How To Contour Your Round Face To Look Slimmer, According To Makeup Artists

How Does Contouring Work?

Contouring isn't just about tossing on any dark and light shades and hoping for the best. The way contouring works is by creating an optical illusion of shadows where they would be if your face was the shape you desire,” says Celebrity Makeup Artist Mandie Brice. “So, for example, many people contour by adding a shadow under their cheekbones, even if their cheekbones aren't so defined that they actually cast a shadow. To do that (which also does slim the face) you can apply your contour makeup in the spaces created by sucking your cheeks in, like a fish face.

Another way that helps is slimming the jaw line to make it more sculpted — which involves basically draw a shadow on the edge of your face to sharpen it, Brice shares. 

How To Contour A Rounder Face Shape

Different face shapes have different contouring needs — so no one tip will apply to everyone. To contour a round face, you should place product around forehead, outer perimeter of cheeks and around the jaw line, instructs Julien Farel’s Artistic Director of Makeup, Marylisa Diaz. “Highlighting above the cheek bones and the T-zone will complement the contouring,” Farel says. “The diagonal placement of contour from ear to cheeks is what slims the face along with all the other details.” 

Diaz says she recommends Tom Ford shade and illuminate cream contour, Westman Atelier cream contour stick, and Makeup by Mario soft sculpt shaping stick. “On an oilier skin, I would go with powders,” she says. “NARS makes a fantastic one. I also suggest to place the focus on impeccable eye makeup. Creating beautiful large eyes will also distract from a round face.”

Beware Of The Contour Colors You Choose

The products and colors that you use to contour matter — after all, you probably want it to look as natural as possible.

When it comes to contouring, darkness goes back and lightness comes forward, Diaz says. That is how you create the illusion you want. The shade should be at least two shades darker than your foundation color, Diaz says. You should opt for cool shades when choosing the contour color. An olive undertone complexion will benefit more from golden shades.

But golden doesn’t necessarily mean bronzer. 

Many people use bronzer to contour, but that is actually not the best product, because shadows generally don't have a brown/bronzed tone, Brice notes. I recommend a grey product, like the sculpting powder from Kevin Aucoin, though, for some, a powder is more challenging to blend well than a cream.