The Ultimate Contour And Highlight Guide For Beginners

Let’s be honest, there’s not many of us who can safely say we know how to create a contour that slays. Or even a contour that’s half decent. It’s just so confusing, and with like, a million “How to Contour” YouTube videos, how the heck are we supposed to know which one is right? Lucky for us, this guide to contouring contains everything that you need to know before you start getting all “MUA”. Here is your ultimate contour and highlight guide and everything you need to know!

1. Choose the right shades to keep it looking natural.

The contour product shouldn’t be more than two colours deeper than your tone, and the highlighting product shouldn’t be more than two colours lighter than your tone. Although contouring is all about D.R.A.M.A, we still want to look like it’s possible that we woke up like this, a la Beyoncé.

*TIP: Contour kits and palettes, whilst so pretty, are so unnecessary. You will never use all those shades.

2. Powder or cream?

For a bold look to match Kimmy K’s, try out a creamy contour. For a more polished look, try a powder and a light concealer. Most of our fave beauty bloggers recommend powder-based products because it’s easier to build and works way better on oily skin.

3. Get highlighting.

After foundation, take either the light concealer, or a light shade of cream contour, and place it in the high areas of your face; under the eyes (and slightly down onto the cheeks), the centre of the forehead, and the chin. Make sure to blend this out with either a damp beauty blender or a brush. Here is a visual contour and highlight guide to help you out:

4. Get sculpting.

Once you’ve reached illumination city, it’s time to attack the trickiest part of contouring. Use your chosen product in the cheekbone hollows, around the jawline (goodbye second chin), and along your hairline. And blend, blend, blend. If using powder contour, try using a translucent powder first to avoid the colours clumping on a wet foundation.

*TIP: blend contour upwards and along the line. Blending downwards will diminish your cheekbones, and the past hour you’ve spent perfecting them to Kardashian standard will be wasted.

5. Put it in the oven.

Not literally. But you have to bake. Translucent powder should sit on the under eyes and below the newly defined cheekbones, and using a non-shimmery bronzer on the contoured areas will help to add depth to the colour. Let all the excess powder chill out whilst you go OTT with eyeliner and cut creases, and lightly brush it off once you’re done.

6. Time to GLOW.

A contour is not complete without a shining highlight. Concentrate a shimmering highlighter (try to use the same texture as the contour) on top of the cheekbones and underneath your brows.

Get the look:

Did this contour and highlight guide work for you? Let us know down in the comments below!

featured image source: weheartit.com

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.