Contouring has become one of the most googled makeup trends to date, and photos of this trend have taken over the Instagram and Twitter feeds daily with constant updates on how to do it, what products to use, and new tips on slimming and highlighting. But really, what exactly is contouring and why should you try it? It's actually quite simple. Contouring the skin enhances and changes the features on your face by simply adding makeup in areas such as cheekbones, nose, forehead, and jawline and blending properly until you've perfected your canvas for the rest of your makeup.
For instance, if you have a larger nose and want to change the shape, you can simply draw two lines on each side with makeup and blend it to help the bone structure appear smaller, and more thin. If you want to create more defined cheekbones you can add bronzer to the hollows of your cheeks to create more definition. Keep reading to find out the best practices for contouring your skin and start practicing today!
Don't Go Too Dark
Have you ever seen someone whose makeup looks streaky, dark and not blended? This is what happens when people use darker foundations and powders to contour than they should, resulting in skin looking muddy and not smooth. There is a misconception that the darker the color is the more it will define your features, yet it's completely false. Unfortunately lighting can play a role in makeup that doesn't appear blended or happen to be the right shade, so make sure you have the proper light in your bathroom or bedroom so you can actually see what you're doing.
When choosing the appropriate tones for your skin, make sure the lighting in stores is also good so you don't end up purchasing something that is the wrong color. Choose foundations and bronzers that are slightly darker about 1-2 shades than your natural skin tone to find the appropriate color, and stay away from anything too orange.
Don't Forget to Blend
You must blend when contouring your face, you just have to. If you don't blend properly you can still see the lines that have been drawn and it can become a complete disaster. Most poorly done makeup jobs are a result of not blending properly, and it's imperative to anything you're applying whether it's eyeshadow, blush, even lipstick. The best tools to use when blending cream makeup are foundation brushes and Beauty Blender Sponges, and for face and bronzing powders use blush and powder brushes.
You will know when you've blended enough and the makeup looks seamless and polished.
Don't Go Heavy on the Highlighter
The only thing that can make contouring look worse other than the steps we've mentioned is too much highlighter. When you use a lot of highlighter on the skin it can draw attention to the wrong places and also end up looking greasy. Highlighter is meant to simply highlight the areas of the face you want, naturally, without looking too stark or caked on. Using light textured highlighting powders that look natural along with liquid highlighters are best.
For liquid highlighters you can use a Beauty Blender Sponge or foundation brush just like you use for blending cream makeup, and for powder highlighters you can use a blush brush which has a smaller head than a powder one to ensure more control when applying. Apply highlighter down the nose, lightly on the forehead, and on the cheekbones to perfectly compliment your contouring job. If you have fair to medium skin you can use pink and champagne highlighters, and if you are more medium to dark you can use warmer highlighters such as light bronze and deeper bronze tones.
By Ashley Rebecca
