31 Days Of Basic Beauty

Day 7 - Contouring For Your Face Shape

Contouring is one of the oldest practices in the makeup industry but also the most frequently left out steps in makeup application. Contouring is when you use different shades of makeup to help sculpt and shape your face.

Heart - Contour the temples and the cheeks using a bronzer or foundation one or two shades darker than your skintone. Highlight your forehead and your chin to make your chin appear wider. 

Round - Contour your jaw, temples and under the chin. Highlight the bridge of your nose, apples of the cheeks and the top of your forehead. 

Square - Create an oval appearance by contouring the temples, jaw and along the hairline. Highlight the forehead and chin. Also highlight the apples of your cheeks and the bridge of your nose.

Diamond - Apply highlighter to your temples and jawline to make the appear broader. Contour below the ears blending inwards.

Triangle -  If your jaw is broader than your forehead then contour your cheeks and jawline to make them appear as narrow as your forehead. Apply highlight to your forehead under your eyes and the chin to bring the focus to the middle of your face.

Oblong - Contour top of the forehead to shorten the face. Apply highlighter to your cheeks and chin.

Oval - Contouring isn't necessary for an oval face shape so try highlighting the forehead, under the eyes and the chin.

Celebrity Contouring

Kim Kardashian

(diamond Face shape)

Before and after Contouring

Sophia Vergara (oval face)

Round Face

Hayden Pantiettiere

Finding pictures of contouring in the makeup chair was a bit difficult. I added a few before and after shots to give your an idea of the lovely effect contouring gives your face.

Because your Beautiful

Have Fun!

Renee x

31 Days Of Basic Beauty

Day 6 - Nail Shapes

I have included nail shapes in the Basic Beauty series because I know a lot of people just love a good mani, myself included. My nail shape is round and I think that is the most comfortable for me because I have rather short nails.

How Can I achieve These Nail Shapes?

Oval - Begin by straightening your side walls to make each side even. Then begin filing the side of the nail towards the top using smooth, arching motions to the top. Then work your angles on both sides and around the free edge to create an even finish.

Squoval - Start by filing your nails in a square shape. Once the side walls are straight, tilt the file underneath the corners and file back and forth from the underneath up. This will gradually take the corners off leaving you with gentle curved corner on the free edge.

Square - Start by shaping the side walls and free edge first to create a square and even shape. Turn your hand around to straighten the free edge. The file should be perpendicular to the nail to achieve the hard square. Once both sides are finished urn the hand around and use the file to feather the nail and sharpen the corners.

Round - File nail walls straight out then round out tip in a nice curved shape. Be careful not to take to mush off each side or it could look unbalanced.

Almond - The best way to achieve an Almond shape is to mark a spot in the centre of your nail and file towards that point. File the nail at an angle that is just off the centre of the nail, leaving a flat tip to round out. After you have the angles on both sides, file the corners to smooth out the sharp angles and blend the nail into an almond shape.

Celebrity Nails.

Images from Popsugar

Oval Nails

Eva Longoria

Squoval

Blake Lively

Square Nails

Nicki Minaj

Round Nails

Julianne Moore

Almond Nails

Nicole Richie

I Hope you enjoyed this bit of information on nail shapes and looking at the pictures. Its kind of hard to get close ups of nails and celeb faces all in the one photo, that's why I opted for these kinds of pictures. I hope your find some time during the New Year to experiment with shaping your nails in a new way.

Because your Beautiful.

Have Fun!

Renee x

31 Days Of Basic Beauty

Day 5 - Working With Your Lip Shape

For some weird reason, lip shapes seem to be the toughest shape chart for me. There are a heaps of different opinions out there about lips shapes, and to be honest I got a bit overwhelmed at times. However, I have taken slow deep breaths and made my own attempt at helping you out with lip shapes and identifying one that best describes yours.

Thin Lower Lip - If you have a thin lower lip the aim is to create an illusion of a plumper lower lip to even out the mouth. draw your lip line just outside the lower lip and inside the upper lip.

Oval Lips - Colour the centre upper lid into a slight cupids bow.

Thin Upper Lip - Gently build up the curve of the upper lip to make it look balanced.

Downturned Lips - Draw in the upper lip at the corners of the mouth.

Thin Lips - Create a fuller appearance by tracing around the outside of the lip in a gentle curving line.

Large Full Lips - Brush lipstick inside of lip line, keep the colour sharp near the corners of the mouth.

Small Lips - Extend the sides of the mouth by building out the sides of the top and bottom lips.

Sharp Lips - Fill in most of the cupids bow then widen the top and bottom lip to create more curve.

Uneven Lips - Fill in areas that need to be evened out.

Celebrity Lips

Thin Lower Lip

Romola Garai

Oval Lips

Rachael Bilson

Thin Upper Lip

Emma Watson

Downturned Lips

Cara Delevingne

Thin Lips

Kate Hudson

Full Lips

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Small Lips

Drew Barrymore

Sharp Lips

Taylor Swift

Uneven Lips

Heidi Klum

Let me know if you are enjoying these posts.

Because your Beautiful

Have Fun!

Renee x

31 Days Of Basic Beauty

Day 4 - Eyebrow Shapes

I want to concentrate on your natural eyebrow shape today. Just like face shapes there is a  handful of core eyebrow shapes that your can work from to create your perfect eyebrow look.  
The picture below came from a collectable beauty magazine subscription and I absolutely loved it and it sparked my passion and fascination of basic beauty. Obviously its too small to read so just check out the pictures and I will describe them in my own words.

Round Eyebrows - Curve gently over the eye without creating a defines arch. They give a natural softly sculpted look. This brow shape helps angular features look less prominent and it emphasises a heart shaped face complimenting the shape of a delicate chin.

Angled Eyebrows - These start with a clear upwards stroke then dip down to a sharp angle creating an elegant arch. They give the face a youthful look. The high peak draws the eye upwards away from other strong features and making a wide face apear slender. Best for round face shapes.

Soft Angled - This is a same basic shape as angled brows but with a more subtle and rounded peak. The high arches open up your face and eyes, giving the area shape and helping to enhance other facial features. Will suit heart, oval and diamond face shapes.

Curved Eyebrows -  Curved browns dip slightly in the inner corner before creating a defined arch. The tail of the brow sweeps down toward the cheekbones. This flatters defined cheeks and gives more structure to small or less defined cheeks. This shape usually suits square face shapes as the curvy shape balances out a strong jawline.

Flat Eyebrows - These types of eyebrows have little to no natural arch. They are usually quiet prominent and are close to the eye. The horizontal lines help to shorten long faces giving them a more oval look. Best for long face shapes.

Eyebrows On Celebrities

Round Eyebrows

Julia Roberts

Angled Eyebrows

Cameron Diaz

Soft Angled Eyebrows

Nicole Kidman

Curved Eyebrows

Salma Hayek

Flat Eyebrows

Duchess of Cambridge

It always looks so much nicer when your eyebrows are simply maintained and kept in their natural shape. 

Because your Beautiful

Have Fun!

Renee x

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31 Days Of Basic Beauty

Day 3 - Blush For Your Face Shape

On day one we looked at what your face shape is. Now that we have determined your face shape lets carry on with complimenting it with great blush application for your cheecks!

Oval Face - Apply blush to the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards

Long Face - Apply to the apples of the cheeks and blend towards the ear to create an illusion of a wider face.

Heart Face - Apply under apples of cheeks and sweep upwards to soften the chin.

Square Face- To soften a square jaw, apply blush to the apples of the cheeks

Round Face - Apply along the cheekbones and sweep upwards to create a slimmer face.

Diamond Face (not pictured) - Draw attention to the bottom half of your face by applying blush to the top of the cheekbones blending toward the ear.

Blush on Celebrities

Oval Face 

Anne Hathaway

Long Face

Michelle Dockerty

Heart Face

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Square Face

Olivia Wilde

Round Face

Kirsten Dunst

Diamond Face

Scarlett Johansson

That's another day of basic lessons, I hope you enjoy tomorrows post!

Because your Beautiful

Have Fun!

Renee x

31 Days Of Basic Beauty

Day 2 - Eye Shapes

Today we are having a look at eye shapes. I feel that knowing your eye shape can really help to determine how to apply your eye makeup to best suit your features.

What Is Your Eye Shape?

Almond Eyes:

• Eyes resemble an almond.
• Perfectly Symmetrical with slightly up-swept corners
• Considered the most versatile shape for applying makeup

Hooded Eyes:

• Eye lid appears hidden
• Natural crease is less visible

Down Turned Eyes: 

• Slight drop in the outer corner of the eye.

Deep/Wide Set Eyes:

•  More than one eyeball width apart.

Close Set Eyes:

• Less than one eyeball width apart.

Protruding/Round Eyes:

• Larger and rounder than Almond eyes
• Whites of eyes are usually more visible
• Create an appearance of projecting lids on eye ball.

Celebrity Eye Shapes

Almond Eyes

Gwen Stephani

Hooded Eyes

Jennifer Laurence

Down Turned Eyes

Camille Belle

Deep/Wide Set Eyes

Emily Browning

Close Set Eyes

Sarah Jessica Parker

Protruding/Round Eyes

Emmy Rossum

I hope you enjoyed looking at all those interesting eye shapes. Did you recognise yours? A little hint for tomorrow: remember your face shape...

Because your Beautiful

Have Fun!

Renee x

31 Days of Basic Beauty

Day 1- Face Shapes

To celebrate the start of 2015 I thought I would write a mini-series of basic beauty. Where I can show you all the basics of embracing who you are and understanding a bit more about your you-ness.

What's your Face Shape?

Whats the Best Way To Determine Your Face Shape?

1. Stand  in front of a large stationary Mirror- your should be able to draw on the mirror without having to lean forward.
2. Stand looking directly in front of the mirror with your hair pulled out of your face, back straight and head held high.
3. Make sure the lighting is overhead and not in your face. The lighting will affect the way you draw.
4. Trace the outline of your face onto the mirror using a lipstick, bar of soap or non-permanent marker. Start from the bottom of your chin carefully working your way to the cheeck bones then to your forehead. Do not include your ears.
5. Step back and have a look at the shape you have drawn. Is it long and narrow or is the chin pointed?

Use the above chart to determine your face shape!

Celebrity Face Shapes

Oval

Jessica Alba

Long

Liv Tyler

Round

Kate Bosworth

Square

Kiera Knightly

Heart

Reese Witherspoon

Diamond

Kim Kardashian

I hope your enjoyed this little guide! Look out for tomorrows post: Whats your eye shape?

Because Your Beautiful.

Have Fun!

Renee x