Chiseled to Perfection: The Red-Carpet Guide to Sculpting Cheekbones
When the red carpet calls, Hollywood’s elite don’t just rely on good genes- they rely on Kenneth Soh. As the master hand behind the flawlessly sculpted faces of Myha’la, Kerry Washington, Zoë Kravitz, Charithra Chandran, and Hayley Atwell, Soh knows exactly what it takes to make a visage look perpetually camera-ready.
Yet, while the internet remains obsessed with heavy, multi-layered contouring trends that often look mask-like in broad daylight, Soh is rewriting the rules of facial definition. According to the celebrity makeup artist, cutting a razor-sharp cheekbone and snatching a jawline doesn’t require a masterclass in painting; instead, it literally comes down to two remarkably simple, skin-first tricks.
Kenneth Soh says, “From a makeup artist’s perspective, a defined jawline always comes down to structure, and good skin prep plays a bigger role than people realise. I’ve found that using a microcurrent device like the Magnitone Pebble Pro, £72, LookFantastic, before makeup can help give the face a more lifted, toned look, particularly around the jaw and lower cheek. It’s not about dramatically changing your face, but about enhancing what’s already there so everything looks a bit tighter and more refined before you even pick up a brush.”
Not surprisingly, consistency is key according to Kenneth Soh. “If you’re using it for 10 minutes a day, you start to notice the face looks less puffy and a touch more sculpted over time. I’ll often focus on upward movements along the jawline and cheekbones to encourage that lifted effect.”
Soh then goes in with makeup to subtly enhance it, placing a soft contour just under the jaw and blending upwards, adding a touch of bronzer through the lower cheek, and keeping highlighter higher on the cheekbone to draw the eye up. “The difference is you’re refining the shape rather than creating it, which means everything looks more natural, lifted and effortless.” Soh tells YCB.
“I’ll usually work it in upward, lifting motions along the jaw and out towards the cheekbones, almost like you’re encouraging the face to sit slightly more held and defined.
“You’re not chasing dramatic change, you’re just taking down puffiness and bringing a bit more tone back into the lower face so everything looks more structured under makeup. It also helps foundation sit more smoothly, especially around areas where product can usually settle or look heavy.”
According to Soh, Contour should enhance, not create. “If the skin already looks a bit more lifted and defined, you can keep your base lighter and your sculpting much softer. Instead of heavy contouring to fake a jawline, you’re simply placing a touch of warmth under the cheekbone, soft definition at the jaw, and letting light do more of the work.
It’s a particularly good trick for events, shoots or anything where the camera is involved, because you still look like yourself, just fresher, more awake, and subtly more sculpted without it ever feeling overdone.” Soh concludes.