Do you ever find yourself wanting to change up your makeup routine but can’t because you’re out of new and fresh ideas? There are plenty of little tweaks you can make on a day when you’re feeling a little adventurous without causing you to look like you caked on a clown mask. The best part is that these products can often be readily found in your beauty arsenal, even if you’re pared down to the basics.

Bold Brows

Filling in your brows makes a huge difference to your entire face. Bold brows give a more youthful look and frame your eyes nicely, playing them up and bringing more attention to that area of your face. If your eyes are one of your favorite features, this is a great tip for you! Filling in brows is simple: using a brown eyeliner or eyebrow pencil in a shade a tad bit darker than your hair color (I swear by my Wet N’ Wild brow pencil, as it is the cheapest and one of the best products in my makeup kit), make small, light strokes in the direction that your hair grows. If you were a little heavy-handed with your strokes, brush through your brows with a damp Q-tip. You will be amazed at the difference a strong brow can make to your face.

Eyebrow Pencil, Wet N’ Wild

Highlighting

Certain areas of your face are naturally cast in shadow. Highlighting these areas with shimmery or light colored eye shadows or creams brighten your entire face and help ensure a glowing complexion. Using the lightest eye shadow you own, use your finger to tap and blend small amounts of shimmer to certain areas of your face. These areas include: On the brow bone right under your eyebrow, on the inner corner of the eyes, lightly swept on the top of your cheekbones upward towards your hairline and finally on the “cupid’s bow” part of your top lip where it dips in the center.

Contouring

Unlike with highlighting tricks, there are other areas of the face that look better cast in shadow in order to create the illusion of a more angular bone structure. Using a bronzer or shade of eyeshadow that is one to two tones darker than your skin color, you can use the appropriate brush for the area of the face you are working on. For example: a blush brush for cheeks or medium sized eyeshadow brush for lids. For the cheeks, find the area directly beneath your cheekbone. Then apply a slanted, blended line of bronzer in a diagonal line following underneath the natural line of your cheekbone. This will give the illusion of very defined, high cheekbones. For eyelids, find the natural crease of your eye or the area where the top of your eyeball is, and use eyeshadow in a sweeping windshield wiper motion in this area. This creates depth to your eyes and defines the unique shape of your eye.

 Contouring Cheeks, B-Luscious