- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
- Messages
- 10,353
- Reaction score
- 1
I was JUST looking for that pic Liz... I am definitely saving it! It is so much easier explaining contouring to people when you can show them on a pic like that!
Contouring?
- Thread starter Blondtgr
- Start date
Help Support Makeuptalk.com forums:
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2007
- Messages
- 301
- Reaction score
- 0
HI!!!
HAven't been on in a while, but i need your help on contouring? How exactly do you do it? I am so clueless. I tried to put bronzer on first, but the problem is i don't know where to start contouring. I did the fish face thing, but that didn't really help. Though, i looked really funny. So, if anyone can help that would be great. Pics would be even better! thanks!
HAven't been on in a while, but i need your help on contouring? How exactly do you do it? I am so clueless. I tried to put bronzer on first, but the problem is i don't know where to start contouring. I did the fish face thing, but that didn't really help. Though, i looked really funny. So, if anyone can help that would be great. Pics would be even better! thanks!
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2005
- Messages
- 841
- Reaction score
- 1
Contouring is a great fun technique. I think the biggest problem most people have is in choosing an off shade to use. People tend to either go too dark, or too orange. Sometimes bronzers are too warm to successfully and subtley pull off contouring.
I like to use shades that are far more taupe than bronze or brown, for starters. And depth is important - go about 2 tones deeper than your skintone.
Most faces look lovely with some cheekbone shading, but placement depends entirely on your specific face. If you are narrow and/or long, then you'll want to use more of a horizontal placement of the shading and keep it to the outside thrid of your face. If your face is rounder or wider, you can go in on a steeper angle.
To set up for cheek shading, do some quick eyeball measurements. Inagine a horizontal line extending straight out from the bottom of your nostril - keep the body of the shadow above this line. Then, grab a clear drinking glass and stand in front of the mirror, Make sure your door is closed and no one can see you, because if they do they'll laugh and you'll never live it down. Now that you are safely alone, stand in front of the mirror and raise the drinking glass to your mouth as if to sip. Now smile, as though someone just said something sweet to you unexpectedly. See you your cheeks both rise and dip inwards, especially at the front center of your face? You'll see a shadow - that's where to place the contour tone.
Use a delicate thin brush - even a crease brush - will give you more control and keep your contour line from getting too wide. You can always build up the line if you want more width. Then be sure to blend top and bottom edges, leaving the center line of the shading deep.
You can apply contouring before your foundation if you want to make sure the look is more natural.
Add a fluff of pearly highlight on top of the cheekbone, then fluff a bit of color on your apples and over the top edge of the contour tone, and you are set to glow!
-b.
I like to use shades that are far more taupe than bronze or brown, for starters. And depth is important - go about 2 tones deeper than your skintone.
Most faces look lovely with some cheekbone shading, but placement depends entirely on your specific face. If you are narrow and/or long, then you'll want to use more of a horizontal placement of the shading and keep it to the outside thrid of your face. If your face is rounder or wider, you can go in on a steeper angle.
To set up for cheek shading, do some quick eyeball measurements. Inagine a horizontal line extending straight out from the bottom of your nostril - keep the body of the shadow above this line. Then, grab a clear drinking glass and stand in front of the mirror, Make sure your door is closed and no one can see you, because if they do they'll laugh and you'll never live it down. Now that you are safely alone, stand in front of the mirror and raise the drinking glass to your mouth as if to sip. Now smile, as though someone just said something sweet to you unexpectedly. See you your cheeks both rise and dip inwards, especially at the front center of your face? You'll see a shadow - that's where to place the contour tone.
Use a delicate thin brush - even a crease brush - will give you more control and keep your contour line from getting too wide. You can always build up the line if you want more width. Then be sure to blend top and bottom edges, leaving the center line of the shading deep.
You can apply contouring before your foundation if you want to make sure the look is more natural.
Add a fluff of pearly highlight on top of the cheekbone, then fluff a bit of color on your apples and over the top edge of the contour tone, and you are set to glow!
-b.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2007
- Messages
- 301
- Reaction score
- 0
WOW! That was really helpful! I never though to do it this way! I will try it and see how it works! Thanks, again. What color is taupe? And i have a round face, so would did you mean about a steeper angle? Sorry, i'm new to all of this. Reply soon! lol!
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2008
- Messages
- 14
- Reaction score
- 0
i advise you to use the "contouring trio" of Stila, it is amazing
it has also a tutorial booklet
it has also a tutorial booklet
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2008
- Messages
- 1,160
- Reaction score
- 20
Contouring is used to emphasize bone structure. You can use a lot of different products, from a slightly darker than your skintone foundation or concealor, to a bronzer that's not too orange or too shimmery, or a specially made contouring powder product, and highlighters that are either powder or liquid.
Contouring can be using a darker shade to emphasize hollows or shadowed areas of the face, highlighters to bring out the higher planes of the face, or both.
With a darker shade, you blend into the hollows of your cheekbones - feel where your jawbone is starting from next to your ear, and shade from there to about where a dimple would be on the cheek (whether you have one or not!). You can also do a little dark contouring down the sides of the nose, on the temples, and under the jawline. Blend WELL! There should be no lines, it should be subtle. Try doing it on just one side of your face first to see what a subtle difference just a little can make. I just use bronzer.
Then, if you want to emphasize even more, use some highlighter. This is going to be a shade lighter than your natural skintone, usually slightly shimmery or pearlescent - but don't go sparkly or TOO shimmery! It should make you glow! Apply this to the top of your cheekbones (in a C shape starting from just under the ends of your eyebrows, down and around to under the outside of your eye - follow the orbital bone). You can also do a little bit down the bridge of your nose, and dab some in your cupid's bow above your lips!
Hope this all helped! The easiest way to figure out where to contour is to just feel where the bones in your face are!
Contouring can be using a darker shade to emphasize hollows or shadowed areas of the face, highlighters to bring out the higher planes of the face, or both.
With a darker shade, you blend into the hollows of your cheekbones - feel where your jawbone is starting from next to your ear, and shade from there to about where a dimple would be on the cheek (whether you have one or not!). You can also do a little dark contouring down the sides of the nose, on the temples, and under the jawline. Blend WELL! There should be no lines, it should be subtle. Try doing it on just one side of your face first to see what a subtle difference just a little can make. I just use bronzer.
Then, if you want to emphasize even more, use some highlighter. This is going to be a shade lighter than your natural skintone, usually slightly shimmery or pearlescent - but don't go sparkly or TOO shimmery! It should make you glow! Apply this to the top of your cheekbones (in a C shape starting from just under the ends of your eyebrows, down and around to under the outside of your eye - follow the orbital bone). You can also do a little bit down the bridge of your nose, and dab some in your cupid's bow above your lips!
Hope this all helped! The easiest way to figure out where to contour is to just feel where the bones in your face are!
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2011
- Messages
- 793
- Reaction score
- 8
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2011
- Messages
- 793
- Reaction score
- 8
I tired this last night and it's aaahhhhmazing 
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Now I have to up my game with the brushes!
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Now I have to up my game with the brushes!
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2011
- Messages
- 17
- Reaction score
- 0
You can always find contouring vids on youtube!!! Kandee Johnson helped me alot with contouring =] I've always dislike my nose and using contouring I can achieve a thinner nose and a larger pout with out cosmetic procedures!!!
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2011
- Messages
- 1,360
- Reaction score
- 14
Contouring is a nice touch ^^
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2010
- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 0
I never understood it before PixiWoo, love them!
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2010
- Messages
- 623
- Reaction score
- 25
Shadows "pull," highlights "push." That's a quick way to remember it. Basically, hues darker than your skin are shadows; hues lighter are highlights. The areas you want to come forward would be highlights, the areas you want to recede are shadows.
- Joined
- May 18, 2007
- Messages
- 470
- Reaction score
- 19
she looks beautiful in that still shot
