The Contour: Tips & Tricks

I love a good contour. Contouring can be a tricky thing to pick up and learn. I know a lot of people who have never attempted to even try - The thought scares them. Here is my little guide to contouring…  

Black Lines: Contour    White Lines: Highlight

I remember my first attempt at contouring a few years ago. It ended with me having a great big brown line drawn across my face. Needless to say it looked stupid but with practice I soon got the hang of it. Contouring is definitely something everyone should attempt. Contouring can give shape to an area of the face. It enhances your facial structure through make up. A bit of bronzing can work wonders to your face. It can really draw out the best in your features. Whilst celebrities like Kim Kardashian wear a rather heavy contour, I like to keep mine soft and natural looking. I like to add a little bit of definition to my face, but not too much. 

Cheeks: Contour & Highlight.

We contour on the sides of our faces to give our cheek bones definition. For girls like me who have absolutely no defined cheek bones, its a bit of a game changer. My cheeks are rather chubby, so contouring on the sides of my face makes them look thinner and my cheek bones slightly more prominent. 

The easiest way to practice contouring is to use a flat contour brush to draw a line just underneath your cheek bones. Then in circular motions blend the product softly upwards to soften it. For this look I used a Mac Bronzing powder in the shade 'Bronze'. The shade is not too dark nor too light, it is the perfect product to contour with. This bronzer applies evenly and doesn't turn you into an Oompa Loompa Orange. It also has a subtle 'barely there' golden shimmer to it, which brings out a stunning glow for the Spring. It gives your cheeks a nice healthy lift. 

Use a creamy concealer based highlighter and draw triangle shapes just underneath the eyes. I used Mac's Prep & Prime Highlighting Light Boost which is a cream based highlighter with a similar texture to a concealer. The formula is thin and easy to blend out with a soft brush. I recommend this product for a bright and healthy looking glow. 

Nose: Contour & Highlight. 

You can contour the sides of your nose to make it look thinner and smaller. If you add highlight to the bridge of your nose, you can make it look longer. I would suggest using a matte bronzer to contour the sides of your nose with. I would also keep the highlighter matte too. You want it to look rather natural. Mac's Prep + Prime Highlighter comes in so handy for this. 

Jaw Line: Contour & Highlight. 

Contouring the underside of your jaw line with a large, soft and fluffy contour brush can really change the shape of your face. It is a rather flattering trick to add into your routine.

*In Collaboration with House of Fraser. 

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What was your first contouring experience like?

Do spill. 

Nadja

xx

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