#Easy contouring for beginners how to
#Easy contouring for beginners skin

Since the goal that we strive for is high lifted cheekbones, I apply it right on the cheekbone. 'I find a lot of people apply it under their cheekbone and by the time they blend it out.you're diffusing it out in that area and it could possibly bring your cheekbone even lower. Similarly, Lovello applies contour directly on the cheekbone. 'With contouring, you should go around the hairline of your face, down from the top of the ear to the mouth and then back around the chin.' She recommends thinking of a '3' formation when contouring your face. You just want to go right to your cheekbone almost.' 'You want to start from the top of the ear and work your way down to the ends of the mouth, but not all the way down.

'We used to do the fishy face and wanted to go in the hollows of the cheek when you're contouring your cheeks, but you actually want to go right above that hollow so you can lift the face a little bit more,' Wright explained.

' As we age, we never want to bring our faces down so as you're contouring, just keep that in mind: that we want to lift and we want to pop,' Figueroa said. Each makeup artist shared their best tips for applying contour, even if you're a beginner! While their strategies for application are similar, there is one thing they explicitly had in common: Apply contour in areas that will lift the face, not pull it down. Once you've chosen your color, it's time to get to work. If you want more of that sun-kissed glow, Wright suggested that you can use a deeper, bronzer shade to contour. 'So if you find one that's too warm or has too much orange in it, it's not going to mimic a shadow the same way that something with a cooler undertone would.' 'You would want to find a cooler tone to mimic shadows because highlighting and contouring is kind of like manipulating shadows,' Lovello explained. Lovello's rule of thumb is to generally go three shades darker than the normal shade, but added that she feels like most go 'quite a bit more than three shades darker.'įor everyday wear, Lovello, Figueroa and Wright recommend opting for cooler tones and matte creams. 'I always say two shades darker because you can always build color,' Figueroa told Shop TODAY.

#Easy contouring for beginners skin

Figueroa and Lovello recommend staying between two and three shades darker than your actual skin tone.

#Easy contouring for beginners how to

Shop 11 setting powders and sprays that will keep your makeup in place all day long How to choose the right contour stickīefore you actually start contouring, you'll need to pick the right shade for your skin tone. We asked Wright, Figueroa and celebrity and bridal makeup artist Cara Lovello for their best tips on contouring and which products they recommend. Then I realized it's actually such a quick and easy way to add sculpting and shadows to my face,' she said. Actually, more on myself which I'm really surprised because I always thought contour sticks were a little more work than I wanted to. 'I've actually been using contour sticks a lot lately on myself and my clients. With contour, you're basically bringing those dimensions back to where you want them to be,' said Rhode Island-based makeup artist Erica Wright of Glam Done Wright.Ĭelebrity makeup artist Nydia Figueroa admitted to recently discovering how great contour sticks are. 'I always say that foundation takes away a lot of the dimensions in the skin. It works when you apply a product a few shades darker than your normal foundation at points on the face to help define your natural features. While some people may naturally be born with those features (lucky them), the rest of us will have to settle for it another way: contouring.Ĭontouring is a makeup technique that adds dimension to your face. Whether you're a makeup aficionado or a beginner looking to get started, everyone wants that sleek look with strong cheekbones and a jawline that looks like it could cut glass.