5 easy steps to Contour & Highlight!

Contour and Highlight!!! The century old trend, revived by the Kountouring goddess Kim K, has been the biggest rave among beauty fanatics all around the world. These two artsy tricks magically enhance your cheek bones and create a flattering bone structure and movie lighting. But no matter how much the beauty gurus claim this trend to be a thing of 2016, the truth is many of us still struggle to achieve the desired chiseled face.

Contouring can have different levels for different looks, categorized into a neutral everyday face to a more glamorous look. The step by step tutorial I have described here concentrates on subtle side of it but with an addition of a beaming highlighter and smokey eyes, you can instantly transform yourself into a more alluring avatar.

Your perfect Contour & Highlight guide.

#Essentials you need

Makeup

Apart from your regular base products i.e. Primer, Foundation (same as your skin tone), Concealer and Face powders, you require

1.       Foundation: Two tones darker than your skin tone for contour.

I used the Maybelline’s V Face Duo Stick for contouring. It gives a perfect contour face and is apt for beginners. It comes as dual ended contour and highlight sticks with crèame to powder finish. The sticks blend amazingly and are smooth to work with. You can buy it here.

2.       Foundation/Face powder / Concealer: Two tones lighter for highlight.

You can either use a foundation, a face powder or a concealer to highlight the desired areas on your face. What product one uses has no set rules and anyone can use whatever suites them.

I used LA Girl Pro HD Concealer in shade Ivory, for highlighting the under eyes, chin, forehead and bridge of my nose, since I find concealers to be working in dual ways. First, it conceals all the blemishes and dark spots, second it highlights the under eyes well when used above foundation, without making the area patchy. Buy here.

3.     Glitter Highlight for glow. (optional)

The highlight stick from Maybelline’s V Face Duo Stick was used to achieve a subtle and healthy glow. However you can skip this step, if you don’t believe in blinding people with your shine.

Brushes

One requires the right brushes for the right blending, coz honey! If it’s not blended, it’s of no good.

I used Sigma Beauty’s 3DHD Kabuki Brush for foundation (Buy here) and F64 Soft Blend Concealer Brush for setting my base (Buy it here). The high quality fibers used in Sigma brushes ensures the right blending, giving a flawless end look.

Sigma 3DHD Kabuki Brush

F64 Soft Blended Concealer Brush

For Contour: F23 Soft Angled Contour Brush (buy here) for product application and F40 Large Angled Contour Brush (buy here) for blending.

F23 Soft Angled Contour Brush

F40 Soft Angled Contour Brush

For Highlight: 3DHD Kabuki Brush from Sigma gave me the perfect blended highlight areas. I simply love the versatility of this brush that can be used as a foundation, concealer and highlighting brush.

3DHD Kabuki Brush

#Contour it Baby

Map your face.

Step 1: Start with mapping your face with the darker foundation. Trace it through your temples. If you have a larger forehead, trace it straight into your hairline to minimize it. To bring out your cheekbones, suck your cheeks in. Right above the hollow part is where you place your pigment.

For nose, you can either go a little narrower on the tip or can extend your contour joining your brows to add length if you have a shorter one.

Step 2: With a damp brush or a beauty blender, blend the entire product on your face merging it into the foundation. While blending the product, remember to work your strokes in the direction of the product applied and limit your work area.

If you are blending it with a blender, dab it into smaller circular motions for an even blending.

Highlight the lifted parts.

Step 3: For highlighting, apply the concealer under your eyes in a triangle, on your nose bridge, brow bone and above your cupid bow. If you want to go a little crazy (like me) you can apply the concealer on the center of the forehead and chin.

Step 4: Blend in the product again with a damp brush or a beauty blender and smooth out any harsh lines.

Step 5: For a shimmer glow, apply pearlized highlighter with a Kabuki or Blush Brush from your temples to the tops of your cheekbones in a C Shape curve and over the tip of your nose.

#Collarbone Contour

Collarbone Contour

To contour the collarbones, push them little forward and apply the dark foundation above (in V shape) and underneath the collarbones and blend it well.

Collarbone Highlight

Repeat the process with your highlighter/concealer by placing it over the collarbone, just below the V shape line and blend again.

And Voila! You are all set to rock with your newly mastered art. Try it and let me know how it goes.

I sharp some parts of my face everyday and it really makes a difference! 

See it yourself.

Till next time,

Keep surprising people with those sharp jawlines and goddess like shine!😉

Much Love

Hina Rehan💜