How to perfect your contouring technique? - Purplle

Over the past few years, the makeup industry has made significant changes in the way makeup was perceived and is applied. What was once thought of as an accessory to aid film stars and fashion models is now being used widely by every woman out there. Due to this change, makeup has now become a sector where new techniques are concocted every so often. One of these new technique in the domain of beauty and makeup is contouring, which is a method used to achieve a red-carpet look.

What is Contouring? 

Contouring is a makeup technique that uses cosmetics to define, enhance and sculpt the structure of one’s face. The whole idea behind this is to accentuate the curves and the deep indent of one’s face, like the jaw line, nose bridge and cheekbones, in order to give an appearance of a sharp-looking chiselled face. Makeup artists and beauty influencers across the world have sworn on makeup contouring as it gives definition to the face, by adding the combination of shadows and highlights, in order to bring out the desired look. But no matter how hard one tries, contouring always ends up looking a little over the top. 

So, we have made a list of how you can achieve the best contour. 

1. Choose the right contour

Contouring means choosing a slightly darker shade and chiselling the face with it. But be aware, the contour shade should not be too dark. The goal is to give your face some structure, not make it appear like it has a tan. Usually, going a shade or two above your foundation shade is highly recommended while choosing the contour. 

2. Curve the contour up and under the cheeks

Once you have a straight line underneath your cheekbones joining from the ears to the apple of your cheeks, curve your brush slightly underneath them and stop just near the corners of your mouth. This will be a great way to emphasize your smile and smile lines in a pretty natural manner. 

3. Customize your technique based on your face shape

Everyone has a different face structure and while you may find lots of online videos on how to learn the perfect contouring techniques, no one can show you the perfect way to contour your face. This will take a couple of trials and errors, but you can learn what part of contouring works best for your face and once you ace that, you are set! 

4. Blend till the end

Contouring doesn’t work, if it’s not blended with your whole makeup. So, keep blending until you have perfectly mixed your contour with the rest of your base and also given a dimension to your make up. If you have picked up too much product, take some foundation on a makeup sponge and dab it across your contour lines to lessen the effect. Remember, in makeup, less is more. So, start with a little product and build it up and blend as you go. 

5. Sculpt your face with a concealer

Contouring is a game where one plays with shadows and highlights. So, if you want to add definition to your face, you also need to make sure some areas are more visible than others. This is where a concealer comes into play. For face contouring, use a double-sided concealer stick and draw quick lines along your cheekbones, the sides of your nose, and on your temples to make them look more defined. 

6. Don’t mix your creams and powders

The best contour products are either in a cream format or in a powder form. But use either a cream contour or a powdered one. Complete your base with foundation and concealer and decide which contour you want to go with. Remember, don’t mix both types of concealers ever and use only one type for the whole face. This won’t cause unnecessary streaks on your face and your makeup won’t look cakey. 

7. Finish off with a blush and highlighter

Contour makeup is incomplete without the touch of blush, since it always adds a little something to your look. For highlighters, use two shades. Dust your cheeks and cupid’s brow with a rose gold shimmer and add some nice pearly shade to your nose. This will definitely make your contouring appear good. 

How to Contour?

This a question a lot of us have. We all want to look as sharp and chic as some of our favourite celebrities. With these hacks, you can now definitely aim to look as good as some of them. Also, if you are looking to buy some cosmetics, go to Purplle.com and shop from a wide variety of products. 

Read More:

- Your 5-minute quick work from home makeup guide!
- 15 best Sweat-proof makeup products to buy in summer
- Do Makeup Setting Sprays work?