Six Steps to Contour Your FACE

Contouring is no longer reserved only for the rich and famous. Anyone can learn to enhance their features by highlighting and shadowing. A local makeup artist told FACE, “The trick is to fill in natural shadows for the chiseled effect and highlight the parts of the face the sun hits for a glow. Here’s how to brush up on some basic contouring skills.

Choosing Foundation Shades

Pick a shade that’s two shades lighter than your skin (this will be your highlighter) and one shade darker than your skin (this will be your shadower).  Prepare your skin for application by putting a layer of primer before getting started.

Make Your Pout Pop

Place a touch of highlighter at the top of the cupid’s bow and on the center of the chin.

Sculpt Your Jaw

For definition, trace a stripe of highlighter from your chin to your earlobe with a line of your 

 contouring (shadow) shade just below it.

Shine where the Sun Does

This step, sometimes referred to as "strobing" is about using highlighter to make a reflection along the length of your nose, brow bones, and upper cheek bones. Bonus points for highlighting between your brows.

Cast Shadows

Suck in your cheeks, then shade above and along hollows, creating soft stripes that taper toward ears. Shade along the hairline, above the outer corners of brows.

Ease the Streaks

Blend in shaded areas with a brush or wet sponge; start at the center and diffuse outward. Don’t even think about stopping until every single line disappears.

Voila! Tout finit!