Loved by celebrities and models alike, contouring is one of the hottest make-up techniques of the moment.
And best of all it’s surprisingly easy to do.
For those not familiar, contouring is a bit like highlighting and basically plays with shadow and light.Light colours highlight and draw areas forward, while dark colours shade and push them back.
Using these techniques together lets you manipulate light and shadow on your face to create an illusion.
“Good contouring can make a wide face appear narrower and cheekbones appear more prominent,” says celebrity make-up artist Lisa Eldridge.
“It can also help to define the jawline and lift the eyes. All this needs to be done with a light touch using the right product and shade, especially for a daytime look.”
One of the most famous contouring devotees is Kim Kardashian who credits the technique for her glowing and sculptured complexion.
Fancy giving it a go? Here’s how to do it.
1. The basis to this technique is using two different foundations. With a brush, sweep a liquid or cream foundation one shade lighter than your skin tone across the centre of your forehead and down your nose. Apply it to your under eyes, the tops of your cheekbones, around the nostrils and finish with a dab on the centre of your chin.
2. The second foundation needs to be one shade darker than your skin tone. Sweep it under your cheekbones – start a bit higher if yours are low. Apply it along the sides of the nose, either side of the light shade, and pop a little on your temples and jawline. With your fingers, smudge any harsh lines, making sure you don’t mix the shades.
3. Next, use a shimmery highlighter under eyebrows, along the tops of cheekbones and down the ridge of your nose. Then, with your fingers, dot a little over your cupid’s bow to cheat pouty lips – use a cream highlighter for smaller areas. Finish with a dusting of translucent powder.