Beauty Mark: Fake It Til You Make It

Something I’ve been having a lot of fun with lately is contouring blush. When I saw Chloe’s A/W 2009 models’ makeup, three words came to mind – fierce bone structure (and I choose my fierces very carefully). It can look really 80s really fast but when done correctly it’s very flattering. Here’s how to get started:
* Light = bigger, Dark = smaller – When you’re contouring and/or highlighting, the same theories apply as they do in art history. Adding brightness or shimmer to an area of the face will make it look larger while darkening an area will make it look smaller. Keep the contouring to the hollows of the cheek, the base of the chin, the temples, and if you really hate your nose, along the sides of your schnoz. Here’s a great intro tutorial.
* Stay away from brozers – If you’re sculpting your cheekbones or contouring your temples, make sure you’re using a sculpting powder or a darker, non-shimmer blush. Any hint of shimmer will make the area look dirty. I love MAC’s Contouring Powder (which you have to go to the MAC counter or store to get) but Coastal Scents sells an awesome 1. Contour & Blush Palette ($19) with everything you need.
* Brushes are key – You’re going to want a good tapered angle brush to get in the hollows of the cheek and on the temples. I picked up a cheapy 2. Essence of Beauty Angle Blusher at CVS for $6 which is great and affordable but people also like Sephora’s Professional Angled Blush Brush #40 ($28).
* Blend, blend, blend! – I can’t stress this enough. Keep blending until you can’t blend any longer. Walking around the dark stripes and spots on your face is pretty gross.
I suggest trying this out when you have some free time to get the hang of it. If you’re too heavy-handed you can look really scary but if you get it just right, strike that duck face, girl!