Contour

 Contour makeup is a technique that uses light and dark shades of makeup to sculpt and define the face, creating the illusion of shadows and highlights to enhance natural features. It's like an artistic way to play with light and shadow to make your cheekbones appear more defined, your jawline more sculpted, or your nose appear slimmer. 

Contouring makeup, used to sculpt and define the face, is available from many brands across different formulations like powders, creams, and liquids. Popular brands include Charlotte Tilbury, NYX Professional Makeup, Fenty Beauty, and Anastasia Beverly Hills. You can find a wide range of contour products, from palettes to sticks, to suit various skin tones and preferences. 

Popular Contour Products and Brands:

• Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand: A popular liquid contour, known for its
  blendability and natural-looking finish.
  
  
  
  
  NYX Professional Makeup Highlight & Contour Pro Palette: A versatile palette with various shades for contouring and highlighting. 
  
  Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick: A convenient stick format, offering a creamy texture and easy application.
  
  
  
  Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit: A classic contour kit with multiple shades for creating depth and dimension. 
  
  Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick: A cream contour stick known for its natural-looking finish and blendability. 
  
  
  
  
  Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Shaping Stick: A stick contour known for its color payoff and blendability. 
  
  Maybelline Facestudio Master Contour Stick: A drugstore option known for its blendability and ease of use. 
  
  
  
  Huda Beauty Tantour Contour Cream: A cream contour that offers a blendable and buildable formula. 
  
  Dear Dahlia Skin Silhouette Contour Duo: A duo stick that offers both contour and highlight. 
  
  
  
  
  Dior Forever Skin Contour Stick: A contour stick from Dior known for its long-wear formula. 
  
  Types of Contour Products:

• Powder Contour: Classic and versatile, easy to blend, good for beginners.
• Cream Contour: Adds a dewy finish, good for dry or mature skin, more pigmented than powder.
• Stick Contour: Convenient for on-the-go application, creamy texture, seamless blend.
• Liquid Contour: Lightweight, sheer to medium coverage, natural-looking finish.
  
  
  Tips for Choosing a Contour Shade:

• Cool Tones: Contour shades are typically cool-toned to mimic shadows.
  
  Shades Darker Than Skin Tone: Choose a contour shade that is a few shades darker than your natural skin tone. 
  
  
  
  
  nsider Skin Undertone: Look for cool or neutral undertones for a natural-looking contour. 
  
  Personal Preference: Ultimately, the best contour shade depends on your personal preference and desired look. 
  
  Brands on Nykaa:

Nykaa offers a range of contour products from brands like Nykaa Cosmetics, Lakme, Kay Beauty, Blue Heaven, Sugar, Insight, MARS, and Faces Canada. 

Korean Beauty Contouring:

Korean beauty emphasizes subtle contouring techniques using shades that closely match the skin tone, avoiding traditional bronzers. 

This video explains the difference between contour and bronzer and demonstrates the proper techniques for contouring:

57s

Imani LeeMarie

YouTube · 12 Jan 2025

Here's a more detailed explanation: 

 

• Enhancing Features:
  Contouring is about strategically placing darker shades (contour) in areas where you want to create shadows, and lighter shades (highlighter) in areas that naturally catch light, to give the illusion of more sculpted features. 
  
  Mimicking Natural Shadows:
  The aim is to mimic the natural shadows on the face, making features appear more defined without looking unnatural. 

This video demonstrates how to contour your face like a beginner:

59s

Ale Jay

YouTube · 19 Jan 2025