How to Contour Your Face with Foundation

Scientific studies have shown that the proportions of the oval face shape is aesthetically the most pleasing, most sought after face shape. Flip through any fashion magazine or turn on the t.v. and you'll see that most of the faces are beautifully oval. Most of us real people in the real world have not been blessed with this particular face shape. However, with the right hair style and make up we can fake a great looking face. Here's how foundation can help you fix your face shape flaws.
You'll need three colors of liquid foundation: one that matches your skin tone exactly, one a half shade lighter than your skin tone, and one a half tone darker than your skin tone. You will also need, foundation primer and a translucent powder. I recommend finding a foundation that also helps fix skin problems: Rimmel makes a great foundation for oily, acne prone skin. CoverGirl makes a great anti-aging foundation with coordinating primer. Peter Thomas Roth makes an excellent age fighting translucent pressed powder which is great to set your makeup and touch up during the day.

Start with a clean face and apply your foundation primer evenly over the entire face. This will help smooth wrinkles, and help the foundation glide on evenly and cover blemishes and flaws better. Next, look at your face and determine what you would like to change to make it appear more oval. If you have a round face, you will want it make it appear slimmer. If you have a large forehead, you will want to make it appear less prominent. If you have a large chin, you will want to make it seem smaller. If you have a skinny face, you may want to make your cheeks or your cheek bones appear more prominent. Apply the foundation that matches your skin tone over your entire face, making sure not to apply it to heavily. A damp makeup sponge helps make it blend better. Next, apply the lighter foundation to the areas that you want to be more noticeable or brighter. You may apply it to your cheekbones to make them more noticeable, or to the dark areas around your nose to make them appear brighter. Blend well! Next, use the darker foundation to diminish any areas that you feel are too prominent or noticeable. If your face is too round, put the darker color on the outsides of your face in downward strokes, making your face look subtly thinner. If your chin is too large, you could put the darker color on your chin to make it seem to recede. The key is to make sure that the change is subtle and that everything is well blended. You don't want to 'see' the three different colors of foundation, you want them to blend softly together. It may take a bit of practice to get the look you want. Lastly, set your look with a dusting of translucent powder to make it last all day!