There are countless articles, videos, and tutorials available online about contouring. However, many of these tutorials are not tailored to the shape of our faces. Just like how a different lipstick color looks best on everyone, the same applies to contouring. It's just as personal, and there's not one method that works for everyone. Curious about how to contour your face best? Then keep reading.
What is contouring?
Contouring is simply making certain parts of your face lighter and darker to create shadows. This way, some areas stand out while others recede. The reason we do this goes way back. At some point, it was determined that a certain 'proportion' in our face is considered beautiful. The distance between the mouth, eyes, and nose ultimately determines whether we find someone attractive. With contouring, we try to get as close as possible to this ideal image.
What products do you use for contouring?
Just like with any product, there are different variations for contouring. You can contour with liquid makeup or powder. There are also products that lean more towards cream. Which makeup you choose really depends on what you prefer. The most important thing is to have a color that is darker than your own shade and a color that is much lighter (a highlighter). These are usually found in a palette, making it very easy to have everything in one go. Check out our favorite: the contour palette from ProFusion.
Keep in mind that blending is crucial when contouring, and this is often easiest with powder. Blending is necessary; otherwise, the lines you create will be too obvious. And we definitely don’t want that.
How to determine your face shape
Okay, you have your products. Now what? You still need to determine your face shape to know where to apply the product. We’ve created a small step-by-step guide for this.
- Pull your hair back from your face, for example, by putting it in a ponytail or bun. Only then can you clearly determine the shape of your face.
- Take a selfie from the front. But really from the front, both ears should be visible. Not so charming, but very important.
- Grab your selfie and go through the following lists to see which face shape fits you best. Sometimes it can also help to use a measuring tape to determine your correct proportions.
Oval face
- your forehead is slightly narrower than your chin,
- your hairline is rounded,
- the length of your face is longer than the width,
- your chin is rounded.
Heart-shaped face
- wider at the temples and cheekbones,
- narrow at the chin,
- pointed chin,
- hairline with dips: the 'heart shape'.
Round face
- your chin is rounded,
- your face is about as wide as it is long,
- your face is widest at your cheeks and ears.
Square face
- a straight, angular jawline,
- your face is as long as it is wide,
- your jaws are as wide as your forehead,
- often a straight hairline.
Long face
- similar to oval, but with a more defined jawline,
- a large forehead,
- the face is evenly wide throughout.
Did you succeed? Great! Now you know what type of face you have. It’s also possible that you fall between two shapes, which is completely normal. From here, you can at least look further and experiment. Below is an overview of how to contour to bring out the best features of your face.
Contouring in 6 steps
- Always start with a good base, like a good primer to even out your skin. A primer ensures that your makeup stays put better afterward. (Try the primer from Gosh here, perfect base guaranteed)
- Then, optionally use your favorite foundation to cover up any blemishes and even out your skin tone. You can skip this step if you want to keep it more natural.
- Start with the darker color from your contour palette and apply some shadow with a contour brush on the temples, under the cheekbones, and along the bridge of the nose. Refer to the overview above to see where to place the most and where to place less. Build it up slowly. It’s better to use too little product that you can add to than to have to deal with makeup remover.
- Next, use the lighter color, the highlighter. This emphasizes the areas you want to bring forward. Apply this with a fan brush on the cheekbones, on your brow bone, the center of your chin, and down the bridge of your nose. Again, it’s better to start with too little than too much.
- By now, you should have stripes all over your face. Use a fluffy blending brush to soften everything a bit. The dark and light areas will start to blend together. Be patient and keep blending until you’re satisfied with the result.
- Optionally, use a neutral powder to set everything. Just be careful not to wipe away your contour. This step is especially important if you used liquid contour makeup.
Did it work? Great! Not quite? No worries, contouring is something you often need to practice. That way, you’ll discover what you like best. Do you have any questions? We’re happy to help!
Have fun!
X ANVY
