Contouring may have made its mark back in 2008 thanks to stars like Kim Kardashian, but that doesn’t mean the trend is slowing down. Contouring allows you to give shape and enhance different areas of your face with the use of makeup. And if you want to contour like a pro, you need to learn how to blend contour correctly. Get ready, because we’re letting you in on our favourite tips and products to help you get started!
A Beginners Guide to Contouring
Wondering how to contour properly? Here are 6 steps for the perfect contour.
1. Create a Contour Base
Before contouring, it’s important to create a base so you can blend as best and as smoothly as possible. After you’ve applied your foundation and concealer, apply a light layer of translucent powder so you have a clean base to work from.
2. Decide On The Look You Want
You can use either powder contouring makeup or cream contouring makeup for your look. When you use powders to contour, you get a more matte finish, and when you use cream makeup to contour, you get a more dewy finish. Decide on the look you want before you start to blend contour. If you’re just starting out with contouring, keep in mind that cream products are easier to blend. Look for products without shimmer – shimmer is meant for highlighters!
3. Choose Your Brushes Wisely
The brushes you choose will affect how you blend contour. Stay away from full, fluffy brushes. There are brushes made specifically for contouring, and fan and sculpting brushes also work well. You’ll be blending product into the hairline, under your jaw and around your cheekbone, so a fan brush is perfect for creating a feathering effect in these places.
4. Map Your Face
Your face should guide the contouring process. Use your bone structure as guidance and build pigment as you go. The common places for contouring are the area under the jawline, the sides of the temples, and the hollows of your cheeks, and sometimes the side of the nose and hairline. Use circular motions for the areas you want to look smaller or hollowed out. Where you contour will depend on your face shape.
5. Blend It Out
Once you’ve applied contour makeup to the areas of your face you want to contour, it’s time to blend it out. Use a regular foundation brush or a beauty blender sponge and tap over the contoured area, blending it into your foundation. You don’t want your contour to look streaky, so this step is key! Tap in small circular motions using the bigger rounded end of the beauty blender for larger sections of your face, and the smaller end for smaller parts like your nose.
6. Highlight
If you’re going to contour your face, highlighter makes a great accompaniment. Highlighter lightens the area of your face that light will naturally hit, such as your brow bone, the top of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose and the top of your cupid’s bow.
3 Contouring Products to Invest In
1. Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Cream Kit
For a smooth, creamy formula with a natural matte finish, this contour kit will give you the perfect contoured look. Featuring 3 highlight shades to brighten and lift the skin and 3 contour shades to define, sculpt and bronze, you need this kit in your life!
2. Golden Rose Contour Powder Kit
If you want to use powder makeup for contouring, this palette is the one for you. It will enhance and define your features with a highlight powder, bronzing powder and contour powder you can use on the daily!
3. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand
Have you always wanted amazing cheekbones? This contour wand helps create shadow with a cushion applicator that blends easily with a lightweight formula. Follow it with the Hollywood Beauty Light Wand Highlighter for a natural rose gold glow!
2 Contour Application Techniques
1. Heart Contouring
For this technique, start out by drawing tiny hearts underneath your eyes with the lightest shade in your contour kit. This will conceal dark circles and brighten up your look. Then, using a shade that’s about 2 shades darker than your skin tone, draw small hearts in the hollow of your cheeks to contour your cheekbones.
Use your brush or beauty blender to first blend the light hearts under your eyes and then the darker hearts along your cheekbones. Don’t do it the other way around to ensure your under eye area doesn’t become too dark.
2. Figure 8
To get a glow around your eyes, figure 8 contouring is for you. Using a light shade from your contouring kit, draw a figure 8 around your eyes. Blend it in and you’ll have a gorgeous, illuminated glow!
How to Blend Contour: 3 Tips and Tutorials
How to Contour and Highlight for Beginners | Roxette Arisa
If you’re just getting into contouring, this tutorial is perfect for you. She shows you how to contour and highlight with products like the Benefit Hoola Quickie Compact Stick and the Ofra Cosmetics Highlighter in ‘Rodeo Drive’. Learn how to contour with both powder and cream, plus how to contour your nose!
My Current Powder Contour and Highlight Routine | Kaushal Beauty
If you’re interested in learning how to contour with powder, she has you covered with this video! Using the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder and the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer, among others, you can get a gorgeous contoured look that highlights your best features.
Contour Dos and Don’ts – How to Contour | CC Clarke Beauty
I love this tutorial because not only does she show you how to blend contour correctly, she also shows you what not to do. It’s important to follow the right tips and techniques so you don’t end up with blotchy or streaky contour. Using the Rimmel Insta Contour Stick, the Benefit Hoola Bronzer and more awesome products, you’ll be able to emulate her looks perfectly!
Just getting into contour? These tips and tutorials will guide you for a sculpted, glowing look you’ll love!