Makeup is the all-consuming topic for many women. Men run it a close second, but most women enjoy discussing makeup, various formulas they've found, what works, and most important, what doesn't work. Women of all shapes and sizes are vitally concerned with finding good tips that will enable them to look their best. Plus size women are no exception. They may also have unique issues that mean their makeup application is even more critical.
It is probably a good idea to start out with a few no-nos for makeup on plus size women. Garish colors are out for any woman, but particularly plus size women. Anything that looks bad on an average size woman will be magnified on a plus size woman. Stark blush that attempts to create a hollowed-cheek look is also a bad, bad idea. It just draws attention to the fuller part of the face. Women should always strive for foundation that matches their skin, but this is crucial for plus size women. A telltale line at the jaw that is a dramatically different color from the skin on the neck makes the woman look as though she is wearing a mask.
Makeup for plus size women should do what all makeup attempts to do: accentuate the positive and camouflage the negative. With this axiom in mind, a plus size woman can put together a great look.
Since most plus size women have rounded faces, this is usually a good place to start when thinking about makeup. To re-emphasize the point, a plus size woman should choose a foundation that matches her skin as closely as possible. She should also think about a more matte finish, rather than a dewey one. Not paste-like, but more matte. This is because a plus size woman's rounded cheeks tend to catch the light, and she will look as though she is perspiring or has oily skin if she goes with a more dewey finish. This is unattractive and tends to negatively emphasize the roundness of the face.
Blush should compliment her skin and hair. It should also never be applied so that it looks artificial. Regardless of what the fashion magazines say, a darker blush below the "apples" in the cheeks does not create a slimmer face. It looks like dark blush applied in the wrong place. Take it from a woman who has tried that trick. It doesn't work. Blush should be applied to the apples of the cheeks. Smile and apply the blush to the fullest part of the cheeks.
Many plus size women want to play up their eyes and this is rarely a bad idea. However, stark colors are again, not advisable. Neither is the very heavy application of eyeshadow and liner. The trick is to emphasize the eyes, to draw the attention to them, not to imitate a raccoon. Eyeshadow should be in a color that compliments the woman's outfit. A lighter eyeshadow should go right under the brow line. This will also tend to emphasize the eye area attractively.
Eyeliner can be applied to the upper and lower lids, but be careful. Don't apply it all the way across the eye. Start in the middle and go to the outer corner of the eye. This will open the eye up and emphasize their color. Brown-black, charcoal brown and smoky blue are appropriate colors for almost any eye or hair color. A woman can also go just a little way beyond the outside of the eye on the lower lid, to create a slightly exotic look. If the woman can actually tell that's what she has done, though, she has brought the line out too far. It should be barely visible, but it will create a great look.
Lipstick pulls together a woman's whole look, regardless of size. She should think about a color that looks good, depending on the occasion. She should also be cautious of very trendy colors, such as lilac or other "fashion" colors. One example occurring to this author is of a plus size woman who wore a bluish-lilac lipstick over a neutral lipliner. The result was corpselike lips--unattractive in the extreme. Lips that are too neutral are also unattractive. They give a woman a plain, mousy appearance. A plus size woman should want color in her lips, since they will also draw the eye away from the roundness of her face. Every woman, plus size or not, should also have a great red lipstick in her makeup case. Red lipstick is the one essential cosmetic every woman should own.
Perhaps the most important makeup tip for a plus size woman is to cast out fear. She should never be afraid of having smoky eyes and sultry lips. She should not be afraid of being sexy. If her makeup is sexy, she will feel better about herself, and this will show up in her behavior. She will be sexier to those around her. And what, after all, is makeup about, if not to make us look and feel better about ourselves?
It is probably a good idea to start out with a few no-nos for makeup on plus size women. Garish colors are out for any woman, but particularly plus size women. Anything that looks bad on an average size woman will be magnified on a plus size woman. Stark blush that attempts to create a hollowed-cheek look is also a bad, bad idea. It just draws attention to the fuller part of the face. Women should always strive for foundation that matches their skin, but this is crucial for plus size women. A telltale line at the jaw that is a dramatically different color from the skin on the neck makes the woman look as though she is wearing a mask.
Makeup for plus size women should do what all makeup attempts to do: accentuate the positive and camouflage the negative. With this axiom in mind, a plus size woman can put together a great look.
Since most plus size women have rounded faces, this is usually a good place to start when thinking about makeup. To re-emphasize the point, a plus size woman should choose a foundation that matches her skin as closely as possible. She should also think about a more matte finish, rather than a dewey one. Not paste-like, but more matte. This is because a plus size woman's rounded cheeks tend to catch the light, and she will look as though she is perspiring or has oily skin if she goes with a more dewey finish. This is unattractive and tends to negatively emphasize the roundness of the face.
Blush should compliment her skin and hair. It should also never be applied so that it looks artificial. Regardless of what the fashion magazines say, a darker blush below the "apples" in the cheeks does not create a slimmer face. It looks like dark blush applied in the wrong place. Take it from a woman who has tried that trick. It doesn't work. Blush should be applied to the apples of the cheeks. Smile and apply the blush to the fullest part of the cheeks.
Many plus size women want to play up their eyes and this is rarely a bad idea. However, stark colors are again, not advisable. Neither is the very heavy application of eyeshadow and liner. The trick is to emphasize the eyes, to draw the attention to them, not to imitate a raccoon. Eyeshadow should be in a color that compliments the woman's outfit. A lighter eyeshadow should go right under the brow line. This will also tend to emphasize the eye area attractively.
Eyeliner can be applied to the upper and lower lids, but be careful. Don't apply it all the way across the eye. Start in the middle and go to the outer corner of the eye. This will open the eye up and emphasize their color. Brown-black, charcoal brown and smoky blue are appropriate colors for almost any eye or hair color. A woman can also go just a little way beyond the outside of the eye on the lower lid, to create a slightly exotic look. If the woman can actually tell that's what she has done, though, she has brought the line out too far. It should be barely visible, but it will create a great look.
Lipstick pulls together a woman's whole look, regardless of size. She should think about a color that looks good, depending on the occasion. She should also be cautious of very trendy colors, such as lilac or other "fashion" colors. One example occurring to this author is of a plus size woman who wore a bluish-lilac lipstick over a neutral lipliner. The result was corpselike lips--unattractive in the extreme. Lips that are too neutral are also unattractive. They give a woman a plain, mousy appearance. A plus size woman should want color in her lips, since they will also draw the eye away from the roundness of her face. Every woman, plus size or not, should also have a great red lipstick in her makeup case. Red lipstick is the one essential cosmetic every woman should own.
Perhaps the most important makeup tip for a plus size woman is to cast out fear. She should never be afraid of having smoky eyes and sultry lips. She should not be afraid of being sexy. If her makeup is sexy, she will feel better about herself, and this will show up in her behavior. She will be sexier to those around her. And what, after all, is makeup about, if not to make us look and feel better about ourselves?
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