Expert Makeup Contouring and Highlighting Tips

Although this was one of the top makeup secrets of celebrity makeup artists in making the skin glow and cheekbones pop, contouring and highlighting tricks is now a common knowledge among makeup aficionados. So if you want to get a smaller forehead, a thinner nose and amazing cheekbones, use these highlighting and contouring tips that were shared by some celebrity makeup artists.

1. Apply Your Foundation. The first step in getting that perfectly contoured face is applying a good foundation. The foundation works by providing some basic coverage and base for your makeup application, especially for your highlighter and bronzer.

2. Use a Lighter Foundation. After applying your foundation, the next step would be to use a foundation that’s a shade or two lighter than your natural skin tone. Use a sponge in applying it on the centre of your forehead down to the centre of your nose until the line above your lips. Then, apply a finger-width’s amount of lighter foundation beneath your eyes, and in the outer edges of your eyes and nose. Lastly, apply a small amount under your eyebrows’ outer arches and on your chin. Once you’re done, check if you managed to apply it evenly on both sides.

3. Contour Using Your Bronzer. Once you’re done applying your foundation, you can already start the contouring process using your favourite bronzer. Lightly dip your brush in your contouring colour and apply it on the outer edges of your chin forehead. Then, apply a thin line of bronzer over your eyelid and in the highlighted areas of your nose. For your cheeks, contour starting at your cheekbones around the middle of your eyes, then the cheekbones towards your ears.

4. Highlight Your Features. After placing your contouring makeup, it’s now time to apply your powder highlighter. One of the basic approaches to achieve a perfectly highlighted face is to highlight the inner areas of the face like in the forehead, beneath the eyebrows and eyes, in the centre of the nose and in the middle of the chin. These are the areas that often make your face look sunken and puffy, and by highlighting it, your face will now look brighter, fuller and healthier.

5. Check the Results. A good way to ensure that you’ve evenly contoured and highlighted your face is by checking the results in the mirror. See if you’ve missed any spots, or if you need to blend more. Giving your contoured face a final glance can surely make a difference between going out with a perfectly done face and a clunky makeup.

By learning the right way to mix contouring and highlighting techniques, you can now make your most prominent features pop while hiding some flaws even without the help of a professional makeup artist.