Contouring represents a makeup technique that helps you shade areas you would like to define or reshape. These areas are usually your nose, forehead, chin, and cheekbones. When you use contour, you need to take into account two things: your skin tone and your face shape.
Back in the day, we focused on contouring makeup, asking ourselves whether it was worth the trouble. Time proved that contouring, if done right, is effective in making you look stunning. This makeup process is as popular today as ever, but one can get lost among dozens of tutorials and guidelines detailing the techniques. Today we will look at things from a different perspective: the contour face chart. We will show you how to contour depending on your face shape.
Contouring and Highlighting in a Nutshell
Highlight and contouring go together like a horse and carriage to quote a famous jingle of an equally famous TV show. But which one is which?
- Contouring: means using a matte powder, cream, or pencil product that’s two shades darker than your skin tone to shade some of your face areas in order to define them.
- Highlighting (Strobing): offsets contouring by accentuating areas of your face with light concealer (two shades lighter than your skin tone) or any high-quality drugstore highlighter (to emphasize the areas of your face that naturally catch light).
Does Face Shape Matter When Contouring?
Yes, face shape absolutely matters when contouring! Everyone has a unique face shape, and this is important to be aware of when considering how to contour. In the same way that a haircut should fit the shape of your face, knowing your specific face shape is vital for contouring. Contouring can be either an incredible enhancer, or an absolute mess. Because you are adding in darker contour colors to your face, the way you mix them matters. This is when contouring comes in.
Contouring is all about balance, which knowing your face shape helps to create. Some faces are trickier than others to apply makeup to, and others have hidden ways to contour better. Knowing your face shape helps for face contouring because it shows you which areas to focus on, such as either sinking and widening different areas. If you have a square shaped face, for instance, you may want to soften up your features and give your face more of a round appearance.
Knowing the details of how to work with your individual face shape matters for this. On the other hand, if you have a round face, you will want to give the illusion of a longer face. Basically, if you go into contouring without proper education of your face shape and how to contour and highlight it, you will most likely fail at contouring effectively. Contouring is meant to alter your face in various ways, so knowing what needs to be altered will determine everything, including which contour makeup chart to use.
Once you figure out which face shape you have (hopefully by reading this article), you will be able to determine the best tips and tricks to incorporate into your contouring routine. You will learn how to contour diamond-shaped faces, there is an oval face makeup contour chart, and so many other contour chart makeup tutorials for you to learn from.
If you are a beginner when it comes to contouring, figuring out your unique face shape is the first step. If you talk to any makeup artist (all beginners will want to hear from them!), they will tell you that contouring is meant to make the facial features symmetrical. The purpose of all makeup contouring tutorials is to take whatever your face shape is naturally and make it as symmetrical as possible.
Symmetry is believed to determine if a face is pretty, so getting as close to symmetrical as possible is the goal of contouring and highlighting. Remember though, you are your most beautiful when you embrace your uniqueness. Don’t be so focused on the ‘idealized’ version of beauty, but more on what your face naturally has to bring, and then work on enhancing those special features.
How to Use the Contour Face Chart
Next up, we will dive into the details of how to contour your face with the makeup contour charts below. First, we want to explain a little bit more in-depth about how exactly the charts work and what they are meant to teach you. This explanation will hopefully give you a deeper understanding, so the charts are as useful as possible.
If you are reading this article as a beginner, trying to figure out what your face shape is, the details below are ones to pay close attention to. They will explain basic things about your face such as bone structure, length, width, and uniquely telling features such as the widows peak or a pointed or rounded chin. Once you take an inventory of which traits you personally possess, you can decide on which face shape is yours. After is decided, you can get right to it.
These charts will give you all the details on how to contour your features. Every feature from your nose, to your cheekbones, to your jawline, to your brow bone, to your cupid’s bow, and everything in between is considered. Those charts are meant to show you how to blend in the makeup, so your facial features are defined and enhanced in the best ways possible. You’ll be given techniques that compliment your face shape. Techniques such as circular motions and how to make contour lines, as well as the upside-down triangle and Before you begin the actual process of contouring, make sure you find the best products and powder for your skin type in order to determine if you need light undertones or warm undertones for contouring.
Another reason is to buy the correct contour brush. Pull your hair up, wash and prime your face, and get to it. Make sure you are following the instructions correctly until you get the hang of it. Once you have practiced a few times, you will be able to figure out what works best for you. These charts are ultimately meant to be guides. We hope they will help you figure out how best to enhance your unique face as you go on your contouring journey! Whip out your makeup brushes and get to contouring!
Contouring Your Unique Face
Contouring according to your face shape means achieving a natural look. In order to look lighted and lifted all day long, beauty experts agree you need to focus on the right areas to contour. These areas are different from one face shape to another, and here is where the contour face chart comes in.
Contour Face Chart: Diamond Shaped Face
Diamond face features
- Your face is longer than it is wide;
- Your chin is slightly pointed;
- Your hairline is narrower than your cheeks.
How to contour your diamond shaped face
- Starting at your temples (ears), lightly contour from the area under your cheekbones;
- Blend inward toward the middle of your cheeks.
Contour Face Chart: Heart Shaped Face
Heart face features
- Your hairline is narrower than your cheeks;
- Your chin is narrow and pointed.
- You may also have a widow’s peak if you indeed have a heart-shaped face.
How to contour your diamond shaped face
- Start along the sides of your forehead and temples;
- Continue below the cheekbones (focus on the area below your cheekbones starting from your ears and ending in the mid-cheeks zone);
- Finish on the tip of your chin or below your chin to soften the pointiness.
Contour Face Chart: Oval Shaped Face
Oval face features
- There are no major pointy areas along your jaw, chin, or hairline, making this face shape ideal for impeccable makeup;
- Your face is 1.5 times longer than it is wide, resembling an upside-down egg.
NOTE: You may also have a somewhat oblong face shape, with your face length being almost twice your face width. In this case, you should start along your hairline, under your chin to make it look a bit rounder, and insist on the area below your cheekbones starting from your ears and ending in the mid-cheek area.
How to contour your oval shaped face
- Start applying your contouring product along the sides of your forehead;
- Continue below the cheekbones (end in the middle of the cheeks);
- Blend out thoroughly and try blending your contour product into your hairline to avoid looking blotchy.
Contour Face Chart: Round Shaped Face
Round face features
- There are no major pointy areas along your jaw, chin, or hairline;
- Your face is about as wide as it is long.
How to contour your round shaped face
- Get some dimension and shape by beginning contouring along the temples;
- Continue with the sides of the forehead, below your cheekbones (starting from your ears to the mid-section of your cheeks);
- Go along the jawline curving down.
Contour Face Chart: Square Shaped Face
Square face features
- Your hairline and jawline width are about even;
- Your face is equally long and wide.
NOTE: You may also have a somewhat rectangular face shape, with your face being longer than wide, but with an even hairline and jawline width. The contouring technique in both cases is similar.
Gathering Up Our Brushes…
One of the main rules of contouring is to use high-quality products and make sure you blend in everything perfectly in order to achieve a natural, slick, and soft look. Do you mind your contour face chart when you apply contour and highlight? What other contouring tips and tricks can you share to make our lives easier and more beautiful?