The No. 1 Makeup Secret Every Woman Needs to Know

Do you like what you see when you look in the mirror?

I admit that's a loaded question, one that's often fraught with all kinds of emotion, so I'll start: On a good day, I love what my momma gave me -- especially my dark eyes, thick hair, and the faint dimples that appear when I smile a certain way.

On a bad day? I zero in on how I could've used a bit more help in the lip department and wouldn't mind if my nose bridge was just a tad straighter and my face just a little less round.

Related: Best Makeup Tricks for Your Face Shape

And on bad days like those, I turn to makeup secrets like this: No matter what your perceived "flaw," there's a contouring trick to help you "fix" it.

To wit: Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy Trainer Lana Krizki showed me how to strategically use highlighter and bronzer to re-shape my nose bridge and cheekbones -- and it made my Cabbage Patch-esqe face (I told you I have my bad days) look a lot thinner.

Krizki also let me in on a little "industry secret" that helped me cut myself a little slack for those times when I beat myself up: All the celebrities use contouring tricks to play up their best features and play down the ones they loathe most.

Related:10 Biggest Celebrity Beauty Mistakes

So, the next time you start dissing yourself, refer to these easy makeup tricks that'll help you contour your face like a pro.

http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/contouring-face-shape/p105762/page12?cid=2513
http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/contouring-face-shape/p105762/page12?cid=2513

If you've got a round face:

Step 1: Apply contouring product to the following areas: under your cheekbones, along your jawline, your temples, along the sides and tip of your nose, and the crease of the eye.
Step 2: Apply highlighter to these areas: underneath your brow bone, your eyelid, the bridge of your nose, and your cheekbones.
Tip: Krizki says to highlight the center of your face as much as possible in order to draw attention to the center of your face (instead of the roundness of your jawline). See the final look here.



If you've got a square face:

Step 1: Apply contouring product to these areas: under your cheekbones and around your jawline (but skip shading your chin), your temples, sides of your nose, the tip of your nose, and the top of your eyelids.
Step 2: Apply highlighter to these areas: the bridge of your nose, just above your cheekbones, and the center of your forehead. See the final look here.


Related: Best Bangs for Your Face Shape



If you've got a heart-shaped face:

Step 1: Start by using a foundation brush to apply primer to your face (Napoleon Perdis says "not to prime is a crime," and Krizki adds that doing so in this case will give you a softer, more natural finish).
Step 2: Using a contouring product that's one to two shades darker than your natural skin tone (like a stick or cream foundation), apply product right under your cheekbones and on your temples. Tip: In order to figure out where you need to contour beneath your cheekbones, just find where your tragus is (the central part of your ear) and blend downwards from that point, at an angle.
Step 3: Apply the contouring shade along the sides of your nose, under the tip of your nose, and in the crease of your eyelid. Krizki says to use your fingers to apply; the warmth from your hands will warm the product and allow it to glide on smoothly.
Step 4: Apply a highlighting product (or a foundation that's a shade or two lighter than your skin tone) to the following areas: the bridge of your nose, just above your cheekbones, your chin (to make it look a little more round), right above your lips (to make them look more full), and along your jawline. Tip: Be careful not to over-highlight your cheekbones, since that is the flashiest part of your face when you smile. See the final look here.



If you've got an oval face:

Step 1: Apply your contouring product under your cheekbones. Tip: When shading, do not go further than the end of your brow when applying shade under your cheekbones.
Step 2: Apply contouring down the sides of your nose and apply highlighter down the middle (use the same techniques as the heart-shape face). Tip: If you have a long nose and want to make it look shorter, only apply highlighter at the bridge of your nose, not all the way down.
Step 3: Apply highlighter to the following areas: above your lips, above your cheekbones, on your eyelids.
Step 4: Apply blush to the apples of your cheeks (in between the contouring and highlighting stripes). See the final look here.

For more tips on how to contour your face shape, click here.


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