How To: Highlight and Contour

Hello Beauties,

After reading this, you will no longer wonder how to contour and highlight your face properly. You will now be able to give yourself that finished look, when applying your makeup.

This is such a simple and old application method, yet it often gets over looked or forgotten about by most People when they apply their makeup.

What you’ll need

• A small powder brush, contouring brush or blush brush
• Bronzer or brown shadow
• Liquid highlighter or light illuminating powder
• A mirror

What is Contouring ?

Contouring is the application of makeup on your face in an attempt to define your silhouette and cause you to appear to have a slimmer face, a straighter nose, slender cheeks, more prominent cheekbones and even helps reduce the appearance of a double chin!
This is a great application method for people of all facial shapes (square, round, oval, heart)
By applying it correctly you can accentuate your facial shape creating super flattering effects.
A mini-face lift from a brush!

*The areas marked above in pink are highlight areas, the areas in purple contour*

Try as much as possible NOT to use bronzer to contour, the shimmery finish in the bronzer will have the opposite effect you're looking for because the shimmer will cathc the light instead of create shadows. 

*Do not over use your cosmetics product when contouring. This will give an unflattering shadowy, fake and dark finish.

Contouring your Cheekbones

To contour and enhance your cheekbones, suck in your cheeks just slightly, begin at the ear and apply a darker shade to the hollows. Begin with a gentle hand as you do not want to over due it. Apply your blush as you normally would.

Contouring your Nose

To contour and to slim your nose you will want to apply the contouring shade on each side of your nose, in a very thin line, blending carefully.

Contouring your Forehead/ Temples

If you are self conscious about your forehead or even if you aren’t, you can apply your contouring makeup to both of your temples and blend well. This will give you forehead a slimmer look. You can also apply your contouring agent to the hairline to create the illusion of a smaller forehead. 

Contouring your Chin

To contour and reduce the look of a double chin, you will want to lightly blend your contouring agent along your jaw bone and below your neck line. Blend this in well, apply more as needed.

Highlighting

Highlighting your face gives the opposite effect of contouring, although it also helps to further define your face, it highlights certain ares causing them to be more prominent and pronounced.
You will want to highlight the places on your face that light will naturally hit and reflect off of.
*You want to create a sheer, light finish.
Choose a highlighter lighter in color then your foundation and powder.

Highlighting your Nose

To highlight you will apply your highlighter ( being a powder, liquid or cream) straight down the center bridge of your nose in a very small line, blend well.

Highlighting your Chin/Jawbone

Apply to the very tip of your chin, blending downwards and outwards into your jawbone.
As well as to the top of your cheek bones when you smile (highlight goes above the blush and contour below)

Highlighting your Eyes/ Brow Bone

Highlighting your eyes is an important part of a polished look, lightly brush your chosen highlighter over the orbital bone, and blend into the cheek bones.  You may also want to highlight the inner corners of your eye (tear ducts) and your upper and lower brow area. Lightly brush your highlighter over and under your brow bone, being sure to blend very well. 

Powder highlighters and illuminators are popular picks. Liquid highlighting makeup also works well, it gives a great finish and will really catch the light because of the light reflecting particles in it, giving the softest and most sought after look.

By following these simple steps the next time you apply your makeup, you will be able to give yourself a very polished and naturally finished look.

To choose a contour shade that will work with your skin tone follow these simple steps

1. Determine the undertone of your skin colour.  Are you red (warm), yellow (cool) or a little of both ? 

2. Try to pick a contouring agent that is a few shades darker than your foundation colour, but that matches the "temperature" of your skin tone.  Keep in mind, you may need different contouring agents for different areas of your face if you have more than one undertone in your skin (IE cool for the nose, warm for the cheeks)

Some of my favourite contouring agents are:

MAC blot powder in Dark - This shade works best for people with light skin and a warm undertone (IE redheads)

MAC matte eyeshadow in espresso - This shade works for most light to olive skin with warm undertones depending on how much the colour is built up

NYX liquid contour agent - This shade is VERY dark, and works best on dark skin with warm undertones.

I personally prefer powder highlighters; however the NYX liquid highlight (pictured above) is easy to work with, and can be used on a wide range of skin tones (I have even used this product on south east asian women and found that it blends  beautifully and gives a dewy finish)

Some of the other highlighters I have in my kit are 

MAC "Gesso" shadow - "vivid white matte finish"

MAC "Vanilla" eyeshadow -"Peach- ivory that reflects velvet finish" 

The last one of my go to highlighters is 

MAC strobe cream it works on 90% of skin tones, the cream absorbs into the skin and moisturizers leaving a light shimmer on the skin

Hope this helps, 


thanks for reading ;D


xoxo


Danielle