Until recently I was lucky to have been genetically blessed with pretty great cheekbones. (Thanks mom and dad.) But, turns out that yet another fun thing about getting along in years is that, with every passing month, they seem to appear less and less defined. And, truth be told, that's irking me to no end.

So, what's the plan? Face-lift? Implants? Nah. Just some old-fashioned makeup tricks.

Witness these insider tips that I've learned since becoming pouffier of face.

Tip 1: To create the look of high, defined cheekbones where there aren't any, apply a slightly darker blush under your cheekbones and then dab on a highlighter (like Benefit Moon Beam, $24) to the top of the bone, right under the outer edge of your eyes. This will help to catch the light while the darker blush will give the illusion of depth, making your face seem more defined.

Tip 2: If you really want to make your cheekbones "pop" and look natural, follow the above two steps and finish by adding a swirl of pink or peach blush to the apples your cheeks. To find them, just smile at yourself in the mirror and they'll pop out. (Find out which shades work best with your coloring.)

Tip 3: If you don't want to deal with trying to figure out which shades go where and would rather not spring for a bunch of different products, try a 3-in-1 blush combo (like CoverGirl Instant Cheekbones Contouring Blush, $5.49). Multi-purpose compacts like this are a snap to use and take all the guesswork out of finding the appropriate shades yourself.


And, that's it. All it takes is a little strategically placed color and you'll be looking like Angelina Jolie's high cheekboned twin in no time. (Don't hold me to that, k?)

Have any cheekbone defining tricks you'd like to share?