How to Contour and Highlight Your Face ?

Your face is the most attractive and alluring part of your body. It is what everyone will see, remember and connect with. We remember people by how they look, how they smile and how their eyes look during a conversation. It is all about how we communicate – through our eyes and our facial expressions. It is what really makes a visual impression on the ones around us.

Now that we know that we are what our face is – we should remember not to imitate someone, it isn’t a bad idea, but it definitely isn’t the best too. With a slew of advances in makeup, fashion and self-styling, it is easy for anyone today to look the way they want to. You could be inspired by your favorite actress, singer or even the timeless Cleopatra. But what is very important for the fact is that you should know what your strengths are and what aren’t.

It is a natural phenomenon that we have different shaped faces. Some are long, oval, round and a few are square. It is not a short coming; in fact your accents and the shape of your face and the jaw line are what make you so unique. Yes, but there are a few things you’d want to accentuate, and a few you’d want to take away attention from. This is where makeup really helps.

Step 1: What Is Highlight and Contouring?

Highlighting and contouring is a method by which you can accentuate what you really think is appealing and can take away attention from things you don’t want people to focus on. It is important to realize that every contour, scar or even a birthmark really make you what you are. So when you are planning to highlight or contour using make-up, understand what you really want to highlight and what might be left aside to give you a chiseled look like your favorite celeb or an actress.

Contouring and highlighting is mainly about having two layers of base makeup – just like having a paintbrush to highlight what you want to… For example you could have an awesome jaw line or you don’t want to show your large forehead – whereby you can highlight over the brows and take attention away from the forehead as such.

Step 2: How to Highlight and Contour?

Surely, question comes in your mind that how to do it properly. Contouring and highlighting is a tricky job, there are many videos tutorial available online to sort you out. All you need is: powder brush, a stifling brush, a tapered kabuki brush, a concealer brush and basic makeup materials like a base, a highlighter and touch up powder. I am adding some video tutorials that will help you in highlighting and contouring your face, jawlines and double chin.

It is important for you to have a quick deep facial cleanse before you go ahead with the makeup. Once you’ve washed your face and gently pat dried it – start with the contouring process. It is as simple as lightening the accents or facial features that you’d want to stand out while darkening the ones you don’t want to be highlighted.

Step 3: Apply Base Foundation

Once you select the areas and apply the dark and light shades – you’d need to gently blend all the shades until they come as close as possible to be a consistent shade, as shown in the video. You then need to dust a little with the lightening powder to even the surfaces and give then a consistent feel and texture before your done with the contouring process.

Once you complete the foundation and powdered your face, you’d want to use a cream concealer preferably two tones darker than your foundation as this is the ideal shade for anyone.It is okay to let the shades and makeup goes on to your lips – as that would hold your lipstick for a far longer time. Take a look to video. It shows you the step by step process.

It’s a fact that having a chiseled jawline is the in-thing of this generation. When celebrities like Keira Knightley, Nargis Fakhri flaunt their jawline, I bet you would want to look as gorgeous as them

Step 4: Contour Double Chin

Start with the absolute end of your face, the part where your jawline begins and slowly draw along the jawline right below it hiding away that region you don’t want to expose. You better make sure those lines are blended- you’d want to use a brush or a sponge for application. Apply along the neck creating a natural blend without disrupting the neck and shoulder structure. Practice till you achieve the perfect look.

Who wouldn’t want a face that is perfectly sculpted and symmetrical? Contouring and Highlighting are the two energies that bring the balance to any woman’s beauty. It is absolutely pivotal to understand the basic principles involved in creating that flawless look. Contouring and Highlighting are not just restricted to highlight a particular area of your face but with this trick you can even make your face look thinner , chubby, flat, slim and chiseled. Every highlight needs a contour to balance out the shades. You’d want to begin with highlighting the cheekbone and blending it in with your fingers or use a brush. Draw across your jawbone creating a nice fade bringing out your cheekbone and hiding away all that unwanted areas of your face. You should create a gradual fade and make sure nothing unwanted is highlighted.

Just like creating a depth to a painting it is crucial to create that depth and bring out the structure of your face. Make sure you choose the right shades for highlighting and contouring. The perfect balance of shades bring out the gorgeousness of your face making it look slim, sharp and well sculpted.

Hope you liked the article and please feel free to share your feedback with me.

Image Credit: elle.com , Pinterest.com