Contouring 101

Contouring is not just something for professional makeup artists. The makeup hack is actually much easier than you may think. We’ll help you get started with some contouring basics, and before you know it, people will be coming to you for their own makeup needs.

To get started, find a concealer that is one shade lighter than your skin color, and a foundation that is one or two shades darker. The concealer will act as a highlighter, while the foundation will be used for contouring.

You want to apply the concealer to the areas where light naturally hits your face. Apply the concealer above your cheek bones, under your eyes, on the bridge of your nose, and in the shape of an upside down triangle on your forehead. If you look at pictures of celebrities or models being photographed, you can easily see these lighter spots for guidance. Use a flat foundation brush to carefully smooth out the edges of your concealer for a more natural appearance.

You will be applying your foundation in the shape of the number three. Start with the top corners of your forehead and circle down through your cheekbones. Be careful with this last step, because making this part too dark can quickly go wrong. You may even want to wipe some foundation off your brush. Take the final stroke lightly above your jawbones. These are the areas where you have natural shadows. After you complete this “three” motion, apply a little foundation on either side of your nose.

Use a blending brush to gently blend both the concealer and the foundation to create one, even look. It is always good to remember that a little goes a long way. You can always add more makeup, but it is more difficult to take off. When you first try contouring, begin with a lighter amount of concealer and foundation until you get the hang of it. You can always wet a makeup sponge to pick up some excess foundation.

When you apply bronzer, lightly trace the same pattern as you did with the foundation. Sometimes it helps to blow on your bronzing brush before applying to make sure to avoid any orange streaks. Apply your blush above your cheekbones so it lifts them. If you apply blush directly on your cheeks, you will end up with two red circles on the sides of your face. You want to draw in strokes and avoid making circles with your brush.