Makeup
Nov 21, 2023

Focusing on This (Not Contour) Is the Best Way to Enhance Gamine Features

by Maya Thomas

I've always been told I look incredibly young for my age since I was, well, young. Most recently, I hopped into an Uber and the driver asked if I had my parents' permission to ride as a minor. It's taken me years to accept my petite, girl-like features as positive traits, but in the past month, I've found ways to embrace my features thanks to hundreds of makeup tutorials with #Gamine in their captions. If you frequent Gen Z–led social media platforms, there's a high chance you've come across beauty trends aimed at embracing unique facial features. Face types aren't a new idea, but if you've never heard of the Kibbe Image Identity System, you're not alone. It's a departure from the traditional body-typing system (which has given us image-based categories from head to toe using terms like "hourglass figures" and "inverted triangle").

David Kibbe, an image consultant, introduced The Kibbe Body Types in the 1980s and created a style guide using the body-typing system. Focusing on an axis of yin (curved, soft) versus yang (angular, structured), it takes into consideration one's skeletal system and flesh on a scale of five categories, such as gamine, natural, and dramatic, then breaks those down into 13 more specified body types. This, in turn, can be used to determine the most complementary hairstyles, makeup practices, and clothing styles for each.

It's important to note, however, that Kibbe himself has stated that these specific body types shouldn't determine how a person moves throughout the world or chooses to present themselves. The body types can be helpful in figuring out how to best highlight certain features or draw attention away from others if a person chooses to do so. Makeup can be used as a transformative tool for all facial types, but today, we're taking a look at the best tips and tricks for individuals who possess perhaps the most youthful and otherwordly of the five Kibbe Body Types: gamine.

We caught up with beauty expert, makeup artist, and and entrepreneur Jenny Patinkin to get the scoop on the best makeup practices for individuals with gamine facial features. "Gamine facial features tend to be delicate, so overdoing contouring can give an almost sunken or hollow look," says Patinkin. "If I do any contouring at all, it's only a subtle wash done at the part of the cheekbone closest to the ears and not extended onto the face more than one to two inches and perhaps a little on the jawline to call attention to the V shape of the jawline."

Instead, Patinkin prefers to focus on bringing a soft glow to the cheeks and a slightly contoured smoky eye to create a round, doe-eyed look with a sultry flair. "It's important to use makeup brushes sized for more delicate features instead of very large ones that can over-apply products like bronzer or contour," she tells us. Her tool of choice is her very own Sustainable Luxury Angled Multi-Blender Brush, which she uses to apply cheek products. With it, she's able to control placement in addition to creating a beautiful soft blend with minimal effort.

"I know the temptation is to do a heavier brow with this look à la Audrey Hepburn, the ultimate gamine, but I would advise caution when it comes to squaring off the inner corner of the brow or using a very opaque color to fill in," Patinkin explains. Both can look overly harsh in contrast to one's more delicate features rather than complementing them as needed.

Now that you know how to give gamine facial features the attention they deserve with the help of Patinkin, keep reading to discover the 16 bronzers, blushes, contour sticks, and highlighters that will deliver a stunning makeup look every time.

Makeup for Gamine Facial Features

Adding Warmth With Bronzer

Creating Dimension With Light Contour

Balancing With Blush

Highlighting the High Points

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