The best makeup for your face shape
Make up can work wonders. We all know how useful a dab of concealer can be when it comes to hiding blemishes or camouflaging those dark circles after a night on the town, but it's easy to underestimate what else make up can do.
If you've got a square jaw, like Kate Moss, Ruby Hammer, co-founder of top beauty brand Ruby and Millie, suggests using make up to draw attention to other areas of the face. "To flatter a square jaw, put a tiny dab of blusher on the apple of the cheeks and just below for slight sculpting, and ensure brows are well groomed. Concentrate on playing up your lips and eyes," suggests Ruby. "If you try to downplay a square jaw, it can be counter productive, so instead, focus on drawing attention away from the area."
If you're trying to make a larger face seem slimmer, choosing the right bronzer is essential. "Take a matte bronzing powder in a shade slightly darker than your natural skin tone and lightly shade down the side of the face, along and under the jaw-line, and directly under the chin," suggests Chase Aston, the Body Shop's international make up artist. "Remember to blend, blend, blend so that the shading appears seamless. Then softly blow a kiss and hold still, then lightly shade in the small "hollow" that appears under the cheek bones using the matte bronzing powder."
Sarah Jessica Parker has recently had her iconic mole removed, but we're pleased to report she's leaving her famous nose well alone.
Sarah is a great example of someone whose clever use of makeup can work wonders for those blessed with a larger than average nose. "The key is to keep it subtle," explains Cassie Lomas, Bourjois make up artist. "Go for a darker shade of foundation down each side of the nose, leaving a lighter panel down the centre. The dark shadow produces the illusion of a smaller nose."
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If you're going for the doe-eyed look but long for larger peepers, don't despair — a few swipes of eyeliner can make a world of difference. "Avoid lining the inner rim of the lower eye-lid with a dark colour," says Chase Aston at the Body Shop. "Instead use a white eye pencil - this will instantly open up small eyes whilst making them appear brighter. When applying eye-shadows, avoid dark, matte shades as these shades are non- light reflective and can cause small eyes to recede. Instead, use shades that have a shimmer texture, as these will attract the light and make eyes appear larger."
For eyes that are close together, a flick of eyeliner can work wonders on close-set peepers. "Angelina Jolie is a great example of someone who knows how to use make-up to her advantage," points out Louise Page, celebrity make up artist.
"She goes for a feline eye that flicks upwards and outwards in the outer corners, which helps to elongate her eyes so that they appear more wide-set."
Finally, those all-important razor-sharp cheekbones. You might think that celebrities such as Angelina Jolie are born beautiful, but in reality, their chiselled cheekbones are largely down to some carefully applied make up.
"If you want to create sharp contours, you need to understand the effect of light and dark," says Louise Page.
"Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow both use this technique to complement their complexion and enhance their natural symmetry. Use light-reflecting products to pull forward and accentuate facial zones and contours such as the temples, cheek bones and cupid bow. Use these products in harmony with darker products such as bronzers to push back, and hide certain areas. When you master this technique you can contour the face and slim down certain areas but add volume to others."
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