Makeup for the Body Types

Have you ever tried following a makeup tutorial on YouTube, only to wonder why it looks unflattering after you’ve finished? Or maybe you’ve seen a makeup look described as ‘universal’, but when you try it you find out that it isn’t quite as universally flattering as people think it is.

I’ve had that happen to me too many times. Winged eyeliner? Not a good look for me, no matter how many beauty gurus and influencers seem to think that it’s universally flattering.

I’ve only recently figured out what looks flattering on me, because I took into account my body type. This post is based on a system of 13 body types, which are holistically determined by all of your features. If you’re unfamiliar with this system, please take the test to find out which one you have.

Table of Contents

If you already know your body type, here’s a table of contents so that you can jump directly to it:

Romantic (R)
Theatrical Romantic (TR)
Dramatic (D)
Soft Dramatic (SD)
Classic (C)
Soft Classic (SC)
Dramatic Classic (DC)
Natural (N)
Soft Natural (SN)
Flamboyant Natural (FN)
Gamine (G)
Soft Gamine (SG)
Flamboyant Gamine (FG)

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Romantic (R)

Natural makeup: In this natural makeup look on Emilia Clarke, you can see that she’s gone with a nude pink shade for her lips, but it isn’t matte. It has tiny bit of shine to it, as does her eyeshadow. When it comes to the mascara, you can see that it’s very lightly applied, making the eyelashes look wispy rather than clumpy or thick.

Red lip makeup: Marilyn Monroe’s signature look is a great look for romantics. Her red lipstick is glossy, not matte, and her eyelashes look wispy and delicate, not clumpy or thick. The shape of her winged eyeliner is quite rounded too, as is the shape of her eyebrows, which match her rounded features.

Glamorous makeup: For this makeup look, we’re going to take a look at Beyonce. Beyonce has also gone for soft, shimmery shades of eyeshadow and lip gloss, which creates a very fresh look. Her lashes are delicate and wispy, and her eyebrows are rounded in shape. Her eyeshadow is quite blended, which keeps it from looking too heavy for her face.

Theatrical Romantic (TR)

Natural makeup: Rachel McAdams is wearing a lovely natural look for theatrical romantics. Her lips are in a slightly glossy shade of pink, but not so glossy that it’s distracting. Her eyeliner is quite delicate, but has a sharp point, and her eyeshadow is quite blended into her crease, which gives a very natural look. Lastly, her eyebrows aren’t too thick, and have a delicate arch.

Red lip makeup: We’re going to be looking at Rachel again for this makeup look. Her eyeshadow is also quite blended in this look, and her eyelashes look quite wispy and delicate. The sharpness in this look comes from her lipstick, which defines her lips with crisp lines. There is still a bit of shine to her lipstick, as a matte lip would look off on her.

Glamorous makeup: In this glamorous makeup look on Rihanna, we can see an almost matte lipstick. It still has a bit of texture though, as there’s a bit of shine. Her lips are sharply defined, but her eyeshadow is still quite blended into her crease, and she’s gone with some very shimmery shades. Her eyebrows are also quite delicately shaped, with a rounded arch.

Dramatic (D)

Natural makeup: Keira Knightley is wearing a beautiful natural look, which is quite minimal. All of the attention is on her eyes, which she’s highlighted with some brown eyeshadow and is concentrated fairly close to the lash line. Her lashes don’t look overly wispy or thick, and her eyebrows are fairly thick and have a sharp arch, which suits the sharp lines in her face.

Red lip makeup: In this red lip look Cate Blanchette is wearing makeup that suits her features quite nicely. Her lips are sharply defined, as are her eyes. Her eyeshadow isn’t overly blended, instead it’s just above her lash line. Her eyeliner isn’t rounded or flicked either, it’s just on her lash line. Even though her eyebrows are thin, they’re also straight.

Glamorous makeup: We’re returning to Keira Knightley for the glam look. Keira’s lips and eyes are both sharply defined, and the shades she’s gone with are matte. Her eyelashes are long, but her eyeshadow and eyeliner is blended directly over her lash line. Her eyebrows are quite thick, and her arch isn’t overly rounded.

Soft Dramatic (SD)

Natural makeup: Jameela Jamil has some gorgeous makeup looks, but I quite like this one as a natural makeup look for soft dramatics. She’s gone with a plum shade for her lipstick which flatters her skin tone. It’s also got a slight shimmer to it, which matches the softness she has in her flesh. Even though her eyeliner is noticeable, soft dramatics can get away with very thick eyeliner, so this thinner line is quite suitable as a natural look.

Red lip makeup: I’m also using Jameela as an example for a red lip look, as this look is both minimal and flattering on her. She’s gone with a slightly shimmery red lipstick, and a bit of highlighter in the inner corner of her eye. Her eyeliner is quite thick, but her body can really take heavy eyeliner, so it doesn’t look disproportionate.

Glamorous makeup: I’m not sure who this lady is, but for a glamorous makeup look, her makeup would look quite flattering on a soft dramatic. Matte lipstick and eyeshadow can suit soft dramatics quite nicely, but her eyeliner is what really completes this look. Her eyebrows are also thick with a prominent arch, which suits the bone structures of soft dramatics.

Classic (C)

Natural makeup: Even though this is a vintage-inspired makeup look, it’s quite flattering as a natural makeup look on January Jones, a classic. Her lipstick is quite a natural looking shade of pink, that has a glossy texture to it. Her eyeliner is very thin and directly over her lash line, which accentuates her eyelashes without making them look too thick, an issue that many classics may find they have when using eyeliner.

Red lip makeup: We’re using January as a makeup example again, as this red lip look is perfect for classics. Her lipstick looks slightly blended towards the edges, which keeps it from looking too sharp on her face. Her eyeliner is directly over her lash line, which accentuates her eyes without looking too heavy for her face. It’s difficult to tell that she’s wearing eyeshadow in this look, as it’s subtle and blended into her crease.

Glamorous makeup: Grace Kelly’s glamorous look may seem pretty minimal compared to other body types’ glamorous looks, but classics look better with more minimal looks. Grace appears to be wearing some blended eyeliner just above her lash line, with some smoky eyeshadow that’s been blended close to her lash line. Her mascara isn’t too heavy, and completes this look.

Soft Classic (SC)

Natural makeup: Lupita Nyong’o’s natural makeup looks are perfect for soft classics. In this one, you can see that she has a slightly shimmery lip color, which is quite flattering for soft classics. She also looks to be wearing a bit of eyeshadow or liner that is blended just above the lash line, which creates a bit of emphasis without going overboard. Lastly, her eyebrows have a delicate, rounded arch to them.

Red lip makeup: Marion Cotillard has a beautiful red lip look in this picture, which will suit any soft classic. Her eyeliner is thin and directly over the lash line, and her mascara makes her eyelashes look delicate and thin. Overall, her eye makeup is fairly subdued, but it balances out the red lipstick quite nicely. Her lipstick has a slight shine to it, and I think that the only thing that would make this look even better is a touch of blending at the edges of her lips.

Glamorous makeup: This may seem like a fairly minimal look, but anything heavier will begin to look too separate on a soft classic. Marion’s lipstick is a soft pink shade, in a shimmery texture, which matches her shimmery eyeshadow. Her mascara makes her lashes look wispy and delicate, rather than clumpy or heavy. It also looks like she’s wearing a bit of blended eyeliner in a brown shade, which emphasizes her eyes.

Dramatic Classic (DC)

Natural makeup: So this makeup look on Olivia Wilde isn’t quite a natural look, but it’s close enough to one that I’m going to use it as an example. Her eyes and lips are balanced with a natural lipstick shade and mascara that emphasizes the lash line of her eyes. Her eyebrows are a bit thin for her face, but they have sharp arches that match the sharpness of her bone structure.

Red lip makeup: This red lip look on Diane Kruger is perfect for dramatic classics. Her lips are defined with a slightly shiny red lipstick, which is balanced out with winged eyeliner on her eyes. An important thing to note about her eyeliner is that it doesn’t have a rounded flick, the wing is straight. She’s also got some eyeshadow blended into her crease. Lastly, Diane’s eyebrows are the perfect thickness for her face, and are also fairly straight.

Glamorous makeup: Another makeup look on Diane, this time a glamorous but soft one. Her lipstick is blended a bit at the edges, and is balanced out by matching eyeshadow that’s blended into her crease. Her mascara is concentrated at her lash line, which emphasizes her eyes without looking too heavy.

Natural (N)

Natural makeup: We’re going to be taking a look at Liv Tyler for the natural makeup look for naturals. In this look she has some very blended color on her lips, which matches a very blended blush on her cheeks. This creates a very fresh look that suits naturals. She also has a bit of mascara, applied to make her lash line look thick, but not clumpy. There may also be a bit of eyeliner on the lash line, however Liv has hooded eyelids so it’s difficult for me to tell.

Red lip makeup: I think this picture of Lana Del Rey is a perfect red lip look for naturals. Her red lipstick is matte and soft, and balanced perfectly with thick eyelashes and eyeliner. Her blended eyeshadow, which is in a dark color, is only on her eyelids, as it would look over the top if it were blended onto the brow bone.

Glamorous makeup: Another picture of Lana, but for a glamorous look this time! A nude lipstick gives her lips a very fresh look, and is matched with a light blush. Her eyeliner is what gives this look a glam vibe, as it’s quite thick. Naturals can also get away with liner on their bottom lash line without it looking off, which Lana demonstrates nicely. Lastly, her eyebrows are quite straight, which suits her bone structure.

Soft Natural (SN)

Natural makeup: For a natural look here’s Ashley, aka bestdressed. She has some great looks for soft naturals, so I highly suggest checking out her Instagram or YouTube channel. In this natural makeup look, Ashley has some highlighter on her cheeks and inner eye corners, which gives a fresh look. She also has some blended eyeshadow and blush, which is cohesive with her soft features. Since she’s a member of the natural family she can get away with a pretty thick eyeliner line, so this thin wing is perfect for a natural look.

Red lip makeup: I’m not sure who this woman is, but her red lip look is perfect for soft naturals. A blended red lip matches the softness of the body, while also keeping a fresh look. A bit of gloss and highlighter also add to this softness. To get some boldness back, spiked brows like the ones in this look will match the weight of the bone structure.

Glamorous makeup: Selena Gomez is wearing a very glamorous look for a soft natural in this picture. Most of the visual weight is on her eye makeup, with thick winged eyeliner, long lashes, and soft eyeshadow (that has some shimmer to it to keep things fresh). Her eyebrows are also pretty thick, but have a rounded arch, which suits her bone structure. Lastly she has some gloss on her lips that matches with the soft part of her body type.

Flamboyant Natural (FN)

Natural makeup: For this natural makeup look, we’ll be looking at Ellie Thumann. You should check her out on Instagram, she has some pretty cool flamboyant natural looks! In this look, she’s wearing very nude colors, but I think that what makes this look so beautiful is the highlighter. Naturals look good with a bit of fresh shine, so a bit of highlighter on the cheeks, inner eye corners, or nose is a great way to liven up a look.

Red lip makeup: When it comes to bold lip looks for flamboyant naturals, I find that a bold lip with little to no other makeup is what looks the best, and Anne Hathaway demonstrates that nicely in this picture. A bold, sharply defined lip and a touch of blush, eyeshadow, and mascara is all she needs to look stunning in this picture.

Glamorous makeup: For the glamorous makeup look, I’m going to use a subdued glam look on Julia Roberts as an example. This look is quite close to a natural look, but with a bold lip color, mascara, and blush, any flamboyant natural can look glamorous. This look would be even better if Julia was wearing a deeper lip color, maybe a plum.

Gamine (G)

Natural makeup: Emma Watson is good example of a modern gamine, so I’ll be using her as an example for a natural makeup look. For members of the gamine family it’s better for makeup looks to have the emphasis on either the eyes or the lips, so a natural makeup look with emphasis on the eyes looks great on Emma. Her eyes are defined with a line of eyeliner. A wing would be too large for her face and throw things off balance, so just a line above her lashes is great.

Red lip makeup: Another picture of Emma, this time with a red lip look. In this makeup look the emphasis is on her lips instead of her eyes. A bright red lip, sharply defined, creates a striking look. On her eyes a bit of mascara and eyeshadow completes the look. It’s important to note that her eyelashes are just the right length in this picture. If she had on heavy fake lashes it would throw off the balance of this look.

Glamorous makeup: Taylor Swift is also a gamine, so here’s a glamorous look on her. The emphasis is on her eyes, which are highlighted with a small wing and some shimmery eyeshadow. The only thing that I think would make this makeup look better is more of a matte lipstick shade.

Soft Gamine (SG)

Natural makeup: Jenna Coleman is my favorite soft gamine example, since she so often wears her lines. Members of the gamine family look best with emphasis either on the eyes or the lips, which can be difficult to achieve in a natural look, but I think this makeup look on Jenna pulls it off with the emphasis on her eyes. She’s wearing some matte nude eyeshadow, and a bit of brown mascara, but what really solidifies the emphasis are her brows, which are thick and defined.

Red lip makeup: Jenna again, this time with a red lip look! And this time the visual weight of her makeup look is balanced on her lips instead of her eyes. The trick to soft gamine lipstick looks is to go with an almost matte shade, and blend it a bit.

Glamorous makeup: Here’s a glamorous makeup look on Camila Mendez, who I think is a soft gamine. In this look the balance is focused on her lips, which are in a mostly matte plum shade, but she also has a bit of a smoky eye done with matte eyeshadow.

Flamboyant Gamine (FG)

Natural makeup: Here’s Zendaya with a gorgeous natural makeup look for flamboyant gamines. In this makeup look the emphasis is on her eyes, which are decorated with eyeshadow blended into the crease. This look, combined with defined brows, creates a fresh but natural look for flamboyant gamines.

Red lip makeup: Here’s another of Zendaya’s looks, this time with a red lip. Though she has some bold lashes in this look, the emphasis is on her lips since she doesn’t have very noticeable eyeshadow and her brows are partially obscured by her hair.

Glamorous makeup: This makeup look from Audrey Hepburn is a good example of glamorous makeup for flamboyant gamines. The emphasis is on her eyes, which are highlighted by winged eyeliner with a small wing, and dark eyeshadow blended into her crease. A matte pink lipstick finishes off the look on her lips, which creates a very modern look!

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