Contour is all the ‘buzz’ in makeup talk these days.
I even had a Sephora executive whisper in my ear “Contour is the next big thing”.
Contour is no secret, no ‘next big thing’, and really no big deal as far as how to apply it to yourself.
However, contour, when applied properly, can transform face shape to heighten your visual appeal.
Contour works literally ‘in the shadows’. It needs to be that unseen influence that heightens everything we want to highlight, mainly eyes and lips.
First off, what to use for contour.
The temperature of a shadow.
In the world of color temperature, the three most used terms are warm, cool, and neutral.
All shadows are a cool color and can also appear neutral.
In order to simulate shadow on your face (contour), be sure the product you are using is neutral to cool in temperature.
The biggest mistake made is using bronzer as contour. Most bronzer contains some yellow and is therefore warm. A warm contour shadow is unnatural and thus looks artificial.
I use translucent powder as contour as it mimics skin tone best and the pigment is loose enough that it is easy to control the intensity of the application.
Where is the cheekbone?
• Shelf- This is the top of the cheek bone where it first starts to round outward away from the center of the face and catches the most reflection of light.
• Crown- This is the outer edge of the cheek bone a quarter circle down from the shelf.
• Contour- This is where the cheek bone begins to roll back under from the crown. This is where contour is applied.
• Contour stops being applied at the base of the cheekbone as it rolls back down to meet the hollow of the cheek.
• Do not apply contour in the hollow of the cheek. This creates a sunken, unhealthy look. The purpose of contour is to lift the cheekbone and taper the face towards the heart of the face.
Part Three: Bronzer and how it applies to contouring.
Part 4: Blush- A happy pill for the face.
Note: This series of video tutorials is organized in a specific order of application. It is not necessary to do every step when you do your makeup but I do suggest you follow the order of the videos and skip the steps that don’t apply to you.
Please let me know if this blog was of value to you and share your own Authentic Beauty Makeup tips in the comments box below. I would love to hear how you get on trying this new method of makeup application – tell me how useful you find the tutorials and how you found the results. You can also use the comments box to tell me what interests and concerns you when it comes to which makeup colors to choose. Please let me know so I can fashion future blogs that are relevant and interesting to you.
CHRIS SCOTT, M.A. is the creator of San Francisco-based Makeup Gourmet®. Over his nearly 30-year career, in addition to doing makeup for top models from every corner of the planet, he also had the honor of working for legends like Paul McCartney, US Vice President Al Gore, Shirley Temple Black, Maya Angelou and Olympic Gold medalists Oksana Baiul and Kristi Yamaguchi. He was the creator and host of the TV show ‘Makeup Gourmet’ from 2008 – 2010. He was a leading Chanel Beauté national artist for over two decades, and is also the creator and guest teacher of Fashion Makeup at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He created his unique Makeup Gourmet line to ensure his clients and the public could have access to high-quality, ethically produced, ‘green’ makeup and skincare with a low-carbon footprint. Chris is also the author of Cosmetic Counter Survival Guide: How to Buy the Right Skin Care and Makeup and the international #1 bestseller Face with a Heart: Mastering Authentic Beauty Makeup.
‘The grass is always greener where you water it.’
CS