Contouring and highlighting is a beauty trend that keeps gaining extensive popularity. It involves applying darker matte (contour) and lighter shimmer (highlight) makeup to certain specific areas of your face.

Contouring helps make parts of your face stand out and appear slimmer. Highlighting helps accentuate the existing glow of your face where the sun naturally hits it.

Contouring and highlighting can make a big difference in the appearance of your face. However, it can also be overwhelming for beginners who don’t know how and where to highlight and contour correctly.

If you’re a beginner in the realm of contouring and highlighting, keep reading to learn how to contour and highlight like a pro in no time.

What is the Difference Between Bronzer and Contour?

A contour product is always matte. With contouring, you’re creating depth to make the angles of your face pop more. You will need a product that can create the illusion of a shadow.

When using bronzer, think sunlight, not shadows. The goal with bronzing is to create the illusion of a warmer complexion.

Do You Put Foundation on Before or After Contouring?

Just like the concept of contouring has changed, so has the order of the application. You need to first blend a cream or liquid highlighter over your cheekbones.

The next step is applying the foundation and finishing with the contour. This is done to add dimension.

What do I need for contouring?

For your perfect contour, you need a product three shades darker than your skin tone. If you’re super pale, don’t grab a dark-brown contour. Instead, look for a shade that’s just three steps below your current skin colour.

Next, you need to decide whether to use a cream or a powder. This is based mostly on your personal preference. If your makeup tends to settle into fine lines or you have really dry skin, go with a cream contour.

Can I contour without highlighting?

Yes, you can but there is a trick. Mix a few drops of face oil with a few drops of your foundation. Swirl it over your skin for a seamless built-in highlight.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when contouring and highlighting:

• Stay inside the lines

Contour and highlighter products cannot just be blended all over your face. They are very specific areas of your face where contour and highlighter must be put.

Contour is usually several shades darker than your natural skin tone. When applying makeup that dark, you need to be careful about where you apply it.

Contour application is best done in these areas:

• On the sides of your nose
• Under your cheekbones
• Around the top of your forehead
• At the bottom of your chin and jawline.

The same goes for highlighter, which is shimmery and can make you glow.

Highlighter application best suits the following areas:

• Down the bridge of your nose
• Above your cupid’s bow
• On the top of your cheekbones and temples.
• Under your brow bones
• In the inner corners of your eyes.

By following these tips, you can be sure that you’re applying makeup to the right places at all times.

• Seal It In

One of the worst things about contouring and highlighting is how quickly the makeup can fade after application.

Contour has a tendency to meltdown your face causing it to slide down into the wrong places. Because highlighter is so shimmery, it quickly fades as the day progresses.

Both of these problems can be minimized by setting your makeup after applying contour and highlighter. After you finish applying your contour and highlighter makeup, dust a translucent setting powder over your finished makeup.

After dusting on your setting powder, lock in your makeup by misting a setting spray onto your face. Do this in a T and X-shaped motion to cover your whole face.

• Invest In the Right Makeup

It’s important to invest in the right products to ensure that you end up with the look you want. You need to get the ones that complement your natural skin tone.

Furthermore, you need to choose between liquid and powder contour and highlighter.

Liquid contour and highlighter products create a more dramatic look and are more effective for beauty lovers. However, powder contour and highlighters are easier to use so they are generally better for beginners.

• Make Sharp Lines

Sharp lines are vital for successful contour and highlighting makeup. If you do not apply your highlighter and contour in sharp lines, your face will likely end up looking oily

Applying contour and highlighter in sharp lines can help your contour be more effective at slimming and defining your features. It will also help your highlighter create a more intense glow.

It is also helpful to rest your elbow on your table in front of your mirror during application. This position will help you create sharper, steadier lines more easily.

• Blending is your best friend

Although sharp lines are an important part of applying contour and highlighter, sufficient blending is an equally significant element. If you don’t blend your contour and highlighter enough, it will look too unnatural.

In order to prevent this from happening, use the wide, flat side of a makeup sponge to blend your contour into the rest of your makeup. Blend outward in the direction you’ve applied the contour.

Do not swirl in circles in order to prevent muddling the sharp lines of your contour.

You can also blend highlighter using your fingers by blending the edges of the highlighter outward with the tips of your fingers.

Preparing for Contouring and highlighting:

• The first step entails giving the face a slight massage. This will help with draining excess fluids to reduce puffiness. Our technicians use a soft relaxing touch while lifting the face in a continuous upward direction to give a mini lift.
• You need to find your light. We suggest applying a few dots of concealer to the high points of your face. These areas are :- The bridge of the nose
  – Centre of the forehead
  – Top of the cheekbone

So How Do You Contour Step by Step?

Contouring is not about changing your face shape. One does not have to be a pro to figure it out. Here is a basic step by step that you can customize on your face :

1: Prime your skin with a moisturizer and a makeup primer.

2: Apply a cream highlighter on your cheekbones, down your nose, on your brow bones, and on the inner corners of your eyes.

3: Mix your foundation with a beauty oil to shear it out a little, then blend it across your face with a beauty blender.

4: To contour, follow the shadows of your face shape. If you feel your jaw isn’t as defined as you’d like, blend some powder or cream along the edges of your jawbone.

If you want to chisel your cheeks, blend a line of contour beneath your cheekbones.

5: Set your T-zone with setting powder, then mist your face with a setting spray to blend it all together

CONCLUSION:

Contouring and highlighting can seem daunting for beginners who are just getting started.

However, it really does not have to be any more difficult. It should be as easy as any other step in your makeup routine. Apply the right makeup the right way and blend sufficiently.

If you follow these tips, you’ll be able to contour and highlight like a pro. The end result will be a gorgeous natural glow! Book for Contouring and highlighting services at Lipstick Empire Laser SPA