Contour and highlight?

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What products do you use to contour and highlight for your face? What cheap products work best for you? Thanks!

 
I had an HG drugstore highlighter - Bonne Bell liquid bronzer in the lightest shade. Now, they only have one shade available in store and it's way too red/dark on me. 

Right now, I've been contouring MAC Strada blush (long discontinued, I believe, but I still have one backup) and Becca SSP in Pearl. 

 
Contour, highlight, bronzer, and blush means totally different things based on colour theory.

Bronzer = sun glow or a sun tanned look.

Blush = flushed look, due to blood rushing to the face from an elevated emotional response like from embarrassment or arousal.

Highlighter = higher light (reflection). As opposed to a lower light (receading, non-reflecting).

Contour = to shape by creating depth.

I see the mistake of women using blush and bronzers as contour and highlighters on the street all the time. Typically it's the under 25 crowd... Of course there are exceptions.

The easiest way, (which happens to be the correct way), is to use a cream based foundation.

One shade lighter than your *skinstone for highlight.

Half shade darker than your *skintone for contour.

*Skintone in this context means your foundation shade.

Liquids take a longer learning curve, which means more practice. Powders are just wrong, as they never blend and it will look like dusty dirt on the face.

There are a lot of tutorials on YouTube about highlighting / contouring using the WRONG products, but most are using the RIGHT techniques on how to blend etc. the best tutorials I've found are the ones by Wayne Goss.

To answer your question as to "cheap" (value-wise) products, there really isn't any, as drug store brands don't sell creme foundations. You have to go mid-ranged like MAC, MUFE, or high-end like Ben Nye, Kryolan, Cinema Secrets.

 
I'm not sure if you have this shop where you live, but KIKO is a great place to start. I buy a lot of my makeup porducts there, becuse it's not that expensive, it's good quality and they have tons of stuff! And, they have sales all year around! For highlighting my face, I bought pale cream color eyeshadow from KIKO. You could buy specific things to highlight, but I think using eyeshadow gives more of an effect. It's kind of hard to do contours on my face,but I just use a bit of light brown eyeshadow or bronzer and fill in wherever you think needs some contouring. Hope this helped

 
I'm not sure if you have this shop where you live, but KIKO is a great place to start. I buy a lot of my makeup porducts there, becuse it's not that expensive, it's good quality and they have tons of stuff! And, they have sales all year around! For highlighting my face, I bought pale cream color eyeshadow from KIKO. You could buy specific things to highlight, but I think using eyeshadow gives more of an effect. It's kind of hard to do contours on my face,but I just use a bit of light brown eyeshadow or bronzer and fill in wherever you think needs some contouring. Hope this helped
Wow.

I suggest re-reading my above post... But... People will do what they do, it's human nature.

Experience is truly the best teacher...

(Experience in this context is not about the number of years, but about failing / doing it the hard way).

I have sooo many set stories about giving / receiving advice, feedback etc. but those are for another time and thread...

 
For a highlight, I use Benefit Sun Beam, which is about $26. A cheaper alternative is the e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip in Golden Peach, which is only $1!

I recommend applying the e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip UNDER your foundation so it looks more natural and not so shimmery. I love it. I think it looks beautiful.

I have swatches of both highlights on my blog:

 
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I use nyx hd concealer underneath my eyes, and lately been loving kardashian beauty's light stroke in illusion for a highlighter ontop of my cheekbones, browbone etc. as a countour i love thebalm bahama mama. idc if it's right or "wrong" but it works really really well for me. and i never "overdo" it :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
There are a lot of tutorials on YouTube about highlighting / contouring using the WRONG products, but most are using the RIGHT techniques on how to blend etc. the best tutorials I've found are the ones by Wayne Goss.
I checked out Wayne Goss.  Thanks for the tip.  I'm not very hopeful, however, about finding a foundation light enough to work for me as a highlighter.

 
I use nyx hd concealer underneath my eyes, and lately been loving kardashian beauty's light stroke in illusion for a highlighter ontop of my cheekbones, browbone etc. as a countour i love thebalm bahama mama. idc if it's right or "wrong" but it works really really well for me. and i never "overdo" it :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
I agree with you on the eyes which is very basic beginner stuff as everyone can do this. But you missed the original point of the thread that the OP (Hunterdee) had posted, which is more for advanced artists, but with practice, anyone can master it in a very short time, because cremes blend soooo much easier than liquids and powders.

I checked out Wayne Goss.  Thanks for the tip.  I'm not very hopeful, however, about finding a foundation light enough to work for me as a highlighter.
To clarify what the OP (Hunterdee) was trying to say, If you check out Kim Greene's Facebook page, (she's a fellow Pro MUA colleague), she has posted some great face contouring / highlighting face-charts in her photos album. This should give people an idea what facial highlight and contouring means and is. 

As for picking a lighter shade for highlighting, just go to a dedicated make-up *store like MAC for a consult.

(*I picked MAC, because they are more common-place than say dedicated MUFE, Kryolan, stores. You can also check out  Sephora).

Yeah, I like Wayne Goss's vids, because he's been in the field by the way he talks. As far as I know, there are no Union Pro MUA's in Noth America that have or posts tutorial vids. But most have articles and tutorials written up in Make-up Artist Magazine, including yours truly.

 


She does AMAZING makeup. I watched all her videos. She uses high end brands and almost always (in this video too) she also suggests cheaper items you can get from a drug store or walmart/target. This is just illuminators, she doesn't have one like this for contouring.However, she does have videos where you can learn how to if you want to see what she uses in those.

 
Ummm, No. She's never done other people's make-up like celebrities, actors, pro athletes, politicians, people of colour etc. she's a reviewer not a make-up artist.

Yes she does amazing make-up... On herself.

Illuminators are different then highlighters, as they use light reflecting pigments and highlighters do not. You wouldn't use an Illuminators on your jaw line, but you would use it under your eyes.

To be fair to her, I and other Pro MUA's do understand the younger generation to relate to each other in terms of teaching / reviewing things via social media. It works, as it reaches a young demographic that has disposable income, and brands know this as they have created sample boxes and they allow the younger generation to talk about it... It's like free advertising and they get to try some great new products! I mean who doesn't want that? Heck, even us Pros love to try new products, I hate to admit it... But even I become a squealing little girl when I try new products and compare it to the "tried-and-true"...

I am not the younger generation, but I do see the value of learning about new products from social media. But to call them Pro MUA's? No, because we Pros see a lot of bad habits, techniques, and bad mis-information in vids. I also see the value in learning new techniques, that's why I always hire assist MUA's that are fresh out of make-up school and who are in their very early 20's.

I know I am way off topic on a highlight / contour thread...

 
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Ummm, No. She's never done other people's make-up like celebrities, actors, pro athletes, politicians, people of colour etc. she's a reviewer not a make-up artist.

Yes she does amazing make-up... On herself.

Illuminators are different then highlighters, as they use light reflecting pigments and highlighters do not. You wouldn't use an Illuminators on your jaw line, but you would use it under your eyes.

To be fair to her, I and other Pro MUA's do understand the younger generation to relate to each other in terms of teaching / reviewing things via social media. It works, as it reaches a young demographic that has disposable income, and brands know this as they have created sample boxes and they allow the younger generation to talk about it... It's like free advertising and they get to try some great new products! I mean who doesn't want that? Heck, even us Pros love to try new products, I hate to admit it... But even I become a squealing little girl when I try new products and compare it to the "tried-and-true"...

I am not the younger generation, but I do see the value of learning about new products from social media. But to call them Pro MUA's? No, because we Pros see a lot of bad habits, techniques, and bad mis-information in vids. I also see the value in learning new techniques, that's why I always hire assist MUA's that are fresh out of make-up school and who are in their very early 20's.

I know I am way off topic on a highlight / contour thread...
i didn't say anything about her being a pro or having done pro jobs. I was suggesting her for someone on a budget that clearly is new to the products. It's good information as she does review several prodcuts and swatch them. Don't be a jerk.

 
@@vogueboy, any suggestions to fix and set the cream products? During the warmer months I'm an oil factory, and most foundations will melt off before noon!
Yes! A Mattefying or blot powder with a velour puff. However, you need to blot the sweat / oil off first with a Kleenex tissue as this will prevent your compact powders from becoming hard and will prevent your velour puffs from becoming wet with sweat.
Since blot and mattifing powders are not buildable, you have to press and roll the puff into the powder very frequently, as you blot your face. Just press 'n roll the velour puff around until you're matte.

You can also use blot papers with a medium flat-topped or medium angled contour brush, it's a bit more involved though...

1) Place the blot paper totally flat on the area of your face you need mattified.

(The "tissue" textured ones will stick to your face, even in the inner corners of your nose, the "vynal" or "slippery" textured ones - like our new Canadian dollar bills, you may need to hold in place with a couple of fingers).

2) Take your brush and press it onto and sweep the entire paper, being careful not to brush the skin.

3) Keep repeating by placing a new blotting paper onto a new area of your face and repeat with the sweep of your brush until you are matte.

Most setting sprays and anti-shine gels / cremes are not sweat proof, but are good at oil control. But in high humidity, you will need to use a blot powder or blot papers in conjunction with the setting sprays and anti-shine gels to help in controlling the oil build up.

Depending on how hot it is and what the humidity level is, you will have to blot frequently, which is normal. Just make sure you don't rub your make-up off in the process.

Yeah, it's a bit of work, but it does work. If you press and roll your velour puff, or use the papers as described above, you will never have to touch up your foundation.

Don't use a buildable powder (such as a foundation powder, dual-finish, 2 in 1, etc) or else you will very quickly look cakey.

 
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Yes! A Mattefying or blot powder with a velour puff. However, you need to blot the sweat / oil off first with a Kleenex tissue as this will prevent your compact powders from becoming hard and will prevent your velour puffs from becoming wet with sweat.

Since blot and mattifing powders are not buildable, you have to press and roll the puff into the powder very frequently, as you blot your face. Just press 'n roll the velour puff around until you're matte.

You can also use blot papers with a medium flat-topped or medium angled contour brush, it's a bit more involved though...
Thank you kindly! Have you any specific product recommendations, especially concerning powder? And what is best for when you're on the go frequently?

 
i didn't say anything about her being a pro or having done pro jobs. I was suggesting her for someone on a budget that clearly is new to the products. It's good information as she does review several prodcuts and swatch them. Don't be a jerk.
I wasn't being a jerk, you misunderstood me. As most people mistake these types of vids (review), as "how-to" tutorials. That's all my "rant" was getting across.

 
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Thank you kindly! Have you any specific product recommendations, especially concerning powder? And what is best for when you're on the go frequently?
I find Cover F/X's Matte F/X (old packaging), blotting powder (new packaging)

image.jpg

Are great for on the go, it's non buildable, and lasts.

I throw away the small flat sponge that comes with it and I use washable velour Miller Puffs...

image.jpg

 

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