Professional makeup artists have been using contouring and highlighting for many years. When you contour, you have the ability to add more dimension to your face by adding shadows and highlights, playing up your cheekbones and even reshaping your nose. It can be so effective that contouring is often the secret “glam” factor in the gorgeous red-carpet looks of many models and actresses. And YES… you can do it too!
1. Choosing the Right Colour
Choose a bronzer a couple shades darker than your natural skin tone. Stick with a matte bronzer, as opposed to one with shimmer, since it should create depth and sculpt the face.
2. Find Your Contour
Apply bronzer along the hollows of your cheeks (the best way to find the right spot for application is to make “fish lips”). Follow the line in a crescent shape — be sure it’s somewhat parallel to the jaw line and reaches up to the hairline.
3. Sweep on Blush
Using a round blush brush, apply blush to the apples of your cheeks and back toward the temples. This area should be right above the bronzer application to ensure a seamless blend.
4. Blend
Once you have the blush in place, use the blush brush to blend the bronzer and blush together using a circular buffing motion. This step is important, as you don’t want obvious lines across your face where one ends and the other begins.