8 Useful Makeup Tips To Make Your Forehead Appear Smaller

Master these simple, illusionary tricks to draw attention away from your forehead.

Reviewed by Madison Williams, Permanent Makeup Artist
Written by Nisha Baghadia, MA (Mass Communication)

Edited by Madhumati Chowdhury, MA (English Literature)

Fact-checked by Vaishali Sinha, MA (Comparative Literature) • Sep 13, 2023

8 Useful Makeup Tips To Make Your Forehead Appear Smaller

Image: Shutterstock.com

If you have been wondering how to make your forehead appear smaller, you have landed on the right page. Makeup and beauty products can define your natural features and enhance your look. They can even help you create and experiment with new looks by playing with your facial features. For example, you can make your thin lips appear fuller, provide the desired thickness to your eyebrows, and sharpen your jawline if you know the proper makeup hacks. One unique and interesting feature is a large forehead, which is often considered a flaw. This article discusses some simple but effective makeup tricks to help make your forehead look smaller without undergoing surgery. Swipe up to check them out.

Keep In Mind

Makeup: While contouring, use the bronzer only on the edges of the forehead, near the hairline, to make it look smaller.
Hairstyles: Try a hairstyle with layers and volume on the sides and back, such as a bob or layered cut, to balance out a large forehead.
Haircuts: Face framing bangs, blunt bangs, and curtain bangs hide the forehead, making it appear smaller.

In This Article

How To Make Your Forehead Look Smaller – Top 8 Makeup Tips:

If you want to conceal large forehead for a while, here we have the tricks that can just help you look beautiful.

Note: Before trying these makeup tricks, keep the following tips in mind:

Start with a clear, fresh canvas by following a good skincare routine complete with sunscreen application.
Follow a healthy diet and maintain optimum hydration levels to achieve supple skin.
Go a step further and try popular facial hair removal methods to ensure makeup can be applied smoothly and last longer.
Wear hairstyles like bangs or fringes to accentuate the makeup.

1. A Hint Of Blush:

You can use a bright blush color to draw attention from your forehead.

Swipe some rosy or peachy blush along the apples of your cheeks.
Work the product upwards for slightly lifting effect.

It is also an effective trick to use shimmery glowing cheek products. It makes the light reflect on your cheeks thereby drawing attention to the center of your face.

2. Darker Foundation:

Using a darker foundation near hairline can make your forehead look smaller

Image: Shutterstock

This makeup trick will work excellently for photographs. Contouring can help add dimensions and sculpt your facial structures. If you wish to make a stronger chiseled forehead look, then apply a darker foundation to the temples and hairline.

Make sure all your hair is tied out of your face, so it is easy to apply and blend makeup.
Then, pick a matte concealer or foundation, which is five shades darker than your natural skin tone.
Now, start drawing a solid line on the circumference of your forehead with medium sized flat or dome shaped brush.
Blending is a key to any makeup look. It is a crucial and essential ingredient to get a successful face contoured look. So, keep blending the product outward till you achieve a seamless finish.
The contour should look natural with no harsh lines.
Then, follow with a bronzer to make the effect appear stronger and sharper.

This trick will enhance the angles of your bone structure and minimize the look of roundness of your face.

3. Highlight:

Highlighting is an easy way to make the light reflect the center of your forehead, thereby drawing attention from the large height forehead look.

Choose a shimmery highlighter powder and apply it to the center of the forehead, exactly between your eyebrows and blend it outward.
You can also apply the highlighter to the bridge of your nose to lift the shape of your face.

This technique will make your features bring forward and downplay the width of your forehead.

4. Chiseled Cheeks:

Applying dark bronzer on cheeks distracts from your forehead

Image: Shutterstock

Thinner cheeks help in drawing attention to the center of your face, thereby diverting attention from your forehead.

Simply use a bronzer powder which is 3 to 4 shades darker than your natural skin tone.
Apply it in a diagonal line from the center of your cheek towards the ear.

This makeup technique can be easily done by making a “fish face” and perfectly locating the hollow of your cheekbone and brushing the product. And don’t forget to blend!

5. Bronzer:

Apply dark bronzer on temples and near hairline to make forehead look smaller

Image: IStock

The easiest way to make your forehead appear shorter instantly is to use a bronzer. A bronzer has to be in matte formula and at least 3 shades darker than your natural skin tone to make the effect visible.

Simply take some bronzer on a tapered blush brush and blend the shade into your temples and around the hairline. This trick will emphasize and create a stronger bone structure. This simply makes your large forehead appear smaller.

Related: 26 Best Eye Makeup Tutorials

6. Dramatic Eyes:

Apply an attractive eye makeup so that the focus of your face is on your eyes and distracts attention of any viewer away from the forehead. Your eye makeup can instantly make a difference to your facial shape.

Quick Tip

Apply a gray, navy, or brown eyeshadow on your top eyelid, working your way up from the lashline to the crease, creating a smokey eye effect. Next, use a neutral eyeshadow that is 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone to highlight your brow bone. Finally, finish by applying mascara and your preferred dark eyeliner.

7. Play Your Lips:

Bright lip makeup shift the focus from your forehead

Image: IStock

If you want to make an instant lift to your face with just a few seconds in hand, then the best trick is to play up your lips.

Apply a bright pink or coral lipstick to your lips and you will instantly notice all the emphasis going to your lips, thereby drawing everyone’s attention away from your large forehead! All you have to remember is to keep the other makeup simple.

8. Choose A Right Eyebrow Shape:

Fuller eyebrow shapes can balance your forehead

Image: Shutterstock

Eyebrows help in achieving a thinner and younger look for your face. They help in framing your face structure. If you wish to make your forehead appear shorter, then change your eyebrow shape into an angular one.

Quick Tip

You only have to make sure the arch is high or thick so that it appears as though there is more space between the eye and brow bone.

Infographic: 4 Makeup Tips To Make Your Forehead Look Smaller

A beautiful forehead enhances your facial features. High foreheads were once considered beautiful. However, not all may prefer big foreheads. If you have one and are not satisfied with its appearance, we have just the right tips for you. You can define your natural features and make your forehead appear smaller with a few makeup techniques. Check out the easy hacks shared in the infographic below.

4 makeup tips to make your forehead look smaller (infographic)

Save the high-quality PDF version on your device now.

Download Infographic

We hope this article has answered the frequently asked question – how to make your forehead look smaller? It is indeed a struggle for people with big foreheads; they try endless ways to make them appear smaller with the help of makeup. But now that we have got you all covered, go ahead and get started. Do not be discouraged if you do not achieve your desired result immediately. Makeup is an art, and it requires practice. With a couple of trials, you are surely going to ace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does headwear like hats and scarves affect the appearance of the forehead and what styles are best?

Scarves that are tied near the hairline and hats with flared brims and low crowns can help conceal a big forehead.

Can exercises and facial massages help to make the forehead look smaller and what are the best techniques?

There is no scientific evidence that facial exercises or massages can make the forehead smaller but they can tone the facial muscles to improve the overall skin quality and may reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin.

What are some of the best accessories for diverting attention away from the forehead and towards other features?

Apart from hats and scarves, the best accessories for diverting attention from the forehead can be statement earrings and necklaces as well as nose pins or rings. Hair accessories like headbands and bandanas may also help.

How does the use of natural remedies like face packs and masks help to make the forehead look smaller?

Face packs and masks help tighten the skin and prevent sagging skin but there is no concrete evidence that they make the forehead appear smaller.

Key Takeaways

- To make your forehead appear smaller, Applying highlighter to the center of the forehead and blending it outwards can make your forehead appear smaller.
- Eyebrows are great for framing; so, pick an angular eyebrow shape to reduce the appearance of a large forehead.
- Incorporate your bronzer around the hairline as well as the temples to reduce the size of your forehead and effectively give yourself a sturdy bone structure.
- Apply bright lipsticks, like pinks or reds, that draw the eyes to distract from your large forehead space.