Contouring and Highlighting Secrets

Contouring and highlighting have revolutionized makeup application, allowing us to sculpt and define facial features with the strategic use of light and shadow. Once reserved for photography, runway shows, and celebrity appearances, these techniques have become mainstream beauty staples. As professional visagistes, we're sharing our insider secrets to help you master the art of contouring and highlighting for everyday wear.

The Science Behind Contouring and Highlighting

To truly understand contouring and highlighting, we need to grasp the basic principles of light and shadow:

• Shadows recede: Darker colors create the illusion of depth, making areas appear to move backward or inward.
• Light advances: Lighter colors bring features forward, making them appear more prominent.
• Visual reshaping: By strategically placing darker and lighter products, we can create the illusion of altered facial structure without surgery.

This knowledge is the foundation of all contouring and highlighting techniques. Professional visagistes use these principles to enhance bone structure, minimize certain features, and create balance and harmony in the face.

Choosing the Right Products

The success of your contouring and highlighting depends significantly on using the right products for your skin type and tone:

Contour Products

• For fair skin: Opt for contour products with cool, taupe undertones. Avoid anything too warm or orange, which can look muddy.
• For medium skin: Look for products with neutral to slightly warm undertones in medium brown shades.
• For deep skin: Choose rich, warm-toned contour products in deep chocolate or espresso shades.
• For oily skin: Powder contour products tend to last longer and control shine.
• For dry skin: Cream or liquid contours provide added hydration and a natural finish.

Highlight Products

• For fair skin: Pearlescent or champagne highlighters complement without appearing stark.
• For medium skin: Golden or honey-toned highlighters enhance natural warmth.
• For deep skin: Bronze, copper, or rose gold highlighters provide a stunning glow without ashy undertones.
• For oily skin: Powder highlighters with a subtle sheen rather than chunky glitter work best.
• For dry skin: Liquid or cream highlighters provide a dewy, hydrated appearance.

Essential Tools for Application

The right tools make all the difference in achieving a flawless contour and highlight:

• Angled contour brush: The slanted edge helps place contour product precisely in the hollows of the face.
• Fluffy blending brush: Essential for diffusing harsh lines and creating a natural shadow effect.
• Fan brush: Perfect for applying a delicate layer of highlighter to the high points of the face.
• Small tapered brush: Allows precise application of highlighter to smaller areas like the inner corners of eyes and cupid's bow.
• Beauty sponge: Ideal for blending cream products and softening edges between contour and highlight.

Customized Techniques for Different Face Shapes

Understanding your face shape is crucial for effective contouring and highlighting. Here's how to customize these techniques for different face structures:

Oval Face

Considered the "ideal" face shape, oval faces are about 1.5 times longer than they are wide, with a gently curved jawline.

• Contour: Light contouring along the temples, under the cheekbones, and along the jawline to maintain natural proportions.
• Highlight: Center of forehead, bridge of nose, tops of cheekbones, cupid's bow, and center of chin.

Round Face

Round faces have similar width and length with full cheeks and a rounded jawline.

• Contour: Focus on the sides of the forehead near the hairline, beneath the cheekbones (angling toward the mouth rather than the ears), and along the jawline to create definition.
• Highlight: Center of forehead, bridge of nose, directly under the eyes, center of chin to elongate the face.

Square Face

Square faces have a strong, angular jawline and a forehead that's similar in width to the jaw.

• Contour: Soften the corners of the forehead and jawline with contour. Add definition beneath the cheekbones.
• Highlight: Center of forehead, bridge of nose, tops of cheekbones, center of chin to draw attention to the middle of the face.

Heart-Shaped Face

Heart-shaped faces have a wider forehead that tapers to a narrower chin.

• Contour: Along the temples and sides of the forehead to reduce width, and sides of the chin to soften the point.
• Highlight: Center of forehead, bridge of nose, tops of cheekbones, center of chin to add fullness to the lower face.

Diamond Face

Diamond faces have narrow foreheads and jawlines with the widest point at the cheekbones.

• Contour: On the cheekbones to reduce prominence, sides of forehead and chin to create balance.
• Highlight: Center of forehead, under eyes, center of chin to add fullness to narrower areas.

Rectangle/Oblong Face

Rectangle faces are longer than they are wide, with minimal tapering from forehead to jaw.

• Contour: Top of forehead near the hairline and bottom of chin to visually shorten the face.
• Highlight: Centers of cheeks moving outward (rather than upward) to create the illusion of width.

Step-by-Step Application Guide

Follow these steps for a foolproof application that works for both natural and dramatic looks:

Natural, Everyday Contouring

1. Start with a base: Apply foundation and concealer as usual to create an even canvas.
2. Apply contour: Using a small amount of product on an angled brush, place contour in the following areas:
   • Hollows of the cheeks (make a fish face to find them)
   • Temples and sides of the forehead
   • Along the jawline
   • Sides of the nose (if desired)
3. Blend thoroughly: Use a clean, fluffy brush to blend the contour upward on the cheeks and in circular motions on the forehead and jawline. There should be no visible lines.
4. Apply highlight: Using a fan brush or your fingertip, apply highlighter to:
   • Tops of cheekbones (not too close to the eyes)
   • Bridge of nose
   • Cupid's bow
   • Center of forehead
   • Brow bone
5. Set the look: Apply a light dusting of translucent powder over any cream products to increase longevity.

Dramatic, Evening Contouring

1. Create your base: Apply a matte foundation and conceal any imperfections.
2. Apply cream contour: Use a cream product for the initial contour placement in the same areas as above, but with slightly more product.
3. Blend edges: Use a damp beauty sponge to blend the edges of the contour while maintaining intensity.
4. Set with powder contour: Layer powder contour over the cream to intensify the effect and improve longevity.
5. Apply powder highlight: Use a more intense highlight on the high points of the face.
6. Add dimension: For maximum impact, use a secondary, more intense highlighter just on the highest points of the cheekbones and the tip of the nose.
7. Set and finish: Use a setting spray with a luminous finish to meld all the products together.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced makeup users can make these contouring and highlighting errors:

• Using the wrong undertone: Contour should mimic natural shadows, which are cool-toned. Using bronzer (which is warm-toned) as contour can look unnatural.
• Placing contour too low: Contour should be placed in the hollow beneath the cheekbone, not on the bottom of the cheek near the jawline.
• Harsh lines: Blending is crucial—there should be no visible stripes or lines of demarcation.
• Over-highlighting: Using too much highlighter or placing it over textured areas can emphasize skin imperfections.
• One-size-fits-all approach: Not customizing contour and highlight placement for your unique face shape.
• Using the same technique for day and night: Not adjusting the intensity based on lighting conditions and occasion.

Professional Troubleshooting Tips

When things don't go as planned, try these professional solutions:

• Contour looks muddy: Your contour shade may be too warm. Try a cooler-toned product, or neutralize the current one by layering a small amount of cool-toned eyeshadow over it.
• Highlighter emphasizes texture: Switch to a finely-milled highlighter without chunky glitter particles. For very textured skin, try a liquid illuminator mixed with foundation rather than a powder highlight.
• Contour disappears throughout the day: Layer cream and powder products for longevity, or use a setting spray specifically designed for long wear.
• Face looks dirty rather than contoured: You might be using too much product or not blending enough. Use a clean brush to buff away excess product.
• Contour looks too harsh: Soften it by lightly buffing a bit of your foundation over the edges with a clean sponge.

Advanced Techniques

Once you've mastered the basics, try these advanced contouring and highlighting techniques used by professional visagistes:

• Layering different textures: Apply cream products first, then set and intensify with powder products for dimension and longevity.
• Color correcting: Use color theory to address specific concerns—for example, a peach-toned highlight can brighten sallow skin.
• Multi-dimensional highlighting: Layer different highlight shades—pearl for the highest points, champagne for middle areas, and rose gold for a subtle glow elsewhere.
• Targeted contouring: Beyond the basic areas, contour can be used to minimize a double chin, balance asymmetrical features, or reshape the hairline.
• "Strobing": An advanced highlighting technique that focuses on creating multiple points of light on the face without heavy contouring.

Conclusion

Contouring and highlighting are powerful techniques that can enhance your natural beauty when applied correctly. Remember that practice makes perfect—don't be discouraged if your first attempts don't match your expectations. Start with subtle application for everyday looks, and gradually build your skills for more dramatic effects.

The most important principle to remember is that these techniques should enhance your unique features, not completely change them. The best contouring and highlighting is the kind that makes people say, "You look great!" not "Your contour looks great!"

With the professional secrets shared in this guide, you're well on your way to mastering the art of facial sculpting through the strategic use of light and shadow.