Contouring and Highlighting

While working with makeup, it's important to apply generous amounts while still looking natural. There's an endless amount of products and brands to work with. Today I'll teach you how to highlight your face using highlighter, and contour your face using bronzer, and foundation 3 shades darker than your natural skin tone.

First we'll focus on how to contour. After completing your usual foundation routine, your face may lack dimension. "Contouring: This can bring out cheekbones, create a more defined chin, and streamline your nose." (Conrad 142). I used my favorite Too Faced bronzer in the shade light/medium, and used the FIT ME foundation 3 shades darker than the foundation I usually use.

Following the directions in the book I sucked in my cheeks to find where my cheekbones are located(Conrad 91). I used my angled foundation brush to apply a dark foundation across the hollows of my cheeks following along my hairline up to the top of my forehead. After my liquid foundation was blended, I took a different angled brush and applied a powder bronzer the same place I did liquid, while also applying it along the sides on my nose, and lightly under my jawline.

As you can see before contouring there was no dimension to face and it was all one color. After I contoured you can see my nose is more narrow, my cheekbones and jawline are more defined, and my forehead isn't as white.


After you've contoured, if you choose you can highlight your face. Highlighting "brightens up eyes, makes your cheeks pop, and helps define your upper lip area. Some highlighters add just a hint of brightness while others bring an appealing shimmer to your face." (Conrad 142). The book didn't specify what tools to use when working with highlighter so I chose to work with a beauty blender when using my High Beam by Benefit liquid highlighter, and an angled brush when working with the Becca powder highlighter in shade opal.

 

After I applied highlighter to my cheeks, nose, forehead, and upper lip you can tell that my skin is more bright and has a dewy fresh affect. Highlighting is like painting when applying the principal that adding reflective light areas makes something look closer. (Conrad 142)

In conclusion, contouring and highlighting are often skipped yet can cause a huge difference in your facial structure. Contouring and highlighting helps to downplay and accentuate your features as you choose to apply different amounts of bronzer and highlighter. Contouring and highlighting is a subtle way to add color and dimension to your face.


Question: How long does it generally take you to apply your makeup?


Book Citation: Conrad, Lauren, and Elise Loehnen. Lauren Conrad Beauty. New York: HarperCollins, 2012. Print.