Celebrities are ditching heavy eye-make-up on red carpets after Gen Z declared eye shadow is dated, but beauty expert warns it can age them
FEATURE: Small eyes
MAKEUP TRICK: Use fake elashes, contrasting liner and eye shadow and apply highlighter
Celebrity make-up artist Edy London has revealed her best make-up tips to accentuate the features of your face, no matter the shape or size. (shown, how to make smaller eyes look bigger)
Edy revealed: ‘Of course I’m going to start with the eyelashes. A pair of eyelashes that open your eyes upwards are the perfect choice for someone with small eyes or a monolid.
‘A great trick to make your eyes look bigger is to contrast the inner and outer corners.
‘An example would be to create an extended eyeliner on the outer corner, followed by dusting your inner corner with a light-reflecting textured eyeshadow to really help open it up for maximum effect.
“Even if you have a mono member, or if your fold isn’t very defined, you can make one.”
‘This simple step is one of the most important techniques for enlarging your eyes.
“Using a small pencil brush along the bowl, choose your preferred contour color to buff it along the bowl.”
The beauty expert continues: ‘Applying highlighter under the eyebrows gives an instant lift and creates an illusion of more space in this area.
‘Using only black eyeliner can help make an eye appear smaller, so if you want to close the 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, leaving the eye bright and open.
“Adding definition to the top with a darker color will help accentuate this look.”
FEATURE: Rounder face
MAKEUP TRICK: Use your hand as a guide to apply the contour product precisely to the cheekbones
The makeup artist revealed how the hand can be used as a guide to show where to place the contour product on the cheekbones
Edy explained how the trick, when done with ‘precision and the right techniques and brushes’, can make a ‘big difference’ to your appearance.
She advised, “Grab a flat, rectangular brush to chisel out some cheekbones, and start with your hand to find the perfect spot to apply the product.”
‘Make a line with your hand from the top of your ear with your fingers towards your lips – this is where your contour should be.
‘Using a contour cream or powder a few shades darker than your foundation, bring the short, dense chisel brush horizontally into the area with the line you’ve drawn.
‘Try holding the brush closer to the side of your face rather than closer to your lips – you want to extend the bronzer towards your face rather than inwards.
Edy explained how the trick, when performed with ‘precision and the right techniques and brushes’, can make a ‘big difference’ to your appearance
‘To aid blending, turn the brush vertically and use the product still on the bristles to move the contour outwards and blend it nicely into your foundation.
‘This means you have a smooth-looking contour without harsh and dark lines.
‘Make sure you extend the contouring to your face, adding a little to your temples and the top of your forehead, because 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 accentuate the parts of your face you’re most proud of.’
FEATURE: Sharp eyebrows
MAKEUP TRICK: Highlight under your eyebrows to make the face more feminine
Edy explained: ‘Focus on emphasizing the feminine features of your face – raise your eyebrows and accentuate your eyelashes!
‘The right eyebrow shape feminizes your facial features.
‘Lift your brow by maximizing the space between your lash line and your brow by tidying up and shaping your brow area.
‘Fill in and define your brows with an angled brow brush.’
She continued: ‘Once the area is neat, use a highlighter or a concealer on a 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, eyelash extensions or layers of thick, dark volumizing mascara.
‘Don’t forget the bottom lash.
‘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 taken their place in history. From decade to decade we have seen all shapes and sizes that have been iconic in uniquely adding glamour, drama and expression to that era!’
FEATURE: A large forehead
MAKEUP TRICK: Use a large, dense brush and a contour product to play with your face shape
Edy explained how using a ‘large, dense brush’ and ‘contour product’ can help camouflage a large forehead or chin
Edy explained: ‘Just as a hairstyle can help change the appearance of your face shape, so can makeup.
‘Contouring plays an important role in how you can avoid non-invasive treatments and still effectively conceal imperfections.
‘Similar to the sharp contours to slim your face, you can create a fuller 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 what the chiseled brush creates.”
She explained: ‘Contouring doesn’t always mean structure and definition. You can also use these techniques for the opposite!
‘Adding a hint of color to the apples of the cheeks helps brighten the complexion and gives a soft and natural, healthy and youthful appearance.’
FEATURE: THIN LIPS
MAKEUP TRICK: Place your lipstick on the sharp end of a lip brush to outline your pout
Meanwhile, the makeup artist suggested that people with thinner lips use products to emphasize their facial features
Edy suggested: ‘Use your favorite lipstick, trace your lips a little with the sharper side of a flat lip brush, and continue filling in with the wider side.
‘I recommend matte lipstick as an overliner as it is less likely to settle into the creases around your lips.’
Meanwhile, she continued, “Exfoliating your lips never disappoints.
‘It makes the lip appear larger and helps remove dead skin cells in preparation for a longer-lasting lip product.’
She added, “The lip transfer always works. Use concealer on already over-lined lipstick with the end of a flat lip brush.
‘Add a bright gloss in the center instead of all over, for a subtle, plump pout.’
Meanwhile, the pro suggested that ‘less is more’, continuing: ‘Sometimes adding definition to an uneven lip line or balancing a fuller lower lip towards the top, for example, can make all the difference.
‘Small and subtle can be just as effective in creating beautiful and natural, even fuller lips.
“For those who were already blessed with fuller lips, they can exaggerate the volume with a clear gloss.”
FEATURE: A large nose
MAKEUP TRICK: 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 look slimmer, use a small domed brush and draw shadow lines on either side of the planes of the nose. Make sure you keep the lines as straight as possible to avoid creating a crooked nose.
‘You don’t want a brush that’s too pointy, because it can create very hard lines that aren’t as easy to blend.
‘Use a brush to blur and blend the color along the sides of the nose so that no obvious lines are visible.
‘The mid-plane of the nose should now appear highlighted and thinner.’
She continued, “You can brush some of the darker color over the tip of the nose if you want to create less length.
‘To really accentuate the effect, apply a light-reflecting setting powder to the lighter area.
‘Each brush is perfectly designed for every stage of the contouring process.’