Made famous by celebs such as the Kardashians, the act of contouring your face has become a growing trend in the beauty industry. Contouring palettes include a small spectrum of light and dark pigments. The latter makes features look smaller, while the former makes areas stand out, creating facial optical illusions. These include making your face look slimmer and your cheekbones more pronounced. You can even give yourself a temporary nose job! If you’re new to the world of contouring, follow these four tips to achieve the best look you can get.
1. Be aware of your skin type
Contouring palettes come in a variety of textures, ranging from creams to powders. If your skin is on the oiler side, opt for powder palettes. However, use cream-based palettes if your skin is normal or on the dryer side.
2. Don’t go too dark
This is especially true if you’re still a newbie. Opt for a colour that is only a shade or two darker than your own. The more professional you get at contouring, the darker you can go.
3. Pick only a few features
More times than not, you don’t actually need to have your whole face contoured. Pick only a few features to contour in order to achieve a more natural look. When applying the different shades, be sure to apply sparingly especially if you’re a beginner. Less really is more.
4. Apply where shadows form naturally
Don’t try and create new creases in your face. These are typically the four places on the face that are contoured: down the length of the nose, along bottom of your jawline, along the top of your head just before the hairline and directly under the cheekbones.
With thanks to Nada Ramadan.