It is an art to contour your face when you wear makeup. A face can look completely different with this technique, which gives it depth, dimension, and a chiseled look.

The trick is putting shadows and highlights in just the right places to bring out certain features and hide others and the end result is a face that looks more sculpted and defined.

Starting with Highlighting

Before going into the details of contouring, it’s important to understand the role of highlighting. Highlighting is the act of illuminating specific areas of the face to bring them forward.

To achieve this, choose a shade a few shades lighter than your skin tone or a product with a luminous finish. This creates a lifted effect, making features like cheekbones and brow bones pop.

Now once you’ve blended your highlighter, it’s time to contour. Using a contour brush, apply bronzer to the areas you wish to define and draw back. Common areas include the hairline, the hollows of the cheeks, along the nose, and the jawline. A crucial tip to remember is when contouring the jawline, start behind the ear to avoid an obvious starting line.

Remember, the secret to a seamless contour is blending. Make sure that areas closer to the hairline remain darker and gradually blend out the color as you move toward the center of the face.

Prepping and Contouring with Makeup

To begin, prime your face to ensure a smooth canvas. Then, apply a base product like a BB cream or foundation, blending it well. For those who love a radiant look, opt for a luminous highlighter on the high points of the face. For an added glow, you can layer with a highlighter stick or similar product.

For contouring, choose a bronzer that isn’t too warm-toned. Sweep it under the cheekbones, around the forehead, and under the jawline, ensuring you blend well to avoid harsh lines. If you have a round face, consider skipping blush on the apples of the cheeks. Instead, apply it from the temple, along the top of the cheekbone, towards the center of the cheek.

To complete the look, define the eyebrows, add a touch of eyeshadow, and elongate lashes with mascara. Finish with a subtle lip color for a cohesive look.

Understanding the Art of Contouring

When you contour, you are basically playing with light and shadow. By placing darker shades strategically, you create the illusion of depth, making features like cheeks, jawline, and nose appear more defined. On the other hand, brighter pigments, like highlighters, bring forth an area, making it stand out.

While there are specific contouring products available, you can also use a cool-toned bronzer or even blush. The essence of “contouring” is carving out certain regions of your face, achievable with various makeup products.

Cheekbones

For those looking to enhance cheekbones, draw a line starting from the top of your ear, moving toward your nose, ending right where your eye begins. This line should be precise and sharp. When blending, always buff the product upward. This technique lifts your features, whereas blending downward can make the face appear dragged down.

Hairline

For the hairline, there are two main techniques. If you aim to elongate the face, glide the product along both sides of your hairline without connecting them in the middle. Add a short line on your temples, right where the brows end, to create the illusion of a higher hairline. Conversely, if you wish to shorten the face, swipe your contour across the top of your hairline in an upside-down “U” shape and skip the temple lines. This technique creates shadow on the lengthier parts of your face, drawing attention to the center.

Jawline

Lastly, to sculpt the jawline, trace short lines along its angles, ending at the same point as the cheekbone lines above. If you’re aiming to shorten the face, consider tracing the bottom of your chin with a small line.