How To Apply Shades and Contour Your Face?

True, contouring can help create beautiful planes in your face. But leave that for the evening, because if you do this during the day it can make you look very made up. This is because the blending won't be thorough enough to be invisible.

Before you actually contour your face, it is necessary that you know your face shape. Once you know this, you can contour and highlight your face to balance your face shape. Since each face shape is individual, you need to use contouring to play down your flaws and blemishes.

Where to do it?

To find out if you need to go in for face contouring, stand under a bright light that's positioned directly overhead, if possible. Before you stand here, check that you have moisturiser, tinted moisturiser or foundation on your face to give it that particular shine. Look at yourself in the mirror and see how the light falls on your face.

If you find a shadow under your cheekbones, use a contour product here. If you still can't figure out where to apply the contour product, suck your cheeks in and look in the mirror for the best places to apply it. For best results, use a darker powder than the colour of your skin. Use pressed powder since the number of shades you can darken by should be proportionate to the skill of application.

How to add the contours?

Apply foundation and powder. To apply powder, use a foundation that's slightly darker than your skin. Blend either the liquid foundation or powder in those areas which had shadows when seen under a bright light.

To slim your face, apply the entire outer perimeter of the cheek. You can also minimize a broad or high forehead, prominent jaw line and nose in this way - just shade in the areas that you want to play down.

If you find that you've done too much contouring, counter it by applying more neutral foundation or powder over the top and then add color to tone it down. Do this shaping before you begin applying color.

As a rule, contour powder should be of a neutral color without any red or yellow overtones and, in fact, it should be a few shades darker than your foundation. Actually, using a darker foundation is a good idea as it can be blended far more easily than powder.

Remember to blend in the color very thoroughly - something that needs a lot of practice. So, now that you are armed with know-how about contouring, grab your beauty kit and brighten your face.