Beauty 101: Contour Like a Pro!
Contouring is a makeup technique that has been gaining traction over the past couple of years. Google the term and you’d be bombarded with pages and pages of info about this newfangled method of enhancing your bone structure and playing up your assets.
So how do you go about doing it? Here are six fail-proof tips from makeup artist Beno Lim that you need to pay attention to before you pick up that contouring brush:
1. Check Your Lighting
The first thing to consider is to have good lighting shining on your face when doing makeup. Avoid back-light (light shining from behind you) as it makes it harder for you to see the placement and intensity of your makeup.
2. Make Your Makeup Last
Powder product doesn’t handle sweat well in our humidity weather, choose a cream product like MAC Cream Color Base in Mid Tone Sepia or Sulwhasoo’s Evenfair Smoothing Foundation (above). Apply bronzer or blusher over for even greater cheek definition.
3. Colour It Right
With contouring, we are trying to create the illusion of a shadow. Choose only matte colours with no shine or reflection, and also avoid any red or orange tones. Go for matte greys, browns and taupe instead. Contouring is a powerful tool — it is only effective when used appropriately. So only apply it to places where it will have a positive effect.
4. Raise Those Cheekbones
The modern way of contouring is adding shadows with makeup to enhance the look of your bone structure. It still needs to look well-blended while creating the illusion of stronger cheekbones.
I like to use cream foundation in two or three shades darker than the skin tone to contour. Imagine drawing a line from the corner of your mouth to the top of your ear. You want to create a shadow that has the visual effect of pushing in the shaded area, so shading under this line will have the effect of lifting your cheekbone.
The darkest part of the shading should be towards the ear, so start to blend here and fade down into the cheek. To delicately define the cheek, the shading should be no wider than your little finger. Always make sure that you blend the edges of your shading thoroughly with a contouring brush.
5. Wake Up Your Eyes
Another great area to contour is the outer corner of your eye. Draw an imaginary line from the outer edge of your eye. Shading within the lines will have the effect of indenting the temple, making the cheeks more prominent and also giving the eyes an incredible lift.
6. Reduce a Wide Forehead
If you have a large forehead, shading the hairline can have the effect of reducing its height. When shading this area, it’s important to blend the colour into the hairline so that its edges completely disappear. Use a kabuki brush or contouring brush to apply more shading in the temple areas and, as you move towards the middle of the forehead, taper the shading towards the hairline.
What are some questions you have about contouring? What are some tips or recommendations you would like to share? Let us know in the Comments section below!
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