How to contour your face using SUNSCREEN: Beyoncé's makeup artist reveals how to naturally sculpt your features while preventing sun damage

  • Sir John Barnett has revealed how to contour your face using sunscreen
  • Recommends using a higher factor under your eyes and on your cheek bones 
  • By doing so you create a natural highlighter by blocking sun exposure

By MARTHA CLIFF FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

It is no secret that wearing sunscreen is hugely important when it comes to protecting our skin and preventing aging.

However, the makeup artist to Beyoncé and Chrissy Teigen has revealed that using sun protection can also have beauty benefits.

In a beauty podcast Sir John Barnett revealed how you can naturally contour your face simply by applying sun cream.

Beyoncé's makeup artist has revealed how you can create a natural contour on your face by using sunscreen 

Beyoncé's makeup artist has revealed how you can create a natural contour on your face by using sunscreen 

Speaking on Fat Mascara the celebrity makeup artist revealed that he applies different factors of sun cream to different sections of the face.

He says: 'I'll do 15 or 20 SPF everywhere on my face when I'm out in the sun or I know I'm going to be on a job, because you need some kind of veil of protection.

'Then I'll just add a 50 to 80 waterproof [SPF] underneath the eyes, around the eyes, a thin line down the centre of the nose, maybe touch a bit on your chin, or anywhere you naturally use your highlighter to contour and highlight.'

Sir John Barnett says that by adding a higher factor to certain areas of the face than others you will end up with a natural highlight 

Sir John Barnett says that by adding a higher factor to certain areas of the face than others you will end up with a natural highlight 

Sir John reveals that by adding a high factor of sunscreen to areas you would normally highlight can act as a natural highlighter as it keeps those features 'brighter' than the rest of the face.  

He continues: 'Your highlighter in this case is going to be a 70 or 50 SPF waterproof, so sit out in the sun, do your thing, play, drink, whatever you're going to do. 

'And then when you go into your hotel room and wash your face, you're so bright around everywhere that you had (higher) protection.' 

PICKING THE RIGHT SUNSCREEN: HOW TO DECODE THE LABEL 

ONCE A DAY: Standard products degrade with sun exposure and rub off in around two hours. 'Once a day' products contain chemicals claimed to be more resistant, but even these should be reapplied if you've been sweating or been swimming and towel dried yourself, says Clare O'Connor of Boots. Which? said a number of 'once a day' sunscreens wear off quickly - over the course of a day an SPF30 could drop to SPF8.

WATERPROOF: This means the product keeps at least 50 per cent of its SPF protection after 40 minutes in water. So an SPF20 cream would have proved it's at least SPF 10 after 40 minutes, which is why you still need to reapply after swimming.

SAND- AND SWEAT-RESISTANT: These supposedly won't be so easily removed by these factors. However, creams cannot be entirely resistant, so if you need this protection, you'd be better off using a UV protective top, says dermatologist Dr Hextall.

SAFE FOR BABIES: These have been specially formulated but as everything should theoretically be safe for babies, says dermatologist Dr Anton Alexandroff. Physical sunscreens may be marginally better fas they're less likely to cause allergic contact dermatitis, he says.

HYPOALLERGENIC: This usually means the product doesn't contain known allergens. But there is no standard for what 'hypoallergenic' means, says Dr Hextall. Many studies suggest hypoallergenic products can still contain allergens.

APPLY TO WET SKIN: This is a new selling point. It contains chemicals that allow water on the skin to be absorbed into the product rather than diluting it. But Dr Hextall questions whether wet skin will reduce the potency of UV-protecting chemicals, or if these products will evaporate more quickly on wet skin. 

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