Instant Tricks To Slenderize Your Face

Introduction

I recently received email from a frantic bride-to-be who was agonizing over ways to give her very round face a more chiseled look. While there are only so many things you can do with your God given face shape, I do have some tricks to share for minimizing round or wide facial shapes.

Although people with round faces seem to be the most concerned about eliminating some facial width, I also hear similar requests from folks with heart, pear and square shaped faces. Luckily for them, people with oval shaped faces can usually wear any style and look smashing. OK you can hate them. It is important to note that sometimes oval faces can temporarily swell to a more moon shape face and appear round.

Before you decide to adopt tricks to slenderize your face, make sure that you understand the type of face shape that you really have.

Heart shaped, pear and square shaped faces can sometimes mimic round faces around the cheek area. How do you determine your true face shape? You can start by reading how to discover your facial shape. It is also a great idea to enlist the help of a trusted friend or stylist to give you a totally objective opinion.

Slenderizing Tricks

Most stylists will tell you that a good starting point to minimizing your facial shape is to give your hair a svelte look. How do you do that? Here are some tips that can work for minimizing fuller shapes:

1. Just as clothes with horizontal strips add the delusion of weight, hairstyles with blunt edges can make your face look much wider than it really is. Avoid styles or cuts that have any type of strong lines that will make your face look larger than it really is. Round faces work best with a good jaw line design.
2. Color is all the rage. Add slenderizing vertical lines to your hair through well placed highlights or lowlights. A talented colorist can also add wonderful depth to your overall face with multi-dimensional color. Try stunning blonde streaks on chestnut and warm strawberry hues.
3. Adding height at the roots automatically minimizes the fullness of any face by adding instant length. Ask your stylist to add texturizing or layers around your crown area to add height. If your hair is naturally thin or fine use a great volume enhancing shampoo to add fullness.
4. Add a root lift solution or volumizing gel to the roots and use a brush to lift as your blow-dry. Remember to direct the airflow from the ends to the roots for even more volume. If you prefer you can use a small barrel curling iron right at the roots for added texture.
5. Updos add instant height. Consider pulling your hair into a high ponytail or braid anchored at your crown. Pull out a few tendrils on either side of your face to add a subtle slenderizing.
6. A should skimming shag with texturized bangs is excellent for reducing facial width. Blow dry hair forward with a large round brush to smooth and curl hair under. Set with a good hair spray.
7. Avoid hair that is either too long or too short. The best length for faces that need slenderizing is between the jawline and the shoulders. This length elongates your face and neck creating a much slimmer appearance.
8. Bangs can be flattering if worn to enhance the eyes. Select bangs that have an uneven edge. Try angled bangs or bangs that have wispy lengths.

Round faces benefit from long straight lines added around the face. A chin-length bob with minimum layering is a great option. Angled bobs with sides that taper softly below the cheeks is also a wonderful selection. This look can create the illusion of higher, more angular cheekbones. By introducing a horizontal line, side-parted bangs that sweep across the forehead also help break up a face's roundness.

Avoid big hair, lots of curls, wedge styles or super short cuts. A key to slenderizing round faces is to minimize the volume of hair that is at the sides and ear area. If a hairstyle is selected that falls above the jaw it is best to wear an off-center part to interrupt roundness. A longer jaw length or longer style can benefit from a center part. The Square and Hear shapes are also not suited for super shot cuts that will highlight the jaw or the chin. Both shapes do well with chin length bobs. A bob with fullness at the chin will balance a pointed chin prevalent with heart shapes.

A square face benefits from a chin length bob that ends in a soft flip or gentle wave. Adding emphasis to the cheekbones and the middle section of the face helps a lot. Bangs are a great solution. Wearing your hair at least 2 inches below your jaw line will also help a lot.

Summary

Utilize makeup to take your slenderizing mission one step further. Reduce a heavy jaw line by brushing face powder one shade darker than your skin tone under your jaw line. Dust with translucent powder to blend.

Chiseled cheekbones can make your face look even more sculpted. Sweep contour powder just under your cheekbones. Then apply blush stroking up and out along the upper portion of your cheek.

Emphasizing your eyes will take attention away from fuller areas of your face. Line the lower rim of your eyelids with a white pencil. curl upper lashes with an eyelash curler and apply 2 coats of mascara to upper lashes and a light coat to bottom.

Give your features a slenderizing lift by emphasizing the arch of your brow. Pluck stray hairs underneath your natural arch. Brush brows upward. Use clear mascara or a dab of petroleum jelly to hold in place. If your brows are sparse, fill in with matching eye shadow, brushing it on in upward strokes

Fingernails that extend 1/4" past your fingertips make your fingers look a lot longer, slenderizing your hands. Switch to a lighter shade of nail polish. Bright colors stand out and bring attention to nails. Pale shade and neutrals blend better with your skin tone, elongating your fingers.

If your nails are short, lengthen them by applying nail polish on just the center portion of your nails, leaving a sliver of bare nail on either side.

Opt for open collar, scoop and V necklines. They create a slimming vertical line by elongating the neck.

Try a bright, contrasting collar that draws the eyes up to your face instantly adding height. Consider wearing clothes that are the same color to create a long slim line from head to toe.

Long, delicate dangling earrings create a slimming vertical line that gives the illusion of thinness. Avoid round hoops or round shapes.

Choose eye and sunglasses with thin frames or styles with the thickest part along the top. Avoid frames that place the heaviest part on the nose or those that fall below the eye socket.

Wear scarves tied low round your neck. High scarves add bulk by accentuating a horizontal line.

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