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Contouring is one of the trickiest yet effective makeup methods for transforming your face and creating the illusion of a younger looking appearance. Adding shadows and dimension to your face can help enhance your cheekbones and thin out your jawline so you can look angular and instantly more youthful with some well applied product. However, just as contouring can transform your face for the better, when done incorrectly it can draw attention to signs of aging and highlight the very features you’re hoping to hide. We asked a makeup artist to provide us with her best tips for utilizing your contour to allow you to effectively hide your age while still looking subtle, and she laid out the four steps you should be following in order to achieve the best results every time.
Prime & Prep
Skincare is always going to be the most vital step for allowing your makeup application to appear smooth and effortless. Before applying contour, you must make sure to prep and prime your skin for product, creating a hydrated base to work off of. “One of the most important steps in getting the perfect contoured and youthful makeup is skin prep. It is important to take down inflammation while also hydrating and tightening the skin,” explains celebrity makeup artist Joyce Bonelli.
“I recommend using Joyce Bonelli Cosmétiques For The Gods ($25), an age defying serum that strengthens, visibly soothes, and protects the skin's natural barrier from outside elements. Also, using a contouring face roller or gua sha to literally carve out cheekbones and jawline simultaneously priming the skin for a perfect canvas to put makeup directly on.”
Opt For Cream
Once you’ve prepped, it’s time to choose the product itself. While many people opt for a powder contour and blend it out with a brush, Bonelli actually suggests using cream products for the most natural finish. “To achieve the most youthful skin it’s best to use cream base contour and blush. The trick is not to use too much product, think applying with fingers. I find that when using brushes we tend to use more product,” Bonelli says. “Instead, use a brush with little to no product to blend out contour placement.
Check Your Placement
In order to create the proper shadows to streamline your face, it’s important to know exactly where to place your product. “I always add contour on the lowest part of the cheek bone down to the corner of your mouth. I also always chisel out every jawline. This is all key for achieving the most youthful outcome,” explains Bonelli. Basically, you’ll want to create a line with your cream contour underneath your cheekbone, so that once it’s blended out the shadows will create the illusion of a sharper appearance. Applying a line along the edge of your jawline where you want it to appear more chiseled will also thin and lift your face for a younger looking complexion.
Set & Forget
Now that your contour has been placed, blend out the product with your fingers or a beauty blender until the cream is indistinguishable from your skin for the most natural look. Setting this in all in place with a powder is vital for making sure your makeup looks fresh all day without appearing flakey or cakey. “Keep in mind using the least amount of setting powder will always make you look younger. A setting spray is amazing to set and re-hydrate while it also has a smoothing component in it leaving your skin with an overall younger finish,” says Bonelli. With your contour locked firmly in place by a setting powder or spray, you won’t have to worry about your makeup giving away the secret of your age throughout the day.
