Makeup tips for a rounder face

Our makeup artists reveal their insider beauty tricks for round shaped faces

If you’ve got a round face, you probably also have fuller cheeks and an overall youthful look. Whilst we think all face shapes are beautiful, we understand it’s also fun to play around with your features, so we’ve asked our Colour Maestro and makeup artist Ana Lazovski for her top tips on how to sculpt and define your features using makeup for a chiseled look that still complements your natural beauty.

Opt for darker shades

Our first tip when it comes to makeup for round faces is to use darker shades. When you want to carve out your cheekbones and add definition to your face, it’s key to use a high quality bronzer that's at least two shades darker than your skin tone. Avoid bronzers with red undertones as these will just make you look muddy, and instead stick to ashy shades with cooler undertones. If you don’t have any bronzer to hand you can use a darker foundation or BB cream instead to get the same effect. Both the Radiate Beauty Balm and the Day To Night Foundation are ideal for this, as they’re easily spreadable and natural looking, so you can apply them with fingers, a brush or a sponge, and get that sculpted look—flawlessly.

Carve out your cheekbones

Our second makeup tip for a round face is to carve out your cheekbones. Whether you're using foundation, BB cream or a bronzer like the Bronze Summer Glow Powder, be sure to apply the product with a brush along your cheekbones. The Bronze Summer Glow Powder is particularly great for this because it’s highly pigmented but finely milled, so you can recreate the look of natural structure in the face without it feeling or looking cakey. East Hampton or Coco Island are both great shade choices, and should be applied along the cheekbones, spreading slightly wider just before your ears. This will give your rounder face an angular look. Blend well for a natural finish that will last all day.

Contour from hairline to chin

Another great makeup tip for round faces is to follow the C technique. This means applying bronzer in a letter C shape, starting at your cheekbones and then blending up to your hairline and temples. This helps to create the illusion of a longer face that’s more oval than round. You can also apply bronzer along your jawline for more definition, but be sure to avoid the chin. Applying contour the chin closes in your face, making it look smaller and rounder, so instead focus on adding definition to the jaw and edges of the face.

Place your highlight slightly higher

The last of our tips on makeup for round faces is to use your highlight slightly higher. To further emphasise your sculpted face, try placing your highlight slightly higher up on your face than you usually would. Take a product like the Highlight HD Palette and use a fluffy brush to dust a little above your cheekbones. The shimmering pre-baked pearl formula will help to further elongate the look of your face. You can also pop a little bit under the lower lip, the chin and the bridge of the nose to trick the eye into thinking your complexion is more oval than round. That’s the complete list of our tips on makeup for round faces. Now, you’re ready to shape, sculpt and carve your complexion whenever you want. Whichever technique you use, remember defined features are beautiful but your full cheeks are, too.