How To Create The Perfect Contour by Chelsea Michelle
I've been growing my professional makeup career for about 2 years now.
I never was into makeup in the past... I had a bad taste in my mouth because of the bright blues and reds I had to wear for my high school drill team. Still, I was always jealous of those women whose makeup looked flawless and beautiful. I wanted to know how in the world they could be so talented with something that was so scary to me.
When I first got started, my biggest fear was contouring. Contouring is a technique used to sculpt, enhance and define different areas of your facial structure. Sounds like you need a degree or train with Michelangelo, right? Many makeup lovers use this to play down the size of their nose, accentuate their cheekbones, plump their lips, and so much more.
We could get into a super in-depth discussion about different face shapes and how to contour specifically to your own shape however I believe these simple tips will work for anyone willing to give it a try!
How to Contour
Find the product you want to contour with. There is no one product you must use! Powder, cream to powder, eyeshadow, bronzer, etc. You just want the color to be 2-3 shades darker than your natural skin color.
Find the hollows of your cheeks. I do this by putting my pointer finger on my temples at my hairline, slowly slide your finger downwards, over your cheekbones and you should feel the dip under your cheekbones. This is the hollow part you want to start your contour.
Grab your brush! I have used everything from a thin contouring brush, blush brush, and even my fingers depending on the product I am contouring with. My advice is to use a brush that fits in the hollow of your cheeks. Too big will spread the contouring color too far around and too small...you get it.
Apply! You can apply the product to your face directly and use the brush to blend or apply the product using the brush. The trick here is to start at your hairline and blend slightly downwards, following the direction of your cheek bone towards your upper lip. Do not blend all the way to your lips (that would be a bit much). Stop about 3/4th of the way to your lips.
Bonus. Using a very thin brush, rub your contouring product just under your bottom lip line. You want it to touch the very edge of your lip (no gap). This immediately gives your bottom lip a plumper look.
Pro Tip: Blend the contour at your hairline down to your chin and around the base of your jawline for a more defined jaw.
I really hope you all give this technique a try! If at first, you think “OMG this isn’t working!” I urge you to try again. Practice makes perfect! I also offer one-on-one consultations to help you identify your face shape, color matching and makeovers. I would love to hear from you!
Hi! I’m Chelsea
Chelsea is an aspiring makeup artist and business owner based in Melissa, TX. Chelsea focuses on highlighting the natural beauty in each of her clients through customized beauty profiles and makeovers!