Pooja Hegde posing against the background of Aspendos’ ancient amphitheatre in Turkey deserves its own moment in fashion history. But apart from her exquisite Indian couture wardrobe, Pooja’s cheekbones — a marvel of genetics and a make-up artist’s brush — had us staring at this photo longer than we’d like to admit. Like any good Samaritan, we realised it’s our duty to find out just how you can achieve a similar result. Here’s what celebrity make-up artist Rosario Belmonte has to say.
ELLE: The nation wants to know! What’s the contouring technique you used on Pooja’s cheekbones?
Rosario Belmonte: Before starting with my highlight and contour, I prepped the skin and applied a base using two different colours of foundation to create depth. Then I set the contour with a powder. For highlighting, I always use a MAC cream highlighter.
ELLE: What products would you recommend for Indian skin?
RB: I love the Bobbi Brown foundation sticks and the Anastasia Beverly Hills contour palette (Sephora) for the Indian skin tone.
ELLE: What mistake do people make when trying to highlight their cheekbones?
RB: I’ve seen people use highlight too close to the eyes. Highlight is meant to sit on the part of the cheekbone where light would naturally hit your face.
