10 Beauty Panel members share how they accentuate their favourite facial features

Date January 22, 2015

Because makeup is such a personal way to express yourself, we all acquire our own tips, tricks and favourite looks to play with over time. A great way to experiment with finding a signature beauty look is to figure out which feature on your face is your favourite, and learn ways to accentuate that feature. For instance, if you dig your lips, you probably don’t let them go au naturel and instead play them up with different colours and textures.

We reached out to our Beauty Panel and they told us how they accentuate their best features.

Challenge 84: How do you accentuate your favourite feature? See the answers now! »

Have a beauty question you want to see the panel answer? Send it our way at [email protected]. Read on for the answers to this week’s challenge and for more goodness, get to know all contributors on our Beauty Panel hub page.

Jayne Lim
Vancouver | Cosmetic Proof

Unfortunately, I do not have Kim Kardashian’s booty so when it comes to drawing attention to a favourite feature of mine I tend to look north–to my face. More specifically my cheekbones, which I so gratefully inherited from my beautiful mother.

To bring out my cheekbones, I keep my foundation very minimal by using a BB,CC or DD cream. My favourite for the last 6 months has been the Boscia BB Cream with SPF 27 as I love getting sun protection as a bonus in my makeup. I keep my eyes neutral with a matte shade like Creamy Beige from Maybelline’s Color Tattoo Eyeshadow series, some light tight-lining along my lower lash line with a brown/black eyeliner and a few coats of my favourite mascara of the moment.

Now, for my cheeks I LOVE the Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette because I can get colour and shimmer all in one. I dab my blush brush into the pan so that the shimmer is on one half of the brush and the blush on the other so that when I apply this to my cheeks, the shimmer gets deposited right along the tops of cheekbones. This is where light would normally hit my cheeks first so the shimmer just accentuates it.

I finish off the look with a healthy looking lip using a rosy pink lipstick like Clinique’s Blushing Nude followed by a light layer of nude or pink gloss.

You can of course, go much bolder with the eyes and lips depending on the event, but for everyday, I tend to play up my cheekbones the most since I already have something to work with!

Products used: Boscia BB Cream SPF 27PA++, Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep, Maybelline Leather Color Tattoo in 80 Creamy Beige, Essence Gel Eye Pencil in Cocoa Bean, Benefit BAD Gal Lash Mascara, Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette, Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Blushing Nude, Essence XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss in Nude Mood

Ellie Somfelean
Montreal | My Beauty Box

I always want to play up my eyes more and with all they hype around new palettes and eyeshadows, it’s easy to get inspired to experiment with colour and have a little fun with my eye makeup. One of my favourite looks to wear these days, a look I’m starting to master, is the classic smoky eye.

I love smoking out different colors and seeing how they can complement my eye colour and add a fun element to my look. I usually try to focus on the eye makeup and keep the rest of my face neutral, especially if I’m wearing a statement colour on my eyes.

If I go with neutrals, I’m not afraid to wear a bold color on my lips, regardless of the intensity of the eye makeup.
Right now I’m obsessed with purple…and blue. Blurple. I love how bold and dark this colour is and I love creating a sultry look that makes my brown eyes pop.

Gerry Xun
Vancouver | The Bunnie Hole

Ever since I discovered the magic of liquid liner there was no turning back. Though it can be one of the toughest beauty products to master, there isn’t anything quite like it when it comes to enhancing one of my favourite features. My naturally downturned and even eye shape gets a big impact from a bold cat eye flick, which is one of my most worn looks.

A little wing for the daytime and some major wings for night. Either way the trick is to find a smooth dark liquid liner formulation and practice drawing your wing in one fell swoop. Small connecting strokes will likely make your liner look choppy and asymmetrical. I’ll definitely continue rocking this look well into the year and beyond.

Products used: Maybelline Master Studio Liquid Eyeliner, KISS Tapered End Lashes in “Flirt”

Jenn Fong
Toronto | A Beautiful Zen

I was born with (arguably coveted) double eyelids. On top of that, my large eyes are readily available for glaring, for widening with surprise and I’ve trained them for other acrobatic expressions of emotions. No one can “out-ogle” me. On my face, my eyes are my best quality.

The first thing about makeup that interested me was eyeshadow. Eyeshadow and the want to flaunt my eyes as best as I could was the perfect pairing. Usually I have some combination of light and dark colours on my lids but a perfect winged liner look, or even a more dramatic sharp cat eye are my weapons of choice in showcasing my best feature.

For eyeshadows I’ve been extremely biased towards the Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows and my liner of choice has been the Clio Gelpresso Gel Liners from Korea. Make Up For Ever’s Ink Liner has been a recent matte liquid liner favorite and, MAC’s Fluidline in Blacktrack with their 266 brush and the Urban Decay liner in Demolition were a staple for a very long time. For those days when black won’t cut it, the vibrant navy blue of MAC’s Fluidline in Wavelenth is the edgier option you might need.

Simple but effective, the perfect liner application goes miles in enhancing my eyes.

Products used: Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows, Clio Gelpresso Gel Liners, Make Up For Ever Ink Liner, MAC Fluidline in Blacktract and Wavelength, MAC 266 brush, Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Demolition.

Brittany Messner
Calgary | Life, Set Sail

For me, it’s all about the eyes. I love my baby blues, and any way I can play them up I’m game for! One of my favourite ways to draw attention to them is by adding shadow in a complementary colour to really enhance the blue of my eye colour. I love using red-toned browns or rose gold hues with a shimmery finish and polishing off the look with a subtle winged liner and double coated lashes.

I have this little trick when finishing my look, and that is to use a bottom lash mascara, which is fantastic not only for getting at those smaller lower lashes, but also for reaching the hard to get very outer and inner lashes. When I use this I almost feel like I’m wearing the most natural looking false lashes as it really gives a perfected look!

Products Used: L’Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation in W1-2, NARS Creamy Radient Concealer in Chantilly, Tarte Cosmetics Blush in Celebrated, Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Taupe, MAC eyeshadows in All That Glitters and Cranberry, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Strange, Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash mascara, Make Up For Ever Graphic Liner, Clinique Bottom Lash mascara, Dior Lip Glow in Pink

Megan Joy
Toronto | Megan Joy

I have green eyes and like to accentuate them when I do my makeup. However, my eyes are also close-set and small so trying to enhance them can be a little tricky. There are a few things I do to make them look bigger, brighter and more defined!

First I like to start with my brows. Well-shaped brows help bring attention to the eyes! I prefer to keep them looking natural but I still try and give them a bit of shape. I start with a brow pencil and to fill it any sparse areas, then use a highlighting shade underneath.

Next I like to use an eyeshadow that enhances my eye colour. Purple is a great colour to bring out green eyes (brown is great for blue eyes and frosty champagne shades complement brown eyes nicely). Here I’m using a lavender eyeshadow with a darker plum shadow in the crease.

The final step is liner. I like to wing my liner (whether it’s pencil or liquid) to make my eye appear wider and more open. I also like to tight-line my upper water line to make my lashes look more full!

Products used: Essence Quattro Eyeshadow Palette in XOXO, Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Brown, Jordana 12 Hr Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in 04 Purple Fix, Tarte Light, Camera, Lashes Mascara, Benefit Cosmetics High Brow Highlighting Pencil, IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye concealer

Alison Leong
Vancouver | Alison*Elle

My favourite features are my eyes and my lips, so I decided to play up not one but both features with this look. If your focus is on more than one facial feature, you can actually keep things very light by using pearlescent finishes to draw attention where you want it.

To do so, a good base is key. I personally prefer to keep a more matte face if I’m going to be applying a highlighter. This makes the highlighter stand out without competing with overly “glowy” skin, especially if yours has a tendency to get oily throughout the day like mine does. To emphasize my eyes, I used a light grey shadow that reflects the light on both my top lid and along my bottom lashes. Next, I used a jet black liner with a simple flick, making sure to tight-line. For my lips a simple pink was all I needed but I topped it with a sheer pearl gloss for an extra shiny effect.

Products used: Almay Smart Shade Makeup in Light/Medium, Avon Ideal Flawless Cream Concealer in Light Medium, Make Up For Ever HD Pressed Powder, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade, Lise Watier Blush Creme Satin in Rose Eden, MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Uninhibited, Make Up For Ever Graphic Liner, Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown, MAC Lipstick in Creme Cup, MAC Mineralize Glass Lipgloss in Poetic

Laurelle Alexandra
Toronto | Paint Me Pretty

My favourite feature on myself has to be my eyes. I feel like I can be far more daring with my eye makeup than any other feature. I love a bold lip but I really have to be in the right mindset to pull it off. My eyes however are always something I feel comfortable with taking up a notch. I always, always, always put black pencil liner in my water line. Some makeup artists will say this is a faux pas but I strongly disagree. I feel naked without it and find that my eyes don’t stand out.

I love long lashes more than anything, so one way I like to accentuate my eyes is by applying false lashes with a wicked liquid liner. Nothing makes your eyes pop like long lashes and black liquid eye liner. I also find that using matte based eye shadows really helps accentuate your eyes. I have very dark brown eyes that can sometimes be hidden if I don’t play them up a bit. But I’m telling you that black pencil liner in your waterline is the best trick to make your eyes pop.

Products used: Annabelle Khol Black Pencil Liner, Kat Von D Everlasting Lipstick ‘Outlaw’, Kat Von D Lipstick ‘Lolita’, Make Up For Ever Graphic Liner, NARS Eyeshadow ‘Biarritz’, Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara ‘Very Black’, NARS Blush ‘Amour’, Laura Mercier Tinted Mositurizer, COVER FX Cream Foundation, Smashbox Brow Tech, Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder, Benefit ‘Hoola’

Amy Mckissock
Burlington | The Prettyvain

I’ve found myself lost in another’s eyes more than once. It happens quite frequently to be honest. No matter the colour, there is something of interest residing inside them –- a freckle, a sense of pain, or even a kindness. I’ve also found myself wondering what their view is like, if they see the same colours and shades, what they’ve endured and will continue to endure, how many tears have been shed… the list goes on. There is a magic within ones eyes that no other body part can reveal – a true sense of soul.

I’ve been blessed with an eye colour that even I cannot pin point – it lies somewhere between blue and green, with a dark outer ring enclosing the iris, and at times a bright yellow hue surrounding the pupil. They are without a doubt my favourite facial feature, and as such I like to accentuate them whenever possible. This is rather simple – frame them with perfected brows, add depth with matte brown shadows, and make them pop using liner and mascara. The tricks may be old, but the result is truly ‘eye-catching’.

I begin by sculpting my brows with the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow in Medium Brown. This pomade is a must for any beauty junkie – it applies smoothly, creating a distinct and defined shape that doesn’t budge all day. Two other products that everyone should own are the Urban Decay Primer Potion and Naked Basics Palette. The primer is necessary as it ensures my shadows apply with ease, appear vibrant and pigmented, and will not crease or fade throughout the day. I sweep a wash of W.O.S., from the Naked Basics Palette, all over my lid to even out my skin tone before adding depth to the crease using a mixture of Naked2 and Faint on a fluffy brush. I finish with a hint of Venus, the only shimmering shade in the palette, along the brow bone and the inner corner. I then further define my eyes with the Make Up For Ever Ink Liner along the upper lash line, and smudge the Make Up For Ever AquaMatic in Satiny Warm Brown along the lower lash line – this shade is great for you blue-eyed beauties. To complete the look I apply a fiber mascara, like the Too Face Better Than False Lashes Mascara, to add an excessive amount of length, instantly creating ‘notice me lashes’. This look is one of my favourites because it can be worn on a daily basis without appearing to heavy for work, and can be transformed for a night out by simply adding a bold lip.

Products used: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, Estée Lauder Double Wear All Day Glow BB Moisture Makeup, YSL Touche Éclat, Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder, Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Kit, Benefit Box ‘O Powder Blush in Hervana, MAC Mineralize SkinFinish in Lightscapade, Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade, Urban Decay Primer Potion, Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, Make Up For Ever Ink Liner, Make Up For Ever AquaMatic in Satiny Warm Brown, Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Mascara, and ColorPop Cosmetics LippieStix in Bound’

Zoë Danielle
Halifax | Writing Whimsy

I think it’s important to start a new year–and every day afterwards–feeling good about yourself. For me, part of that is getting a full night’s sleep, so my regular morning makeup routine is pretty short so I can hit snooze until the last minute possible. Still, a few makeup tips can help fake the awake feeling I don’t always feel, brightening up and drawing attention to my eyes.

The most important tip to accentuate your eyes, actually has to do with your brows. I take care of mine by taming them–but not over-plucking–and filling them in a bit, which really helps frame my eyes. My personal favourite product to use is Benefit Gimme Brow, because it’s quick, easy and looks natural. It also saves me having to use a separate brow gel.

I like using a light shade on the inner corner of my eye, as well as highlighting my browbone, because both steps help make my eyes look brighter and wider. Afterwards, I get rid of any shadow on my eyelashes with a generous coat of black mascara. On a daily basis I go for a more natural mascara that lengthens but doesn’t weigh down my lashes or clump them together.

Finally, to help keep the attention on my eyes I tend to go with a subdued look on the rest of my face, which works well with my aversion to scary lip shades and quick morning makeup routine. After all, it’s all about the eyes!

Products Used: Benefit Gimme Brow, Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation, Kat Von D Monarch Eyeshadow Palette, Kat Von D Immortal Lash 24 Hour Mascara, Nars Lipstick in Dolce Vita, GOSH Giant Blush Stick in Shy