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Writer's pictureNic Hyl

Contours Ahead

Yesterday, I promised that I would give at home tips on contouring and I’m a woman of my word. So here it is. Let’s just cover a few basics first. Remember to start with clean skin, check out yesterday’s post on a great cleanser that was voted best in beauty by Allure Magazine. Next buy the right products. Allure Magazine says that you only need 2 to contour: A matte shading cream or powder (one shade darker than your skin tone) and a highlighter (the highlighter should be very close to your skin tone with just a hint of shine. Leave the glitter to little girls). Nic TiP: Be consistent with your choice. If your foundation is powder choose a matte shading cream that is powder. 

Lastly, choose the right tools, if you’re using creams, your fingers are best since your body temp will help to warm the cream and ease blending. If using a powder, invest in a great, natural bristle fan brush. Now, let’s contour!

Know Where to Contour: A working knowledge of your face shape is essential to know where you need to shade your gorgeous mug. To create more defined cheekbones, simply suck in your cheeks, “It’s the best way to find the hollows,” says makeup artist Troy Surratt. Then, working from the tops of the hollows inward, shade along—and just beneath—the sunken area, stopping about an inch from the corner of your mouth, then blend well with your finger or a sponge. To slim your nose, blend two lines of the shading cream or powder from the start of your brows down the sides of the bridge of your nose with a small shadow brush. Note that the dark areas in the pic to the right shows the contouring (you’ll use your matte shading cream or powder that is one shade darker than your skin), the lighter areas are called highlighting (you’ll use your highlighter).

Know Where to Contour

Know Where to Contour


Highlight Strategically: Highlighting is important when you’re contouring because it brings the light back into your face. But don’t want to overdo it. “Most people slap on too much highlighter and look like the Tin Man,” says makeup artist Mally Roncal. Her technique: “I lightly coat my pointer, middle, and ring fingers with highlighter, and then rub them against the same fingers on the other hand,” she says. “Tap your fingers up and down your cheekbones, and then dab whatever’s left over on your brow bones, the center of your chin, and just one tap on the tip of your nose,” she says. In the pic below, look at the models “glow”. Each place that looks like the light is hitting her face perfectly, has been highlighted. #flawless. Notice underneath her eyes, her forehead, her chin. The light catches those areas because of how it was highlighted. She has an oval shaped face. Check out the face shape pic below, and see how the areas highlighted on her face, match back to that diagram….

Highlight Strategically

Highlight Strategically


Face Shape: Your face shape dictates how and where to contour vs. highlighting. Learn this and implement help if you need it. It is probably the most critical step. Note in this pic, the dark brown represents contouring and lavender represent highlighting.

Know Your Face Shape

Know Your Face Shape


Blend your face away: Blending is the 2nd most important step, IMO. If you’re using a cream use the egg (it’s real name is the Beauty Blender-available at Sephora or Ulta , if using a powder, use a brush. Even if you go overboard, blending with a sponge, like the Beauty Blender can reign it in. Or if you used powder, run a fluffy brush with natural fibers over the finished look in a circular buffing motion. “It’s important to hold your brush really softly. Holding the brush toward the end of the handle will give you a softer, more seamless finish,” says Ciucci.

The Beauty BLender

The Beauty BLender


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