If you look in a mirror and you think your face looks too angular, fat or long, this doesn’t mean you should start the search for an experienced cosmetic surgeon.
This is because you are able to change the way the shape of your face appears, with a few simple makeup tricks. Highlighting and contouring is the simple art of using makeup in order to achieve shade and light, and with some practice, you will learn to use a few contouring techniques for an outstanding effect.
When you use a matte-foundation which is 2 shades darker compared to your skin color to create the illusion of a shadow and then a highlighter which will be 2 shades lighter, to promote light, you are able to completely transform your face shape. To begin with, you have to gain an understanding of your face shape and where you should be applying dark and light to make the necessary changes. Below are 10 contour make-up tricks to assist you in finding out about what shape you have and ways to change this shape using makeup.
1. Contouring Makeup Tips For A Heart Shaped Face
Every person has their own unique face, and the aim behind contouring will be to highlight features that you prefer and balance-out the features to ensure your face appears more symmetrical. If your face is heart-shaped, then you will have cheeks which are wider when compared to your hairline and a chin that is pointed and narrow. When attempting to balance your face shape overall, you may want to contour down on each side of your face, starting from your temples, down the center part of each cheek, which offers the effect of narrowing the upper portion of the face. You can also contour your chin at the end by highlighting your chin in the middle, which makes your chin appear less pointed and broader.
2. Contouring Makeup Tips For A Square Shaped Face
Square shaped faces mean that the length and width of your face is the same or very similar, and your hairline and jawline are also the same in width. You can make use of contouring in order to achieve a silhouette that is shapelier. You should contour the sides of the forehead and the temples which will slim-down your head width, while highlighting the middle of the forehead to create additional shape. You can also use a highlighter under the eyes and contour the cheekbones which slims down your middle-section of the face and give the chin area more shape by contouring the jawline and highlight the end part of your chin-area.
3. Contouring Makeup Tips For A Diamond Shaped Face
If you have a diamond-shaped face, you will have a pointed chin with a longer face, and your hairline width will be narrower when compared to your cheeks. When smoothing out your angular face, highlight the middle of the chin and forehead and under the eyes to create the illusion of inverting the triangle. The next step involves contouring just below the cheekbones starting at the ears towards the middle of each cheek. This overall effect gives the appearance of a more rounded face.
4. Contouring Makeup Tips For Oblong Shaped Face
The oblong shape will be characterized when the face is just about double the length compared to the width and the hairline, jaw and chin are not really pronounced, the aim of contouring would be to give the face a more shapelier appearance. To begin start contouring below the hairline to reduce the appearance of the forehead size, contour under the area of the chin so it appears rounder and also down each side of the face starting at the ears downwards towards the center of each cheek, which slims this area down. Now use a highlighter to create an inverted long triangle under each eye to achieve features that are a lot more shapelier.
5. Contouring Makeup Tips For A Rectangle Shaped Face
You face is rectangular when it is long, along with a jaw line and hairline which is similar in width, with a square jaw. This type of shape will benefit from contouring along the hairline in order to create the illusion in lowering it, contour down each side of the forehead to create a narrower appearance, and under the jawbone to offer more shape. You can also contour under each cheekbone that will thin out this area of the face. Highlight the center of the chin to offer a more pronounced appearance and highlight under your eyes which brightens up this area of the face.
6. Contouring Makeup Tips For An Oval Shaped Face
The oval shape can be compared to the shape of an upside-down egg. This shape is characterized by the length been about 1 and ½ times longer when compared to the width and the chin, hairline, and jaw is quite rounded. With this face type, you should contour each side of your forehead to create a narrower appearance and contouring below the cheekbones slims this area down. Now highlight the center of the forehead and the middle of the chin, which offers more definition for these areas. The last step would be to brighten around your eyes when you highlight your brow-bone as well as under your eyes.
7. Contouring Makeup Tips For A Round Shaped Face
The round shape means that the length and width of the face is almost equal, and the features are also rounded. The purpose of contouring for this shape is to shape and elongate your face. Start off by contouring from each side of the forehead, downwards towards the temples, followed by curving down each side of the face towards the jawline. This effect makes the face look narrower. Now highlight the middle of the forehead as well as under the eyes and the center of the chin that brings about more light for these areas.
8. How To Make Your Nose Appear Thinner
You can also use contouring to alter individual features of the face. For example, if you would like to have a nose that appears thinner, apply foundation or concealer that is around 2 shades darker than your skin tone on each side of the nose and then highlight the bridge part of the nose.
9. Make A Pointed Chin Appear Softer
Principles associated with highlighting remain the same when it comes to all features of your face. If you want your pointed chin to appear more rounded, apply highlighter along the jawbone and contour on the end part of the chin. The areas that are lighter will appear more pronounced while darker ones will fade out a bit more. You can also use solutions like those offered by Dore Solutions for this.
10. Contouring Makeup Tips To Round A Square Jaw
When looking to smooth the lines associated with a square-jaw, you need to contour around edges of the jawline and the face as well as around your hairline and then use highlighter on the top part of the cheekbones. This gives the face a softer and rounded appearance.