Contour & Highlight Like a Pro: The Simple Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever wanted to master sculpting and defining your facial features like a professional makeup artist? Using strategic makeup contouring and highlighting techniques, you can visually slim and chisel your face, enhance your cheekbones, and achieve a showstopping, celebrity-style look. This extensive guide will teach you pro tips for selecting flattering contour and highlighter shades, proper application techniques for your specific face shape, and common mistakes to avoid. Read on to learn how to accentuate your favorite features with contouring and highlighting!

The Benefits of Contouring and Highlighting Your Facial Features

Contouring and highlighting provide many transformative benefits when applied correctly:

Appear Slimmer and Well-Defined

Strategic placement of contour powder and cream under the cheekbones, along the jawline, and on the sides of the nose sculpts a slimming effect by visually creating shadows and depth. Masterfully blended contour enhances bone structure for sharp yet natural dimension and definition.

Adds Striking Dimensionality

Contouring adds dimensional shadows while highlighting provides brighter accents. The interplay between deeply shaded and brightly lit areas of the face mimics the look of facial features catching and reflecting light three-dimensionally. This eye-catching combo enhances your best assets.

Beautifully Sculpts Facial Features

Using cool-toned taupe contours under cheekbones paired with bright highlighters along the upper cheek area effectively chisels a lifted contour that appears gracefully sculpted. Likewise, shading down the sides of the nose trims width for a sharp yet delicate nose contour. Expertly blended contouring can minimize problematic areas while enhancing your best features.

Looks Stunning in Photos and Videos

Unlike harsh lighting which can create unflattering shadows, contoured cheeks photograph beautifully by casting slimming facial shadows precisely where you want them. By mastering popular TikTok and Instagram contour placements, your selfies and videos will look filtered and chiseled.

Play Up Your Best Assets

Why not flaunt your gorgeous cheekbones, stunning jawline, or regal nose profile? Contouring and highlighting allows you to highlight your favorite features while minimizing other areas seamlessly. Show off your personal assets and shine with tailor-made contouring!

Now that you know the remarkable effects possible with contouring and highlighting techniques, let’s get into the step-by-step application process.

Step-by-Step Guide to Contouring Your Gorgeous Facial Features

Flawlessly executing natural-looking contoured definition requires choosing suitable shades for your skin tone and mastering the application techniques for blending:

Choosing the Best Contour Shades

The right undertone and depth of contour colors is paramount for creating natural shadow effects.

For fair to medium skin tones, cool-toned ashy mink or taupe powder contours mimic real shadow for the most realistic effects. Benefit Hoola Bronzer or NYX Blush in Taupe are excellent cool-toned powder contour shade options.

For medium to dark skin tones, try using an ash-brown cream contour stick like Fenty Match Stix in Amber for adding rich shadow depth. Neutral matte bronzers also contour nicely on darker skin.

For fair skin, adjust intensity by using a light hand, while for dark skin build pigment gradually to avoid muddiness.

Where to Strategically Apply Facial Contours

Using an angled contour brush, lightly dust contour powder or blend cream precisely:

• Under Cheekbones: Apply in a light sideways “3” shape from mid-ear towards mouth corners to subtly slim the lower face.
• Perimeter of Forehead: Frames the face for a striking bone structure.
• Nose Sides: Very lightly contour straight downward from brows to tip for a graceful nose shape.
• Jawline & Chin: Sharpens jaw and minimizes double chin appearance.

Master the Art of Blending

Seamlessly diffusing any harsh contour lines is critical for an invisible, pro-level contour application. Use a fluffy powder brush to slowly blend edges into skin. Circular buffing motions work best to gradually fade color intensity. The goal is dimension with zero detectable makeup lines.

Now that you’ve perfected gorgeous face contours, let’s cover choosing complementary highlighter shades…

Selecting the Perfect Highlighting Shade

Just as with contour colors, choosing complementary highlighter undertones and depths is key for natural luminosity.

For fair to light skin, champagne, ivory, or gold cream or powder highlighters flatter well without appearing flashy. Benefit High Beam and Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector are nice options.

For medium to tan skin, opt for bronzed golden highlighters like Milani Strobelight Instant Glow Powder in Dayglow for a striking sheen popping against warmer skin.

For dark to deep skin, rose gold and copper highlighters are perfect for playing up rich undertones. Try Fenty Match Stix in Sinamon or Anastasia Beverly Hills Loose Highlighter in Rose Gold.

Where to Strategically Highlight Facial Features

Using a tapered highlighter brush, sweep across protruding areas:

• Upper cheekbones catching the light
• Center of forehead for a glowing frame
• Very tip of chin to appear lifted
• Inner eye corners and brow bone for wide-eyed brightness

Use your fingers for cream highlighter placement precision on small areas.

Common Contouring Mistakes and Easy Fixes

It takes practice to seamlessly sculpt facial features. Some common mistakes include:

Harsh Visible Lines

Fix: Buff skin in circular motions to further blend edges. Add setting powder to help diffuse.

Muddy or Gray Discoloration

Fix: Choose a warmer contour for your skintone or use a lighter application.

Unnatural or Overdone

Fix: Take a light handed approach to slightly enhancing features instead of over-contouring.

With some trial and error, you’ll learn which techniques work best for your unique face shape and features.

Adapt Contouring Techniques for Your Face Shape

While general placement applies to most, adapt application to flatter your face shape:

• Heart Faces play up cheekbones more with bright blush on apples.
• Round Faces sculpt cheeks sharply and minimize jawline width.
• Square Faces soften jaw and hairlines for oval shaping.
• Oval Faces lucky you, follow general guidance!

Dramatic Contouring for Events vs Simple Every Day

Amp up contouring and highlighting for events:

• Use deeper shade contours and lighter highlighters.
• Sharpen cheek and jaw definition.
• Add highlighting pops to lid corners, cupid’s bow.

For day, stick to softer blended definition using one highlighter only.

FAQs: Your Top Contour Questions Answered

What face products work best under contour? Sheer coverage mineral foundation or tinted moisturizer blends most seamlessly.

How can I prevent dry or cakey contours? Exfoliate regularly and finish with hydrating setting spray like Urban Decay All Nighter.

What contour kits are best for beginners? Consider user-friendly palettes from Anastasia Beverly Hills, Smashbox, and Sephora Collection to master the art.

Will contouring make me break out? As with any heavier face makeup, ensure brushes are clean and skin is blanced. Spot conceal afterwards if needed.

Conclusion: Contour and Highlight a Graceful Bone Structure

As you can see, strategic contouring and highlighting takes facial features from flat to strikingly elegant and defined! With the right color pairings for your skin tone and placements for your gorgeous face shape, you can master celebrity-level dimension and sculpture. Just remember–blend, blend, blend for imperceptible gradients and stunning finishes.

What contour tricks will you try? Which feature are you most excited to play up? Have fun, get creative, and show off your exquisite bone structure with these pro techniques! Dazzle ‘em, diva! 💄✨