Welcome to the ultimate guide on how to contour your face like a pro! Are you tired of spending hours in front of the mirror, attempting to achieve that flawless, sculpted look only to end up with streaky lines and uneven shades? Well, fear no more because we’re about to unveil all the tips, tricks, and techniques you need to master the art of contouring. Whether you’re a makeup enthusiast looking for some expert advice or a beginner eager to enhance your natural features, this blog post has got you covered. Get ready to unlock the secrets behind achieving those perfectly chiseled cheekbones and defined jawlines that will make heads turn wherever you go. So grab your brushes and let’s dive into this step-by-step journey towards becoming a contouring pro!
Understanding Face Shapes and How it Affects Contouring
Before diving into the world of contouring, it is important to first understand your face shape. Every individual has a unique facial structure, and knowing your face shape can help you determine the best techniques for contouring that will enhance your features and create a more balanced look.
There are six main face shapes: oval, round, square, heart, diamond, and oblong. Each shape has its characteristics and requires a different approach to contouring. Here’s a breakdown of each face shape and how it affects contouring:
1. Oval Face Shape:
An oval-shaped face is considered the most versatile as it is well-balanced with even proportions. This means that most contouring techniques will work well for this face shape. However, if you want to accentuate your cheekbones or jawline, focus on applying contour in those areas to add definition.
2. Round Face Shape:
Round faces have soft curves without any sharp angles. The goal of contouring for a round face is to create more definition along the cheeks and jawline to make the face appear less round. To achieve this, apply contour along the hollows of your cheeks in a diagonal line towards your ears and blend well.
3. Square Face Shape:
A square-shaped face has strong angles at the forehead, jawline, and chin. For this face shape, you want to soften these angles by applying bronzer or contour along the temples and jawline in a curved motion. This will help create a more oval-shaped appearance.
4. Heart Face Shape:
Heart-shaped faces have a wider forehead and a pointed chin. To balance out these features, contour along the hairline and temples to minimize the width of the forehead, and add some bronzer or contour along the jawline to create more definition.
5. Diamond Face Shape:
Diamond-shaped faces have a narrow forehead and chin, with wider cheekbones. To create more balance, contour along the hairline and jawline in a diagonal line towards the center of your face. This will help soften the angles of your cheekbones.
6. Oblong Face Shape:
Oblong faces are longer than they are wide, with a narrow forehead and jawline. The goal of contouring an oblong face is to make it appear shorter and more balanced. Apply contour along the hairline and under the cheekbones in a curved motion to add depth, then blend well.
Overall, understanding your face shape is key to achieving a flawless contoured look. It allows you to target specific areas of your face that may need more definition or softening, creating a more symmetrical appearance. Experiment with different techniques and products to find what works best for your unique facial structure
Tools and Products Needed for Contouring
Contouring has become a popular makeup technique for achieving a sculpted and defined look. But to achieve the perfect contour, you need the right tools and products. Here is a detailed list of the essential tools and products you will need to master the art of contouring like a pro.
1. Foundation: Before beginning your contour, it is important to have an even base. Choose a foundation that matches your skin tone and provides good coverage. A cream or liquid foundation works best for contouring as it can easily blend with other products.
2. Concealer: A concealer that is one or two shades lighter than your skin tone will help in highlighting areas of your face that you want to bring forward, such as under the eyes, bridge of the nose, and center of the forehead.
3. Contour Stick/Powder: The most important product for contouring is a contour stick or powder. These come in various shades depending on your skin tone – cool-toned shades for fair skin, warm-toned shades for medium skin, and deep-toned shades for dark skin. Contour sticks are great for precise application while powders are more beginner-friendly as they are easier to blend.
4. Beauty Blender/Sponge: A damp beauty blender or makeup sponge is essential when it comes to blending out harsh lines and creating a seamless finish with your contour products.
5. Fluffy Brush: To apply powder contours, you will need a fluffy brush with soft bristles that can blend out the product easily without leaving harsh lines.
6. Angled Brush: An angled brush is perfect for applying and blending cream contour products. The angled shape helps to create precise lines and edges.
7. Highlighter: A highlighter is used to add a touch of glow to the high points of your face, such as the tops of your cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, and Cupid’s bow. A powder or cream highlighter can be used depending on your preference.
8. Setting Powder: To ensure that your contour stays in place all day, use a setting powder to set everything in place after you have finished your contouring.
9. Setting Spray: A setting spray helps to lock in all your makeup, including your contour, and ensures it stays put throughout the day.
10. Bronzer (optional): If you want to add some warmth and dimension to your face, you can use a bronzer in addition to your contour products. This will also help to blend everything for a more natural look.
11. Blush (optional): Adding a pop of color with blush can add some life back into your complexion after all the contouring and highlighting steps are completed. Choose a shade that complements your skin tone.
Choosing the Right Shades for your Skin Tone
Choosing the right shades for your skin tone is crucial in achieving a flawless contour. With so many different shades and undertones available, it can be overwhelming to determine which ones will work best for your specific skin tone. In this section, we will discuss the various factors to consider when selecting contour shades that complement your skin tone.
1. Identify your Skin Tone
The first step in choosing the right contour shades is to identify your skin tone. There are typically three main categories: cool, warm, and neutral. If you have cool undertones, your complexion may have a pink or bluish hue. Warm undertones tend to have a yellow or golden tint, while neutral undertones have a mix of both warm and cool tones.
To determine your skin tone, you can look at the veins on the underside of your wrist. If they appear blue or purple, you likely have cool undertones. Green veins indicate warm undertones, and a mix of both colors suggests neutral undertones.
2. Understand Your Undertone
Once you have identified your overall skin tone, it’s essential to understand your undertone as well. Undertones refer to the subtle hues beneath the surface of your skin that affect how makeup products look on you.
Cool-toned individuals tend to have pink or blueish undertones, while warm-toned individuals usually have yellow or golden undertones. Neutral-toned individuals often fall somewhere between these two categories.
Mapping out Your Contour (Cheekbones, Nose, Jawline, etc.)
Contouring is a makeup technique that involves using different shades of foundation or bronzer to create shadows and highlights on the face, giving it a more defined and sculpted appearance. While many people are familiar with contouring their cheekbones, other areas of the face can also benefit from this technique. In this section, we will discuss how to map out your contour for your cheekbones, nose, jawline, and other areas of the face.
1. Prepare Your Face
Before starting any makeup application, it is important to prepare your face by cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. This will ensure that your skin is smooth and hydrated, allowing for a flawless makeup application. Make sure to also apply a primer to create a smooth base for your contour products.
2. Determine Your Face Shape
The first step in mapping out your contour is determining your face shape. Everyone’s face shape is unique and will require different techniques for contouring. The most common face shapes include oval, round, square, heart-shaped, and diamond-shaped.
3. Cheekbones
To contour your cheekbones start by making a fishy face (suck in your cheeks). This will help you determine where the natural hollows of your cheeks are located. Using a cool-toned matte bronzer or contour powder 1-2 shades darker than your skin tone, apply it along the hollows of the cheeks using an angled brush in a sweeping motion towards the hairline.
Next, take a highlighter or a light concealer and apply it on the high points of your cheekbones using a small fluffy brush. This will create contrast and make your cheekbones appear more defined.
4. Nose
To contour your nose, start by drawing two thin lines on each side of your nose using a cool-toned matte bronzer or contour powder. These lines should start from the inner corners of your eyebrows and continue towards the tip of your nose. If you have a wider nose, bring the contour lines slightly closer together; if you have a narrower nose, keep them further apart.
Blend out the harsh lines using a small blending brush to create a natural-looking shadow. You can also add some highlighter down the center of your nose to make it appear slimmer and more defined.
5. Jawline
To contour your jawline, take the same bronzer or contour powder used for your cheeks and apply it along the jawline starting from just below the earlobes towards the chin in a sweeping motion. This will help define and sculpt your jawline, giving it more definition.
Blending Techniques for a Natural Look
Achieving a natural-looking contour can be tricky, but with the right blending techniques, it can be easily achieved. Blending is key when it comes to creating a seamless and subtle contour that enhances your features without looking too heavy or obvious. In this section, we will discuss some essential blending techniques that will help you achieve a flawless and natural-looking contour.
1. Start with a light hand: When applying contour products, it’s essential to start with a light hand and build up the intensity gradually. This will prevent you from going overboard and ending up with harsh lines that are difficult to blend out. Using a fluffy brush or sponge can also help distribute the product evenly for a more natural finish.
2. Use circular motions: Instead of swiping the product back and forth on your face, use circular motions to blend it out. This technique helps diffuse the product and seamlessly blends it into your skin without leaving any harsh edges.
3. Blend in multiple directions: To avoid creating any noticeable lines, make sure to blend your contour in multiple directions – upwards towards your hairline, downwards towards your jawline, and sideways towards your ears. This will ensure that there are no visible demarcation lines between the contoured areas and the rest of your face.
4. Soften edges with foundation: If you find that your contour looks too harsh or noticeable after blending, don’t worry – there’s an easy fix! Take some of your foundation on a damp beauty sponge and lightly dab over the contoured areas. This will help soften any harsh edges and blend everything for a more natural finish.
5. Use a lighter shade for blending: Using a slightly lighter shade of contour powder or cream can also help you achieve a more natural look. Apply the darker shade first, and then lightly dust the lighter shade over it to blend out any harsh lines.
6. Use a clean brush for blending: It’s essential to use a clean brush or sponge when blending your contour, as any leftover product from previous applications can mess up your overall look. Make sure to wash your brushes regularly to avoid this issue.
7. Check in different lighting: Before finishing your makeup, make sure to check your contour in different lighting – both natural and artificial. This will give you an idea of how it looks in different settings and if any harsh lines need further blending.
Remember, practice makes perfect when it comes to achieving a seamless and natural-looking contour. With these blending techniques and some patience, you’ll be able to master the art of contouring in no time!
Highlight
Highlighting is a crucial step in the contouring process as it adds dimension and glow to your face, creating a well-defined and sculpted look. It involves using a light-colored product on high points of the face to bring out its natural features and give the illusion of lifted and glowing skin.
Here are some key tips to help you achieve the perfect highlight for your face shape:
1. Choose the right shade: When selecting a highlighter, make sure to pick a shade that complements your skin tone. For fair skin, opt for champagne or cool-toned shades while warmer skin tones can go for gold or peachy hues. Also, consider the undertones of your skin – if you have cool undertones, choose a highlighter with pink undertones, while warm undertones look best with golden tones.
2. Know your face shape: Different face shapes require different highlighting techniques. For round faces, focus on highlighting the cheekbones and brow bone to create an elongated effect. If you have a heart-shaped face, apply a highlighter on the center of your forehead and down the bridge of your nose to balance out wider cheeks. Oval faces can pull off any highlighting technique but focusing on the high points of your cheekbones will enhance its natural symmetry.
3. Choose the right formula: Highlighters come in various forms such as powder, liquid, cream, or stick form. Powder highlighters work best for oily skin as they provide a matte finish while liquid or cream formulas are great for dry skin as they add a dewy glow. Stick highlighters are easy to apply and blend, making them perfect for beginners.
4. Use the right tools: For powder highlighters, use a fluffy brush to apply it on the high points of your face. A fan brush is ideal for precise application while a tapered brush works well for blending. For liquid or cream highlighters, use your fingers or a damp beauty sponge to blend them into your skin.
5. Apply in natural light: When applying highlighter, make sure to do it in natural lighting so you can see how it looks on your skin from different angles and adjust accordingly.
6. Layer for intensity: For a more intense highlight, layer your highlighter by adding more product or using a denser brush. Just make sure not to overdo it as too much can look unnatural.
7. Set with powder: To ensure your highlight stays in place all day, set it with a translucent powder after applying it.
With these tips in mind, you can achieve the perfect highlight that will enhance your features and complete your contouring look. Remember to practice and find what works best for you and have fun experimenting with different products and techniques!