The Dramatically Different concept is sponsored by Clinique’s New Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion +.
We all sometimes wish we could change our appearance, even if only slightly, and, contrary to popular belief, it is actually far easier than most women think…
A little highlight and shade in the right areas can do wonders to certain features on the face.
Want to lift and sculpt your cheekbones, get a fuller pout and probably the most sought after, a lifted eye socket? All are easily achievable with my favorite word in makeup ¬— contouring!
To me, the biggest difference between having a makeup artist apply your makeup and doing it yourself is the application and knowledge of highlight and shade.
Most women have eye shadow and blush shades they love and apply daily, but without the shape or structure to be applied on to, they simply won’t pop or look ‘wow’!
This is why celebrities can look so different without makeup on; their makeup artist has normally applied or created shape to their face before colour is applied.
Take the cheeks for example…
Applying a blush in a peach and/or pink shade can look very fresh and pretty.
However, when applied only on the apples of the cheek can widen the face and plump it up – great if you have a gaunt/thin looking face shape, or a rectangle style shape. But if you are more round or have low definition of a cheekbone, this look just won’t cut it.
Adding a matte (if possible) shade of a bronze/taupe style shade under the cheekbone to lift and hollow the area creates curve and shape.
Try this on one side of your face only and see how much more lifted this side of the face will be, compared to the other which will appear more flat.
You can then either leave the cheekbone defined and shapely, or add a touch of colour on the apples of the cheek to create a fresh approach – applying both is always my preferred look.
MB PRO TIP – Remember, deeper, matte shades recede areas and a brighter, or lighter shade brings the area forward.
Mixing this up can give the total wrong look on your face, so think of what you like and what you don’t, then contour accordingly.
This picture illustrates where to place the highlight and shade tones for best results, obviously you would make sure these tones are perfectly blended, but the more you apply, the higher the effect.
Sometimes, just a slight lift of the cheekbones can really change the overall look of your face, for the better!
Eyes are my most commonly asked about area…
We have so many concerns with crease lines, puffiness and weak socket lines causing skin folds.
But with more shading on the eye than highlight shades, you can really lift and re-shape the eye – it is that simple!
MB Pro Tip – Most women use too much highlight shades with frosted, shimmer effects that overpower the look. No matter how much depth you apply over these types of shadows, they will never be matte enough to do the hard work.
For this reason, always start with the deeper, matte shades first, these correct, then enhance later with your ‘fun’ shades.
I think this picture speaks for itself…
This is an oldie but a goodie, demonstrating exactly the Dramatically Different look you can achieve with contouring.
An Asian eye, just like one that is mature, or even a puffy/heavy lid eye can benefit from a higher amount of shade tones than highlight.
By receding all the skin around the eye back, you will give the eye a chance to come out and look larger.
Most women forget to correct their eye concerns first, instead they try to add highlight shades or tones with shimmer in them which will just accentuate the excess skin more…. Not something I am sure any woman wants!
My tip is to always start with a deeper tone from the lash and blend upwards into socket. I always choose to use a bronzer or a very flat taupe shade in the socket to really lift the structure, recede away excess skin and give a sculpted look to the eye, then apply the shades you want to focus on over the top.
The image above really shows off the eye shape by taking away the concerns and using less light shades so everything is now balanced.
Lips are something that are a bit easier as there aren’t as many options in technique when applying, but the shade you choose can make a difference to the size of your lip.
The brighter, lighter or shinier the lipstick shade is, the bigger and fuller the lips will look.
A deep, dark, matte lip will make them appear slightly smaller.
Some lips are not equal from top to bottom, so I love trying a slightly different shade on each lip, slightly deeper on the bigger lip and a brighter shade on the smaller, usually the top.
Another trick is to apply the lip shade you really want to wear, then for extra pout, try to add a lighter shade just in the centre of the mouth only. This is a great way to give the illusion of a fuller pout!
Try to avoid a darker lip liner as your lipstick as this will also create a smaller mouth. Lip liner drawn just slightly over the actual lip edge can give that little extra fullness.
I prefer to apply lipstick with my fingertip, as it is rounded, dabbing on the pigment for it to stain for a longer lasting look.
Then with this rounded edge application, I add a lip liner around the edges, tracing the lip to gain the fullest possible mouth.
MB Pro Tip – It’s all about light and bright vs deep and matte ladies…
Think about what you are applying where and why?
Do you want to bring it forward or recede the area; this should help you with all your makeup choices!
Good Luck and get a little Dramatically Different for your next makeup look!
The Dramatically Different concept is sponsored by Clinique’s New Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion +.
Clinique’s New Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion + is available from David Jones, Myer, Terry White and selected independent pharmacies and also via the Clinique website (RRP 50mL $29.00, 100mL $49.00)
