None of us can help the faces we’re born with, and for some people, a naturally stern expression can create pretty negative social perceptions. This is especially true for individuals with heavyset eyebrows or naturally square jaws and try as they might, they may struggle to achieve a soft, warm facial finish.
Luckily, if you look like you’re frowning even when you’re not, you’ve come to the right place. There are a few options for finally softening your features to avoid a stern appearance. Keep on reading to find out what they are.
Considering Your Cosmetic Options
Ultimately, cosmetic options will be your best bet for softening your features with lasting effect. Luckily, while surgical options like brow lifts can offer one solution, these are far from the only cosmetic option you might want to consider. As Sara Millecam of Beautiful Brows and Lashes says, ‘You don’t need surgery to get a lifted, youthful look—today’s brow treatments can completely transform your face with zero downtime.
In reality, options like Masseter Botox can make a huge difference in softening a harsh jawline, while forehead Botox injections can help with a stern frown. The effects of these treatments typically last for between 3-6 months, meaning you can achieve a softer appearance without daily effort.
Alternatively, there are certain treatments you might want to avoid if you’re seeking a softer look. Lip fillers, for example, could exacerbate stern lines around your mouth and jaw. Options like cheek fillers aren’t always best for the sake of softening, either.
Makeup Magic
Whether you opt for cosmetic softening or not, working makeup magic can help with softening your appearance daily. This is because the right makeup application can detract from and minimise certain harsh features, resulting in a warmer overall facial finish.
Just a few makeup techniques that you could benefit from implementing include –
- The correct contouring methods: Considering that contouring highlights key features, you might assume that it’ll harshen your appearance. However, the correct contouring methods can also work for softening, or detracting attention from things like a prominent brow bone. Simply make sure to carefully select the right tones for seamless blending, and use tools like brushes and sponges to ensure there are no harsh lines in sight.
- Keep it natural: Too much makeup can worsen a stern appearance, so natural is almost always best from a softening standpoint. You should certainly avoid things like excessive blush or eyebrow pencils, as these will likely draw attention to the wrong places. Instead, keep your makeup simple and soft, and lean into a natural appearance that uses only natural highlighter tones, subtle eye work, and perhaps a neutral lipstick colour.
- Apply thin layers: A lot of people go thick with makeup, but applying thinner layers can help to soften your appearance overall. This is because applying no more than two coats of products like foundation and using a brush or sponge to blend those layers, can help to avoid caking or harsh lines. This lightweight look will help you to achieve a more youthful, gentle finish.
Skincare’s Softening Secret
While skincare can’t exactly change your features, regular use of targeted skincare products can prevent the buildup of wrinkles, which would inevitably worsen the appearance of existing stern features.
Skincare options like moisturising and exfoliating are particularly valuable in this sense, as they keep the skin around prominent areas like your eyes and mouth from wrinkling and becoming harsher as you age. Products like night and day creams that serve to make your skin appear fuller can also be effective from a softening standpoint, particularly when applied to notable harsh areas.
Overall, skincare routines can also work with the more natural, contoured makeup techniques we mentioned, as they make it easier to avoid things like skin blemishes and flaky skin, which could otherwise result in harsh, caked areas of makeup.
Soften Your Style
Your stern features will always look harsher with a style that’s all about straight lines and sleek black blazers. However, by softening your style to incorporate flowing items and lighter colour choices, you stand to soften your facial appearance more than you might realise.
We aren’t saying you need to head to the office in a floaty skirt all of a sudden, but replacing dark, sharply cut blazers with a lighter colour and ruched features could make a huge difference. Equally, replacing tapered trousers with a slightly wider leg could be a great help, both in how you carry yourself, and the overall impression that your appearance gives.
Takeaway
If people regularly comment on the hardness of your resting face, then consider whether any of these top softening tips could do the trick for finally making you look more friendly and approachable.
Images courtesy of unsplash.com and pexels.com
