The Beginner's Guide To Contouring

There’s no way that you work in the beauty industry and you haven’t heard about contouring. The way to give your face an all-natural shaded look, and flawless shape, that’s currently all the rage. Also, we know you probably have at least one friend who takes makeup as a serious hobby and that one friend who can’t tell an eyeliner pencil from mascara.


So, this post serves to help out the beginners to contouring. Plus, once you get the hang of contouring it will be an awesome thing to teach at your makeup parties!

Contouring For Beginners

First, start by getting the materials that you’ll need. Some people suggest bronzers, and others suggest two different shades of foundation. Your current shade or one shade lighter will work, paired with a shade that is one to two shades darker. Don’t go past 2 shades darker or you may end up looking unnaturally tan or orange.


Powder foundation is best for beginners, but you’ll eventually want to upgrade to liquid foundation. Foundation sticks work as well. Just make sure that your foundation or concealer is matte. Save the shimmer for highlighting and touch-ups. You’ll also need a blending sponge or brush to blend the different shades of makeup together.


The placement of the darker and lighter shades of foundation on your face will vary depending on its shape. That’s because the sunlight hits different face shapes in different places, and the point of a contour is to have a natural glow that sculpts the shape of your face.


Map where the sun naturally hits your face with your lighter shade. Generally, this covers the top of your nose, forehead, chin, and the apples of your cheeks from the ears to your nose.

Then use a little of your darker shade to map around those areas. Place a little concealer or bronzer at the top of your forehead at your hairline, on the outside of your nose, under your cheeks but don’t trace them fully, place a little along your jawline, and the outside of your chin.


Remember with your darker shade of foundation, less is more to avoid looking like an unflattering shade of tan or orange. Start off with very small amounts until you get more comfortable with contouring. The entire process does take a little bit of practice.


Another technique is to use your lighter shade of foundation to create a base on your entire face, then map out your face with the darker shade and blend it in. You can practice these different techniques to figure out which one works best for you.


Once you have your face mapped out it’s time to blend baby blend. You can use an angled or flat brush in a sweeping motion going back and forth to blend, or a wet makeup sponge or blender. Simply avoid blending in circles because your face should go from light to dark, or circles could result in exactly that, circles. Be sure to go past the jawline and blend onto your neck to make sure that your face and neck are the same color.


Your goal is to make sure that you don’t have any harsh lines. Also, after you’re finished blending you can use a little highlighter and shimmer to touch up your cheeks and eyes. Most people pair contours with light shades of all-natural pink blushes and lipsticks.


Once you’re finished you have the option of setting your face with a translucent powder or setting spray to help your flawless look last longer.

Oh Girl, That Contour Though!

Contouring may seem like an intimidating task to conquer in the beauty world, but in reality, it’s a very simple technique to pull off. Just don’t overdo it and be sure to really blend your concealers. Once you get your contouring skills down you can show them off at your makeup parties to push more products!


For more beauty tips visit UnitWise.com and be sure to share your contouring tips in the comment section below.


*Content found in the UnitWise blog is for informational purposes only. UnitWise is an independent business with no affiliation to Mary Kay®.