What's the secret to Kim Kardashian's prominent cheekbones, Keira Knightley's defined jawline and Michelle Williams' dainty nose? It's not all genetics. With the flick of a brush, celebrity makeup artists can sculpt cheekbones, redefine a jawline and shrink or enlarge features. That's right, we're talking about the life-changing magic of a good contour brush.
However, if you've ever followed along with a contour YouTube tutorial, you know that the strong stripes of bronzer and highlighter that work for a photo shoot or red carpet event look downright freakish at the grocery store or dinner table. The trick to good contour, says LA-based makeup artist Lana Krizki, is following your features: You have to use the right contouring techniques for your specific face shape.
Krizki says the goal with contouring is to both define features, like cheekbones, but also to get the face closer to a balanced oval face shape, which is considered ideal (if you have an oval face, you're already halfway there). That's why she showed us exactly how to contour five different face shapes: oval, round, square, heart and oblong.
Contouring consists of shading, which makes an area of skin recede from view, and highlighting, which creates the illusion of bringing a feature forward. Where you put the shading and highlights depends on your features and face shape.
Consider this your face-contouring-made-simple guide: Just find your face shape, follow our step-by-step instructions, and be prepared for your friends and family to wonder if you've had work done. We'll leave it up to you whether to reveal your secret or not.
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Face Shape: Heart
Heart-shaped faces usually have prominent cheekbones and chins (Reese Witherspoon is the classic example), so Krizki says it's important not to over-contour, which will make your face look pointier.
Step 1: Start by using a foundation brush to apply primer to your face, which Krizki says will give you a softer, more natural finish.
Step 2: Using a contouring product that's one to two shades darker than your natural skin tone, like a stick or cream foundation, apply product right under your cheekbones and on your temples. Tip: In order to figure out where you need to contour beneath your cheekbones, just find your tragus (the central part of your ear) and blend downwards from that point, at an angle.
Step 3: Apply the contouring shade along the sides of your nose, under the tip of your nose and in the crease of your eyelid. Use your fingers to apply. The warmth from your hands will warm the product and allow it to glide on smoothly.
Step 4: Apply a highlighting product or a foundation a shade or two lighter than your skin tone to the bridge of your nose, just above your cheekbones, your chin (to make it look a little more round), right above your lips (to make them look more full) and along your jawline.
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Contouring for Heart-Shape Faces
Step 5: Blend the darkest parts of your face first. You can use your fingers or apply primer to your brush before blending for a dewy finish. Blend downward from your ear toward your jawline, then blend downward on your nose and temples.
Step 6: Apply highlighter on your lids to lift your eyes and brows. Then apply white eyeliner on your lower rim to open and brighten your eyes. This is a handy trick if you're short on zzz's and need to look more awake. Smudge under your lower lid with your contouring shade to finish your eyes.
Step 7: To finish, dust blush across the apples of your cheeks for some color.
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Face Shape: Oval
If you have an oval face like the contour queen herself, Kim K., you don't really need to "correct" anything, Krizki says. But you can bring out your cheekbones and slim other features (the nose, for example).
Step 1: Apply contouring product under your cheekbones. Tip: When shading outward, do not go further than the outer edge of your brow.
Step 2: Put contouring product down the sides of your nose and streak highlighter down the middle (use the same techniques as the heart-shaped face). If you have a long nose and want to make it look shorter, only apply highlighter at the bridge of your nose, not all the way down.
Step 3: Apply highlighter to the following areas: above your lips, above your cheekbones, on your eyelids.
Step 4: Apply blush to the apples of your cheeks (in between the contouring and highlighting stripes).
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Contouring for Oval Faces
Step 5: Finish by blending all the stripes of highlighter and contouring product so there are no telltale lines.
Step 6: Smudge the contouring product underneath your eyes, along the lower outer rim. Line the lower inner rim with white eyeliner to make your eyes stand out.
What's the secret to Kim Kardashian's prominent cheekbones, Keira Knightley's defined jawline and Michelle Williams' dainty nose? It's not all genetics. With the flick of a brush, celebrity makeup artists can sculpt cheekbones, redefine a jawline and shrink or enlarge features. That's right, we're talking about the life-changing magic of a good contour brush.
However, if you've ever followed along with a contour YouTube tutorial, you know that the strong stripes of bronzer and highlighter that work for a photo shoot or red carpet event look downright freakish at the grocery store or dinner table. The trick to good contour, says LA-based makeup artist Lana Krizki, is following your features: You have to use the right contouring techniques for your specific face shape.
Krizki says the goal with contouring is to both define features, like cheekbones, but also to get the face closer to a balanced oval face shape, which is considered ideal (if you have an oval face, you're already halfway there). That's why she showed us exactly how to contour five different face shapes: oval, round, square, heart and oblong.
Contouring consists of shading, which makes an area of skin recede from view, and highlighting, which creates the illusion of bringing a feature forward. Where you put the shading and highlights depends on your features and face shape.
Consider this your face-contouring-made-simple guide: Just find your face shape, follow our step-by-step instructions, and be prepared for your friends and family to wonder if you've had work done. We'll leave it up to you whether to reveal your secret or not.
