How to Contour

Hey, Makeup Geeks! This weeks spotlight is all about contouring. Contouring has taken over the world and for good reason. It’s a creative technique that MUA’s use to add dimension to the face by creating shadows on the hollows of the skin. This makeup trend is perfect for sliming out the face and really making your cheekbones pop. Curious about contouring? Follow these 3 tips to get that cut contour you are craving.

Tip #1: Choose the right contour shade

Go dark—pick a contour powder that is 2 shades darker than your skin tone. Also, make sure the shade you choose has your correct undertone. There are three possible skin undertones—warm, cool, or a mixture of the two, neutral. You can tell if you have a warm undertone when you look in the mirror and see more yellow. Warm contour shades are great for warming up the skin and giving you a healthy bronzed look. On the other hand, if you see more pink when you look in the mirror then you probably have a cool undertone. Cool contour shades create sharp shadows and give you a more defined chiseled cheek. If you don’t see more of either color, then you most likely have a neutral undertone. This means you’re right down the middle and can sway toward either side.

Tip #2: Pick your favorite brush

There are no rules to makeup so you could use many different kinds of brushes to apply your contour. These are a few of my favorites:

Rounded blush brush – creates a softer contour great for everyday.

Chiseled cheek brush – creates a dramatic razor sharp contour that really chisels out your cheekbone.

Angled stippling brush – creates a foolproof everyday contour. This one’s my fav!

Tip #3: Know where to apply

First, take your finger and feel for the area right under your cheekbone. This is the area you want to apply product to. Take your brush and pat a light amount of product to the hollow of your cheeks. To blend, sweep back and forth to really work the product into your skin. From here, build up the contour to get your desired look. Remember to start off with a light application and then add more product. It’s easy to build up your contour, but much harder to take it away. You can also add contour to your jawline, temples, and the outer edges of your face to add dimension and thin out your facial features.  

Give these tips a try and slay your contour. Thanks so much for reading! Check out our line of contour powders on our website. We have your perfect shade ? https://www.makeupgeek.com/face-products/contour-powders.html

Contouring with Cream

• Use a cream concealer that is two shades darker than your skin tone.
• Use your finger to apply under the cheekbones.
• Add a small amount under the chin.
• To thin your nose, apply on each side beginning at the bridge of the nose.
• Set with powder.

Contouring with Powder

• Use an angled brush and a pressed powder 2 shades darker than your skin.
• Use the same tricks as with the cream, only using your brush instead of your finger.
• Use a clean brush to buff out any harsh lines.

Tips

• Not everyone needs to contour- if you feel that your cheekbones are prominent or that your face is thin, it is best not to contour as you may appear too “chiseled”
• ALWAYS choose a cream or powder that is just 2 shades darker than your skin- any darker, and it looks unnatural
• If you use cream to contour, make sure to apply after your foundation and before your setting powder
• It takes practice getting the contour technique down as each face is different, so don’t give up!