10 Instant Ways to Contour Your Face.

Contouring makeup can be difficult. Unless you have naturally chiseled cheekbones and a finely structured jaw, then you may want to “sculpt” your face with makeup. The key is to understand how to play light and shadow off one another. Check out ten different ways to contour your face and pick the ones that work best for you.

1. Primer

A primer is designed to keep other things in place. Primer is a necessity when contouring because you need shadow to stay out of highlight areas and vice versa. A good primer can make the difference between strong contours and a mess of makeup that blends together into one uniform color.

2. Dotting Base Shades

Use your fingers to apply two different base shades over your primer. The first shade, which is one shade lighter than your skin tone, will go in the center of your face. That means you should put a dot on your nose, forehead, and chin. Put one dot on each cheek, at the highest point. Follow up the dots of light shade with a color that is one shade darker than your skin tone. This shade goes around the perimeter of your face (near your hairline, along the base of your jaw, and near your ears) and in the creases where your nose meets your face. Blend the two shades together with a natural bristle brush. This technique works well for foundation shades and can be combined with other techniques, such as highlighting powder.

3. Highlighting Powder

Highlighting powder should be two shades lighter than your foundation. You will want to use this only on the brightest highlight areas of your face (cheekbones mostly). Remember to dab it on. If you do brush, do so with short, gentle, circular strokes to avoid moving your foundation.

4. Glimmer versus Matte

Brighter, glimmering colors work well for light areas. Matte colors work best for the shaded regions of your face. Matte absorbs light, while shimmers reflect it, so use these finishes accordingly. You want a bit of reflection on the highest points of your face, but never on your jawline.

5. Use a Kit

If you are new to contouring, you may want to consider a kit. Kits usually contain the three shades you need to create contour and instructions as to how to use the shades appropriately. Kits may not provide the perfect shades for your skin tone, but they can take a lot of the guess work out of the process for beginners. A kit is a great place to start learning.

6. Use Blush

Blush offers a nice final touch to a contour job by adding a little color to your face. In general, you want to use a slightly pink tone and apply it just a little behind the apples of the cheeks. Make sure the blush has a little bit of glimmer in it. Never use a flat or matte blush, always go for a cream blush.

7. Contour Your Nose

Contouring can be used to make your nose look smaller or larger, though most people opt to minimize the nose. A darker tone on the underside of the tip of your nose will make it appear to protrude less. Darker colors in the midsection where the nose meets the face, can help to smooth the transition from the widest part of the nose, making it appear smaller. Applying highlighter to the bridge of the nose can make it appear thinner.

8. Diagonal Strokes to Thin Your Cheeks

The diagonal application of a shade of foundation that is darker than your skin can be used to thin your cheeks. Start at the center of your cheek and stroke toward your ear using an upward motion. It can help to make a “fish face” while doing this so that you know where to put the color (on the upper side of the depression created). Once the darker color is applied, blend it together with the highlight color to produce smooth transitions.

9. Enlarge Your Eyes

If your eyes appear larger, your face and nose will appear smaller in comparison. To make your eyes look larger, apply mascara to your upper lids, fill in your brows with a pencil, and trace your lower lash line with a pencil that is slightly darker than your skin tone. Trace your upper lash line with a light blue shade. End with a shimmery neutral shade on the center of your lid.

10. Shape Your Eyebrows

The right eyebrow shape can make a huge difference in the appearance of your face. A higher arch will make a round face look thinner and taller. A less prominent arch will help make a tall face look more robust. Pay very close attention to your eyebrows as their shape can drastically alter the appearance of your face.