I was going to do a Youtube video about this, but my Windows Movie Maker has been really acting up lately (ie. I can hear the sounds in the video, but I can’t see the video = impossible to edit), so unfortunately I’ll have to do written tutorial…
I’ve been asked a few times to do a tutorial on contouring. I contour pretty much every time I wear makeup because I have a square-ish jawline that I really don’t like very much, so contouring helps to make it appear a little smaller.
Contouring basically is what people use to make their face look a bit more 3D. With the use of the right products, you can make your face appear smaller, thinner, rounder, longer, wider, etc. Contouring is usually done in three parts, the first part is the actual contouring, where you make things appear smaller (ie. “sucked” in), the second part is the blush and the third part is the highlight.
The above picture sorta gives you an idea of what I do when I contour (its obviously going to be mirrored on both sides of my face, not just on one side, lol).
Taupe: Contour
For the contour, I use a matte bronzer that is about a few shades darker than my natural skintone. You can also use something like MAC Sculpt & Shape or just another powder/foundation that is a few shades darker.
When you apply contour, suck in your cheeks and lightly colour in the arch that is between your temple and the hollow of your cheek with a downward sweeping motion. That will help to define your cheekbones. I also like to continue that motion for the entire area underneath that arch, but while doing lots of blending or else you’ll get a dark stripe which is not very good looking.
Also, I want to define the bridge of my nose by lighting colouring in the area underneath the inside end of my eyebrows in a triangular-ish shape.
Make sure to BLEND everything in!
Red: Blush
I like using a blush palette that somewhat resembles my natural flush. I really recommend Dior’s Diorblush because the colour blends in really well and it is a colour and glow in one palette. My fave shade is 733 English Rose.
Smile, and where your cheeks puff out, that is where you start with your blush. Then locate where your cheekbone is, and in an upward sweeping motion, lightly colour in that area in an oval-ish shape. BLEND.
Yellow: Highlight
There are few options for highlighter that you may want to consider. I use a highlight powder that is specifically for highlighting, but sometimes I also use Dior Skinflash in 001, which is a concealer that is a few shades lighter than my skintone. Also, the highlighter can be shimmery or glittery if you want. I like to use Dior Shimmer Star in 04 Pop Diamond because it is shimmery but gives me a coloured glow at the same time.
Lightly dust some highlighter to the bridge of your nose to about 2/3 down the way, as well as the little T area right above your eyebrows and a little bit on your chin. Do not overdo it or else you will look like you have a very oily T-zone. Also brush on some highlighter on top of your blush, and blend it upwards. Don’t forget to highlight your browbone, which is right underneath the outer ends of your eyebrows.
The trick is to blend blend blend! I use a MAC 134 Large Powder Brush to blend everything in (as well as you apply powder of course). I love that brush because it is not too dense, but big and soft so everything can blend together. If you overdid it on the contour, blush or highlighter, you can also apply some powder over it to tone it down.
Let me know if you have any questions about my instructions, and I hope you found this sorta helpful…
