Master the Art of Contouring for perfect Make-up

Words | Bindu Gopal Rao

Indra Ahluwalia Ludhiana, Founder, Grace Beauty Clinic tells us about how perfect contouring during make-up can make your face look perfect.

Using makeup effectively is both an art and science. When it comes to contouring of the face, it is all about understanding the shape of the face and how you can make it perfect.

Contouring Cues

Makeup helps create balance in the face with the help of colour cosmetics. Contouring in makeup is a technique used to define and sculpt the face, creating the illusion of more structured features. The artist uses makeup products that are a few shades darker and lighter than the natural skin tone to enhance the face’s shape.

“Contouring plays a very important role in this. When we use 2 – 3 shades lighter than the natural skin tone, it enhances those features whereas if you use 2 – 3 shades darker products, it gives shadows on the face, thereby giving an illusion of a sculpted face. Simply applying lighter and darker shades does not necessarily give you pleasing results – there is a technique to it,” says Indra.

The Essentials

While choosing the colour of your contour, you must determine the undertone of the skin if it is warm, cool, or neutral, just as we do while selecting the shade of the foundation. If the undertone and the contour colour do not match, the subtle shadows created on the face would give a patch or harsh lines.

“Contouring could vary according to the facial features and more importantly the occasion for which you have applied makeup. For example, if somebody must go to a glamorous event like a fashion show or similar, the placement of the contour would be such that it gives a sharp and chiselled look. Whereas the placement would be completely different while going to a religious event, where a softer and baby face look is apt. It does not mean that we do not contour, it is just that the techniques change,” says Indra.

Shape of You

Contouring right depends on the kind of shape your face has. Whether it is oblong, square/rectangle, oval, diamond, heart, or round, it is important to understand the shape of the face well before you start with contouring it. “The ‘Oval’ is the best face shape among all, as contouring mainly aims to ensure that it gives the face an Oval look eventually. The idea is to enhance features, nose, forehead, jawbone, and cheek bone but the fact is that hairline and side locks also matter when it comes to contouring right,” says Indra.

Here are some specific ways that Indra recommends using contours effectively for different face shapes.

Contouring Techniques

Oval Face An Oval-shaped face is considered by most to be the perfect face shape because of its beautiful symmetry. It is usually broader at the cheeks, tapering in slightly at both the forehead and the chin. Because of its symmetry, you do not need to contour and highlight your face.

All the face shapes aim to be oval.

Square Face A Square-shaped face is the same width at the forehead, the cheeks and jaw.

Area next to the hairline, corners of the temples and the jawline are the areas that should be shaped. Blusher is applied in a triangular shape that is elongated towards the temples.

Round Face Round-shaped face is Circular. Length is approximately equal to width. It’s shorter, fairly wide, with full and round cheeks and rounded chin.

To create the illusion of the length dark shade may be applied over the angle of the jaw to the temples. Dot a lighter shade above the cheekbones to highlight and on the tip of the chin to counteract the round shape. Apply a blusher in a triangular shape.

Heart Face Heart shaped face is wide at the forehead and curves down to a pointed or narrow chin, like an inverted triangle.

To even out a heart shaped face, use a darker shade of foundation on the sides of the forehead to help reduce the width of the face also on the tip of the chin to make it look less pointed. Apply blusher under the cheek bone in an upwards and outward direction towards the temples.

Diamond Face A narrow forehead with wide cheekbones tapering to a narrow chin.

Edges of the diamond faced shape are softened with the cheek shading to minimize the width. Apply shader to the tip of the chin and forehead to reduce the length. Apply blusher to the fullness of the cheek bones to draw attention to the centre of the face.

Oblong Face Oblong face shape is long and narrow tapering to a pointed chin.

To reduce the length of a long face, use a darker shade foundation to shade around the top of the forehead and blend it in the hairline. Also use a darker shade along the jawline under the chin and under the cheekbone. Blusher should be blended along the cheekbone outwards towards the ears.