The answer is… it’s completely up to you.
If you like what you see then #highlight it
If you don’t like what you see then #contour it.
If you’re not that bothered, then don’t do either.
It’s as simple as that
Basically, highlighting accentuates features and contouring recedes features. You can literally highlight and contour any part of your body.
There is a misconception that because these products exist that they must be used. They only need to be used if YOU feel your face requires it. Everyone’s face is completely different, therefore contouring and highlighting is not a ‘one size fits all’.
For example, I have a forehead…like everyone else. But I have a fringe, so do I need to contour my forehead? No. It’s a waste of my time and product. I just brush my fringe down, spray it and I’m away. Sometimes I don’t even apply foundation to my forehead (I told you I live life on the edge)
My job as a makeup artist allows me to work on so many different shaped faces. One thing I do always contour are the cheek bones BUT it’s always tailored to the face shape. We want to accentuate what you have.
A big no (unless of course you like the look) is applying two streaks of dark brown contour down your cheeks, hoping that it will give the appearance of chiselled cheek bones.
It doesn’t. It just looks like you have two Twix bars stuck to your face.
If applied correctly contouring and highlighting can look beautiful, but it does take time and practice to master the skills.
So, what are the different products?
There are two main products, cream and powder. Let’s talk about both...
Cream:
1. Good for dryer skin
2. Doesn’t suit oilier skin as it tends to move around as the skin sweats
3. Gives a more defined and heavy contoured effect
4. Takes a lot more blending
5. You must make sure the consistency is right, if it’s too dry it can be difficult to work with
6. You need to use a lot of powder to set it all in place
Powder:
1. Good for dry and oily skin (I have dry skin and I’ve never had a problem)
2. Easier to blend
3. It gives a much more natural yet defined look.
4. AVOID anything with sparkle as it will just make your face look shiny in the wrong places
5. You can achieve the same results as cream contouring, if done correctly
So how to achieve the perfect contour?
1. Select the right shade for your skin
2. Select the right product
whether that’s cream or powder contour
3. Blend, blend and blend some more. Just when you think you’ve blended enough blend one more time!
4. And practice, practice, practice!
These are just my personal views and what works for me as a #makeupartist. It’s all trial and error and does take time to get right. The thing to remember is makeup can be washed off, it’s not permanent, so just play around with it and see what you can create. If you make a mistake wipe it away and try again. If you practice enough one day it will click.
If you need any advice or help on which products to use or how to use them just contact me.
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I hope you’ve enjoyed this read.
Sufiah