In the latest evidence that makeup can seriously do magical, wonderful things, celebrity makeup artist Frances Hathaway told us exactly how to use strategically placed bronzer and highlighter to flatter your décolletage in a natural-looking way—no matter your size.
Model Joan Smalls showed off perfect cleavage in her plunging Givenchy dress at Cannes.
Decide on your undergarments. "Whether you're wearing a push-up bra or a going braless, you want to make sure you have on the same thing you want to wear with your outfit to make sure you're applying makeup to the right areas," says Hathaway.
Choose the best brush. "A medium-size brush, like the size of a blush brush or a contour brush that you use on your face, gives you more control than a fluffier powder brush and less of a streaky look than a smaller foundation or shadow brush does," says Hathaway.
Find a matte bronzer. "Pick a loose or pressed bronzer powder like Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess that's a shade or two darker than your skin tone—you'll be able to build up the color more naturally and have better control than a cream or foundation," says Hathaway. (We also like Laura Geller Baked Body Frosting in Sugar Glow/Honey Glow, $45, laurageller.com.) Contouring is all about creating strategic shadows and playing around with the light. "Apply bronzer to the center of your cleavage with your brush, then create featherlike strokes upward and over the top of your breast—as if you're making a shadow from the sun."
Highlight in all the right places. "Use an illuminating powder that has a bit of a sheen to brush over the top part of your breasts. It makes them look fuller when the light reflects off your chest," says Hathaway. "Shadows makes things recede, which is why you put bronzer on your cleavage, while light makes things come forward, which is why you place illuminator on the fleshier part of your chest. Just steer clear of a highlighter that's too glittery or sparkly—you don't want it to look gaudy." Or sweaty!
Help the look last. "Use a fluffy brush to dust on a translucent powder like Estée Lauder Lucidity all over the area and blend the bronzer and highlighter into your skin really well," she says. "Powder also sets the makeup, so it doesn't get all over your clothes in the summer heat."
Make sure it looks natural. "Step back about three feet from the mirror frequently to confirm there aren't any weird streaks or lines," says Hathaway. "Go near a window with natural light and take a selfie to see how it looks in photos as well."
Don't miss our guide to sculpting sexy legs with self-tanner too!
