Makeup for a square face

The approach

A square face has four corners: two at the forehead where the hairline meets the temples, and two at the jaw below the ears. Makeup for a square face works those corners. Softening blends shadow over them so the outline reads rounder; sculpting places sharper shadow under the jaw so the angle reads even cleaner. Blush and brows then either reinforce the curves or the lines.

Contour placement to soften a square face

• Jaw corners: a soft contour on the corner of the jaw below each ear, blended down onto the neck and forward along the jaw. This rounds the corner.
• Forehead corners: a light contour at the two outer corners of the hairline, blended into the hair. This rounds the top of the face.
• Under the cheekbones: a gentle, slightly diagonal sweep from the ear toward the mid-cheek, blended upward. Keep it soft; a hard contour line here adds another angle.
• Chin: a little shadow along the sides of the chin narrows a broad chin slightly.

Use a warm-neutral matte contour, applied lightly and blended until the edges disappear. The aim is a rounded outline, so no visible lines.

Contour placement to sculpt a square face

• Under the jaw: a crisper shadow along the underside of the jawline from ear to chin, keeping the edge defined. This lifts the jaw off the neck and makes the angle sharp.
• Under the cheekbones: a more defined diagonal, from ear toward the corner of the mouth, blended but with a visible shape.
• Leave the corners of the jaw and forehead without softening contour, so the square outline shows.

Highlight

For softening, highlight on the centre of the forehead, the bridge of the nose and the centre of the chin draws the eye to the middle of the face and away from the corners. For sculpting, highlight on the tops of the cheekbones and the very edge of the jawline makes the structure read even more strongly.

Blush

To soften, apply blush to the apples of the cheeks and blend upward and outward in a rounded shape. The rounded patch of colour is itself a curve on a square face. To sculpt, place blush higher on the cheekbone and blend in a diagonal toward the temple.

Pick colour by skin undertone; the face shape test reports it. Warm undertones suit peach and terracotta, cool undertones suit rose and plum.

Brow shape for a square face

A brow with a soft, rounded arch balances the straight lines of a square face and is the safest choice for softening. A gently angled arch with a defined but not sharp peak suits the sculpted direction. Avoid a completely flat, straight brow, which repeats the horizontal of the jaw and boxes the face.

Keep the tail of the brow from dropping low toward the temple; a downward tail draws the eye to the jaw corner.

Eyes and lips

Soft, blended eye makeup with rounded shapes suits the softening direction; a sharp winged liner suits sculpting. On the lips, a rounded, softly defined shape balances a square jaw; a very sharp, angular lip line adds another angle. A slightly fuller lower lip draws attention to the centre of the face.

A simple routine (softening)

1. Base as usual.
2. Contour the jaw corners and forehead corners, blended into the hairline and neck.
3. Soft diagonal contour under the cheekbones.
4. Blush on the apples in a rounded shape.
5. Highlight down the centre of the face.
6. Brows brushed into a soft, rounded arch.

Swap steps 2 to 5 for their sculpting versions above if you want the jaw to lead. The square face overview explains the measurements behind the outline.