Contouring is a makeup trend that certainly isn’t going anywhere, focusing on enhancing your features and shaping your face to perfection. There are techniques suitable for almost every face shape, such as highlighting in an upside-down triangle under the eyes to elongate the face and draw attention to your eyes, but here are some other tips tailored specifically to your features.
Before we begin, it’s important to outline the difference between products. Contour is a darker, ashier tone, used to bring about the illusion of shadow and slim certain areas of your face. Bronzer is warm-toned and brings a sun-kissed glow to the face, while blusher adds a pretty flush to the face and highlight adds a soft glow to your skin. It’s all about skilfully playing with light and shadow to shape your face and most of all, have fun with it!
Usually the same width and length, round faces have soft, rounded features.
Use contour along the sides of your forehead, under your cheekbones and along the jaw – picture it like the number 3 on each side of your face. Apply blush on the tops of your cheeks for a soft, lifted effect. Using it at this angle allows your face to appear more sculpted, without accentuating the roundness of the cheeks. Highlight right in the centre of your forehead, chin, and an upside-down triangle under your eyes. Be cautious of adding too much highlight, as this can soften your face further.
Heart-shaped faces have a wider forehead and a slimmer, more angular jaw.
Contour the sides of your forehead to slim this area and the bottom of your chin to bring it up and round the point. For that lifted flush, apply blush on the apples of your cheeks in a U shape towards the temples. This rounds the cheeks and softens your face beautifully. Highlight the middle of your forehead and chin to widen them, as well as an upside-down triangle under the eyes and the very tops of your cheekbones and under the eyes.
Oval faces are similar to round in that it has soft round features, but the face is longer than it is wide.
Contour along your hairline to give the appearance of a smaller forehead and round out your face, as well as below your cheekbones. For a healthy flushed appearance, apply blush from the apples of your cheeks and upwards, parallel with your cheek contour. This will give the face a wider appearance and create a seamless look with your contour and bronzer. Enhance your features by highlighting in an upside-down triangle under the eyes, as well as your forehead, chin and the tops of your cheekbones to widen this area of your face.
Square faces are roughly the same width and height, just as round faces are, but they have more angular features. The goal here is to slim and elongate the face, rounding out the angular appearance.
Place your contour along your hairline, the sides of your forehead to your temples, then apply it below your cheekbones and along the jawline to slim and round the area – be sure to blend well! Apply blush on the apples of your cheeks for a more rounded effect that softens the face. To elongate the face, highlight the centre of the forehead and chin, down the bridge of the nose and in an upside-down triangle under the eyes.
Place your bronzer on your cheekbones, above your contour. Remember its purpose is to give you a healthy sun-kissed glow, so sometimes less is more!
Whether you use cream or powder, blend with a dabbing motion to keep the product placement and give a seamless appearance. Swiping back and forth will move the products and likely disturb your base products.
Cream products give a dewier look, while powders are more mattifying - use whatever you feel most confident with.
Suck in your cheeks (like the iconic duck face) to find your cheekbones.
Apply products lightly and gradually for a more natural, buildable feel. After all, it’s easier to add than to take away.
Blend, blend, blend!
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