Contour, in make-up terminology and lingo, means highlighting or emphasizing the essential features of the face – that is, the bridge of the nose and cheekbones. Contouring was first put in the limelight with Keeping up with the Kardashian’s very own Kim Kardashian and her sisters, Kourtney and Khloe. From then on, the contour trend quickly became a hit with beauty vloggers and make-up experts. However, like anything, properly contouring one’s face is a skill to be mastered. One must know the planes of the face, the correct make-up set to use, and the colors to complement the skin tone so the contour effect can really highlight one’s features. Let’s look at the steps below on how to properly contour one’s face.
Six Easy Steps for Contouring:
- Hide Blemishes and Facial Imperfections
To have a clean base, ensure that you wash your face for the natural skin to come out. Determine your dark spots and even out your skin tone. Make sure that you also include dark circles under your eyes. With a concealer, make sure that your face has only one color by removing the imperfections of your face.
- Foundation is Important
Make sure that the foundation you use matches your skin color. It is best to use one or two shades lighter than your skin tone to ensure that your face does not look too white or too dark. The liquid foundation offers the best results as it offers full matte coverage. Ensure that you dab, not wipe the liquid foundation all over your T-zone, and have an upward motion covering your face.
- Conceal
After applying foundation, make sure to cover every single imperfection with a concealer for a new base.
- Find the Right Contour Products
You will need two contouring products: One for highlighting and the other one for contouring. For highlighting, it is best to use a color that is two shades lighter than your skin tone. On the other hand, for contouring, make sure that you use a color that is two shades darker than your skin tone.
- Highlight
Important facial areas to highlight are the spot under your eyes, the inner corner of your eyes, the bridge of your nose, between the eyebrows, below the arch of your eyebrows, your cheekbones, and the center of your chin.
- Contour
The key spots to contour are along your hairline, your cheekbones, and the sides of your nose. Move your brush in the areas mentioned earlier with the flat edge of your contour stick or brush to create lines. Make sure to blend it using a sponge to remove any indication of hard lines on your face.
There you have it! Six easy steps on contouring your face to highlight your best features. And while contouring is a skill, it is important to note that practice makes perfect, and eventually, you will get better at how to accentuate the features of your face.