Ever Since we were little we have all heard the expression “I have to paint my face”, we don’t literally “paint” our faces obviously; however we do apply our makeup to achieve a certain look.

I was taught that you should apply blush on my cheeks and then a swipe down my nose, when in reality that’s actually wrong. To shape your face and contour your face with makeup, you don’t swipe color on your nose at all.

It’s like in art class when they’d talk about the foreground and background, and how you’d make items look diminished by being smaller/darker. Well, apply that to your face! All you really need to know is that it’s all about light and dark.

Here are 6 steps to use in creating a “triangle of light” which is an “inverted triangle inverted triangle in the center of the face where light is focused on eyes, nose, lips and cheekbones.”

Photo Courtesy of shessmart.com

STEP ONE: Sculpt your face with a nude or brown bronzer (Motives Shape and Sculpt Duo)
Purse your lips and suck in, using fingers to locate the hollow under your cheekbones. Using a contour face brush, apply your bronzer  in the hollow of your cheeks, angling color from the outer face near the ear down toward the mouth, stopping about 1inch away from lips. Reapply until you see a shaded area that makes your face look more defined. Using Motives Cheek Contour Brush, apply ‘bronze’ powder to sides of nose, bottom of chin and around the upper hairline.

STEP TWO: Highlight your face with a white or creme powder (Motives Shape and Sculpt Duo)
Brush your ‘Lighter’ powder over the cheekbones and out to edge of eyes to brighten and define cheekbones. Apply a thin strip down the center of the nose and dab on the center of the chin.

STEP THREE: Lighten with a white or creme (Motives Luxe Creme Shadow in Gold Dust)
Apply Motives Luxe Creme Shadow in Gold Dust over your entire eyelid to create a smooth, even base for your shading color.

STEP FOUR: Shade and contour with a light or dark brown (Motives Pressed Eye Shadow in In the Buff)
Using a soft, fluffy eye brush, apply Motives Pressed Eye Shadow in The Buff eye shadow, focusing on the crease area.

STEP FIVE: Highlight with a white shadow (Motives Pressed Eye Shadow in Blizzard)
Use a firm tapered brush like Motives Detailing Brush to apply this ultra-bright highlighting powder under brow arches, at the center of the lid, if desired, and at the bridge of the nose near the tear ducts of your eyes.

STEP SIX: Line eyes with a dark eyeliner (Motives Luxe Precision Eye Line in Jet Black)
Emphasize eyes by using a fine and firm liner brush to apply a thin line of ‘Motives Luxe Precision Eye Line in Jet Black’ along the upper and lower lash lines.

What do you think about using a bronzer to highlight and contour your face? Tell us in the comments section below!