Makeup
How to contour your face by shape: a practical guide
Contour is shadow, highlighter is light. All you're doing is deepening the areas you want to recede and lighting up the ones you want to bring forward β in line with your face shape, not a template.
Shade and formula
- Contour should be 1β2 shades darker than your skin and neutral-cool β a warm shade reads as bronzer, not as shadow.
- Creamy formulas work better on dry and mature skin; powder formulas on oily skin.
- A highlighter without large glitter particles looks more expensive in photos and in daylight.
By face shape
Round face
Contour goes along the sides of the forehead and diagonally along the cheekbone toward the ear, plus lightly under the jaw. Highlighter in the centre of the forehead, on the nose and in the centre of the chin β the goal is verticality.
Elongated face
Contour on the upper hairline and on the chin, never long diagonals. Highlighter placed on the sides, on the cheekbones, to give the face width.
Square face
Contour on the corners of the jaw and on the outer parts of the forehead, all applied lightly and well-blended. Highlighter in the centre of the face softens the structure.
Heart-shaped face
Contour on the sides of the forehead and at the temples; highlighter in the centre of the jaw and chin, to optically widen the lower part of the face.
Oval face
Minimal: a light shadow beneath the cheekbone and under the jaw, highlighter on the highest points. More than that works against already balanced proportions.
Order of application
- Foundation and concealer (without overloading).
- Creamy contour, then blend with a damp sponge.
- Set with a translucent powder.
- Blush β the placement depends on your face shape, see blush for your face shape.
- Highlighter last, applied in small dots.
The "two steps back" test: if you can see the edges of the contour, the blending isn't finished. Contour should only be recognisable as shadow, never as a line.
Frequently asked questions
Does contouring age the face?
Not by itself, but a dry powder contour emphasises texture. On more mature skin, creamy formulas look softer.
Bronzer or contour?
Bronzer warms the face and goes where the sun would naturally hit; contour is a cool shadow that goes into the hollows. They can be combined.
How do I contour my nose without it being obvious?
Two thin lines on the sides, one connecting with the eyebrow shadow, and plenty of blending. Less pigment and more transition always looks more natural.
In closing
Contouring is a tool for proportions, not a mandatory step. Decide what you want to recede and what to bring forward, use a cool shadow and a warm highlighter in minimal amounts β and your face will look defined, not made-up.
Related reading
Blush for your face shape: where to apply it correctly
Blush is the fastest tool for correcting proportions β as long as it goes in the right place, and not always on the "middle of the cheek".
Which eyebrows suit me? Eyebrow shape for your face
Eyebrows are the frame of the face. Changing the arch height by two millimetres alters your expression more than a new makeup look.
How to choose foundation according to your skin's undertone
The right foundation shade isn't a matter of luck. Once you know your undertone, the number of possible mistakes drops from dozens to two.
Main guides