Contour makeup can look like little more than dark powders or creams, adjacent to lighter powers and creams — a confusing mix of colors that don’t add up to much without the right contour application techniques. While choosing the right shades is a must (more about that later), how you apply your contour makeup and how well you blend are everything when it comes to nailing this cosmetic product. When done well, contour makeup can have the effect of slimming your face and even certain facial features like your nose and jawline. This unreal contouring hack that makeup artists say slims your face is so simply to do you’ll wonder why you ever struggled with contour and highlighter.
Draw an “E” or “3”
So many people assume contour makeup only belongs in the hollows of your cheeks, but that’s just one part of a larger application technique known as the “E” or “3” technique.
Before you pick up your makeup brush, picture an imaginary “E” or “3” along the side of your face that starts on the sides of your temples, dips down and beneath the hollows of your cheekbones, and then concludes at your jawline and chin. This is the magic movement you want to make with contour makeup to create the appearance of a slimmer face.
Choose the Right Formulas & Colors — And Blend
The shades and formulas you choose make a difference in the outcome of your contouring application — but so does how your blend your makeup. “Choose a matte bronzer that is one to two shades darker than your skin tone,” says Makeup Artist Rosie Williams. “Apply the bronzer in a diagonal line from the top of your earlobe towards the corner of your mouth, just below the cheekbone. Blend well using circular motions. For the jawline, lightly apply the bronzer along the lower edge of your jawbone, blending downwards.”
Cool Tones Are Often Better
It’s easy to fall into the trap of choosing gold and bronze-based contour makeup — the thought being it will mimic the sun’s glow. But a cooler tone that contains some gray in it is often a better stand-in for the natural shade you want to create in areas of your face like the hollows of your cheeks.
If you want to focus on making your nose look more narrow, Williams suggests the following step: “Apply the contour powder along the sides of your nose, starting from the inner corners of your eyebrows and extending towards the tip. Blend well to avoid harsh lines. Highlight the bridge of your nose with a light, shimmery powder for added slimming effect.”
Apply Contour With A Light Hand & Set Your Makeup
Powder contour products are often preferred for their blendability and control over intensity, notes Liis Hainla, head editor of veganavenue.com. “It is important to choose suitable products based on skin tone, such as matte contour powder or contour palettes like the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit orNYX Professional Makeup Highlight & ContourPro Palette.”
How you set your makeup is just as important as its application since you’ll want it to last for hours. “To set the contour and achieve a flawless finish, a translucent powder or setting spray is recommended,” Hainla says. “Contouring should be approached with moderation, tailored to individual face shapes, and practiced to find the right technique for desired results."
In other words: if you haven’t mastered the art of contour makeup you aren’t alone — and there’s plenty of time to catch up. Buy the right colors for your skin tone, find your “E” or “3” to trace with a brush, and you’re well on your way to contour perfection.
