It has been waaaaay too long! I am back for a requested post - Highlight and Contouring. Do note that I am doing this for Asian faces specifically! There are a gazillion youtube videos on this topic but the good ones all belong to Westernised features so they are somewhat not the same. The basic explanation behind is still the same but there are still slight differences! I will introduce some you tubers I really enjoy watching and whom I think their tutorials on contouring really help me!
I am really into contouring especially because I have a total hate relationship with my face shape. I know, i know, love yourself and well, this is me loving myself!I have jaw muscles by the side of my face that makes my face seemed rounder than supposed and who doesn't love a slimmer nose? I also have an extremely high forehead but thats all the rage now in Korea so if you love your high, round forehead, go for it!
This post is for girls who want to look slightly more 3D/defined, compared to just slapping on foundation and blush. I am totally not into Korean/Japanese make up because I don't feel that they suit my face shape. If you are into those, this tutorial may or may not suit you. I am going to explain the two parts separately and introduce products that you can use!
Ok, let's look at the front first. We are going to talk about highlight first because it is easier imho and then we will move onto contouring!
So, the face chart is just smth I grabbed off Google (Thank you, Google!) because I can't draw faces to save my life. This is obviously not suited for everyone but the general idea is there. You pick the parts where you wanna use and then you try it on yourself!
HIGHLIGHTING
I am sure you've heard this before. You highlight all the parts where the sun hits. This is true and it is mainly centred in the middle of your face.
1. Forehead
2. Bridge of nose (that dips in)
3. Tip of nose
4. Cupid's bow
5. Chin
6. Cheekbones
7. Inner corner of eyes and slightly pass your eye circles
8. Under and above brow bones
9. Laughlines
Highlighting your forehead brings a more 3D look to your entire face, especially if you feel your face is a little 2D (Pancake face - which is really common for Asians). Bring your highlight down to your nose bridge because this gives a more connected feel and most Asians have bridges that dip in slightly and doing so can give it a more lifted look.
I never find the need to bring it all the way down because the part of my nose that dips is just the bridge. Then, I just highlight the tip of my nose so the under light, the highlighted parts will naturally connect. Highlighting the tip of the nose also lifts your nose and give it a pert look.
Highlighting your cupid's bow is new in the YT world - or rather, quite new to me. Its purpose is also quite simple, it highlights your tip of the lips and give it a fuller, poutier effect. Like, putting a lighter shade of lipstick in the middle of your lips.
Chin is optional but I like it because my face is round and not as elongated as I like it. This gives my chin a pointier effect and a sharper look. The cheekbones are self-explanatory, right? Who doesn't want higher, sharper cheekbones? If you don't, skip this step.
Next up, the inner corners of the eyes are darker due to blood vessels and whatnot. I place highlighter over my concealer so it brightens up the inner corners even more. This gives you a more awake look - even when you are not haha. Placing the highlighter slightly pass your eye circles can also add to brightening the area, even after you conceal.
Highlighting under and above brow bones can lift your entire face. I like this because my face is ridiculously roundish. Even if you don't have really arch eyebrows, doing this can still give you a overall fresh, lifted look.
Lastly, laughlines. I hate them. They are becoming more apparent on my face each damn year. However, with highlighting, you can bounce the darkness off and this lessen their appearance!
Products
Highlighting is NOT concealing. Please do not confuse the two. However, you CAN use a lighter concealer in place to highlight! You want your concealer to match your face if you are going to use it to hide blemishes or take away circles. You want a highlighter to be lighter so it stands out. Get it? I will talk about glitter vs non-glitter later on.
NYX HD Photogenic Concealer 02 Fair/Clair
This shade is ridiculously white. I use it when I am doing makeovers for fair people and it works perfectly. It is also really light and yet, pigmentation is awesome. I love this when I am going for a dramatic look. (Actually, any concealer that is lighter than your skin tone will work)
YSL Touche Èclat
The much talked-about of highlighters. I love this. It is pink-based and extremely light, yet it works beautifully. It is not meant to be use as a concealer despite what people like to use it for. I clicked it a few times and use it on all the points I talked about and voila, I'm a highlighted goddess (ok, kidding).
L'oreal Magic Lumi Highlighter
I am not too sure if this is found in Singapore but this is a much-approved dupe on Pinterest for the touche éclat! I really enjoy it as well and I use it on a daily basis if I know I am just heading out nearby for a short while (because the touche èclat is way to expensive).
Catrice Made-to-Stay Highlighter Pen
This is another one of my favourite because its super cheap and works so well. This has a slight sheen to it and I only use it when I am going for a night look because if over-used, it can look oily in this Singapore heat and weather.
Benefit Highbeam
This is the famous one we all know. But I really only use it when I see it in my drawer and I don't find myself reaching for it often. It does its job very well but for the price, I can easily find dupes and the Catrice highlighter pen is one. It has a pink sheen and can look oily if used too much. So sparingly and add on only when needed! The liquid dries quickly so you need to blend as you go.
For both highlighting and contouring, I prefer using a cream/liquid product first before powdering it because it stays and lasts longer! So the above listed are liquid products and I will talk about powder now.
Powder/Anastasia Contour Kit
This is my go-to but because it is not found in Singapore, I will talk about the powders and replacements you can use. Firstly, I love the shade Vanilla. Its a pink-based cream coloured powder and this is easily replaced by any paler eyeshadows you already own. Go two shades lighter than your usual foundation shade and you've most probably got yourself a highlighter powder. Next, the shade Sand is also a pink-based cream coloured powder but with little flecks of glitter. This is absolutely beautiful to layer on cheekbones, nose and inner corner. I don't like to use it on my forehead or chin because I feel that it looks too heavy and I come off as an oily grease ball. Now, look for any pale eyeshadow with a sheen and you have a highlighter with a sheen. I am not talking about glitter, but a silk sheen. If you own the Nakeds palettes, try using the lightest shade they have. It should work.
CONTOURING
Now this is my zone. I love contouring. I have received compliments when I contour so I know it works for me. Remember, you want to go in with a light hand because you can always add on but its really a bitch to try and remove excess.
TAUPE v.s. BROWN
there is a really big difference. Bronzers are brown. Warm-toned brown with orange undertones. They are meant to warm up your face, and that is why they are brown. There are many people who use it to contour and if you love it, go for it. Also, if you're slightly tanner, then bronzers will also work for you. I am saying if you are on the fairer side and want your contour to look natural and shadow-like, to mimic real shadows, then go for taupe. Taupe are cool-tone browns with grey undertone. They look like shadows on skin and that is why they are not completely brown.
Contouring is used to slim down certain parts of the face and not bring attention to it and I am talking about parts of my face that I use contour on. Focus on areas you want to stand down and don't go about doing your entire face if you have no need for it. E.g. if your forehead is not big, skip no. 1.
1. Forehead near the hairline
2. Hollow of cheeks (Right below cheekbones)
3. Jaw muscle areas
4. Right below lips
5. Sides of nose
6. Neck/under chin
I have a humongous forehead. No joke. I can fit my entire palm on it. It also doesn't contain much..flesh. Like, its bony. Do I make sense? Thats why I shade the top part to let it appear smaller and I highlight the middle to allow the bony areas to appear fleshier. [This is sounding like an episode off Bones or smth]
Make a fishy face. Thats where you want your contour to be. This step brings out cheekbones and you can move it slightly higher to give the illusion of higher cheekbones. If you find your hollow too low, start off from the top of your ear and angle it down to the corner of your mouth. Thats the general direction. Place 2-3 fingers flat from the corner of your mouth on the side of your face/cheeks and that is where you want your contour to end. Blend upwards and after you apply blush, you will find that it blends really nicely.
I have excess jaw muscles so it gives me a really roundish face. I contour really slightly at that area and drag it along my jaw lines to give my face a slimmer look. This is really unnecessary if your face is sharpish or elongated.
Contouring right below your lips can give your lips a poutier look. This is really not necessary for everyday as well but I like to do it when I am going for a really full face at night.
We, Asians, have really odd noses. Not all of us are blessed with small, high-bridged nose and not all of us dare/want to go for surgery to correct it. I like the size of my nose but I contour to give it a little better shape. I once went full-on and had an aunty whom I only see once a year, asked if I went for a nose-job. So, you need a small flat brush for this and any eyeshadow brush you have will kinda work. Grab the cream-based product you are working with and lightly mark out the lines you desire. The closer the two lines, the smaller your nose will look. Then drag your brush down the sides and concentrate on fleshy parts. I concentrate near the two sides of my nostril and this gives the illusion of a slimmer nose. Don't go overboard here because if you do, people can generally tell.
This chart is for point no. 6.
For a more defined jawline, use the contour shade and brush it along your neck and especially under your chin. This will help in the visibility of double chins and give you a more defined jaw line. So it doesn't look as though your neck and face blends into one.
PRODUCTS
There is only 4 products I trust for contouring because I find it unusually hard to look for taupe-ish colors. I use a contour brush (Real Techniques have a really good contour brush) because I think it applies better.
Illamasqua Cream Pigment - Hollow
When I first heard of this product, I went out and splurge on it. I think it costs over $40 but I have never regretted it. Firstly, as it is a pigment, you don't need much. A swipe or two is all I use and I think I have had this product for over a year. It is the grey-est taupe-y color I have seen mimic real shadow and it looks absolutely natural on fair-skinned girls. For darker skinned, I have yet to find a cream pigment that mimics this so I am sorry :x
I then layer powder over it, which is the same technique as highlighting. Cream tend to disappear faster so layering it with powder really helps.
Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow - Heroine
This is Hollow in powder form, basically. Need no further explanation
NYX Blush - Taupe
Its literally called taupe and its the dupe for Heroine. Unfortunately, its almost always OOS on the nix website and its not find-able in Singapore. (SINGAPORE, BRING IN MORE MAKEUP!)
Anastasia Contour Palette
I only use one shade for contour here, even tho three are provided. I find the other two too warm mostly so I only use Fawn. However, even Fawn is warmer than Heroine.
There is no sheen in shadows so avoid products that contain glitter or look silky. You want a matte shadow because any sheen will cause the opposite effect. Unless you're looking to bronze your face and give it a sun-lit glow, then go for sheen.
There. This is all. If you stayed till the end, go and try it out!! Highlighting and contouring might seemed scary but its really easy and fun once you have the right tools and shades. Now, go have fun and make your face smaller!
Love,
Pea
p/s: YOUTUBERS TO WATCH FOR AWESOME HIGHLIGHTING/CONTOURING
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