Contouring Makeup: An Essential Guide
Have you ever looked in the mirror and wished that your facial features were more defined, angular or sculpted? With contouring makeup, you can achieve just that! Contouring is an essential technique that enhances your natural beauty by defining the contours of your face and giving it depth. In this article, we aim to provide a comprehensive guide on how to contour makeup, along with different techniques, product recommendations, celebrity inspiration, and video tutorials. Whether you’re a beginner or a makeup enthusiast, let’s dive in and learn how to contour makeup like a pro!
Step-by-Step Guide
Before we start, let’s discuss the necessary tools. You will need a contouring product (powder, cream or liquid), a brush or sponge, and a highlighter. For a basic contouring routine, follow these simple steps:
Step One: Identify the areas you’d like to contour. These typically include the hollows of your cheekbones, the sides of your nose, your temples, your jawline, and your forehead.
Step Two: Take the contouring product and apply it to the areas you identified. Make sure to blend it into your skin seamlessly. Start with a small amount of product and gradually build it up for a more natural look.
Step Three: Next, apply a highlighter to the high points of your face, such as the tops of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, and your cupid’s bow. This will help to lift these areas and create an illusion of a higher cheekbone, slimmer nose, and fuller lips.
Step Four: Blend the contour and highlighter seamlessly with a brush or sponge. For a more natural look, make sure to blend the lines well and avoid any harsh edges.
Tips: Remember that less is more when it comes to contouring. Go slowly and gradually in order to achieve a more natural finish. In addition, it’s important to choose a shade that works well with your skin tone, and to make sure that your brushes are clean and in good condition.
Highlighting Different Techniques
Contouring is not a one-size-fits-all practice. Each person’s face has different angles, shapes, and contours, which means that there are different techniques for contouring. Here are some popular techniques that you can try:
The Classic Contouring Technique: This method involves applying a darker shade to the hollows of your cheekbones, the sides of your nose, your jawline, and your temples, and a lighter shade to the high points of your face.
The Dot Technique: This method involves creating small dots of contouring product along the targeted areas, and then blending the dots inwards with a brush. This technique is ideal for people who are new to contouring and want a more subtle look.
The Taping Technique: This technique involves using tape to create a sharp line that separates the contour and highlighter areas. Simply apply two strips of tape on each side of your face, leaving the area you want to highlight exposed, and build up the contour product until you are happy with the result.
The Draping Technique: This technique involves using two shades of blush, one darker and one lighter, to contour the cheeks. This technique gives a more natural flush to the cheeks and is ideal for those who want a more subtle look.
The Non-Touring Technique: This technique involves using minimal contouring and focusing on achieving a dewy, natural look. Simply apply a light layer of foundation and a highlighter to areas that naturally catch the light.
Product Review Guide
Choosing the right contouring product can make all the difference in achieving the perfect contour. Here are some of the best contouring products on the market:
The Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit: This iconic kit contains six shades of powder contouring products that are long-lasting and blendable. It is ideal for people with oily skin and is perfect for creating dramatic contour looks.
The Fenty Beauty Match Stix: These cream-to-powder sticks come in a range of shades that cater to different skin tones and undertones. They are easy to apply and blend, and are ideal for people with normal to dry skin.
The Nars Bronzing Powder: This powder comes in a range of shades and is perfect for creating a subtle, sun-kissed glow. It is buildable and blendable, and ideal for people with sensitive skin.
The Maybelline Face Studio Contour Kit: This affordable kit contains a blush, highlighter, and contour powder that are perfect for beginners. The powders are buildable and blendable, and are ideal for people with normal skin types.
The Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette: This palette contains six shades of highlighters and contouring products that can be used on different skin tones and undertones. It is buildable and blendable, and is perfect for creating a natural, sun-kissed glow.
Bonus tip: If you don’t have a contouring product on hand, a matte bronzer or foundation that is two shades darker than your skin tone can also be used as a contouring product.
Feature Celebrity Looks
Many famous celebrities are known for their flawless makeup looks, and contouring is a key technique that their makeup artists use to achieve these looks. Here are some famous instances of contouring:
The Kardashian-Jenner Clan: Kim Kardashian, in particular, is known for her dramatic contour and highlighter looks. Her makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, has created a signature technique that involves layering different contour and highlighter shades to create a multidimensional effect.
Beyoncé: Beyoncé is known for her natural makeup looks, and her contouring technique is no exception. Her makeup artist, Sir John, uses light-handed techniques to emphasize her bone structure without creating harsh lines.
Angelina Jolie: Angelina Jolie’s makeup artist, Toni G, is known for using a minimalistic approach to contouring, focusing on creating subtle definition on the cheekbones and jawline.
Zendaya: Zendaya’s makeup artist, Sheika Daley, loves to use contouring to create dramatic looks on the star. One particular look that the pair created involved layers of cream contouring products that were blended seamlessly for a multidimensional effect.
Video Tutorials
If you prefer to watch tutorials instead of reading about them, we have compiled a list of video tutorials that you can follow:
1. James Charles: James Charles is a popular makeup artist who has created a number of tutorial videos on contouring. His tutorials are easy to follow and extremely informative.
2. Jackie Aina: Jackie Aina is another popular makeup artist who has created tutorial videos on contouring. Her techniques are perfect for people with darker skin tones.
3. Wayne Goss: Wayne Goss is a professional makeup artist who has worked with several celebrities. His tutorial videos are perfect for people who are new to contouring.
4. NikkieTutorials: NikkieTutorials is a popular makeup artist who has created several tutorial videos on contouring. Her techniques are perfect for achieving a more dramatic look.
5. Patrick Starrr: Patrick Starrr’s tutorial videos are perfect for people who want to learn about different contouring techniques. His tutorials are always filled with helpful tips and tricks.
Conclusion
In conclusion, contouring is a makeup technique that can help to enhance your natural beauty by defining the contours of your face and giving it depth. With the aforementioned step-by-step guide, various techniques, product recommendations, celebrity inspiration, and video tutorials, you’ll be able to master this timeless technique in no time. Remember to practice, go slow, and apply less product in order to achieve a more natural, subtle look.
