Shading With Cosmetics, Part II

In the first installment of this series, we covered the basics of purchasing the proper tones to use in shading your face. In this segment, we will cover good application practices.

Depending on your make-up, you may desire to start with either the middle color or the darker color. Experiment with both. The important thing to remember is that the darker option is used to recede. First, apply it where the forehead meets the hair, underneath the chin, and down the throat a bit (imagine where a natural shadow would be created.) Go along the lower portion of the jaw to soften that edge. For most people, shading beneath the cheekbone is another important step.

Next, the shading should extend from the temples to the eye and along its crease. Finally, it should extend down the sides of the nose to beneath the tip. Many people prefer to use this shading to thin out their noses a bit.

When it comes to highlights, it is basically the area down the center of the face that is to be brought forward. The highlight color should be applied to the center of the forehead and blended out. Down the middle of the nose is another crucial area. Less crucial is the area at the upper peak of the lips. The chin should also receive a little highlight where light would naturally hit it from above and to the front.

Highlights on the brows, right beneath the eyebrows, will open up the face. Lighten just above the cheekbones for more definition there as well. The lighter color should be extended from there down to meet the peak above the mouth in a soft triangular shape.

How much of what to use and where will vary depending on whether a person wishes to shorten a longer nose, hide a double chin, add definition to the cheekbones, or any of a number of subtle alterations. The important thing to remember is to keep it soft and subtle as well as even for a natural look.

Also, if you are planning on having pictures taken, it is wise to extend the make-up down your throat to cover however much of your upper body is visible. Make-up can affect the reflection of a person's face on camera. If your neck and shoulders do not match, it will appear as though your face is unnaturally pasted on in pictures.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on cosmetics, please visit Cosmetics, supplier of a variety of cosmetics and application accessories.
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