A beginner’s guide to contouring and highlighting makeup
Would you like to have perfect lighting following you around? How about looking like a model in every photo? Many of us think that the perfect face is only attainable with plastic surgery and/or a full glam squad in tow, but we have a secret: highlighting and contouring. The mysterious magic that gives every celebrity fabulous bone structure is actually an attainable trick that brings out your best features while diminishing your least favorite. That makes it a fundamental technique for makeup novices and experts alike, whether you favor the no-makeup look or go for a more glammed-up face.
Ready to make some magic? Let’s look at the two golden rules that are the best ways to contour and highlight the face: coloration and location.
Coloration: choosing the right shade & shimmer
• Start by pinpointing the undertone of your skin, which will be either warm, cool or neutral.
• Next, make sure the shade you choose is only one shade lighter than your natural color for highlighting and one shade darker for contouring. A good rule of thumb is to keep your contour color slightly ashy so that it looks like a natural shadow (unless you’re very warm-colored to begin with). On the other side, a too-light highlighter can end up looking chalky, so keep your highlighter warmer and yellow-toned to get that “lit from within” look.
• The last thing to check for is the level of shimmer, which you’re more likely to see in highlighters than in contouring makeup. The more shimmer in a cosmetic, the more unnatural it’ll look. Go for a soft glow rather than a sparkle effect in both products.
As with a lot of cosmetics, contouring and highlighting makeup is available as both a cream and a powder. In general, cream formulations are better for drier skin, while powder works better for oily skin. Regardless of which you choose, use the same formulation for contouring and highlighting so it’s easy to blend them together.
Two cream formulations to try:
• Maybelline Face Studio Master Glaze Glisten Blush Stick in Plums Up
• L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Professional Magic Lumi Highlighter
Three powder formulations to try:
• e.l.f. Blush Palette, Light
• Maybelline New York Facestudio Master Contour Palette
• Wet n Wild Icon Contouring Palette, Dulce de Leche
