How to Highlight and contour

Models, actresses, and celebrities (such as Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian) are frequently exalted for their beautiful, chiseled faces. But did you know that many of these gorgeous women rely on beauty secrets (like makeup contouring) to create the illusion of a thinner, more sculpted face? This easy to follow beauty tutorial shows you how to do makeup contouring in three steps.

1. Highlight

Before using foundation, apply concealer to your face in the following areas: in an upside-down triangle shape underneath your eyes, along the bridge of your nose, and above the cupid’s bow of your mouth. This will act as a highlighter for your face, which enables the natural light to bounce off those areas, making them more prominent.

2. Contour

After applying concealer and foundation, using a matte bronzer or contouring powder (about two shades darker than your foundation color), sweep this darker color across the hollows of your cheeks (it helps to suck-in your cheeks while doing this). Then sweep the bronzer below your jawline, under your chin, and along the perimeter of your forehead. This helps make these areas appear to recede, creating a more chiseled, defined look to your cheekbones and jawline.

If you want to minimize the appearance of your nose, you can also use a small brush to dust the contouring powder down the sides of your nose (which makes it appear more narrow) and underneath the tip of your nose (making it look shorter).

3. Blush

Make sure to thoroughly blend all the face makeup (concealer, foundation, bronzer or contouring powder) you’ve just applied with a makeup brush. As a final touch, sweep blush onto the apples of your cheeks. This helps bring the whole look together. Voila! In three easy steps, you’ve created the look of a thinner, more sculpted face by using makeup contouring techniques.