Contouring techniques

Contouring can totally change the shape of your face, eyes, nose and lips. There are many different opinions and techniques for contouring but it is important to find the ones that work for you.

1. It must be subtle — nobody wants to receive the compliment: “Oh my, your contouring is great.” It should not be obvious.

2. The colour should be the same colour as a shadow, because that’s what contouring is replicating — it’s a shadowed effect.

3. Where there is a contour, there needs to be a highlight to balance the look.

To understand the effect of contouring, think of it as basic art — it’s the effect of light and dark. The dark creates a shadow and draws in, while the light creates a luminance and pushes out.

1. Contour

2. Highlight

3. Chisel brush

4. Foundation brush

The contour needs to be matt and taupe coloured, not brown and not grey — almost a mix of the two. It needs to be a cooler tone to draw in. Anything too warm, such as a bronzer, won’t have the same effect.

The highlighter can be liquid or pressed powder. I prefer to use a very refined shimmer as opposed to full glitter particles.

If you are not used to wearing a contour and highlighter, it will feel quite different and unnatural initially but try not to over- blend it in, because you will lose the effect completely.

For a soft, subtle contour, apply your foundation first and follow with your contour and highlight.

Looking straight ahead into the mirror, there are several places you will apply your contour. Every face is different, so depending on what face shape you have, you may choose to change or enhance different features.

Under the cheekbone, under the jawline, on the outsides of the neck, through the socket of the eye and up on to the brow bone, the outsides of the temples and the sides of the nose.

Use an angle chisel brush to build the contour up and through these areas.

Although we want to create depth, it also needs to be well blended and fade into the rest of the face.

The high points of the cheeks, the centre of the forehead, down the nose, the inner corner of the eye, the bow of the lips and the tip of the chin.

Use your foundation brush and buff the highlighter into the skin.

The highlighter can blend into the contour but should never be layered on top of the contour.

Keep your contouring simple and effective, it should never look stripy or unfinished. Reassess your contouring once you have completed the rest of your make-up to be sure it all blends through together.