How to Contour and Highlight the Face (Makeup)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

You too have seen a lot of celebrities in magazines: high cheekbones, a little nose, a perfect neck and a bright face. Sometimes the effect looks natural, other times it is achieved thanks to makeup. That's right: make-up can work wonders. To get the result you want, read this article: you will find out everything there is to know about the contouring and highlighting technique.

Steps

Part 1 of 6: Preparing for Contouring

Step 1. Apply a base

Whether you want to contour and highlight with liquid or powder products, you need a foundation to create the base before you start. Which one to use? It all depends on the products you will use to perform these techniques: if you are going to use cosmetics with a liquid consistency, you will need a liquid foundation. If they are powder, then you will need a powder foundation.

Step 2. Start wearing your makeup as usual:

apply foundation and concealer. Only then can you do the contouring and highlighting.

Part 2 of 6: Liquid Contouring

Step 1. To do liquid contouring, you first need a darker color

After applying foundation and correcting blemishes, use a darker foundation or a dark, matte cream blush.

Step 2. Emphasize the cheekbones

To start, find the hollow of the cheeks, then draw a straight line from the ear to the center of the cheek. Do this on both sides. Blend with a clean foundation brush, a Beauty Blender or a duo fiber brush by moving it back and forth. Then, fade slightly upwards.

Step 3. Make your forehead smaller

Find your brow bone, then draw a straight line down to your hairline. Do this on both sides. Then, draw a horizontal line that joins the left and right lines made earlier. Make sure you leave at least 6mm of space between the hairline and the horizontal line. Blend out well.

Step 4. Hide the double chin

Find the jaw. Draw a line on the bottom of the jaw, as close to the neck as possible. Blend down, towards the neck.

Step 5. Complete the trick by joining the lines

To do this, draw a 3 on each side of the face.

Step 6. Make your nose smaller

To do this, draw a straight line on both sides of the nose. Connect the lines at the tip, drawing a U. Now, locate the crease of the eyes. Draw a curved line, as if you were applying a creamy eyeshadow. Join the line drawn in the crease of the eye to the sides of the nose. Blend outwards.

Part 3 of 6: Contouring with Powder Products

Step 1. Follow the same steps outlined in the previous section, but make sure you don't use a lot of powder and blend it well to even out the base

Part 4 of 6: Highlighting

Step 1. To do the highlighting you will need a concealer, which should be 2-3 tones lighter than the foundation used for the base

• Illuminate dark circles. You can do this in 2 ways. Here is the first:

  • Start at the inner corner of the eye and work your way up the nose, then work your way up to the outer edge of the eye. Draw dots inside this triangle. Blend with a special brush, a Beauty Blender, a foundation or concealer brush.
  • Alternatively, continue to the temples. Basically you have to follow the same procedure described above. However, instead of going all the way to the outer edge of the eye, work your way up to the temples.

  Step 2. Take care of the central part of the face

  Start with the nose:

  • Draw a straight line in the center of the nose. When you get to the tip, draw a horizontal dash.
  • Now, move on to the forehead. Draw a straight line on the nose, which is right in the center of the forehead. Then, draw 2 horizontal lines on each side of the vertical line. These 2 lines will follow the shape of the eyebrows.
  • Move on to the rest of the face, starting with Cupid's chin and bow. As for the first, you can draw horizontal or vertical lines. As for the second, follow the outline of Cupid's bow (this is the easiest part).

  • Make up your cheeks. This step can also be done in 2 ways:

    First: draw dots above the cheekbones and blend

  • Second: draw dots on the highest points of the cheekbones. When you get to the brows, make a C, or stop.

  Step 3. Blend well

  You can use a blending brush, making small twirling motions to achieve a subtle airbrush effect. You can also use a Beauty Blender, a concealer or foundation brush. Whichever tool you choose, be sure to blend well. Since the concealer is 2-3 tones lighter than the foundation, you risk finding yourself with white streaks all over your face.

  Part 5 of 6: Fix the Makeup

  Step 1. Set the makeup you made with the liquid contouring technique

  Apply a matte bronzer or neutral powder. Tap gently to avoid making a mess.

  Step 2. Attach the concealer

  Choose a powder that is lighter than the one you usually use and pat it gently on the concealer, this way you won't get ugly creases.

  Part 6 of 6: Complete the trick

  

  Step 1. Examine the complete makeup

  Once finished, you should have obtained a result similar to the one you see above.

  If you blend well you will get a natural effect, just like the one in the photo

  

  Step 2. If you need more advice on contouring and highlighting, watch some videos

  Go to YouTube and look for makeup channels like:

  • CoffeeBreakWithDani;
  • Lauren Curtis;
  • The Makeup Chair;
  • Glam Booth;
  • Batalash Beauty;
  • Jaclyn Hill;
  • Selina Lundstrom;
  • RachhLoves;
  • MakeupByTiffanyD;
  • Shonagh Scott.