Here's how the shape of your face affects how you should contour

Contour kits are nothing short of a life-changer. You can fake having high cheekbones, a chiseled and lean face, and a more angular nose — all thanks to this manipulation technique called contouring. No wonder that it has quickly turned from the latest beauty trend to a makeup routine staple.

Contouring is an art that takes time to master. There are a lot of nuances to help you enhance your features in the best way possible especially, your face shape.

Everyone has a unique face shape and facial attributes... which is great because the world would’ve been so bland otherwise! Correctly sculpting your face using a contour kit is hugely dependent on your face shape. In this article, we’ll talk about the different face shapes and the areas that you should contour to look flawless.

Before we proceed, we would like to emphasize the need for finding the correct contour kit. You should buy a contour kit that is not more than one to two shades darker than your foundation. Also, you need to pay careful attention to the undertones of the contour kit. Grey, cooler undertones should be preferred over warmer, orangey ones.

There, now that’s out of the way, let us proceed.

The Round Face Shape

You have a round face shape if the length and width of your face is more or less the same, resembling a circle.

You should aim to make your face more angular by using contour kits. Use the 3-contour technique: take the contour product and draw the number ‘3’ starting from your upper forehead just around your hairline, covering under your cheekbones and finally, under your jawline. Make sure to avoid the chin to add more height to your face. Following this method will give you a more oval-looking shape and definition. Remember to carefully blend all the harsh, dark lines to ensure you have a soft and natural contour.

The Square Face Shape

A bit on the boxy side, you have a square face shape if your cheekbones, jawline, and forehead share the same width.

Contouring, in this case, is a little tricky. You need to focus on the corners of your face which include the exterior portion of your jaw and your forehead. You need to carefully layer and blend the contour to create natural-looking shadows. Blend the contour starting from below the temples till the area underneath your cheekbones. Keep in mind to soften the angles of your face.

The Heart Face Shape

You have a heart face shape when you have a pointy chin which is narrower than your forehead. Since this face shape has quite a prominent chin, contouring revolves around softening the edge of the chin. You’ll use the 3-contour technique here as well but with one change. Draw the contour starting from the edges of your forehead to the underside of your cheekbones like you normally would. But instead of the jawline, you will draw the product on the bottom of your chin. This will give an illusion of a shorter and more blunt-looking chin.

The Diamond Face Shape

You have a diamond face shape when your wide cheekbones gradually start tapering into a narrower forehead and jaw. Having a pointy chin and a narrow forehead can look very edgy so you have to use contour to soften that severity.

Draw the contour from the sides and center of your forehead taking care to be closer to your headline. This will make it appear longer than it is. As for your chin, contour the bottom area to give it a shorter appearance.

The Oval Face Shape

Firstly, you are blessed! This is quite a balanced face shape with the forehead being a little wider than the chin and high, prominent cheekbones. Just follow the basic 3-contour technique and you are done. Start contouring from your temples to your cheekbones till the outside of your upper jaw and stop there.

So, these were a few ways in which you can contour your face shape to make your features more enhanced. Apply the contour using appropriate makeup tools such as a brush for drawing precise lines. Just remember to blend and then blend some more for a natural contour that everyone will envy.

Resources— Huda BeautyLoreal Paris USA

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