Wakeup Your Makeup - The Art of Contouring

Contouring can be something that is new to a lot of ladies! Read on for my tips on contouring and how it can transform your face!

Contouring is the art of shaping and framing the face by shading and highlighting. Typically you can use a contouring palette, or kit, but you can also use a matte bronzer and illuminiser or light and dark shades of foundation. You also need an angled makeup brush to blend out the shades.

You want to use the dark shade on areas you want to 'recede' (creates shadow) and the light shade on areas you want to bring forward (creates highlight) The above face chart shows you the areas where you should apply the shades.

Of course, you don't have to contour the entire face - simply select the areas you want to emphasise. The key is to gradually build the colour and always blend, blend blend!

- If you want to build your cheek bones, start from the hairline and sweep the dark shade below your cheekbone, towards the apple of your cheeks.

- To narrow the shape of the forehead, apply the dark shade to the temples and the sides of the forehead.

- To slim down the nose and give it more definition, start from the inner edge of the brows and apply the dark shade down both sides of the nose.

- If you want to make the chin appear slimmer, apply the dark shade under the jawline and blend towards the neck.

- The light shades does the opposite of the dark shade, so it should be applied to areas such as the centre of the forehead, the bridge of the nose, the brow bone, the tops of the cheeks, the cupid's bow and the middle of the chin.

Are you new to contouring or have you mastered it? Do you have any tips on contouring? Let us know below! - Lucy 

(Images courtesy of jerinelay.com & makeup4all.com)