Sculpt Your Best Face: A Complete Guide to Contour Makeup for Beginners
Contouring: it’s the makeup artist’s secret weapon for defining features, adding dimension, and creating a sculpted, flawless look. Once the domain of professionals and Instagram gurus, contouring is now accessible to everyone thanks to readily available products and online tutorials. However, the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming. This comprehensive guide breaks down the contouring process step-by-step, ensuring even beginners can achieve a beautifully sculpted face.
## What is Contouring?
At its most basic, contouring is the art of using makeup to create shadows and highlights on the face. By strategically placing darker shades (contour) in areas where shadows naturally occur and lighter shades (highlight) where light hits, you can enhance your bone structure, slim your face, define your jawline, and even reshape your nose.
Think of it as playing with light and shadow to sculpt your features without surgery! It’s about creating the *illusion* of depth and dimension.
## Why Contour?
Contouring offers a multitude of benefits:
* **Enhanced Definition:** Contour adds definition to your cheekbones, jawline, and nose, making them appear more prominent.
* **Slimming Effect:** Strategically placed contour can visually slim the face, making it appear more sculpted.
* **Reshaping Features:** You can use contour to subtly reshape your nose, forehead, or chin to achieve a more balanced look.
* **Creating Dimension:** Contour adds depth to the face, preventing it from looking flat and one-dimensional.
* **Photo-Ready Look:** Contouring is essential for creating a flawless, photo-ready look that translates well on camera.
## Choosing the Right Contour Products
The key to a successful contour lies in choosing the right products for your skin tone and type. Here’s a breakdown of the different options:
* **Powder Contour:** Ideal for oily or combination skin, powder contours provide a matte finish and are easy to blend. They’re also a good option for beginners as they are more forgiving.
* **Cream Contour:** Perfect for dry or mature skin, cream contours offer a dewy, natural finish. They require a bit more blending expertise but provide a more seamless look.
* **Stick Contour:** A convenient option for on-the-go application, stick contours offer a creamy texture and are easy to apply directly to the skin.
* **Liquid Contour:** Offers the most pigmented and blendable option. Best used by those with experience, as liquid contour is quick to dry and needs swift application.
**Color is Key:** The most crucial factor in choosing a contour product is the color. You’re looking for a shade that’s 2-3 shades darker than your natural skin tone and has a cool undertone (grayish or ashy). Avoid warm-toned bronzers, as they can look orange or muddy and are better suited for adding warmth to the face rather than creating shadows.
**Here’s a guide to choosing the right contour shade for your skin tone:**
* **Fair Skin:** Opt for a light taupe or cool-toned beige shade.
* **Light Skin:** Choose a cool-toned brown or light grey-brown shade.
* **Medium Skin:** Look for a medium cool-toned brown or a muted mauve shade.
* **Olive Skin:** Opt for a deep cool-toned brown or a grey-brown shade.
* **Dark Skin:** Choose a deep cool-toned brown or a dark chocolate shade.
## Choosing the Right Highlight Products
Highlighting is just as important as contouring. It helps to bring forward the areas you want to emphasize, creating a balanced and sculpted look.
* **Powder Highlight:** Ideal for oily skin, a powder highlight can give a subtle glow or a blinding sheen, depending on the pigmentation.
* **Cream Highlight:** Great for drier skin, a cream highlight often melts into the skin seamlessly for a natural, dewy glow.
* **Liquid Highlight:** Highly pigmented and buildable, liquid highlights give a beautiful glow and can be used sparingly for a subtle sheen, or built up for a bolder look.
**Color is Key:** When choosing a highlight color, consider your skin tone.
* **Fair Skin:** Pearl or champagne shades are ideal.
* **Light Skin:** Champagne or light gold shades work beautifully.
* **Medium Skin:** Gold or rose gold shades complement medium skin tones.
* **Olive Skin:** Golden or bronze shades enhance olive skin.
* **Dark Skin:** Bronze or copper shades create a stunning glow on dark skin.
## Essential Tools for Contouring
Having the right tools is essential for achieving a flawless contour. Here’s a list of must-have brushes:
* **Angled Contour Brush:** This brush is designed with a slanted shape that fits perfectly into the hollows of your cheeks, allowing for precise application.
* **Blending Brush:** A fluffy blending brush is crucial for seamlessly blending the contour and highlight into the skin.
* **Small Contour Brush:** This brush is ideal for contouring smaller areas, such as the nose.
* **Highlight Brush:** A fan brush or a tapered brush is perfect for applying highlight to the high points of the face.
* **Makeup Sponges:** Damp makeup sponges are essential for blending creams and liquids seamlessly.
## Step-by-Step Guide to Contouring
Now that you have the right products and tools, let’s dive into the step-by-step process of contouring:
**Step 1: Prep Your Skin**
Start with a clean, moisturized face. Apply your foundation and concealer as usual to create an even base for your contour.
**Step 2: Identify Your Face Shape**
Understanding your face shape is crucial for determining where to place your contour. Here are some common face shapes and the corresponding contouring techniques:
* **Oval Face:** Considered the most balanced face shape, oval faces can generally handle any contouring technique. Focus on enhancing your natural features by contouring along the cheekbones, temples, and jawline.
* **Round Face:** To add definition to a round face, contour along the sides of the forehead, under the cheekbones (starting from the ear and blending towards the mouth), and along the jawline.
* **Square Face:** Soften the angles of a square face by contouring along the corners of the forehead, under the cheekbones, and along the jawline.
* **Heart-Shaped Face:** Balance a wider forehead by contouring along the temples and the top of the forehead. Contour under the cheekbones to add definition.
* **Long Face:** To make a long face appear shorter, contour along the hairline and under the chin. Contour under the cheekbones to add width.
* **Diamond Face:** Soften the widest part of the face by contouring along the cheekbones, starting from the ear and blending towards the mouth. Highlight the forehead and chin to add balance.
**Step 3: Apply Your Contour**
* **Cheekbones:** Find the hollows of your cheeks by sucking in your cheeks. Apply the contour shade along the hollows, starting from the ear and blending towards the mouth. Be sure to stop before you reach the corner of your mouth to avoid a muddy look. Blend upwards towards your hairline to create a seamless transition.
* **Jawline:** To define your jawline, apply the contour shade along the jawline, starting from the ear and blending towards the chin. This will create the illusion of a more sculpted jawline. Blend downwards towards your neck to avoid a harsh line.
* **Forehead:** If you have a large forehead, you can contour along the hairline to make it appear smaller. Apply the contour shade along the hairline and blend downwards towards your temples.
* **Nose:** To contour your nose, use a small contour brush to apply the contour shade along the sides of the nose, starting from the inner corner of the eyebrows and blending downwards towards the tip of the nose. This will make your nose appear slimmer. You can also contour the tip of your nose to make it appear shorter.
**Step 4: Apply Your Highlight**
* **Cheekbones:** Apply highlight to the high points of your cheekbones, above the contour. This will bring forward your cheekbones and create a sculpted look.
* **Brow Bone:** Apply highlight under your brow bone to lift your eyebrows and make your eyes appear larger.
* **Inner Corner of the Eyes:** Applying a touch of highlight to the inner corner of your eyes will brighten your eyes and make you look more awake.
* **Bridge of the Nose:** Apply a thin line of highlight down the bridge of your nose to make it appear longer and slimmer.
* **Cupid’s Bow:** Apply highlight to your cupid’s bow (the V-shaped area above your upper lip) to make your lips appear fuller.
* **Chin:** Apply a small amount of highlight to the center of your chin to add dimension.
**Step 5: Blend, Blend, Blend!**
Blending is the key to a natural-looking contour. Use a clean blending brush to blend the contour and highlight into the skin until there are no harsh lines. Make sure to blend upwards and outwards to create a seamless transition.
**Step 6: Set Your Makeup**
To ensure your contour lasts all day, set your makeup with a setting powder. Use a large, fluffy brush to apply the setting powder all over your face.
## Contouring for Different Face Shapes: A Detailed Guide
While the basic steps of contouring remain the same, tailoring your technique to your specific face shape can yield even better results. Here’s a more in-depth look at contouring for different face shapes:
**1. Oval Face:**
* **Goal:** Enhance existing features and add subtle definition.
* **Contour:** Apply contour just below the cheekbones, starting from the ear and blending towards the center of the cheek. Apply a small amount of contour to the temples to add depth.
* **Highlight:** Highlight the high points of the cheekbones, brow bone, and bridge of the nose.
**2. Round Face:**
* **Goal:** Create the illusion of length and definition.
* **Contour:** Apply contour along the sides of the forehead, under the cheekbones (starting from the ear and blending towards the mouth), and along the jawline. Focus on creating vertical lines to elongate the face.
* **Highlight:** Highlight the center of the forehead, the bridge of the nose, and the center of the chin. Avoid highlighting the sides of the face, as this can make it appear wider.
**3. Square Face:**
* **Goal:** Soften the angles and create a more rounded appearance.
* **Contour:** Apply contour along the corners of the forehead, under the cheekbones, and along the jawline. Focus on softening the sharp angles of the face.
* **Highlight:** Highlight the center of the forehead, the high points of the cheekbones, and the center of the chin. Avoid highlighting the sides of the face, as this can accentuate the square shape.
**4. Heart-Shaped Face:**
* **Goal:** Balance a wider forehead and a narrower chin.
* **Contour:** Apply contour along the temples and the top of the forehead to minimize the width of the forehead. Contour under the cheekbones to add definition.
* **Highlight:** Highlight the center of the forehead, the high points of the cheekbones, and the chin to add balance.
**5. Long Face:**
* **Goal:** Make the face appear shorter and wider.
* **Contour:** Apply contour along the hairline and under the chin to shorten the face. Contour under the cheekbones to add width.
* **Highlight:** Highlight the center of the forehead, the high points of the cheekbones, and the center of the chin. Avoid highlighting the bridge of the nose, as this can make the face appear longer.
**6. Diamond Face:**
* **Goal:** Soften the widest part of the face and create a more balanced appearance.
* **Contour:** Apply contour along the cheekbones, starting from the ear and blending towards the mouth. Focus on softening the widest part of the face.
* **Highlight:** Highlight the forehead and chin to add balance. Highlight the high points of the cheekbones to enhance definition.
## Common Contouring Mistakes to Avoid
Even with the best products and techniques, it’s easy to make mistakes when contouring. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:
* **Using the Wrong Shade:** As mentioned earlier, using a contour shade that’s too warm or too dark can result in a muddy or unnatural look.
* **Applying Too Much Product:** Start with a small amount of product and build up the intensity as needed. It’s easier to add more product than to remove it.
* **Failing to Blend:** Blending is essential for a natural-looking contour. Use a clean blending brush to blend the contour and highlight into the skin until there are no harsh lines.
* **Contouring in the Wrong Areas:** Understanding your face shape is crucial for determining where to place your contour. Contouring in the wrong areas can actually accentuate your flaws rather than enhance your features.
* **Using the Wrong Tools:** Using the wrong brushes can make it difficult to apply and blend your contour properly.
* **Ignoring Natural Light:** Always apply your contour in natural light to ensure you’re not applying too much or too little product.
## Advanced Contouring Techniques
Once you’ve mastered the basics of contouring, you can experiment with more advanced techniques to further enhance your features. Here are a few ideas:
* **Baking:** Baking involves applying a thick layer of setting powder to the areas you want to highlight and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes before dusting it off. This technique helps to create a brighter, more defined highlight.
* **Strobing:** Strobing is a highlighting technique that focuses solely on highlighting the high points of the face. It’s a great option for those who prefer a dewy, radiant look.
* **Contouring with Concealer:** You can also use a concealer that’s a few shades darker than your skin tone to contour your face. This technique is especially effective for creating a more defined nose contour.
## Tips and Tricks for Flawless Contouring
* **Use a Light Hand:** When applying contour, start with a light hand and build up the intensity as needed. It’s easier to add more product than to remove it.
* **Use a Stippling Motion:** When applying powder contour, use a stippling motion rather than a sweeping motion to prevent the product from looking patchy.
* **Set Your Contour with Bronzer:** To add warmth to your contour, set it with a light dusting of bronzer.
* **Use a Makeup Setting Spray:** To ensure your contour lasts all day, finish your makeup with a makeup setting spray.
* **Practice Makes Perfect:** The more you practice contouring, the better you’ll become at it. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you.
## The Bottom Line
Contouring is a powerful makeup technique that can enhance your features, add dimension to your face, and create a sculpted, flawless look. By following this comprehensive guide, you can master the art of contouring and achieve your best face yet. Remember to choose the right products and tools, understand your face shape, and practice, practice, practice! With a little patience and effort, you’ll be contouring like a pro in no time.