By now we know contouring can be a game changer when it comes to make-up. It can instantly make your face look perfect and a work of art! Whether going for a natural look or a more bold one , believe me everyone contours!
Here is a perfect contouring guide for 2023, on how to contour for your face shape, nose shape and skin type. If you are a rookie and just learning about contouring or have been doing it for a while, this guide will definitely help you perfect contouring, so stay tuned till the end!
Table of Contents
What is Contouring & why is it needed?
Contouring is a make-up technique in which shades darker & lighter than your skin tone are used to create the effect of a perfect face. It plays with how your face catches the light and forms shadows to create this illusion.
Why is it needed? Short answer – Contouring is what takes a make-up artist from good to great, it makes all the difference! No wonder it is not just a make-up trend it is make-up 101!
Let’s dive in to learn more.
How to find your face shape?
Before we proceed to find out how to contour for your face shape, it is important to correctly determine what your face shape is. A simple way to do that is to take a measuring tape and mirror and do the following:
- Tie your hair back and away from your face.
- Look at your face in the mirror and find the widest part of your face.
- Measure your face from the hairline to the chin and then from ear to ear.
- Observe your jawline – Note if it is short or round or pointy or narrow.
Follow the following guide to broadly determine your face shape:
- If your face is longer than wider (almost 2:1) you have an oval shape or oblong shape.
- If it is wider than long and the widest part is your cheekbones it may be a heart shape or round shape. If the jawline is narrow and pointy, it’s likely a heart shape while if it is shorter or & rounder it’s a rounded shape.
- If the length and width are nearly equal or slightly longer, and the jawline is almost equally wide as the forehead you have a square(or diamond) or a rectangle face respectively.
How to choose the right product?
For your skin type:
| Skin type | Product Type |
|---|---|
| Oily skin | Powder contour work best for oily skin. Try Wet n Wild MegaGlo Contour Palette. |
| Normal to Dry | Cream contour palettes or sticks are great for normal to dry skin. There are convenient packs available for contour sticks with pre-formed dark and light shade combinations like the NYX Wonder stick. Multitasking products are a great time and space saver! |
| Sensitive or very dry skin | Liquid contours work better for sensitive or very dry skin. However liquid products may be a little difficult to work with for beginners. Little practice may be needed. Try NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Contour Concealer. |
For your skin tone
The darker shade should be 1-2 shades darker than your foundation shade, while the lighter shade for highlighting needs to be 1-2 shades lighter.
How to contour for your face shape and facial features?
1. How to contour a round face?
Let’s start learning about how to contour for your face shape with the round shape.
Dark Shade
- Apply the darker shade on the sides of your forehead, to give it an illusion of slimming down.
- Start below your cheekbones near your ear to the middle of your cheeks and then go down to your jawline. This will help give you a sculpted look.
Light Shade
- Draw and fill upside-down triangles right below your eyes.
- Generously apply on the middle of your forehead and chin to widen these areas, balance out your face, and give it an ideal shape.
Using a beauty blender or an angular brush, blend everything well.
Try it today and see the difference!
2. How to contour a heart-shaped face?
Dark Shade
- Apply the darker shade on the sides of your forehead and temples in a C shape. This will give an illusion of reducing the wider upper part of the heart-shaped face and balancing it with the lower.
- Draw a thin curve on the lower chin to bring it out a bit.
Light Shade
- Highlight under your eyes and upper cheekbone.
- Apply a lighter shade in the middle of your forehead and chin so they appear wider than they are.
Blend everything well together!
Transformative ain’t it?
3. How to contour a rectangle face?
Dark Shade
- Use the darker shade on the sides of your forehead and along the hairline in a bridge shape.
- Apply below your cheekbones starting from your ears to the middle of the cheeks.
- Draw a thick line on your jawbone.
Lighter Shade
- Highlight under your eyes in a rounded-corner inverted triangle.
- Apply a lighter shade in the middle of the chin.
4. How to contour a square/diamond face?
Rules of how to contour for your face shape are not much different when it comes to square shape than the rectangle. Here are the differences:
Dark Shade
- Use a darker shade similar to a rectangle shape for the cheek. Skip the forehead, temple, and jawline
Lighter shade
- In addition to highlighting similar to a rectangle, highlight the middle of the forehead.
5. How to contour an oval/oblong face?
The oval shape is considered to be near perfect on its own. So not a lot of contouring is required, but following can help improve the appearance even further.
Dark Shade
- Apply the darker shade along your hairline to give the illusion of a smaller forehead.
- Start just below your cheekbones starting at your ears and move up to the middle of the cheeks.
- If you feel your face is more oblong, you can add a darker shade to the bottom of the chin as well.
Lighter Shade
- Highlight under your eyes as shown in the picture.
- Apply a lighter shade in the middle of the chin as well.
Blend everything well together using an angular brush or beauty blender.
Your fingers are just fine too!
How to contour your nose?
Contouring just the face and not worrying about your nose tends to create an imbalance which is not pretty! Learn how to contour as per your nose shape :
- Flat nose – If you have a flat nose the bridge of your nose lacks definition. Sharpen by using the dark shade on the side all the way from your brow bone to the tip. Highlight using the lighter shade on the bridge of the nose.
- Wide nose or triangle nose – These are narrow at the top and much wider at the bottom. Create a balance by using the dark shade at just the tip of the nose and applying the lighter one under the inner corners of your eyebrows.
- Bulbous nose – A bulbous nose has a noticeably wide tip of the nose while the rest of the bridge is normal. For this shape, apply the dark shade on the sides at the top and bottom. Highlight the middle of the bridge of the nose using the light shade.
- Crooked nose – For a crooked nose, correct by drawing straight lines on the sides from top to bottom.
How to contour for a double chin?
If you have a double chin to camouflage or in general want more defined jaws, use the darker color and apply from your ear all the way to the chin along your jawbone. Skip the lighter shade around the jawline. Blend well for a sculpted look.
Conclusion
Follow these tips and tricks on how to contour for your face shape, facial features, and skin type, and be the master of the contouring game! I am sure all of you beauties will love the results!
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Keep Living It Up…Always!