How to Contour a Face

Contouring your face will help define your facial features, making your cheekbones higher, and your nose and chin slimmer. It’s a makeup technique popularized by famous professionals, but with the right products and tools, you can do this yourself, too. When applying contouring makeup, remember to blend well to have a perfect and natural face.

Table of Contents

Choose the Right Product

Start with a foundation that matches your skin tone. Using a foundation that matches your skin tone softens your skin and creates a base so you can use darker or lighter tones to frame your face. Without foundation, contouring will be more difficult, as skin tends to be uneven in color. Not only may your face not be smooth and contoured, but it may also be patchy. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Use a foundation that has the same ingredients as the other products you will be using; for example, use all cream products or all powder products, rather than mixing both as that can cause stickiness.
If you have trouble choosing the right tone, use a foundation that matches the skin tone of your neck. The skin on your neck tends to be a little lighter than your face, and using a foundation that matches your skin tone will ensure that your face doesn’t look darker than usual when you’re done with makeup.

Use a foundation that’s a little lighter than your skin tone. Contouring makeup is when you highlight some points on your face and at the same time blur others. For the product to create an accent, you need to use a cream that is two shades lighter than your foundation color. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Do not use a tone that is too light compared to the foundation, it will make the makeup unnatural.
You can use concealer or light eyeshadow in place of foundation. Just make sure all your products are either cream or powder, don’t mix the two.

Choose a foundation that is slightly darker than your skin tone. Darker tones will be used to cover the parts of the face that you want to avoid drawing attention to. You will create an advantageous shadow that will help make your cheekbones look sharper and your chin more pointed.

Do not use tones that are too dark compared to your normal skin tone, your makeup will not be natural.
A slightly darker bronze eyeshadow or dark powder/concealer can also be used in place of foundation. Just remember to make sure all of your products are in cream or powder form, not both.

Use a good foundation brush. In order for your face to take on different shades, a good foundation brush is very important. If the colors are not evenly spread and harmonized with each other, your makeup will look unnatural. You need a big, thick foundation brush, don’t use a small brush. Use a brush made of natural bristles to achieve the smoothest makeup.

If you don’t have a makeup brush, the best tool to use instead is your finger. The warmth from the fingers will make the makeup harmonious and smooth. This is especially helpful if you use a cream foundation.

Shaping Faces

Tie your hair back. Contour makeup up to the hairline at the top of your forehead, across your temples, and down the sides of your face. Tie your hair back so you can see what you’re doing without getting in the way.

Prepare your face. When you contour the face, start with the bare face. Remove all previous makeup, wash your face, and pat dry with a towel. Exfoliate if necessary to remove dead skin, then apply moisturizer. Let the moisturizer soak into your skin a few minutes before you start applying makeup.

Preparation is very important if you want to have smooth makeup. You don’t want to mess with contouring your face, if you don’t prepare well, your makeup can be smudged.

Use a foundation with the usual tone you use. Use your fingers or a makeup brush to apply a light layer of foundation all over your face, including the tops of your forehead and the bottom of your chin. Use a concealer brush or your fingers to spread the foundation evenly under your chin and around your neck, so there’s no separation between your face and neck.

You can also use concealer at this step. Focus on the under-eye area and imperfections.

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Use a light foundation. Get a foundation that’s a little lighter than your skin tone. Use your fingers or a clean foundation brush to apply foundation to the points of your face (between 1.2-2.5cm for one spot) where natural light hits. To help you find the spots where natural light hits your face, stand in a well-lit room with the light coming down from above and look at the spots where it hits your face. Here are the spots where you would use light foundation:

In the center of the forehead.
Along the foot line.
Straight along the bridge of the nose.
On the cheekbones (to find them, smile).
The middle part (the part between the nose and the upper lip line).
In the middle of the chin.

Use a dark undertone foundation. Use your fingers or a clean foundation brush to blend dark foundation onto spots that aren’t exposed to natural light. To help you find those spots, stand in a well-lit room with light coming down from above and look at the dark areas. Here are the spots where you would use a dark foundation:

Just below the hairline at the top of the forehead.
Top right and left, near your hairline on either side.
Along the left and right sides of the nose.
In the cheek sockets (push cheeks inward for easy viewing).
Along the jawline, on both cheeks, from the ears to the tip of the chin.

Spread the cream evenly. Use your fingers or foundation brush to blend the cream to smooth and harmonize will help you have a natural makeup. Pay attention when spreading so that the color blocks are not spread out too much. Make sure the edges (the area bordering the lighter and darker foundation) are not markedly divided.

Completing the Makeup Class

Consider adding a highlighter. If you want the highlights to stand out even more, use a little more highlighter to make the face stand out more. The highlighter cream has a bit of shimmer, so it is brighter than normal foundation. Use cream to highlight the areas where you use light foundation.

Consider using blusher. If you feel your face looks a bit pale, lack of life, apply a little blush on the cheekbones. Remember to use a blush color to match the tones of other products you have used. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Consider using powdered powder to set the foundation. Powders are useful when you’re using a creamy foundation. It helps the foundation to last longer and make the makeup look smoother. Use a clean powder brush to apply a layer of powder all over your face.

Use a little more shimmer if you’re going out at night. If you want your face to shine and become more glittery, choose a matte powder highlighter and apply a thin layer over the face, focusing on the highlights. Don’t forget to dab a little on your neck and chest. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Final eye and lip makeup. Make sure you have a perfect base before applying eye and lip makeup. Contouring gives a bold look, so you may want to choose bold eye makeup or bold lips, but don’t choose both. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

End.

Advice

Be careful when you apply powder along the jawline, otherwise you will look like you are wearing a mask.
Makeup doesn’t have to be strictly according to rules – makeup is all about experimentation, and add a few extra points if you feel like it.
Use good quality makeup products.
If you’re new to makeup, start by using powder products to create volume and then move on to liquids.
Don’t make yourself look different – the purpose of makeup is to complete your natural beauty, not to give you a completely different face.
If you have sensitive skin, consult a professional before purchasing makeup products.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit is a great choice for beginners. This set is very easy to use due to its creamy base.

Steps

Choose the Right Product

Shaping Faces

Completing the Makeup Class

Advice

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