5 Tips For Make-Up Beginners Who Want To Contour Their Face
If you are just getting into makeup, you may be looking at contour kits. Contouring is a technique where both dark and light colors are used on the face to add dimension and to enhance or slim down certain features. Contouring can be intimidating for some makeup beginners, but with some practice, this is a great way to enhance your natural beauty. Here are five tips to keep in mind.
1. Only Go One-to-Two Shades Darker Than Foundation
It's easy to go overboard with contouring, but truly, you only need makeup that is one or two shades darker than your foundation to make a difference. If you haven't chosen a foundation yet, be sure to test out different products in natural light. Once you have your foundation, you should get a highlighter that's two shades lighter and a contouring powder that's two shades darker. Some contouring kits come with a foundation as well as a range of contouring colors with the same undertones (warm or cool), so those can be beneficial products for beginners to invest in.
2. Choose the Right Brush for Your Look
If you want a dramatic evening look, you may want to opt for a smaller dense brush to apply your contour with. However, for natural, everyday looks, you should invest in a larger, fluffy brush. Larger brushes work well with contour kits since they diffuse the makeup and soften sharp edges.
3. Consider Your Skin Type
If you have oily skin or combination skin, then you may want to opt for a powder contour kit, as this will help reduce shine and give your face a matte finish. If you tend to have a drier skin type, a cream can be helpful since it can add some moisture to your skin.
4. Avoid Shimmer in Shadows
When you use a highlighter, it's all right to use a little shimmery makeup because you are enhancing areas of the face where light naturally falls, such as the arch of your brow bone or along the bridge of your nose. However, you should avoid shimmery makeup for areas like cheekbones since these features are supposed to be in shadow. Using too much shimmery bronzer can actually make your makeup look muddy, so it's best to go for matte products.
5. Keep Your Face Shape in Mind
Just like different haircuts look good on different face shapes, so do contouring patterns. For instance, a person with a round face might contour more heavily under their cheekbones to give their face a slimmer appearance. However, if you have an oblong or narrow face, contouring heavily under your cheekbones may not be the best since it could make you look gaunt and give the illusion of an even longer face.
Reach out to a cosmetics and hygiene professional in your area to buy highly pigmented contour kits.