You better believe it- from Kim K’s cheekbones to Kendall Jenner’s lips, all the stars are at it. Makeup artist Jenna Treat shows you how…
This week’s column is essentially a guest post, mainly because makeup artist Jenna Treat is a genius/magician. She’s a beauty and brow expert (we all know the transformational powers of an immaculately shaped brow) and gets asked to perform makeup miracles on the regular at the low key yet super starry Josh Wood Atelier . She’s a master at bringing your finest features to the fore, creating cheekbones where there aren’t any (they’re hiding there somewhere) and slimming your schnoz. Her tips won’t mask you in makeup; just allow you to make the most of what your mama gave you and arm you with the skill to tweak bits you possibly weren’t so thankful to receive in the great genetic lottery. Before trying to achieve a real life Instagram face, however, do bear in mind the words of the late, great Kevyn Aucoin:
“Perfection is boring. If a face doesn’t have mistakes, it’s nothing.”
That’s us told, now go forth and contour.
Eyes
“I’d say that the most common request I get is to enhance the eyes.”
Narrow set: Reference Jennifer Aniston and Barbara Streisand. You want to make your eyes look farther apart.
“If your eyes are narrow set you can make them appear wider apart by keeping statement makeup to the outer corners of the eye. Use soft lines, lighter shadows and highlighters on the inside of the eye - this allows attention to be drawn to the outside frame of the eye, giving the appearance of more ‘space’ between the eyes”. Add a few accent lashes on the outside corners of the eye, et voilà - Eyes Wide Set!
Wide set: Reference Amanda Seyfried and Uma Thurman.
“A little trick to cheat the eyes closer together is to put heavier makeup around the entire eye, even going so far as to extend darker pigment to the inner corners. In short, you’ll look HOT in wearing a classic, intense smokey eye.”
Nose
Who needs rhinoplasty? Beyoncé, Jennifer Aniston and of course, a certain Kardashian West, all ace the nasal streamline.
“By dusting a non-shimmery contour powder a few shades darker than your skin tone on either side of the nose from the top of the bridge to the nasal fold you can create the impression that your nose is slimmer and longer. Blending a fine line of highlighting powder (choose one with an oh-so-subtle shimmer such as MAC Pigment in Naked , £17) down the centre of the nose adds dimension and creates the impression that the width of the nose has receded.”
Cheekbones
J Lo wrote the book on this one. J Lo Glow isn’t just a perfume…
“She quite literally carves out her cheekbones by contouring, adding blusher and a little pop of light on the sweet spot (the apples of the cheeks). It works every time.”
“I love Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Swish & Pop Blusher in Ecstasy , £30, to achieve this look. Blended well, the two shades add just the right amount of dimension and luminosity. Remember that the cheeks are meant to be peachy or pink. Bronzer has its place elsewhere!”
Avoid the stripy dual carriageway of bronzer and highlighter by merging beautifully textured products and blending well - on initial application your face may look a tad ‘paint by numbers’, but your makeup ‘facelift’ should be imperceivable to the naked eye once you’ve blended sculpting powder underneath the cheekbone (in a shade or two darker than your skintone and NEVER orange), highlighter on the cheekbone and blusher on the plump part of your cheeks. Studio 10 Visible Lift Face Definer compact , £30, makes the whole process entirely painless with formulations containing hyaluronic acid and a unique antioxidant and vitamin complex to give your skin even more of a boost.
Jawline
“If you have a wide jaw like Katie Holmes or Minnie Driver and want to minimise it, apply the same contouring logic (darkness recedes, light comes forward). Grab your contouring powder and buff it underneath the chin and at the top of your neck. Ensure that it’s flawlessly blended and shaded out so that the face and neck actually look like they’re from the same human! Then apply a matte powder in a light tone just above the jawline, under the cheekbone and in the hollows of the cheeks. This will have the bonus effect of bringing out your cheekbones beautifully!”
Lips
Don’t get trigger happy with the collagen shots - get your hands on a neutral, natural coloured lip liner instead. Good old Studio 10 come in handy again on this front, as the brand’s Age Reverse Perfecting Lip Liner , £22, is double-ended, combining a rosy nude shade and clever highlighter. Essentially, it’s plump lips ahoy (should you desire them); the youthful pink shade defines the lips and the highlighter pencil can be used to enhance the cupid’s bow or to achieve a sulky supermodel bottom lip with just a few strokes underneath the curve of the centre of the lip.