Highlight Your Best Features: Tips for Learning How to Contour

The Art of Contouring

Have you ever dreamed of or wish for chiseled cheekbones or a more defined bone structure? Perhaps you'd like a thinner nose or a slimmer face. Contouring your face can help to achieve all of these features. The trick is to use the proper cosmetics and blending tools to achieve these looks.

A little bronzer can be used as your darker shade for contouring. With contouring, you will need a dark shade for creating shadows and a lighter shade, such as a highlighting powder, to bring out the lighter parts of the face where light would normally hit the face. This will make these parts of the face stand out more, while the darker shades will work to create a more receded look. As an alternative to bronzer for a contouring powder, you can also select a contouring product that is made specifically for contouring. These shades usually have a slightly grey cast, as shadows naturally do.

Start by using a darker shade and a contouring brush to gently create the look of chiseled cheekbones by sweeping the darker shade in the contours of the cheekbones. Slightly above the cheekbones, apply the lighter highlighting shade to bring out this part of the face. Work along the sides of the nose and gently sweep the darker powder along each side of the nasal bridge to create a smaller, more defined nose. Gently blend the powder out to buff out any harsh lines.

Using two different colors of foundation can also be used to create a contoured look. For example, applying a lighter shade of base makeup underneath the cheekbone will create a more chiseled look. The darker shade is applied just along the cheekbone, while the lighter shade beneath the cheekbone emphasizes the cheekbone shadow and makes it appear more chiseled. Additionally, you can use the darker base makeup shade to contour the jaw line and the neck.

Use a lighter foundation to bring out the cupid's bow, chin, and the area between the eyebrows on the forehead. This will emphasize the parts of the face where light would naturally hit it. You can set these areas with a setting powder. For best results, choose a setting powder that is finely milled without big particles that will settle into fine lines and creases. Some setting particles have light reflecting particles, which will work to highlight these areas of the face even more and draw light to them. This looks very beautiful as light hits it, giving off a slightly illuminated look.