Look Thinner and Younger With These Makeup Tips

An oval face shape is considered to be the perfect face shape, so in order to make your face look thinner and more sculpted, you want to shape your face so that it looks more oval. And best of all, you can do this by using nothing more than foundation and powder. By thinning out the face using the makeup techniques below, you’ll be surprised at what a youthful glow your face will have and what a difference it will all make. Keep reading below to find out how to look thinner and younger in just a few simple steps.

The basic sculpting method involves highlighting and contouring the face. Basically, everything you highlight comes forward and everything you contour stays in the background. So in short, you want to highlight your good features and contour the ones you want to hide. To start, you’ll need three different shades of foundation/powder in three different depth levels:

• The first foundation shade should match your skin exactly.
• The second shade which should be your highlight color, should be one level lighter than the first, preferably with the same undertone.
• The last shade which is your contouring color, should be one level darker than the first, again preferably with the same undertone.

The diagram above should help you with the placement of the foundation. The most important thing to remember is to blend the foundations really well because the blending process is what makes the sculpting method work and look natural.

Step 1:

Apply the first foundation (your true shade) all over your face, blending it well. Start visualizing an oval face. The width of the oval is your eye sockets the height and length of your oval extends from the tip of your forehead to the tip of your chin.

Step 2:

Take the second foundation (your highlight shade) and apply it to the high points inside the oval. This includes your forehead, under the eyes, at the top of the cheekbones and the tip of your chin. So say your face is a little fuller, this will attract the attention to the narrow area to the middle of the face.

Step 3:

Lastly, apply your contour shade (the darkest one) to the areas outside the oval. This includes the the temples, along the hairline, the sides of your cheeks and down the jaw. By deepening these areas, your are making them visually recede and your face to appear more narrow and oval.

Step 4:

Now of course everyone will use different shades according to their skin tones so if you have ivory/beige skin, you’ll contour more than highlight – same goes for really pale skin. If you have bronze/ebony skin you will highlight more than you contour.

Step 5:

Finish up the process by applying powder to your face after you’ve blended all three foundations. For even more dramatic effect, use a different powder to match your three foundations. So use a regular one for your regular foundation, a lighter one where you highlighted and a darker one where you contoured. If you have just one shade of powder, then just use that all over the face. This will help ensure a smooth finish.

Step 6:

Find the perfect blush and then apply it to the apples of your cheeks for a youthful glow. And there you have it; a skinnier, younger looking face just take a few minutes!

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10 Secrets of Happy Women..

No one is as happy as a clam all day, every day. But experts say learning to find joy in little moments is the real trick to feeling content.

1. Spread your happy thoughts Let your daughter know how great it feels to spend the day shopping with her. Brag to your spouse about the unexpected compliment your boss paid you.

E-mail your best friend to tell her how fondly you remember the camping trip you took last year, and include a hilarious picture of your attempt to pitch a tent. Sharing happy memories and experiences with others—or even simply anticipating doing so—is one of the most powerful and effective ways to prolong and magnify joy, Bryant's research shows. "It helps sustain emotions that would otherwise fade," he says. Affirming connections with others, he adds, is "the glue that holds people together."

2. Build memories you can savor Take mental snapshots of memorable moments that you can draw on later.

Recall vivid, specific events, and pinpoint what brought you joy. Do you love your red wool scarf because it's chic and cozy, or because its smell reminds you of your childhood romps in the snow? Interjecting mystery into happy moments—reflecting on what's surprising or hard to understand about them, for example—can strengthen their power. Just be careful not to overanalyze and lose the wonder of the moment. What you want, says University of Virginia social psychologist Timothy D. Wilson, PhD, is to dissect your experiences just enough to appreciate how they've helped form you and then get back to simply living them.

3. Pat yourself on the back Take pride in a hard-won accomplishment—it’s not something that many people do.

If you spent a year sweating at the gym to reach a fitness goal, bask in your new jeans size—and share your success with others. Self-congratulation doesn't come easily to everyone. "A lot of people have trouble basking in an accomplishment because they feel that they shouldn't toot their own horns or rest on their laurels," Bryant says. It's a fine line between joyous self-congratulation and shameless self-promotion, but don't worry: You'll know if you're crossing it.

4. Fine tune your senses Here’s an easy trick to hone your tastebuds or follow your nose.

Close your eyes while you roll a square of dark chocolate over your tongue or fill your lungs with salty sea air or eavesdrop on your grandchildren's play and laughter. Shutting out some sensory stimuli while concentrating on others can heighten your enjoyment of positive experiences—particularly those that are short-lived.

5. Compare downward Comparing upward makes us feel deprived, but comparing downward can heighten enjoyment.

Think about how things could be worse—or how things used to be worse. Keep it light—you don't have to relive a scary health diagnosis or revel in a neighbor's job loss. Simply take note: Is today sunnier than the weather report predicted? Did you finish off that work project more quickly than you thought you would?

6. Get absorbed Some joyful moments seem to call for conscious reflection and dissection.

At other times, we savor best when we simply immerse ourselves in the present moment, without deliberate analysis or judgment. Listen to your favorite music with headphones in a dark room. Lose yourself in a novel you just can’t put down. Set aside enough time on the weekend for your favorite hobby so you can attain a level of absorption known as the "flow" state.

7. Fake it till you make it Putting on a happy face—even if you don't feel like it—actually induces greater happiness, says Bryant.

So be exuberant. Don't just eat the best peach of the season; luxuriate in every lip-smacking mouthful. Laugh out loud at a funny movie. Smile at yourself when you pass by a mirror. After all, he says, "a surefire way to kill joy is to suppress it."

8. Seize meaningful moments Some positive events come and go quickly—a surprise toast to your accomplishments at work, your daughter's sweet 16 party.

It seems obvious that the more quickly a positive experience evaporates, the more difficult it is to savor. Yet paradoxically, Bryant has found, reminding ourselves that time is fleeting and joy transitory prompts us to seize positive moments while they last.

9. Avoid glass-half-empty thinking The world has enough pessimists.

Short circuit negative thoughts that can only dampen enjoyment, such as self recriminations or worries about others' perceptions. When you find yourself awash in happiness, give it space to grow—don't ruminate about why you don't deserve this good thing, what could go wrong, how things could be better. Consciously make the decision to embrace joy.

10. Say thanks more often Cultivate an "attitude of gratitude," Bryant says.

Pinpoint what you're happy about—a party invitation from a new pal, a seat on a crowded subway—and acknowledge its source. It's not always necessary to outwardly express gratitude, Bryant notes, but saying "thank you" to a friend, a stranger, or the universe deepens our happiness by making us more aware of it.

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