RUBY RECOMMENDS | KNOW YOUR FACE

Knowing and understanding your face is one of the most important aspects of beauty. We are constantly bombarded with new trends, are told to ‘try this, try that’, to forget everything we’ve learnt before because we must be doing it wrong… but beauty isn’t one size fits all. By taking the time to really look at your skin, eye shape, bone structure, and features, you can learn to take steps to accentuate your natural beauty in a way that suits you perfectly.

Understand your face shape 

When applying make-up, it’s important to take into account that each side of your face is different. Nobody has a completely symmetrical face, so look at both sides of the face individually and work to bring them together, rather than match them up.

Everybody’s face is a slightly different shape, so there are no one set of rules to where and how to apply make-up. In the past, face shapes were split in four categories: oval, square, heart-shaped and round, with the ‘ideal’ being oval. People would heavily contour and highlight to try and achieve an ‘oval’ looking face. This approach is now deemed outdated, and there shouldn’t be one ‘ideal’ that we all strive to look like. Everybody is individual, and should focus on embracing and enhancing our own unique features.

• If you have a wider jaw, rather than using heavy contour along the jaw bone to make it look narrower, slightly lengthen your brows to give illusion of a wider eye area, balancing the face.
• If you have prominent cheekbones, try applying cheek colour on the apple of your cheeks, blending upwards and outwards. However, for someone with a rounder face, or small cheekbones, this would make your face look wider. You want to be applying check colour slightly higher, just underneath the cheekbone, to help lift and define.

Know your skin 

It’s important to assess our skin before we start applying product, as it’s needs can vary day to day. Does it feel more dry than normal? Am I slightly more oily today than I was yesterday? There will be some days our skin needs a full routine, and others that a splash of water and a light moisturiser will do the trick.

Skincare 

Before stocking up for a whole new skincare routine, it’s important to understand your own skin type. This helps choose products that suit your individual needs. Which skin type best describes your skin? 

• Normal - Feels balanced - not too oily, not too dry.
• Oily - Prone to shine, and feeling greasy - especially in the t-zone.
• Dry - Can appear dull, and become flaky or rough.
• Combination - Oily in some areas (usually the t-zone) and dry in others.
• Sensitive - Sensitive skin can apply alongside any of the above skin types, meaning your skin is more reactive to external factors.

For Oily Skin, you’re going to want to opt for lightweight, gentle products. Dry Skin needs much richer, creamier formulas, and anyone with sensitive skin should look out for fragrance-free products with hypoallergenic ingredients. There is something for everyone and every skin type.

Makeup 

Before splashing out on the newest foundation, it’s important to understands your undertones so that you can pick the right shade. Undertones are subtle hues beneath the surface of your skin that impact how colour appears on you. There are three main undertones: warm, cool, and neutral. 

• Warm - If your skin has hints of golden, peachy, or yellow tones, you likely have warm undertones. Generally, you suit gold jewellery and veins in your wrists appear to be green toned. You will suit reds, oranges, and terracotta shades.
• Cool - Cooler undertones commonly appear as pink, blue, or red skin tones. You will find you suit silver jewellery and the veins in your wrist look blue. The colours that look best on you are blues, purple or reds.
• Neutral - A balanced mix of warm and cool tones, you are lucky enough to suit all shades!

What eye shape do you have? 

HOODED - you’ll have a fold of skin that fully/partially cover the eyelid when eyes are open.

• Focus on using neutral, matt eyeshadows to create depth and dimension. Try applying a lighter shade on the lid to make it appear more prominent, and darker shades above the crease to create the illusion of depth.

• Avoid heavy eyeliner on the upper lash line, as it can make the eyes appear smaller. Try tight-lining close to the lash line instead.

MONOLID - the eyelid and the crease of the eyelid are not visible when the eye is open.

• To create the illusion of a crease, apply a darker shade above where the natural crease would be.
• Avoid heavy or thick eyeliner, as it can weigh down the eyes further. Try a thin tight-line or smudged eyeliner for a softer look.
• Curl your lashes before applying mascara to help open up the eyes.

DOWN-TURNED - the outer corner is slightly higher than the inner corner.

• To lift and elongate the eyes, use darker shades on the outer corners and blend upwards.
• Avoid heavy eyeliner on the lower lash line, as can emphasise the downturned shape. Concentrate on defining the upper lash line with subtle winged liner.
• Highlighting the inner corner of the eye & curling your lashes, really lifting them at the outer corners, can balance out the shape.

UP-TURNED - the inner corner is slightly higher than the outer corner.

• You can play on the upward angle of the eyes by applying darker shades on the outer corners and blending upwards to really emphasise the shape.
• Winged eyeliner can further accentuate the feline shape of the eyes. Experiment with different styles to find what works best for you.

ROUND - you will always have a visible crease, and often the Iris will be surrounded by visible white space.

• Use eyeliner to elongate the eyes by applying a thin line along the upper lash line, and extending it slightly past the outer corner.
• Avoid using shimmery eyeshadows all over the lid, as they can make round eyes appear even rounder.

ALMOND - oval shape with slightly upturned outer corners.

• Almond eyes are often deemed the most versatile, and can pull off the widest range of looks.
• Experiment with different eyeshadow tones and techniques to find what works to accentuate your natural eye shape. By using darker shades on the inner and outer corners, and lighter shades underneath the eye, you can create the illusion of wider eyes.
• Eyeliner can be used to enhance the almond shape by applying a thin line along the upper lash line and ending with a neat wing.

Enhance, don’t mask 

We all have certain features we don’t love; whether it be our nose, lips, forehead.. it’s often little things that others wouldn’t notice, but that bother us when we look at ourselves in the mirror. With the help of strategic make-up, there a little tricks we can do to help enhance the features we love and draw attention on to something else, to help us feel as confident as possible in our own skin. Ask yourself: what do I want to enhance, what do I not want to enhance and what are you willing to accept?

Colour can be used to enhance your features, making them stand out whilst you downplay other areas. A bold lip choice can draw attention away from tired eyes and add a pop of colour to your face. Choose a vibrant shade that compliments your skin tone. If you aren’t a fan of your lips, use a bright pop of pink on the cheeks instead.

Learn to adjust 

Pay attention to how your skin responds to certain products, and even your environment. Make changes where needed, and if a product isn’t working for you, don’t keep using it! We should also be making slight adjustments as the seasons change - in the Winter you might need richer, thicker creams to protect your skin from the cold, whereas in the summer lighter textures with higher SPF might suit better. It’s important to note, SPF is an all-seasons must-have!

Confidence is key 

True confidence comes from accepting and loving ourselves for who we are - flaws and all. Take the time to look into a mirror, there is always something that you will like about yourself… play it up. The first step of embracing ourselves is to realise that we are all unique and special in our own ways - when you start to accept this, confidence will come.