Hello again... glad you can join us. I hope you are enjoying the summer and are trying to keep up with a good skin care regimen. In this column, I am going to focus on face shapes and will begin to explain how to use light and dark contouring concealers and powders to your best advantage.
First of all, ask yourself what kind of face you have round, long or square? What kind of cheekbones? Prominent (lucky you), flat or non-existant? Where are the dark, valley areas of your face? Which areas need to be brought out a little and which ones can you live without? Before you can put the following tips to good use, you really need to analyze your facial features. Which ones do you want to accentuate and which would you like to minimize?
Determining your face shape can be a little tricky, but if you just remember the "rule of thirds" you'll quickly be able to figure out what your true shape is.
Look at these four models:
Notice how the distances between the lines on Cindy Crawford, are almost perfectly equal. Compare them with the model on the right. The distance between her eyebrows, nose and chin are much greater than from her eyebrows to her forehead. She has a long face.
Now, look at the model on the left here. The key area is the distance between her nose and chin, which is shorter than the distance between her eyebrows and nose. She has a round face.
You must understand what your own face shape is before you can achieve a look that will accentuate your best features and diminish those that are less than perfect. I will show you how to accomplish that as we proceed in these lessons, but this is the time to find out what shape you have by dividing your face into thirds, with special emphasis on the lower two-thirds.
Light colors bring objects out. When you apply light (concealer or foundation) to an area on the face, that area will appear to come out. It will stand forward, be highlighted. Look at our models. Notice how in all of them the darker areas recede while the lighter areas come out. It is really obvious around Cindy Crawford's cheekbones. See how the dark and light give her a dramatic, but subtle, shape in that area. Artists know this effect as Chiaroscuro, or the interplay of light and dark to create dimension and texture.
You can use these same principles to make your face look it's best.
Here are some of the areas which you may find need highlighting:
Apply these light colors very sparingly. If you put on too much, it will cause the covered area to protrude. Also, be sure to blend very well, and always powder lightly after application. This will set the make-up and take away any shine.
Next time we'll talk about contouring, causing areas to recede. And remember, if you make a mistake: it's only makeup! You can fix it.
I hope that this column was helpful in beginning to get your face in shape. I am laying down the basics for you now so that we have a great quality canvas on which to paint!
There's a lot more to come: colors; foundations; coverage; eyes; lips.... Keep in mind that if you have any questions, feel free to email me.
Andrea York is a well-known Licensed Cosmetologist and Make-Up Artist in New York City. She is highly respected, and has made both men and women look superb for over twelve years. Andrea launched her own cosmetics line in 1986, after finding that high quality, reasonably priced products were scarce. She has helped many transgender clients achieve the exact look which they had sought but found unattainable without her expertise.
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