8 BEAUTY MISTAKES

THAT MAKE YOUR

FACE LOOK WIDER

Copyright © 2016 WWW.MERAKILANE .COM

YOU OPT FOR SLEEK, STRAIGHT HAIRSTYLES I've spent the last 20+ years applying serums and using various hot tools in an effort to make my hair as sleek, smooth, and straight as possible. The good news is that I could talk your ear off about the best products and techniques to get

humid-resistant straight hair, but as it turns out, straight hair can actually make your face look WIDER if it’s not styled properly. Ideally, I try to add a bit of a curl to my locks to give it a little lift, but on the mornings I don’t have time to fuss about with my curling wand, I make sure to add a little Moroccanoil Volumizing Mousse to my roots and blow dry my hair up and away from my face with a large, round brush. I then tease it at the top and sides, and add a bit of hairspray so my hair doesn’t fall flat against my head as soon as I walk out the front door.

YOUR EYEBROWS ARE TOO THIN Like most of my friends, I spent the greater part of my 20s and 30s over-plucking my eyebrows, and when I discovered that thick, angular eyebrows make your face longer and slimmer, I panicked and spent hours upon hours watching

YouTube tutorials and testing different products so I could learn how to make my brows look thicker than they really are. To date, my list of must-have brow products are the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. I also love the Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow for days when I’m in a rush but still want to give my brows a little shape!

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8 BEAUTY MISTAKES

THAT MAKE YOUR

FACE LOOK WIDER

Copyright © 2016 WWW.MERAKILANE .COM

YOU HAVEN'T EMBRACED THE CAT EYE I usually reserve the cat eye look for big nights out because I think it’s a bit too sexy for school drop-offs and pick-ups, but I recently discovered this makeup trend actually makes your face look slimmer by elongating and lifting your eyes. And if you think about it, it totally makes sense: by drawing attention to the corner of your eyes, you’re giving the illusion that your face is triangular in shape, which makes it look leaner. Of course, the cat eye is a makeup trend that is pretty hard to master, and that's why we've put together a little cheat sheet to teach you how to get the perfect cat eye in 5 easy steps. And for those of you who are more visual, we've found a great 5-minute everyday cat eye

tutorial by LustreLux, which works well with the Naked2 Basics Eyeshadow Makeup Palette!

YOU SKIP THE CONTOUR AND HIGHLIGHTER A little bronzer and highlighter can go a LONG WAY in defining your cheekbones, jawline, and nose for a thinner-looking face. It takes a little bit of practice, but with the right products and brushes, you can transform your face in a matter of minutes. I recently splurged on Benefit Cosmetics Hoola, which I love because it looks much more natural than the drugstore products I used to use, but for me, it was more about having the right brush and learning the correct techniques. I swear by my NARS Ita Kabuki Brush No. 21, and Jaclyn Hill really breaks down everything you need to know about contour (and my favorite NARS brush) in this tutorial.

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8 BEAUTY MISTAKES

THAT MAKE YOUR

FACE LOOK WIDER

Copyright © 2016 WWW.MERAKILANE .COM

YOUR HAIR IS TOO LIGHT FOR YOUR COMPLEXION After strategically hiding my grey hair without permanent hair dye for a few years, I finally took the plunge and got a combination of highlights and lowlights, and it has made such a difference in my face shape. As my stylist explained to me, lighter hair tends to make your face look wider, and while my complexion doesn’t lend itself to brown or black hair, strategically placing lowlights throughout my locks has given the illusion that my face is thinner than it really is. Make sure to ask your stylist about this trend next time you go in for a cut and color – you will be amazed at what a difference the proper style can make!

YOU'RE STILL SPORTING BANGS About a year before I got pregnant with my daughter, I decided to cut short, blunt bangs, and it was perhaps one of the worst decisions I’ve made in my adult life. It added a good 20 minutes to my morning routine, I was constantly going for hair trims, and as one of my coworkers nicely pointed out when I got pregnant, it made my face look wider, especially while they were growing out. The good news is that long, face-framing layers have the opposite effect, especially when they fall below your chin.

YOU AREN'T ACCESSORIZING I recently started playing around with accessories, and through a lot of trial and error, I’ve learned that long earrings can go a long way in making your face look thinner because they draw your eyes downwards. Long necklaces can also make a difference as they make your neck look longer and slimmer. Who knew?!

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8 BEAUTY MISTAKES

THAT MAKE YOUR

FACE LOOK WIDER

Copyright © 2016 WWW.MERAKILANE .COM

YOU DON'T FOCUS ON YOUR EYES Failing to draw attention to your eyes is another beauty mistake that can make your face look larger. The more your eyes pop, the more attention they’ll get, leaving your admirers less time to notice the imperfections of your face, like round cheeks!! So grab that eyeliner and mascara, and practice your cat eye technique. Your hard work WILL pay off!

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