How to Contour for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learning how to contour is the ultimate beauty hack for sculpting, defining, and completely transforming the shape of your face. For beginners, the world of contouring can feel incredibly intimidating. We have all seen viral internet videos of people drawing harsh, dark lines all over their faces, only to blend them away into a flawless, chiseled masterpiece. But if you try to replicate that without the right technique, you can easily end up looking muddy, dirty, or simply unnatural.

The secret to mastering how to contour is understanding that it is essentially an optical illusion. By using shadows (dark tones) and highlights (light tones), you can manipulate the way light hits your face, making your nose look slimmer, your cheekbones look higher, and your jawline look sharper. Whether you want a dramatic, sculpted look or just a soft, everyday definition, contouring is a skill anyone can learn. If you are looking for visual inspiration for your makeup, be sure to explore our Pinterest boards. In this comprehensive step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the exact process of contouring flawlessly, just like a professional makeup artist.

What is Contouring and Why Do We Do It?

Before diving into the application process, it is important to understand what contouring actually is. Contouring is the art of using matte, cool-toned powders or creams that mimic the natural shadows of your face. When you apply a shade slightly darker than your skin tone to the areas you want to push back or minimize (like the hollows of your cheeks or the sides of your nose), it creates the illusion of depth.

Conversely, highlighting uses lighter, luminous tones on the areas you want to pull forward and emphasize (like the tops of your cheekbones and the bridge of your nose). Together, contour and highlight create a three-dimensional, sculpted effect on a flat canvas. Before you even think about contouring, it is essential to have a smooth, well-prepped base. If you struggle with skin texture or dullness, you should first read our glass skin makeup tutorial for beginners to ensure your foundation is flawless before you start sculpting.

What You Need to Contour

Having the right tools and products is half the battle when learning how to contour. Using the wrong shade or the wrong brush can completely ruin the look. Here is what you need:

• Contour Product: For beginners, a matte powder is the easiest to use because it is buildable and forgiving. Stay away from bronzers! Bronzers are warm and orange-toned, meant to mimic a sun-tan. Contour should be cool-toned (slightly grey or taupe) to mimic a real shadow.
• Highlighter: A lighter powder or liquid highlighter for the high points of your face.
• Contour Brush: You need a densely packed, angled brush. The angle fits perfectly into the hollows of your cheeks and along the jawline.
• A Fluffy Blending Brush: A large, soft brush to blend everything out seamlessly.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Contour

Ready to sculpt your face? Follow these six easy steps for a flawless, natural-looking contour.

Step 1: Find Your Cheekbones

This is the most crucial step in learning how to contour. Suck your cheeks in like a fish face. Feel for the hollow area right beneath your cheekbone. This sunken-in area is exactly where your contour should go. Place your angled brush at the top of your ear, and sweep it diagonally down toward the corner of your mouth. Stop about two fingers away from your mouth to avoid looking like a drag queen. The key is to keep the line concentrated near your ear and fade it out as it reaches your cheek.

Step 2: Sculpt the Jawline

To define your jawline and make your face look slimmer, apply the contour powder directly along the underside of your jawbone. Blend it downward into your neck. This creates a sharp shadow that separates your face from your neck, making the jawline look incredibly sharp and chiseled.

3. Define the Nose

Contouring the nose is the easiest way to make it look slimmer and straighter. Take a small, precise eyeshadow brush. Draw two parallel lines down the sides of your nose, starting from the inner corner of your eyebrow down to the tip of your nostril. Keep these lines very close together. Then, take your fluffy blending brush and blend them out vigorously. The goal is to soften the lines completely so only a subtle shadow remains. If you want more makeup hacks like this, be sure to check out our makeup tips for beginners guide.

Step 4: Frame the Forehead

To make your forehead appear smaller or to soften a prominent hairline, apply contour along the top of your forehead, right at the hairline. This pushes the hairline back visually. If you have a wider forehead, you can also apply a tiny bit of contour to the temples. This creates a beautiful oval shape and adds warmth to the perimeter of your face.

Step 5: Blend, Blend, Blend!

This is where most beginners fail. Contour should look like a natural shadow, not a visible, harsh line. Take your large, fluffy blending brush and sweep it back and forth over the contour lines. Use circular motions to buff the edges into your foundation. If you applied cream contour, use a damp beauty sponge and bounce it to melt the product into the skin. If you are following a minimalist makeup routine, a light blend is all you need for a subtle effect.

Step 6: Highlight the High Points

Now that you have created shadows, you need to bring the light back to the high points of your face. Apply your highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones (right above the contour line), down the bridge of your nose, on your cupid’s bow, and on the center of your chin. The contrast between the dark contour and the light highlighter is what creates the 3D, sculpted effect.

How to Contour Different Face Shapes

The beauty of contouring is that it is not one-size-fits-all. The way you apply your contour should be tailored to your unique face shape.

• Oval Face: Oval faces are naturally balanced. You can contour the hollows of your cheeks and along the hairline for a simple, everyday definition.
• Round Face: The goal is to add length and angles. Apply contour to the temples, the hollows of the cheeks, and right under the jawline. This creates the illusion of a sharper, more structured bone structure.
• Square Face: To soften a strong, angular jawline, apply contour to the corners of your forehead and the corners of your jaw. Blend well to round out the sharp edges.
• Heart Face: To balance a wider forehead and a pointed chin, apply contour along the temples and the sides of the lower chin.

Common Contour Mistakes to Avoid

Even with a step-by-step guide, mistakes happen. Here are a few common pitfalls to avoid when practicing how to contour:

• Using Bronzer Instead of Contour: Bronzer is warm and orange; contour is cool and grey. Using bronzer will give you a sun-kissed look, not a sculpted shadow.
• Contouring Too Low on the Cheek: If you apply contour below the hollow of your cheek, it drags your face down. Keep it high and concentrated near your ear.
• Using Too Much Product: Always tap off the excess powder from your brush before applying. You can always build up the intensity, but removing heavy contour is difficult without ruining your foundation.
• Forgetting to Blend the Neck: If you contour your jawline, ensure you blend it down into your neck. A harsh line between your face and neck looks unnatural and messy.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the basic rule of contouring?

The basic rule of contouring is to apply a cool-toned, matte powder or cream that is one to two shades darker than your skin tone to the areas you want to recede (like the hollows of the cheeks, jawline, and sides of the nose). Then, apply a lighter highlighter to the areas you want to bring forward (like the tops of the cheekbones).

2. Should I contour before or after foundation?

Contouring should always be done after you have applied your foundation and concealer. Contouring is a sculpting step that goes on top of your base. If you contour before foundation, you will simply wipe away all your hard work when you blend your foundation out.

3. What is the difference between contour and bronzer?

Contour is cool-toned (slightly grey or taupe) and matte. It is designed to mimic natural shadows and sculpt the face. Bronzer is warm-toned (orange or brown) and is designed to mimic a sun-kissed tan. Bronzer is applied where the sun naturally hits the face, while contour is applied to the shadows.

4. Is cream or powder contour better for beginners?

Powder contour is generally better for beginners. It is highly buildable, meaning you can apply a little bit at a time without going overboard. It is also easier to blend and fix if you make a mistake. Cream contour is more intense and requires a bit more skill to blend seamlessly.

5. Can contouring make my nose look smaller?

Yes, contouring is a fantastic way to make your nose look slimmer and straighter. By drawing two parallel lines down the sides of your nose with a contour powder and blending them out, you create the illusion of a narrower bridge. Adding a highlighter down the center of the nose enhances the effect.

Conclusion

Mastering how to contour is a transformative skill that can completely elevate your makeup game. While it may feel intimidating at first, understanding that contouring is simply the art of creating light and shadow makes the process approachable. Remember to choose a cool-toned product, invest in a good angled brush, and take your time blending. Whether you want to slim your nose, define your jawline, or heighten your cheekbones, the power is in your hands. Practice these steps, avoid the common mistakes, and enjoy the stunning, sculpted results of a beautifully contoured face!