How To Contour Your Face

Contouring products typically come in either powder or cream formulas. Makeup artist Vincent Oquendo says that either version can work well, depending on what effect you’re going for. “If you want a stronger contour, use a cream since they tend to give you more of a punch of color,” he suggests. “What I tend to do on my clients is use a cream contour and then set it with a powder contour or bronzer.” Adding a layer of powder (try Make Up Forever Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation) can give the color more dimension and also locks it in place so your artful application doesn’t pull a disappearing act mid-party.

Oquendo is a fan of the Kevyn Aucoin Liquid Contour Wand, a clickable brush that makes contour easy to apply and blend and comes in three shade options including a deep version that works well for darker complexions. “A lot of times for ebony tones we’re forced to use darker foundation to make a contour, which is always an option, but a true contour product is a little more taupe-y, and that really imitates a natural shadow.”

Kevyn Aucoin Liquid Contour Wand, $48, nordstrom.com.

SHOP

Another consideration when picking out your ideal contour shade is the finish. “You want to use dark, matte shades on areas you want to recede and absorb light, such as the sides of the nose and pockets of the cheeks,” explains makeup artist Linda Hay, so look for versions with little to no shimmer to best mimic a natural shadow (we like Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector for a powder and & Other Stories Face Contour Cream if cream is more your speed).

Can’t abandon your beloved shimmering bronzer? Oquendo recommends subbing it in in place of your usual blush for a warm beach-goddess effect.

Under the cheeks is a must-hit contour spot, but if you’re a little iffy on placement for your other shading, Oquendo suggests looking at yourself in the noon sun (or under a good overhead light) to see where the shadows fall: “That’s your natural roadmap,” he says. “Push those natural contours. Wherever those shadows are, just push a little more intensity.”

And don’t forget, the light that hits you when you’re sitting in front of your mirror may not be what’s going to illuminate your face all day long – the more dramatic the contrast you apply, the less adaptable it will be to changing light.

If you’re going for a lighter look, you can safely skip over the midtone makeup and let your base and a good blending job do the talking. If you want to go all out, grab a shade that’s slightly lighter than your contour and darker than your natural skintone to act as subtler shadow. “I sweep the medium color over the tops of the apples and into the hollows of the cheeks, feathering it away toward the corner of the mouth. I also go around the hair line and under the jawline to define the face, and make it more three-dimensional,” says Hay.

For the ultimate in bone structure spotlighting, a third, lighter color will really draw the eye to key locations. Opt for a matte shade that’s just a fraction lighter than your skin. “I use the lightest color on top of the cheekbones then swoop it underneath the eyes and gently on top of the brow bone,” says Hay. “You can also do the bridge of the nose and just the top of the chin in a small circle to bring the face forward.”

Picking out three perfect shades to suit your skintone (not to mention keeping up with them in your makeup bag) can be intimidating, but a contour kit can make your life much easier.

“I like contouring kits, since they have all the shades you need right there,” says Hay. “Some, like Smashbox’s Step-By-Step, have application instructions inside, too.” If you’re more of a mix-and-match type, try the Kat Von D Shade + Light Face Contour palette or the Benefit Cosmetics Cheek Parade (both get Oquendo’s thumbs up) for maximum color control.

To keep your contour job from skewing doll-faced, a dash of highlighter can bring everything back to Earth. Look for one with subtle shimmer, not a mega-metallic sheen.

“I absolutely love highlighter,” says Oquendo. His go-tos? Powder formulas like Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Powder and Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow Face Sculpt & Highlight which can provide a diffused, candle-lit effect. “I like to finish the cheeks off with that,” he explains. Other favorites include Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up Cream-to-Powder Highlighter and Iconic London Illuminator which can give targeted highlights to your show-off spots (think: cheekbones, brows, chin, collarbones.)

One thing that can tip your contour job from just-enough to too-much is overdoing the rest of your look. Both artists approve of a smidge of blush to warm up the face, just do it with a light hand if you’re trying to avoid a capital-L Look. “If you do it really softly it can be very flattering,” Oquendo says. He likes a cherry red shade (try Sephora Collection Colorful Face Powder in Oh My Gosh Red) while Hay favors the peachy pink of the classic Nars Blush in Orgasm.

For eyes, instead of pulling out your usual shadow palette, try embracing the neutral shades you’re already working with. “I almost always sweep the color that I use as my contour onto the eye,” says Oquendo. “They’re gorgeous around the eyes, and you get multiple uses out of your product.”