The Art Of Contouring

By Trilby Goouch

Blogs Editor

Whether you’re looking to enhance a naturally chiselled face frame or want some extra definition, contouring is a makeup technique that’s easy to achieve and provides dramatic results. However it’s something many women often feel they aren’t well versed in. Luckily, I was able to get a complimentary contouring session at the Clé de Peau booth over reading week, which is a French luxury makeup brand sold at Holt Renfrew. With expensive price tags the items were not on the budget, but the makeup artist was kind enough to suggest some budget friendly alternatives. Here are some of the tips and techniques I learned.

What you need

• Foundation of choice (liquid is preferred, although I stick to a tinted moisturizer)

• Highlighting compact

• Blush

• Concealer (if needed)

• Large makeup brush

• Smaller brush (about the size of a toonie)

The Technique

The goal of contouring is to highlight areas that are naturally highlighted by light; this includes the temples, apples of the cheeks, the arch of your brow, base of the chin and along the bridge of the nose. You can also go one step further and enhance the natural shadows of the face, in which case a darker foundation shade can be used alone the jaw line, under the chin, in the natural contours of your face (if you pucker your lips you can find this).

Begin by applying your base with the larger brush and apply concealer where needed. My base usually includes tinted moisturizer and an all over bronzer.

Next, using the smaller brush, apply the blush at the apples of your cheeks. There is often a misconception that you should make a sweeping diagonal stroke along the cheek, however a more effective way to apply it is by smiling and applying the blush on the apples of your cheeks in small vertical strokes. You can then gradually move along the diagonal up to the temple with the same motion.

Now for the countouring. Tap your brush to get rid of excess blush pigment, then sweep along the highlighter compact, picking up all shades. With one sweeping motion, apply to the apples of the cheeks and diagonally to the temples. Complete the same process along the bridge of the nose, just below the brow arch, at each side of your forehead and at the base of the chin. This will create a subtle highlight enhanced by a soft shimmer.

Finish with your eye makeup and lip colour of choice. You can also add drama by filling in your brows with a brow pencil or shadow; a contoured brow enhances the overall contour effect.

Tags

Contouring, how to, makeup

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