Corrective makeup is a technique that works to tone down all those aspects of your face that you may consider imperfect, and helps play up the assets. With the use of the right cosmetics, these techniques help you achieve a balance in your features, and will definitely make you much happier with the final output. Identifying what you think is working against you, and then learning to effectively hide it, is an art that you can master only over time. Helpful Tips There are different areas of the face that require the right kind of enhancement as well as downplaying. For instance, for some of you it may be the nose that needs to be toned down, while for others it may be your eyes that are bothering you. Whatever the concern, there are individual techniques to deal with each of these concerns. Just remember to follow the basics such as cleansing, and moisturizer application, before you begin with any of these techniques. Before you begin, keep in mind the following:

• The term highlighter refers to the use of a foundation that is lighter than your skin tone.
• The term shadow refers to the use of a foundation that is darker than your skin tone.
• Use a foundation that matches your skin tone only when you wish to neutralize the intensity of the highlighted and shadowed portions.

Round Face Many of us desire a striking jawline, with high cheek bones, and the perfect, clear, glowing skin to go with it. If you have a round face, and still want to achieve these features, here's how you can do it.

1. Apply shadow under your cheek bones (right under and not on your cheek bones).
2. To further enhance it, use a smaller brush to first mark out the area to be highlighted, and then use a bigger brush to blend it in. Do not blend it in completely, let a very slight hint of the demarcation remain.
3. Follow it up with the use of a highlighter, either white or cream in color, on your cheek bones. This will have them stand out, and give the appearance of a sleeker face.

Square Face If you have a square face, and a very sharp jawline, that might be a cause for concern for you too. In such a case, you can tone down the jawline, and add a little softness to your overall look.

1. At the sharp edges of your jaw, apply a darker shadow, over and under the jawline.
2. Then, use a highlighter on and below the jawbone, and then blend it upwards to soften the look. This will also help you look younger.
3. For the chin, apply shadow on it, and blend it in thoroughly. Use a foundation to neutralize the darkness if you think it is too much. If you think your chin is too long, then apply shadow only to the lower part of the chin, and blend it in.

Eyes Some of us have eyes that are very far apart, others that have them sunken in, and others whose eyes are too close to each other. We're not done yet. We have narrow eyes, and wide eyes too. What is important is that eyes are the focal point of our face, and the way we highlight them with the right type of makeup is what will work in our favor.

• If your eyes are wide apart, then the best way to make them look closer is to highlight the upper portion of the inner side of the eyelid. This will give them the illusion of being closer than before.
• For smaller eyes, apply shadow beyond the length of the eye, as well as above and below the eye. To increase the length of your eyes, extend the shadow further beyond the outer corners of the eyes.
• For eyes that seem too close to each other, apply shadow on the outer edges of the eyes, and highlight the inner corners of the eyes.
• If your eyes are sunken, then apply shadow only in the middle of the eyelid. Do not apply it on any other part of the eyes.

Nose Another part of the face that often requires the application of corrective makeup is the nose: too long, too short, too wide, etc. All these problems seem to require serious attention and here's how you can deal with these issues.

• If you wish to make your nose appear shorter, then apply a darker shadow right below the nose, and over the tip of the nose. Blend it in thoroughly.
• If you wish to make your nose appear longer, then use a highlighter just below the nose, and under the tip of the nose.
• To make your nose appear wider, use a highlight along the two sides of the nose, and blend it thoroughly.
• To make your nose appear narrower, apply a shadow along the two sides of the nose, and use a highlighter down the center of the nose, right from the top to the bottom.

Lips Lips are also an important focal point, and by applying the right kind of makeup, you can make them look thinner, thicker, longer, or shorter.

• If you wish to make your lips appear thinner, use a lip liner that matches the shade of your lipstick, just on the inner edge of your lips. Don't use a very dark shade. Use a lighter shade, and apply one thin coat of gloss.
• To make your lips appear thicker, apply lip liner just outside the curve of the lips. Use a rich color of lipstick, and then highlight the center of the upper and lower lip with lip gloss.
• To make your lips appear wider, just slightly extend the makeup outside the edge and corners of the lips. If you go overboard it will look wrong, so be careful.

Choosing the right products will help you achieve all those desirable 'perfections' that you believe belong to everyone else but you.