The Feature You Want To Emphasize When You Have A Narrow Face

Bronzer? Check. Highlighter? Check. Eye and lip liner? Check. If you've completed all of the steps in your makeup tutorial and something still doesn't look quite right, you may have forgotten to factor in your face shape. The shape of your face can make or break your look. But since this is one aspect of your appearance you can't change (at least without invasive measures), learning how to emphasize and minimize certain features is a must.

You're most likely a rectangle or an oval if you have a narrow face. You may have also heard your face shape referred to as oblong. While those descriptors may not sound appealing, narrow faces actually have a lot going for them. They don't have to use highlighter down the length of the nose and chin or contour their cheeks too heavily either. Most narrow-faced individuals are blessed with a more naturally defined facial structure.

However, we all have certain features we would like to downplay, no matter what shape our face is. Those in the narrow category often want to add more width and fullness. Doing so can keep you from looking gaunt (keep the "Why such a long face?" comments to yourself, please). There are plenty of easy techniques to widen your appearance with makeup. One of our personal favorites is emphasizing the brows.

We know natural-looking brows take a bit of skill. But it's worth it. Fullness is added to your face when you fill in your brows properly, making them look darker and bolder. We're not saying you need to sport bushy brows for the sake of volume, though. Instead, give sparse brows some love to add a little heft. While you're at it, extend them outwards slightly. Widening your brows helps add width to your face and to slim the jawline in the process — typically the goals of someone with a narrow face shape. 

With practice, you'll be able to find the perfect eyebrow shape for your face. Finally, a bold brow helps to play up the eye area. Surprisingly, adding height to the face helps to detract from its length. When you add interest to your eyes and brows, the gaze of the observer is naturally driven upwards. With the focus on the upper third of your face, length and narrowness become much less obvious. Plus, you get to try out trendy and exciting eye makeup techniques in the quest to play up your peepers. Who wouldn't want that?

There's no way around it; eyebrows take practice. You probably already know that short strokes are the key to keeping your brows from looking drawn on. But beyond that, you need to learn all about the different products and techniques. Your aim is to add fullness, if needed, and extend them outward subtly. Holding a pencil vertically along the side of your nose can give you an idea of where your eyebrow should start. 

Then, rotate it towards your temple so that it passes through your iris to find your arch. Finally, keep tilting it until it intersects with the outer corner of your eye — this is where the eyebrow should end. Start by using a spoolie or brow brush, to sweep the hairs upwards. Next, select your product of choice, using a shade one or two hues lighter than your natural tint. Draw natural-looking brows with a light hand and short strokes; filling in sparse areas and lengthening the ends. 

While most people like to draw delicate brow hairs using a vanity mirror, don't forget to step back and look at your face from afar too. This will help you to ensure your brows are balanced and natural looking. Remember, most eyebrows aren't as drastically arched or squared off as some makeup tutorials would have you believe. Of course, if you're willing to splurge a little to avoid all the effort, professional microblading or nanoblading can give you swoon-worthy brows in just one session.