For centuries, beauty has been dissected by philosophers, artists, and authors. In his book History of Beauty, renowned Italian writer Umberto Eco discusses beauty in all its aspects along with its origin and content. He tells us how the standard for beauty varies in different periods and cultures. Some philosophers said, “Beauty is a purely aesthetic value” while others said, “It’s the mind and senses taking shape.” Some said, “Beauty is truth.” Some regarded natural beauty to be superior to artistic beauty while others prioritised art. In the 4th century BC, Aristotle said, “Things without proportion aren’t beautiful,” and I think this ideal has become one of the underlying factors for the destiny of humankind.
Artists and philosophers found a mathematical formula to explain all beauty. Named the golden ratio, the holy ratio, or the divine ratio, this formula is explained as a relation of geometrical and quantitative proportion observed between the parts of a whole. The Vitruvian Man, one of the most famous drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, is an example of the efforts to materialise the divine ratio in the human body. Additionally, the golden ratio on one’s face came to represent perfection in aesthetics, which indicated the ratio of large organs on the face to its secondary organs such as the ratio of the face to the width of the neck; of the lips and the brows to the point of meeting; of the length of the nose to the length of the face; of the tip of the chin to the meeting of the brows; of the length of the mouth to the width of the nose; of the width of the nose to the nostrils; and of the distance between pupils to the distance between the brows. There are even templates to measure the ratio of our face! Plastic surgery also utilises the golden ratio to attain the ideal look. Bella Hadid is the woman whose features align with the golden ratio the most in the world. In Turkey, Beren Saat is at the top of the list.
Change From Within
I’m not an advocate of the golden ratio, and I don’t really believe in perfection. It sounds redundant, to be honest, all these efforts to change ourselves with plastic surgery. I believe change should be a more inward process and that it will eventually be reflected on our face. However, like everyone else, I also want to “look better.” While having fun as a kid, I fell flat on my nose twice. Combine this with my genetics and you’ll see why I’ve been searching for the right angle to hide my extremely crooked nose when taking pictures. Being the perfectionist and obsessed person I am, I should’ve turned to plastic surgery right away. This is another thing about me; I’m even attached to my flaws. Maybe it was these problems which made makeup a part of my life, who knows? What’s the job of a makeup artist? The most important thing that separates us from professional aestheticians is hidden in the word; makeup is the art of making faces beautiful by painting it with colours. People are our canvas as we create a style or a character. The goal of the “corrective makeup” technique is to make the face look as perfect as possible, not unlike plastic surgery. It aims to eliminate existing flaws and to do what is necessary to make someone look fresh, vibrant, and energetic. Here are some simple tips to attain perfection in makeup.
The Right Colour
Foundation isn't a product you have to use every time you put on makeup! It's like a primer. You should use it in tiny amounts to create a balanced tone of skin. Make sure to avoid using a lot to cover spots because it might result in an older-looking effect. You should use a foundation with the same colour as your skin. While you cannot use it to cover purple spots or capillary vessel ruptures, it can be used to eliminate small roughness. The most critical question is how does one find the right colour? This is where the colour circle comes in handy. Contrasting colours neutralise one another; if you have a pimple on your face, which would be pink or red in colour, you should use a green-hued concealer. If you have purple under-eye spots, you should use the yellow hue. Based on this principle and with a little practice, you can cover tiny flaws by using the proper colour.
Anatomy Of The Face
You should be knowledgeable about the anatomy of your face so that you'd know where to underline and where to intervene. For instance, if your eyes are a bit distant, you should focus your eye makeup towards the tear trough to avoid creating a wider effect. Or, if you have a round face, you should bring forth the bone structure of your face with contouring.
Simplicity
Unless you’re a kabuki actor, you shouldn’t let your makeup overshadow your mimics. Although we’re awestruck when we see someone putting on this type of makeup, such intense practises in real life would make us look older, paler, and unfashionable.
The Bigger Picture
Always remember that your neck and ears are a part of the makeup too. Try not to have a lighter tone on your ears compared to your face. Those interested in drawing would know that, based on the perception of your eye, light colours are highlighted and dark colours are pushed into the background. Our neck receives less light and is, therefore, lighter than our face and chest. Make sure to include your neck in your makeup. I generally use a matte bronzer close to stone colour to put shadows on my neck. This focuses the gaze more on the face and makes the neck look thinner.
Long story short, people have always been concerned about finding perfection. But we’re not even symmetrical to begin with! I’ve never seen a person who has symmetrical eyebrows. I think it’s a precious thing to embrace our flaws and to find perfection in all this. Don’t you think that sounds more authentic?