Contouring can be a powerful, but daunting makeup technique to master. It highlights your best features like your cheekbones, eyes, and jawline. But it can also completely transform your face at any age (without having to go under the knife!). If you’re just getting started with contouring, it’s best to acquire a contour stick. A contour stick is the best tool to have in your arsenal. It’s simply cream foundations in tube form–it’s kind of like a marker. With a contour stick, you can add depth to create high cheekbones, a smaller nose, a slimmer forehead, and a narrower jawline. We checked in with makeup artist Mary Winkenwerder who gave us the contour hack that will make you look years younger. Find out more below!
Use A Contour Stick To Sculpt Higher Cheekbones
If you're not careful while trying to contour and blush your cheeks, you could end up with garish, clown-like makeup. Contouring is all about balancing the right mix of shades in the right parts of your face. That way you can get a more highlighted effect that adds some shape and dimension to your face. To make your cheekbones really pop, Winkenwerder recommends using a contour stick.
"A dark line right under the natural cheek line is the first step in building feature definition in the mid-region of the face," the makeup artist explains. "For this contouring, use a dedicated contouring wand, solid stick foundation, or cream makeup (something like traditional pan foundation) in a shade that is up to four shades darker than your normal all-over shade. The line should start right at the bottom curve of the ball of your cheek, go under the natural cheek line, and back in an upward diagonal line toward the top of the natural jawline." This contouring stick hack, according to Winkenwerder, instantly makes you look younger.
She continues, "Draw a line in a lighter tone immediately above the entire length of the dark defining line. Blend the dark line downward in a small circular motion (the entire line), and the light line upward in a small circular motion (the entire line). You'll notice a clear definition point starting to take place. Build lighter contouring color on the cheek, while building darker shading under the cheek for continued definition. Apply your foundation and other pigmented makeup as normal." Noted!
So, there you have it. The one contour stick hack that makeup artists like Winkenwerder highly recommends because it can take years off your face. However, it's important to remember if you're not used to contouring that it will take time to master this routine. Chances are high that you won't love the outcome of this trick the first or second time around. To put it simply: it's better to practice the basic rules of contouring before trying this hack. You will want to practice contouring a lot before you try this look at a big event.
