Hello, makeup lovers out there! I’m guessing you are either new to makeup or want to improve your skills in contouring and highlighting.
There is a chance that you have watched a tutorial or two on Instagram or YouTube, where they show people with sharp cheekbones and chiseled jawlines.
If so, you must have wondered, ‘How do they achieve all that?’ What they do is contouring and highlighting.
How does that sound? Sometimes it can be overwhelming. In this case, let me guide you through the process.
Blame me for wanting to make it look easy. But once you learn the technique I will share, it literally is never that hard. So let us get started together and make you the next social media sensation.
Why Contour and Highlight Your Face?
Before the “how” part, let us understand why contouring and highlighting are imperative in the makeup universe.
Simply put, contouring and highlighting are meant to accentuate features you already have.
These effects do not require a full face of makeup – it is an application of illusion to accentuate bone structure and sculpt the parts of the skin that capture light naturally.
These techniques can enhance the overall sculpted, balanced appearance of the face, adding depth and dimension.
Contouring and highlighting can be done to such a degree that you will feel confident in your abilities to execute the technique in an effortless, seamless way.
The Basics: What Are Contouring and Highlighting?
Let us first approach the basics: what are contouring and highlighting? In other – simpler – words, contouring serves to frame your features with shadows while highlighting serves to lift and emphasize the higher elements.
When both contouring and highlighting are achieved, jaw bones, cheekbones, and even the nose can have definition. Contouring, done correctly, adds depth and dimension.
On the other hand, highlighting emphasizes best features by brightening selected areas. Together, they work wonders to beautify the face.
Step 1: Preparing Your Skin for Contouring and Highlighting
In as much as you are excited to use the contouring products, preparing the skin comes first. I assure you, in order to have a successful application, the right preparatory steps need to be taken. This is how you can start:
Cleanse and Moisturize
In any makeup routine, the very first step is always cleansing and moisturizing. Cleansing removes any oils, dirt, and makeup residue from the previous face wash which prepares your skin for a fresh start. After your face has been cleansed, don’t forget to apply a moisturizer. Well-hydrated skin serves as the ideal surface, enabling less effort to be used when applying makeup. It is important not to miss this step, especially for those with dry skin
Prime Your Skin
Now we will focus on the primer. You might think it makes additional work for a person, which is slightly true; however, it’s a very essential step for putting any product on your skin. A primer helps in protecting and creating a base for pores at the same time while helping in holding on the makeup for hours. For someone with oily skin, a mattifying primer is a great option as it controls shine. If your skin is dry, you should look for a hydrating primer to keep the skin dewy.
Apply Foundation
After all the prep work which is priming the skin, apply foundation to attain uniform skin tone. All the efforts you put into contour and highlight should start with this step. It is ideal to choose a foundation which is of the exact shade to the clients skin. Blend well and use a sponge or a brush as the finish needs to be seamless..
Step 2: Contouring Your Face Perfectly
Having prepped your skin, now we can contour. The goal is to enhance your face by creating shadows where they’re needed. Here’s how you could accomplish it:
Find Your Contour Areas
Contouring goes beyond applying dark makeup on your face. Rather, it is focused on particular areas where shadows are likely to fall naturally. These include:
- Under the cheekbones where depth is added
- On the jawline where definition is added
- The sides of the forehead (temples) in a bid to make it look smaller
- Vertically on the nose to slim it down (this is optional depending on individual preferences).
Choosing the Right Contour Product
The perfect contour product can either complete or ruin your look. Go for a contour shade that is a walk away from your skin tone for a more natural appearance. You can use contour powders, creams or sticks, whichever suits you best. Containing more moisture, creams tend to blend better into the skin while powders are wonderful for ensuring everything is set.
Apply the Contour
It’s time to put on the contour. Begin with applying lightly and escalating accurately as needed. You can use an angled contour brush/sponge to apply it on places you wish shadows to fall. For under the cheekbones, try to suck in your cheeks and apply the product just below and blend above the bone towards the temple.
And remember, blending is vital in every step! To achieve great contouring the most important thing is that you do seamless merging. No harsh lines should be present. So long as you are blending the contour with your skin and there are no distinct lines, you are good to go.
Blend, Blend, and Blend Some More
The advantage between good and great contouring is the ability to blend. Do not simply place contour and leave it at that, because blending needs to be done as well. With a damp beauty sponge, go over the regions where contour was applied. This action will yield a softer effect and you rely on a blurred effect.
Step 3: Highlighting Your Face Perfectly
Add some magic! After a thorough work of contouring highlighting would further enhance your features. If you are looking forward to achieve that glowing look and further elevate contours, all you need is how and the right skills!
Find Your Highlight Areas
For makeup, you want to direct your attention towards places where light naturally falls when illuminating your face. These are:
- The upper parts of your cheekbones
- The bridge of the nose
- Middle part of your forehead
- Chin
- Inner corners of your eyes
- Cupid’s bow (is located above your lips)
Choose the Right Highlighter
As with contour products, highlights come in different formulas which are: powder, cream, and liquid. It is up to you to decide, but cream or liquid ones usually give a dewy finish, while powders are more subdued. Pick one that matches the tone of your skin. For fair skin, light gold or champagne powder is superb, while medium and dark skins fit deeper gold tones best.
Apply the Highlighter
For application, you can use your fingers or a fan brush. Finger application will give a bold blurry shine, while fan brush is perfect to achieve a soft diffused glow. Use highlighter on the high points of the face and then gently tap it to blend into the skin. As with every makeup, blend this to ensure the makeup, foundation, and contour appear seamless.
Step 4: Setting Everything In Place
Now that you have contoured and highlighted your face, the next step is to set everything so it stays in place all day. Here is how you can achieve this:
Set with Powder
Translucent setting powders can be used to ensure your makeup does not smudge. Lightly dust it onto your T-zone since it is the oiliest part of your face. This will block shine while making certain your makeup is locked in for the day.
Setting Spray
A setting spray is the last step in ensuring your makeup is intact. Simply mist throughout your face, and you are ready to go! Your contour and highlight will remain in place for hours.
Common Contouring and Highlighting Mistakes to Avoid
Everyone makes mistakes when contouring or highlighting and sometimes it can get a little complicated. Letting you avoid some of the more common ones is our aim:
- Using the Wrong Shades – Ensure that your contour is dark enough to create shadows but not too dark. The highlight should be light enough to stand out but not so light that it is unnatural.
- Not Blending Well – This may be the most important step. Skipping it means risking not looking seamless.
- Too Much Product – Although applying too much contour or highlighter seems tempting, do not give in. A gradual approach is the way to go.
- Ignoring face shape – Your face is unique, so contour and highlighting should be individualized to each person’s face. As much as possible, follow the natural contours of the face.
My Opinion | Practice Makes Perfect
With a little bit of practice, the art of contouring and highlighting becomes second nature. For best results, begin with a flawless base, apply the foundation and highlighter to the right areas and always blend.
The beauty of these techniques is that they can be done differently to suit the freestyler, the more reserved or the formal kind of person. As long as the techniques are correctly internalized, one can switch from dramatic to natural face sculpting without issues.
So what are you waiting for? Go get that contour kit, practice and soon enough, perfected contour and highlight will be an effortless thing. Enjoy exploring the different combinations and remember: practice always leads to the desired outcome.