Define Your Cheekbones

Many people long for defined, prominent cheekbones. Even those who have excellent bone structure often prefer to enhance these features. While the current makeup trend is all about contouring to create cheekbone definition, there are also many other methods to try.

Steps

Contouring With Makeup

1. Pick the right colors. You will need at least two different shades of makeup: one that is significantly darker than your natural skin tone for the shadows and one that is just a little lighter than your skin for the highlights. Depending on your skin tone and preference, these can be any combination of foundations, bronzers, highlighters, and blushes.
   • Use creams rather than powders for better blending.
   • If you're putting on a full face of makeup, contour after the foundation and concealer.
   • Keep in mind that products labeled as "highlighters" often contain light-reflecting compounds. Even if you find a highlighter that looks dark enough, it will likely be ineffective for shading.
   • For darker skin tones, pick bronze or coppery gold tones for the lighter color. Avoid highlighters not specifically made with darker skin in mind, which may make your skin look too shiny. Pick a second bronze shade that is just a little darker than your natural skin tone. You may also want to consider a translucent contouring gel, which is a product that creates shadow while allowing your skin's texture to show through.
   • A very wide range of colors work well for medium or tan skin. You can usually use a bronzer of your choice for your shadows. However, be sure to find a lighter color that matches your skin tone well, albeit just slightly brighter.
   • If you have fair or pale skin, go with taupe for the shadows and a light foundation or illuminator for the highlights.
2. Add the darker color across your forehead. Make a line that's roughly parallel with your hairline on your forehead. When you reach your temples, bring the line forward. Stop just above your cheekbones.
3. Apply the darker color under your cheekbones. Make a "fish face" in the mirror and add shadow to where your natural hollow forms. This will create a much more realistic contour than shaping without a guide. Gradually add more pigment until you start to see definition.
   • However, if you want extreme, dramatic cheekbones, draw a line with your darker tone from your ears to your mid-cheek. Try to make one continuous line that goes directly underneath your cheekbones.
4. Highlight your cheekbones. Apply your highlighter along the natural curve of your cheekbones. Remember that the highlighter is used to create the illusion that light is hitting the parts of the skin where it is applied. By adding it to your cheekbones, they appear more prominent.
5. Add blush. Dab just a pop of color to the apples of your cheeks. Using a cream blush will make blending easier and give you results that look more natural. Use light pink tones for fair skin and mauve tones for darker skin.
6. Blend your makeup well. Blending is the most important part of creating a look that seems natural. Use a makeup brush, a sponge, or even your fingertips. Buff your makeup with small circular motions, paying more attention to the outer edges. Blend until your makeup appears even and natural.
   • If you've used makeup powders, you may find blending difficult due to dryness. Spritz on a facial mist to make blending easier.
7. Set your makeup with powder. This final step is important when using cream makeup. Use a thick brush to lightly dust on some translucent powder. Try to brush the powder evenly over your skin, but be especially sure to hit any areas where you've used creams. This will help keep your makeup, including your contours, from smudging as you go about your day.
   • If you've only used powdered makeup to create your look, setting powder is unnecessary.

Tontouring With Self-Tanner

1. Find the right self-tanner. Similar to makeup contouring, tontouring works best with two different shades of tanner.
   • Use a gradual tanning moisturizer. This will create a much more natural look compared to other types of self-tanner.
   • Contouring typically lasts for about a week.
   • If you're using a self-tanner for the first time, be sure to spot test it on a normally unexposed patch of skin. That way, if your skin turns out to be sensitive to one or more ingredient, any reaction will be hidden from view rather than all over your face.
2. Apply the lighter tanner to your entire face. Use your fingers to evenly massage the tanner all over your face. By starting with this base, you'll give your skin a gentle glow.
   • If you've decided to use only one shade of tanner, skip this step.
3. Apply the darker shade to your forehead first. Use a stippling foundation brush to brush the tanner on slightly under your hairline. Focus on your temples and the top of your forehead. Stop just above your cheekbones.
4. Add shadow under your cheekbones. Use a sharply-angled contouring brush to apply tanner below your cheekbones. Under each cheekbone, draw on a line from your ear to your mid-cheek. Try doing this with a single stroke.
5. Blend using your fingers. Like conventional makeup, to blend your self-tanner you need to buff it in. Use your fingertips to make circular motions, focusing on the edges of your darker tanner. Buff until your makeup looks even and natural. Keep in mind that your tontouring will likely look much more harsh just after application compared to the rest of your week.
6. Allow your tanner to develop. Follow the instructions on your self-tanner's bottle. In general, this step takes a few hours. A good rule of thumb is to wait eight hours after applying tanner before swimming or bathing.

Using Other Methods

1. Apply blush only. If you don't want to bother sculpting a full face of makeup, consider just using blush. However, instead of applying it to the apples of your cheeks, dab it on directly under your cheekbones. Also, stick to blushes with warm tones and brown bases. Bright pinks don't work to create shadows and will instead make your face look flushed.
   • Applying bronzer without blush in the same fashion works equally well.
2. Aim for "dewy" skin. Giving yourself a gentle glow will help to define your cheekbones and make your skin look healthier. Mix a little illuminating serum or skin brightener into your foundation. If you don't generally wear face makeup, these products can also be worn on their own.
3. Get the right haircut. Hairstyles can dramatically enhance cheekbones. Which style will best define yours will depend on your overall face shape.
   • Shorter hair paired with longer bangs tends to define cheekbones for faces of all shapes.
   • If you have a heart-shaped face, style your hair with blunt bangs. Mid-length bobs and deep side parts also work well.
   • Off-center parts will make round faces look more angular. Uneven, side-swept bangs will also have the same effect. Pixie cuts and hair layering are also good choices.
   • For oval faces, the best way to define cheekbones is through hair volume. You may choose to achieve this through curls, layering, or light teasing.
4. Consider cosmetic surgery. Just keep in mind that surgical options are expensive and that surgery always carries some amount of risk. They are much more permanent than a tan or a haircut, and sometimes the results don't look natural. The three major procedures for higher cheekbones are:
   • A "facelift" to tighten up the skin in your face, potentially making your cheekbones more prominent. If you had more defined cheekbones when you were younger, this is a likely option.
   • Plumping of the cheeks using injections of "filler" materials.
   • Facial implants custom made to enhance your cheekbones.
5. Don't bother with facial exercises. While some say face exercises can give you higher cheekbones, evidence of their effectiveness is slim. Additionally, dermatologists have pointed out that such repetitive motion can actually contribute to the appearance of wrinkles.
   • Although facial exercises won't give you higher cheekbones or remove wrinkles, they are effective for certain other issues. Exercises are used to treat facial paralysis and can liven up sallow skin caused by poor circulation.
6. Finished.

Tips

• In addition to defining cheekbones, contouring is also commonly used to change the look of other features like the nose and chin. The contouring described here is what's necessary for sharper cheekbones, but you can combine this with other contours.
• Before applying makeup, always be sure that your skin is properly moisturized.
• Makeup primer applied after moisturizer and before all other makeup will ensure that you have a smooth canvas to work on.

Related Articles

• Define Cheekbones
• Get Cheekbones
• Correct Undefined Cheekbones Using Makeup
• Apply Self Tanner

Sources and Citations

See also

• Contour an Oblong Face
• Get Rosy Cheeks
• Apply Blush
• Define Cheekbones
• Get Perfect Cheekbones With Makeup
• Apply Powder Blush
• Thin Your Cheeks
• Apply Cream Blush
• Make Your Cheeks Thinner
• Make Cheeks Rosier Naturally

What links here

• Apply Bronzer