The Art of Face Sculpting: Contouring and highlighting

Hello Gorgeous,

To be honest, contouring and highlighting is not the first thing you think about doing or adding to your make-up routine each morning, but it is a make-up trick I think every diva should know. 

So I've bin getting so many emails about this particular topic. Many of my readers want to know how to achieve the ultimate contouring and highlighting look. 

I am going to do the best I can to explain and show you what I mean.

But first,

What does contouring do???
Contouring changes the shape of the face and the look of your bone structure by darkening or casting shadows on specific areas.

To achieve this look use a matte contouring powder, a cream bronzer or a foundation one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone. 

My tool choice is a flat contouring brush or a fan brush.

A highlight does the opposite of the contour, as it brings out/enhances the places it is used on.

Below are a list of places I highlight and contour.

The Nose: 

To Contour: shade each side of the nose to make it appear thinner and elongated, and pointed. Using your finger to blend downward towards your check for better effects.

To Highlight: Apply your highlighting product down the centre of your nose, from the bridge to the tip.

The Lips:
To Highlight: this helps make lips appear fuller and more luscious, blend some highlighter into your cupid’s bow and right on the tip of your chin.

The Cheeks:

To Contour: shade underneath the cheekbones to give the appearance of more prominent bone structure.

(Tip: Hold a pencil from the top of your ear to the corner of the mouth and blend your contouring product in this angle).

To Highlight: Shade your chosen highlighter along the upper edges of your cheekbones. 

Apply a light concealer just underneath the eyes to give them extra prominence.

After all this I bet you have a lot of harsh lines and all...lol. dont panic ladies, now its time to blend, blend and blend some more!

Ideal Tool? the Beauty Blender

The Technique:

First Apply your foundation all over your face and neck but before any powder, dip your brush into the cream bronzer/darker foundation to load it up.

Swirl the brush on the back of your hand to take away some of the intensity.

Start at the middle of the top of your hairline and begin the letter E by tracing down to your temple.

Remember to suck in your cheeks to see exactly where your cheekbones are then continue the middle prong of the letter E by sweeping the brush from your temple to just underneath the cheekbone (to hollow it out).

Go back along the underside of your cheekbone to the ear then down to your jawline.

Finish the E by sweeping the brush just on and underneath the jawline. I like to also fill in the whole neck to really shade it!

Repeat on the other side

Now using your cream highlighter/lighter shade foundation, draw the letter C by holding the brush in the middle of your forehead just above your brow and outlining the eye all the way to your temple then down under your eye just above your cheekbone.

This will pull that area forward and really highlight your eyes.

Repeat on the other side.

Now take the dry blush brush and go back over the E’s and C’s in swirling motions to really blend it into the skin. You could also use a Beauty Blender sponge to blend.

Finish by grabbing the angled contour brush and going over the E with the bronzing powder and the C with the highlighting powder.

Almost every non-professional make-up lover struggles with the complexity and stress that comes with face sculpting so I wouldn't recommend this for an everyday look. 

I like to refer to this as my secret weapon. :)

so ladies, leave your secret weapon until that very special occasion. especially when you know you will be photographed alot.

List of products I love using:
Sleek contour kit (I love! comes in 3 shades).
Ben Nye Banana powder (awesome for highlighting)
BH Cosmetics 10 Colour Concealer palette
BH Cosmetics contour kit
Smashbox contour kit
I could go on and on, but I"ll let you do your research and discover what works best for you. :)

Below are different methods of face sculpting: