a primer and foundation, you can start with your cream or powder contour, choosing a color 2 or 3 shades darker.
‘To make your nose appear slimmer, use a small dome-shaped brush and draw shadow lines on either side of the planes of the nose, making sure to keep the lines as straight as possible to avoid creating a crooked nose.
‘You don’t want a brush that is too pointed, as it can create very strong lines that are not as easy to blend.
‘Use a brush to blend the color along the sides of the nose, buffing and blending so that no obvious lines are visible.
“The central plane of the nose should now appear highlighted and thinner.”
She continued: ‘You can apply a little of the darker color to the tip of your nose if you want to create less length.
‘To really highlight the effect, apply a light-reflective setting powder to the lightest area.
“Each brush is perfectly designed for each stage of the contouring process.”