12 Beauty Tricks for a More Sculpted Face (2024)

By

Reviewed by

Makeup Artist

• David Shafer, MD, is a double board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York City.
• Cara Lovello is a celebrity and bridal makeup artist with 18 years of experience in the field. She works throughout New Jersey and New York, for a long list of bloggers and celebrity clientele.

Ask for Lowlights

Dark shades elongate your face, while lighter highlights actually make it appear wider. Add some lowlights along the strands closest to your face and use brighter hues on the tips of your hair and crown of your head.

Do an At-Home Facial Massage

Waking up puffy and bloated can immediately affect your face. Drink a ton of water before bed (especially if you've recently gone ham on pizza or a delicious burger—salt can cause face puffiness), and give a facial massage a go come morning. Here's a step-by-step guide to getting it right. Not only does this help de-puff your face, but it's also a relaxing nighttime routine. Simply grab your favorite serum and start your at-home facial.

We love this Head to Toe Gua Sha Set ($120) from Pink Moon. The kit includes everything you need for your toning facial from a rose quartz gua sha, facial oil, and body and hair oil.

Consider a Side Bang

Bangs are another hairstyle quality that can create symmetry. Try a side-swept style to reduce the appearance of roundness in your face. Stay away from short, straight bangs as they can emphasize the width of your face, making it seem wider and rounder.

Apply Blush Correctly

The placement of your blush (as well as the shade) is paramount when it comes to lengthening your face. Look for a product with a slight brown undertone to show off the contours on your face without going full-contour—a red undertone can often round out your face.

Move Your Part

Did you know that the way you part your hair can shift the balance of your face? Having a side partis an easy way to disrupt this symmetry, making your face appear more slender and oval in shape. A center part, on the other hand, offers a sense of symmetry that can emphasize the roundness of the face.

Accessorize With Earrings

This is perhaps the easiest way to promote a more defined look to your face. Long, dangly earrings draw the eye to the length of your neck rather than the roundness of your face. And, of course, they're pretty glamorous with a glossy pink lip (try Dior Dior Addict Lip Glow, $40).

Practice Your Cat-Eye Liner

Playing up your eyes draws attention away from the rest of your face. A precise feline flick is just the thing to add sophistication to your makeup look and make your face look more narrow to boot. Eyeko's thin-tipped liner makes it almost impossible to mess up (and just as easy to fix).

For the perfect cat eye, start with a thin liner at the inner corner and give it a slight flick toward the end of your eye. For beginners, it may be easier to draw where you want your wing first, then fill it in and line the rest of your eye.

Give Your Roots a Lift

Adding volume to your hair instantly elongates your face. To create height, grab a root-lifting product and section off the hair around your crown. Spray along the part and tease underneath, back-combing from your ends to your roots. Then, smooth the top of your hair et voilà! The higher the hair, the narrower the face.

A sleek updo can have a similar effect. Pull your hair into a high ponytail or bun to draw eyes up to your face.

Arch Your Brows

The arch in your brows will help lift your face. "Brows shape the whole face," says Lovello. "The difference a good full brow can make can take years off, or even slim the face with a little more arch."

Have a professional create a bit more of an angular arch to nicely frame your face and slim it out instantly. Also, make sure not to over-tweeze. Patchy, thin brows will work in the opposite way and round out the look of your face. Filling in brows can create a frame for your face, making it appear thinner.

Consider Botox

Shafer offers a bit more invasive (but long-lasting) solution. "Botox is a fantastic treatment for slimming the jawline," he explains. "A few injections on either side of the jaw helps thin the masseter muscle, which, if untreated, can cause bulk in the lower face."

Fillers can also add volume to places you want to look a bit more sculpted. Some people opt to create higher-looking cheekbones or a more sculpted jawline. Of course, always talk with a professional about what will work best for you before going in for your procedure.

Try a Lymphatic Drainage Treatment

While at-home facials can stimulate lymphatic drainage and help promote a lengthened look, sometimes you need to leave it to the experts. "I invest in a HydraFacial once a month because it does more than just lymphatic drainage," says Lovello.

Doing monthly facials, such as a HydraFacial, can help skin elasticity and promote a healthy glow. Plus, it's great to do in tandem with a weekly sculpting gua sha treatment at home.

Remember to Contour Your Nose

We all know that contouring your cheeks can help give the illusion of defined cheekbones, but don't forget to contour outside of the cheek area as well. Likewise, contouring your nose helps to elongate your facial features. Keep in mind that the bonzer shade you use for your cheekbones should differ from the shade you use for your nose.

"Just make sure to switch up that bronzer color for something a little more cool-toned," adds Lovello.