Skinny Makeup: Slenderize Your Face

Ever asked yourself the question: Does this lipstick make me look fat? Well, apparently you should be. Your favorite lipstick shade can actually add weight to your face.

"Dark, solid lipsticks can decrease the size of the lips, making the jaw line and lower half of your face look fuller if you already have a round face," says Jane Iredale Makeup Artist Kevin Mendelson. Instead, opt for light to medium glossy shades for fuller lips that better balance out and slenderize your face.

Here, we've got more tips from expert makeup artists on easy ways to shave pounds off your face.

- Melissa Goldberg

Lawrence Lucier, FilmMagic | Jim Spellman, WireImage.com



Neatly tweezed and softly arched eyebrows "give definition to the face, making it look less full and round," says celeb makeup artist Nick Barose. Once you've shaped your brows, brush the hair up and outwards with clear mascara, and fill in sparse spots if necessary with a pencil one shade lighter than your hair color.


Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images

Conceal A Double Chin

Apply a shade three tones deeper than your skin color under your entire chin, stopping just below your jaw line and blending completely into your neck. The darker shade creates the illusion of depth and hides a double chin, says Jamie Kern Lima, co-founder of It Cosmetics. For more advanced contouring tricks, try My Sculpted Face Palette, which comes with detailed directions.

It Cosmetics My Sculpted Face Palette, $38. www.itcosmetics.com

My Sculpted Face

The No-Surgery Nose Job

A large or full nose can make anyone look heavier, especially in portrait photos. Cheat definition by blending a deeper contour color along the sides of your nose and highlighting down the center with a lighter shade, says New York Makeup Artist Laura Geller. Try Laura Geller Shade-N-Sculpt.

Laura Geller Shade-N-Sculpt, $38. www.sephora.com


Laura Geller

Lift With Mascara

You can fake a mini eyelift by first curling your lashes and then applying your favorite mascara to the ends of lashes with the tip of the wand pointed upwards, says Stila Celebrity Makeup Artist Sarah Lucero. This handy little trick creates the illusion of a lift and elongates the face.


PictureQuest

Slenderize With Bronzer

Quick blending with a fluffy blush brush can sculpt a face with slimming definition in seconds. "Apply a neutral tan powder along your cheek bones, up to the temples and into the hairline, and along the jaw line to create dimension," advises Alphonse Weibelt, VP of Brand Development at BeingTRUE. Try BeingTRUE Protective Mineral Foundation.

BeingTRUE Protective Mineral Foundation SPF 17 Powder, $40. www.beingtrue.com


Being True Cosmetics

Make Your Lips Pop

A savvy way to draw attention away from a full neck or cheeks is to accentuate your lips. Try this celeb-loved trick. Lightly line your lips, add a pretty medium shade, and then apply light shimmer powder to your Cupid's Bow (the "v" part of your upper lip) and a dab to the center of your lips, says Achelle Dunaway of e.l.f. Cosmetics.


Jon Kopaloff, FilmMagic

Avoid Smoky Eyes

Deep, shadowy layers of color set eyes closer together, which exacerbates the look of a full face, says Jane Iredale Makeup Artist Kevin Mendelson. Instead, opt for a "cleaner" look with an emphasis on mascara and subtle eyeliner for definition in order to better balance your face.


Peter Kramer, Getty Images | Brian Ach, WireImage

Highlight Your Center Face

To take the contouring tips to another level, contrast the deeper shades you've outlined your face in with a highlighted center face for a fully chiseled look. Sweep a light shimmer powder over your upper cheek bones, brow bones and the inner corners of your eyes, suggests Cameron Vaught, Lead Makeup Artist of theBalm. Try TheBalm Overshadow in No Money No Honey.

TheBalm Overshadow in No Money No Honey, $14. www.sephora.com


The Balm

Apply Blush The Right Way

"Women usually apply blush in the wrong place. Think of blush as a bustier – it should push the girls – or your cheekbones – up!" says Michael Marcus of Michael Marcus Cosmetics. For a lifting contour, line your brush up with your pupil, then position it right on the apple of your cheek and apply color going straight back to the center of your ear.


Jupiter Images