Eyes, Brows, Cheeks & Lips

Brows: the face’s picture frame

Brows do more to change a face than almost anything else. A few gentle principles:

• Find your shape with a pencil: the brow usually starts above the inner corner of the eye, arches roughly above the outer edge of the iris, and ends where a line from your nostril past the outer corner of your eye meets the brow bone.
• Fill with feathery strokes, not a solid block. Use a pencil or powder one shade lighter than your hair if you’re dark-haired, or one shade darker if you’re very fair.
• Set with brow gel brushed upwards for a fluffy, fresh look.
• Grooming: tweeze strays below the brow, one hair at a time, in good light, and step back often. Overplucking takes months to grow back. Threading or waxing at a salon is an affordable way to get a shape you can maintain.

Eyes: start simple

1. Mascara alone makes a huge difference. Wiggle the wand at the root of the lashes, then sweep up. Brown is softer; black is more defined.
2. One-shadow look: a matte or satin shade a little deeper than your skin, swept across the lid and blended into the crease with a fluffy brush.
3. Tightlining or smudged liner: a soft brown pencil pressed between the upper lashes, then smudged, defines without the precision of a wing.
4. Winged liner is a skill for later - it takes practice, and tape or a business card as a guide helps.

Whatever your eye shape (hooded, monolid, round, almond, deep-set) the “light all over, deeper in the crease and outer corner” approach works. For hooded eyes, place your crease colour slightly above your natural crease with your eyes open so it isn’t hidden.

Cheeks: the instant “alive” button

• Blush is the most underrated product. Smile, then apply to the apples of your cheeks and blend up and back towards your temples for a lifted look.
• Bronzer goes where the sun hits: forehead edges, cheekbones, a touch on the nose.
• Contour (optional) is a cool-toned shadow under the cheekbone or along the jaw. Blend, blend, blend - harsh stripes are the classic beginner mistake.
• Highlighter (optional) on the tops of cheekbones, the cupid’s bow, the inner corners of the eyes.

Lips: the finishing touch

• Prep: a lip balm while you do the rest of your face.
• “Your lips but better” shades (a rosy nude, mauve or soft berry close to your natural lip colour) are the easiest everyday choice.
• Lip liner in a shade matching your lips stops lipstick feathering and can softly round out or define your lip shape. Slightly over-lining the centre of the top and bottom lip gives a fuller look.
• Gloss adds shine and fullness and is very forgiving - no mirror needed.

Watch the videos, then practise one feature at a time. You don’t have to learn it all at once. 💋