Q I have a slightly rounded face and my hair curls around my shoulders. How do I avoid looking fat in photos?

A Don't wear your hair pulled back as this makes your face look even bigger. You want hairstyles that frame the face instead.

Go for straight hair as the linear style not only draws attention away from a puffier face, but also elongates it.

You can also use make-up to add shadow and contours to the face. This gives the illusion of more prominent cheekbones which have a slimming effect on your face.

Avoid the hard-edged sculpting and contouring that is typical of 1980s make-up though. You want it to still look natural.

MAC's creative artist Beno Lim shares his contouring tricks.

Use a powder foundation such as MAC Studio Fix Powder ($45, from Tangs Orchard) that is two shades darker than your skin tone. With a blusher brush, dust the powder make-up on the area right under the cheekbones, from the outer corner of the upper lip all the way up to the ear, and blend it out.

You can also use a neutral matt blusher like MAC's Sincere blush ($34, from Tangs Orchard) to give your face more defined contours. To finish, use a pearlised highlight powder such as Super White FX Hyper Real Pressed Powder ($39, from Tangs Orchard). Dust it on right above the cheekbones and along the temples.

What you wear also makes a difference. Pick tops that show off more skin. This tricks the eye into thinking you have a longer neck, which counters a rounder face. V-necks are good and if you're wearing a collared shirt, leave the first two buttons undone.

When you take photos, avoid full-frontal shots if you have a broad face. Profile shots or what insiders call the 'three-quarter' profile shot is very flattering. All the Hollywood celebs know this when they pose on the red carpet. You want to angle your head slightly, aligning the tip of your chin with your collarbone. What the camera sees are cheekbones and a sharper jawline. Picture perfect.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on May 15, 2008.