How to Contour Your Face: Easy Tips for All Face Shapes

So you want to learn how to contour like a makeup pro, huh? Contouring may seem intimidating, but with a few basic tools and tips, you can enhance your best features and adjust the shape of your face. The trick is choosing makeup shades and application techniques tailored to your unique face shape. Whether you have an oval face, round face, heart-shaped face or square face, you can contour to create symmetry and definition. Contouring allows you to highlight your cheekbones, minimize a wide forehead or strong jawline, balance out an asymmetrical face, or create the illusion of higher cheekbones. With some practice, you’ll be taking selfies from your best angles in no time and wondering why you didn’t start contouring sooner. This step-by-step guide will teach you everything you need to know to contour your face like a pro.

Table of Contents

Understanding Your Face Shape

The first step to contouring like a pro is determining your face shape. First of all look in a mirror and check your face shape. Is it round, square, diamond, short, long, oval or heart-shaped.

Round face: Focus on your jawline and cheekbones. Apply a highlighting concealer under your eyes and down the center of your face. Use a bronzer to contour the sides of your face and jawline to make your face appear slimmer.

Square face: Soften your angular features by applying highlighting concealer to your forehead, down the bridge of your nose and your chin. Apply bronzer along the sides of your face and jawline. This will make your face seem longer and softer.

Oval face: Apply highlighting concealer to the center of your forehead and along the bridge of your nose. Use bronzer on your jawline and hairline to add dimension. You want to shorten and widen the oval shape.

Heart-shaped face: Apply highlighting concealer to your forehead, under your eyes and down the center of your face. Use bronzer along your jawline to help balance out your face shape. Make sure to blend well into your neck.

Long face: Apply highlighting concealer along the sides of your face and use bronzer on your forehead, near your hairline and along your jawline. This will make your face appear shorter and more balanced.

The key is using both highlighting concealer and bronzer strategically on different areas of your face depending on your natural face shape. With practice, you’ll be contouring like a pro in no time!

Contouring for Round Faces

If you have a round face, contouring can help create the illusion of an oval shape. Here are some tips to contour your round face:

Cheekbones

Apply a highlighting concealer or foundation under your eyes and along the bridge of your nose. Use a contouring product 2-3 shades darker than your natural skin tone to create shadow under your cheekbones. Blend well. This makes your cheekbones appear more prominent.

Jawline

Use the darker contouring product to create a shadow along your jawline, starting from under your ears and blending down. Make sure to blend into your neck. This helps creates the illusion of a more sculpted jawline.

Chin

Apply a small amount of the highlighting product to the center of your chin to draw attention away from the roundness. For added definition, use the contouring product along the sides of your chin in short strokes and blend.

Balance is key

While contouring certain areas of a round face can create definition, be careful not to overdo it. Add highlights to the center of the forehead, down the nose, and chin to balance the look. Contour in small amounts, building up gradually. Step back and look in the mirror from different angles to ensure even blending and an overall natural look.

With some practice, you’ll be contouring your round face in no time and loving the sculpted yet natural-looking results! Contouring may take a few tries to perfect, so start light and have fun with it.

Contouring Tips for Square Faces

Contoured makeup can do wonders for enhancing your natural features. Square faces in particular benefit greatly from strategic contouring. Here are some tips to contour your square face like a pro:

Focus on Your Forehead

Square faces tend to have broad foreheads, so contouring this area is key. Apply a contour shade that’s 1-2 shades darker than your natural skin tone along your hairline and sweep it down along the sides of your forehead. Blend well. This will make your forehead appear more rounded and balanced with the rest of your face.

Slim Your Jawline

Use your contour shade to carefully define and slim your jawline. Apply the contour just below your jaw, blending it down onto your neck. Make sure to blend thoroughly to avoid any obvious lines. This simple step helps soften your jawline for a more oval shape.

Accentuate Your Cheekbones

Apply a highlight shade to the tops of your cheekbones to help draw attention upward and make your face appear more narrow. The highlight should be 1-2 shades lighter than your natural skin tone. Start at the outer corner of your eye and sweep the highlight back towards your hairline.

Soften Severe Angles

In addition to contouring your forehead and jawline, apply your contour shade to any particularly severe or boxy angles on your face. Common areas include the outer corners of the eyes, the sides of the nose, and below the corners of the mouth. Blend thoroughly for the most natural results.

By strategically applying contour and highlight shades, you can soften the strong angles of a square face. Be patient and start with a light hand, building up gradually until you achieve a naturally sculpted look. With regular practice, you’ll be contouring your square face like a pro in no time!

How to Contour Oval Faces

Contouring an oval face helps create the illusion of width and angles. Oval faces tend to be longer than wide, with a narrow jawline and chin. Contouring works with your face shape by subtly changing its apparent proportions.

Forehead

Apply a highlighting concealer or foundation one to two shades lighter than your natural skin tone to the center of your forehead. Blend it outwards. This helps make your forehead appear wider and shorter.

Cheeks

Use a bronzer or contour powder two shades darker than your skin and apply it with a contour makeup brush below your cheekbones in the hollows of your cheeks. Blend the line downward to soften it. This helps create shadows and the appearance of higher, more prominent cheekbones.

Jawline

Apply the darker contour powder along your jawline on both sides of your face. Blend it in small downward strokes. This helps make your jawline seem wider and more square.

Chin

Apply a small amount of the highlighting concealer to the center of your chin and blend outward. This helps give the illusion of a shorter face with a wider jaw and chin.

By contouring key areas like your forehead, cheeks, jawline and chin, you can make subtle changes to your oval face shape. Contouring takes practice, so start light and build up gradually. Step back and look in a mirror from a distance to check that both sides of your face look even and natural. With regular practice, contouring your oval face can become second nature and help achieve a balanced, sculpted look.

Contouring Long or Heart-Shaped Faces

If you have a long or heart-shaped face, contouring can help make your face appear more balanced and oval. The key is to minimize the length and width of the face while accentuating your best features.

Focus on your forehead and jawline

Apply a highlighting concealer or foundation 2-3 shades lighter than your natural skin tone along your forehead, down the bridge of your nose, and along your jawline. Then blend well. This will make your forehead and jawline seem more narrow and draw attention away from the length or width of your face.

Chisel your cheekbones

Use a bronzer or contour powder 2-3 shades darker than your natural skin tone to contour under your cheekbones. Sweep the powder from the top of your ear towards the corner of your mouth. Blend well. This will make your cheekbones pop and create shadows that make your face appear more sculpted and oval.

Soften a pointy chin (for heart-shaped faces)

If you have a heart-shaped face, apply the highlighting concealer to the point of your chin to soften it. You can also contour along the sides of your chin to make it appear more rounded and balanced with the rest of your face.

Accentuate your eyes

Apply makeup to emphasize your eyes, such as winged eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow. This will draw attention upwards and make your face seem more oval and balanced.

With some practice, you’ll be contouring your long or heart-shaped face like a pro in no time. The key is using highlighting and shading in strategic areas to minimize and balance the look of your face. Your newly sculpted face will be turning heads!

Types of contouring products

When it comes to contouring your face, the products you use make a big difference. There are several types of makeup designed specifically for contouring and highlighting.

Cream Contour Kits

Cream contour kits contain cream shades for contouring and highlighting. They provide blendable, buildable coverage and a more natural finish. Popular brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Kat Von D, and Smashbox all make cream contour kits. The downside is that creams can feel heavy on the skin, especially for oily skin types.

Powder Contour Palettes

Powder palettes contain powder shades for contouring and highlighting. They feel lighter on the skin and work well for most skin types. Powder is also easier to blend than cream. Many of the same brands that make cream kits also offer powder contour palettes. However, powder may look less natural on dry skin.

Liquid Contour

Liquid contour products have a serum-like consistency and are designed to provide contouring and highlighting. They blend seamlessly into the skin for a natural finish but may require some practice to apply. Popular brands of liquid contour include Anastasia Beverly Hills, NARS, and Tarte. Liquid contour works best for normal to dry skin types.

Stick Contour

Contouring sticks, or contouring pencils, provide cream shades for contouring and highlighting in a stick form. They are very blendable and portable but may feel heavy on oily skin. Many drugstore brands like NYX, L’Oreal, and Maybelline offer affordable contouring stick options in addition to higher-end brands.

In the end, the best type of contour product for you comes down to your personal skin type and makeup preferences. With practice, you’ll be contouring like a pro in no time!

Role of contour in makeup

Contouring is an important step in makeup that helps shape and define your face. By using makeup that is a shade darker or lighter than your natural skin tone, you can create shadows and highlights that accentuate your best features and downplay any perceived flaws.

Choosing the Right Colors

The key to good contouring is using the proper shades for your skin tone. For light skin, use a contour color that is two shades darker than your natural tone. Medium skin tones should go three shades darker, while dark skin tones can use a color that is four shades darker. For highlighting, choose a shade that is two tones lighter than your natural skin color. Having the right color palette is essential for creating a natural-looking contoured effect.

Placement

The basic areas to contour are the forehead, nose, cheeks, and jawline. To make a long face appear more oval, apply the darker contour shade to the hairline, jawline, and below the cheekbones. For a round face, apply it to the hairline, jawline, and the sides of the nose. To make a square face seem softer, focus on the hairline, jawline, and apply highlighting to the center of the forehead and chin. For most face shapes, a touch of highlighting down the center of the nose and at the cupid’s bow of the lips helps create balance and fullness.

With some practice, you’ll be contouring like a pro and enhancing your best features in no time. The key is using the proper tools, choosing colors tailored to your skin tone, and focusing on strategic placement. Contouring, when done right, sculpts your face into a perfect canvas for the rest of your makeup look.

Conclusion

So there you have it, everything you need to know to contour your face like a makeup pro. With the right products, tools, and techniques customized for your unique face shape, you’ll be enhancing your best features and achieving a flawless, sculpted look in no time. Contouring does take practice to master, but follow these tips and tricks and you’ll be wowing friends with your newfound skills. Now go grab your makeup bag, find a good tutorial to follow along with, turn up the music, pour yourself a glass of wine if you want, and get ready to transform your face. The power to enhance your natural beauty is now in your hands!