Contour & Highlight: Shape Your Face

Welcome back to Makeup Queens, your go-to destination for all things beauty-related! Today, we're diving deep into the world of contouring and highlighting. These makeup techniques are the keys to sculpting your face and enhancing your complexion. Understanding your unique face shape can help you emphasize your best features and create the illusion of balance and symmetry. Let's jump right in.

Understanding your Face Shape

The first step towards mastering contouring and highlighting is identifying your face shape. Is it round? Square? Heart-shaped? Oval? Once you know your face shape, you can customize your makeup techniques to best enhance your features.

For example, oval faces are typically balanced already, but you can highlight the cheekbones and contour the forehead and chin to make the face look even more oval. Round faces can benefit from contouring the sides of the face and highlighting the center to create a slimmer, elongated look.

Square faces can be softened by contouring the corners of the face- the forehead and jawline. Highlighting the center of the face can further balance out the strong angles. Heart-shaped faces can be balanced by contouring the wider forehead and highlighting the narrow chin.

The Science of Contouring

Contouring is an art as much as it is a science. It's all about creating shadows and depth where we want them to give our face a more defined structure. For instance, contouring under your cheekbone makes it appear higher and more pronounced.

The best way to contour depends on your face shape. However, the general rule is to contour the areas you want to minimize or recede. The most common areas include the sides of the nose, hollows of the cheeks, jawline, and temples.

The kind of contouring product you use matters too. Stick to matte products to create a natural look and avoid shimmer or glitter as they can make your skin appear shiny.

Mastering Highlighting

If contouring is about creating shadows, highlighting is all about bringing light to your face. Combined, these two techniques are vital to creating a full face makeup look.

To highlight, focus on the areas of your face where light naturally hits. The top of the cheekbones, brow bone, bridge of the nose, cupid's bow, and center of the forehead are the usual areas. Using a highlighter that compliments your skin tone makes your face glow and make it appear more dimensional.

Just like with contouring, your face shape can influence where you should place highlighter. For instance, a round face can benefit from highlighting the center of the face, making it look longer and more balanced.

Choosing the Right Products

Now that you understand the techniques, it's time to arm yourself with the right tools. When it comes to products, it's best to choose those that are suitable for your skin type and complexion. Remember to always pick up contouring products that are two shades darker than your skin tone and highlighters that are two shades lighter.

Cream contour and highlight kits are great for beginners as they can be easily blended. Powder products are also popular and can be used alone or on top of cream products to set them in place.

Don't forget to invest in a good set of brushes or sponges for application. You can use angled brushes for precision and blending sponges for a seamless finish.

And there you have it, your comprehensive guide to contouring and highlighting! With the right understanding of your face shape and the correct products, you can shape and sculpt your face to perfection. Just remember, practice makes perfect! Ready to unlock your makeup potential? Stay radiant, beauty enthusiasts!