Contouring: from beginner to a professional make-up artist in no time

Ever since Kim Kardashian revealed that contouring is the secret to her sculpted face, makeup artists and women around the world have become obsessed with this technique.

 

Makeup contouring is a technique that emphasizes natural facial features by combining light and dark foundation shades.

 

Although it may sound complicated at first, with our simple guide and a little practice, you'll soon become a pro at contouring.

 

 

What products do I need for contouring?

 

When choosing products for contouring, it’s important to choose products that are adapted to the tone and type of your skin.

 

Contouring mostly involves liquid products, but not necessarily. It is more important to have a couple of different shades to achieve the desired look.

 

Foundation matching your skin tone

 

When contouring, the most important thing is the base. Therefore, try to find a foundation that will completely match your skin tone.

 

Take into account your skin type – dry skin likes oil-based foundations, while matte foundations go better with oily skin by not making it even more oily.

 

Light shade concealer

 

Concealers that are lighter than your skin tone are needed to brighten up certain areas when contouring.

 

Carefully apply it with a thin brush. Remember, the concealer needs to be at least 2-3 shades lighter than your skin to make it stand out.

 

Dark shade foundation

 

Just like the concealer, the dark foundation has to also be 2-3 shades darker than your skin.

 

A darker foundation is generally applied with a larger brush to the area under the scalp, cheekbones and jawline.

 

Blush

 

Blush is a must-do step in contouring. It most often comes in pink, red and brown tones. Choose the shade that best suits your skin tone.

 

The general rule is that darker-skinned people use red and brown tones, while fair-skinned people prefer a pink blush.

 

Makeup sponges and a brush

 

All the above-mentioned products can be applied with a makeup sponge and a brush. The base is most often applied with the help of a makeup sponge or a soft brush with a thicker tip.

 

Light concealer, dark powder and blush require special brushes with rounded and soft hairs.

 

 

How to contour according to the shape of your face?

 

Start contouring by applying foundation that matches your skin tone and dispersing evenly on your face and neck with a sponge, a brush with a thicker tip, or using your hands and fingers.

 

Then apply a light concealer to the areas under the eyes, a little bit under the cheekbones, in the middle of the nose and continue all the way to the forehead above the eyebrows and make a small triangle on the chin area.

 

After that, apply dark foundation on the cheekbones, both sides of the nose, on the jawline and under the hairline on the forehead.

 

Although the contouring technique described above applies to everyone, contouring still largely depends on the shape of the face.

 

Depending on your face shape, that is, what needs to be emphasized, you’ll need to apply different amounts of foundation on certain parts of the face.

 

Contouring a round face

 

When contouring a round-shaped face, the focus is on narrowing and sharpening facial features.

 

You will achieve this by applying dark foundation to the area just below the cheekbones, jawline, scalp and either side of the nose.

 

When contouring, avoid putting darker products on the chin or the very top of the forehead –darkening these areas will make your face look rounder and wider. Apply light foundation or light concealer to these areas and the tip of the nose.

 

Contouring a long face

 

When sculpting a long face shape, the goal is to reduce the length and widen and soften the facial features.

 

Start contouring by applying dark foundation directly under the scalp, cheekbones, under the eyebrows and on both sides of the nose.

 

Then apply a light foundation or concealer under and above the dark product on the cheekbones, on the chin area and extend along the lower lip, on the middle of the forehead and above the eyebrows. Also, apply it in a light line on the middle of the nose.

 

What's a face contouring palette?

 

A face contouring palette is a practical makeup invention that contains all the products needed for contouring. In such a palette you will find a dark bronzer, light eyeshadows, highlighter, and blush.

 

The contouring palette often consists of 4 products in one and will make contouring easy, while being light on your makeup bag.

 

In addition to an easy-to-use palette, you also need brushes to apply your contouring palette.

 

To see which brushes to choose, continue reading.

 

How to choose makeup brushes for contouring

 

When choosing brushes for contouring, pay attention to the quality of the brush. What are brushes made of? Are they easy to handle? Are they optimally designed for contouring?

 

All this has an impact on the final contouring result. That's why Noelle brushes are made using soft synthetic hairs that don't absorb excess product. The long ergonomic handle is there to fit nicely in the hand and to apply the product more precisely and evenly.

 

With the help of our angled contour brush, liquid powder brush and other brushes made especially for contouring, your contouring skills will match those of professional makeup artists in no time.