You may think that a perfect contour is all about how well you shade and blend, which is true, but the main factor that most women don’t always take into consideration is their face shape and how it affects the way in which they should contour.
In order to do this, you need to identify your face shape first.
Oval – The face is wider at the temples and narrows towards the chin. This face shape always has prominent cheekbones.
Long – The whole face is generally elongated, and gracefully narrows towards the chin.
Round – The face width and length are more or less the same, but is widest at the cheeks.
Square – Forehead, cheekbones and jawline are all basically the same width, and the jawline is commonly very bony.
Heart – Face is very narrow towards the chin, which is pointy for this face shape, and the forehead is slightly wide, but cheeks are wider than the hairline.
Diamond – The face is wider at the cheeks and narrow at the hairline, and is very angular/bony.
Contouring isn’t just about accentuating your cheekbones and jawlines; it is about shading and highlighting your way to achieve an ideal face shape.
Here is where you should be contouring/shading, and where you should be highlighting based on your face shape.
Oval
Where you should contour:
The sides of your forehead, just slightly, to make your hairline appear a little narrower
The area below your cheekbones
Where you should highlight:
Centre of forehead and chin
Under your eyes, above the cheekbones and along your brow bone
Long/Oblong
Where you should contour:
Along your hairline to create the illusion of a lower hairline
Under your chin to make your face appear a little rounder
Below your cheekbones starting from your ears and ending in the middle of your cheeks
Where you should highlight:
Under your eyes in an upside-down triangle and outwards to the area above the cheekbones
Round
Where you should contour:
On the sides of your forehead and along your temples to make this wider area appear narrow
The area below your cheekbones and then curving down to your jawline to lengthen your face
Where you should highlight:
In the middle of your forehead and the middle of your chin.
Under your eyes in an upside-down triangle shape
Square
Where you should contour:
Sides of your forehead to make your hairline appear narrower
Under your jawbone to make your jawline appear narrower
Below your cheekbones
Where you should highlight:
In the middle of your forehead and the middle of your chin
Under your eyes and along your brow bone
Heart
Where you should contour:
Sides of your forehead and temples to create balance between the wider upper half of your face and the narrower lower half.
Below your cheekbones from your ears to the centre of your cheeks
The small area right below your chin to soften the point
Where you should highlight
Under your eyes in an upside-down triangle shape, to brighten
Centre of your forehead and chin to help broaden any narrowness
Diamond
Where you should contour:
Below your cheekbones, starting from your ears and ending in the middle of your cheeks
Where you should highlight:
Under your eyes in an upside-down triangle shape, along your brow bone to brighten your eyes
The centre of your forehead and chin to help broaden these naturally narrow areas
BONUS TIP!
Always contour along your jawline, no matter what face shape you have; this creates the ideal look of a sharp jawline that we all desire.
So, there you have it, ladies. Make sure you always identify your face shape before you contour, so that you can always get it right and slay. And always remember to BLEND! Here’s to always creating perfect cheekbones and jawlines.
Remember to stay up to date with our #EnigmaMakeupTips.
By: Nada Motawe