Contouring takes a lot of practice to get right. Experimenting with different shades, formulas and areas of your face can be enough to make you crazy—you will almost always make mistakes along the way. But, that’s where pros can help. Read on to see what top makeup artists say are the most common contouring mistakes women make and how you can avoid them to perfect your look once and for all.
“One of the big mistakes women often make with contouring is that they use a shade that is too dark, which looks dirty on their skin rather than looking like shading or shaping of their face,” saysSusan Posnick, makeup artist and founder of Susan Posnick Cosmetics. “Subtlety is the key.” If you’re a beginner, startwith only a shade or two darker than your own skin tone and see how it works. You may work up to three shades darker than your skin, which is generally what makeup artists use.
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Assuming their entire face needs to be contoured.
“Not every nose, forehead, chin and temple need a dose of contour,” saysMehronmakeup artistStephanie Klasse.“Most of what is represented as contouring examples will have the most impact and look their best ONLY in a photograph. In person, they DO NOT look the same. If a nose, or entire face for that matter, is improperly contoured, it will look very strange. Start with the basics and give your cheekbones a boost with a hint of contour before blush is applied. Try using a cool-toned powder foundation instead of a cream foundation and finish with a dab of cream blush on the apples of your cheeks.”
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Overdoing it.
“Overdoing your contouring can age you,” says celebrity makeup artist Mary Wiles. “As we age, we naturally loose the plumpness in our cheeks. Look at your face and judge if and where you really need contouring—it’s not for everyone! If you have a long face, you can contour your forehead and temples; if you have a square face, you can contour along your jaw to soften; and if your face is more round, you can do it under your cheekbones and on your chin. I personallylove Burberry Cream Contour Sticks for precision, and Lancôme blush palettes (pictured) have great shades if I prefer to use powder.”
Expert tip: Wiles says to apply gently. “It’s always easier to add than take away.”
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Not knowing the “over/under foundation” rule.
Posnick says to contour your cheekbones, jawline, temples and sides of your nose, use a shade that is three shades deeper than your foundation shade and apply it UNDER your foundation. “The contouring will look the most natural and subtle that way,” she adds. “I suggest using theSusan Posnick ColorCorrectpencil in shade #3 for light to medium skin tones and shade #4 for darker skin tones. Both pencils provide two different shades that can be used alone or blended together.You can blend them in with your fingertips, but I prefer using a softly angled brush for more precise application.”
For natural-looking contour OVER your foundation, Posnick says to touch up with ColorCorrect or a powder shadow that is two shades deeper than your skin tone. “And when it comes to cheek contouring over foundation, I often like to use a deep mulberry or scarlet shade so that the color can be blended into the cheek with a softly angled brush to look more natural.”
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Getting crazy with bronzer.
According to Klasse, bronzer works in a very limited capacity for contouring purposes. “I love bronzer as much as the next girl, but ifit is shimmery or warm, keep it out of your contouring arsenal. A product used to contour has to be able to mimic a shadow that structural depth would create. Warm, glistening, terracotta bronzers aren’t going to achieve this trick; they will only leave you looking like you have a dirty face. If you choose to use bronzer to contour, make sure it is more neutral and totally matte (yes, they are out there). Use a slim, firm, angled or pointed blush/powder brush to lightly sweep the bronzer under your cheekbones starting a two to three inches off your hairline and then blend out and up and then down toward (but not all of the way to) the outer corner of your mouth, always following the natural structure of your cheekbones. Always remember to use a light hand.”
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Ignoring the highlight.
Balance is very important when contouring. “The purpose of contouring on a professional level is to bring symmetry, dimension and balance to the face,” Klasse explains. “It is not meant to try and create an entirely new face. If you are only focusing on the contour and not balancing it out with a highlight, you are not finishing the process and you may end up looking unbalanced. Whether you are going full-on contour or a light and natural sculpt, make sure you are off-setting the depth created with a highlight at the top of your cheekbone and a little down the center of your nose. This can be achieved with a foundation a couple of shades lighter than your skin or at the very end of the makeup process with a dusting of a shimmery highlight powder.”This 12-shade MehronCelebre Pro-HD Cream-Contour & Highlight Palette gives you everything you need to create a naturally contoured look.
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“One of the big mistakes women often make with contouring is that they use a shade that is too dark, which looks dirty on their skin rather than looking like shading or shaping of their face,” says Susan Posnick, makeup artist and founder of Susan Posnick Cosmetics.
Everyone's face is completely different, therefore contouring and highlighting is not a 'one size fits all'. My job as a makeup artist allows me to work on soooo many different shaped faces. One thing I do always contour are the cheek bones BUT it's always tailored to the face shape.
Mistake: You chose the wrong texture for your skin type
Tap your brush before applying the contour, making sure you don't have too much product to apply on your face. Also, depending on your skin type, do consider using powder contour if you have combination to oily skin and use creamy textures for normal and dry.”
Not blending a contour well is the biggest mistake you can make when using the technique. Make sure you use the right contouring colour for your skin tone. Applying a shade that is very light will make the contour irrelevant, while one that is too dark will give a very harsh effect.
Focus on applying the most amount of product at the centre of your face and then blend it out to the perimetre. This will help create an illusion of a lifted look without contouring.
If you go too dark with contour or too light with highlighter, you'll be left with visible lines and streaks, which are the exact opposite of the subtle chiseled effect you're going for to add definition as you age.
When contouring, you can use a product designed specifically for this task, or you can use concealer. No matter what type of product you decide to use, you should only go one or two shades darker than your complexion. Otherwise, your look will appear unnatural.
2023 is all about simple, natural, skinimal makeup and skincare routines. Leave the heavy, time-consuming contouring in the past. This timeless classic makeup trend will never fully go out of style, but this year is expected to give way to more creative versions.
Powder contour is best for beginners, because it is easy to blend and to build along with your other makeup products. While powder is the most familiar, cream does have a learning curve.
a. Contour fail to represent a few of the heights due to the limitation of the vertical interval. b. Some of the landforms cannot be represented by utilizing contours—for example, coral reefs, outcrop rocks, and craters.
Lastly, apply a highlighter with a light hand to your highlight points and you are done. This is one of the easiest and most quick ways to get dimension to your face without harsh contours. This will feel much lighter on the skin, look less heavy and cakey and is summer proof!
Do you contour before or after foundation? Contouring makeup is usually applied after foundation and concealer. Cream, liquid, and stick contours can be applied directly on top of foundation and then blended out for a seamless finish.
If you prefer, you can also use a cream or liquid foundation as contour. You'll want to pick a darker shade than what you normally use to create a flawless finish, though. A good rule of thumb is that your contour shade should be about two shades darker than your natural skin tone.
If you're not sure which one you have, take a straight-on selfie with your hair pulled back so you can get a clear view of the outlines of your face. Take a closer look at your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline. The length and width of each will help you determine your face shape.
Choosing the Right Contour Shade for Your Skin Tone
If you have fair skin, it's best to avoid anything with orange in it; for medium skin, go more bronze in color, and for dark skin tones, you can play with powders that have deeper shades.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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