The Simplest Guide to Contouring & Highlighting
Anyone can do it, we swear.
Contouring and highlighting seem like makeup techniques better left to the experts. Do not be daunted, as we have simplified the process for you.
Have you always wanted to master contouring? Always striving for more prominent cheekbone, sharper nose or well-lit look? These techniques are faster, better (and cheaper!) than plastic surgery.
Blogger Simmy Goraya breaks down contouring and highlighting for you:
Here’s what you need to do:
SHADOW PLAY
- Dip an angled brush into a contouring powder or bronzer, a couple of shades darker than your skin tone. MyGlamm's Cosmopolitan Winning Product Chisel It face makeup palette has bronzer, blush, and highlighter which makes it perfect for contouring and highlighting. Use the blush to add that soft flush of colour on your cheeks.
- Make a stark line from the top of your ears to the corner of your lips.
- Next, blend in upward circular motions to blur any sharp lines and make the shadows appear as natural as possible.
- Use a blending brush to blend further towards your nose.
- Apply contouring powder on the sides of your forehead and remember to blend it into the hairline. There should be no visible line between the hair and the skin.
- For the nose, apply contouring powder on both sides of the nose, leaving the centre clean.
- Blend the product using an upward and downward movement with your blending brush.
WALK INTO THE LIGHT
- Before highlighting, observe your face in the light. Wherever the light reflects off your face—usually it’s the forehead, above your cheekbones, bridge of the nose, cupid’s bow and chin—–that’s where you apply your face highlighter.
- To highlight the area around your eye socket and above your cheekbones. Imagine a ‘C’ shape between your brow and your cheekbone and apply the highlighter there.
- Next, highlight the area below your brows to define their shape and make them pop out.
- To make your eyes look brighter and more awake, add a tiny bit of eye highlighter in the inner corners of your eyes, near your tear ducts.
- Dab a little more highlighter on your forehead, nose bridge and chin.
CHEAT SHEET
- To add contours, blend below your cheekbones
- To add highlights, blend above your cheekbones
- To add blush, blend on your cheekbones
