Contouring and Extreme Contouring

Contouring

You will need:

Primer

Foundation

Concealer

Translucent powder

Highlighter- you can also use blusher, eyeshadow and other similar products for highlighting and shading, usually matte products are best for shading, some shimmer can be used for highlighting as shimmer makes the area more eye catching and it stands out.

Shader

Powder brushes

Method:

-Complete the primer, foundation and concealer as you would normally following the previous notes however do not powder if you are going to be using grease based products for contouring. If you are only using powder based products for contouring then you can powder after the foundation and concealer. Remember you can only use grease products on top of grease products and powder products on top of powder products. You can use both grease and powder products for contouring just make sure you powder before using the powder products.

-Clean your hands and then touch the clients face gently to help you to feel and work out where the natural contours of their face are and therefore which areas you are going to be contouring. When contouring you normally use brushes however if your fingers are very clean they can be used to help you apply some of the products if you find this easier and then blend in with the brushes.

-Start shading using the palest colour you are planning on using for shading and then gradually use darker shades as it is a lot easier to make the colour darker than lighter.

-You can use a variety of brushes for shading depending on the shape you want to achieve and how large the area is that you are shading. Generally normal blusher brushes or angled blusher brushes work well for most contouring on areas such as the cheeks and smaller round brushes work well on smaller areas such as the sides of the nose.

-Shade under the cheek bones not on top to create a more natural look and to exaggerate the natural cheekbone definition. Ask the model to suck in their cheeks if this helps you to create a good shape and it should make it easier for you to see their natural cheekbones.

-Shade up to the hairline and curve the shading line slightly when you do this so it follows the natural shape of the face. Also shade down towards the mouth but do not take shading all the way to the mouth as it will look too harsh.

-You can build up the colours of the cheek contouring gradually getting darker until you have reached your desired look or you can do light shading on all the areas of the face you wish to shade and then build the colours up gradually over all the shaded areas.

-Then using a smaller brush shade along the sides of the nose if needed to make the nose appear thinner.

-Put darker shading on the end of the nose if you want it to appear shorter.

-If the forehead is very wide you can shade on the temples to make it look narrower.

-Shade under the chin to define the chin line and to make the chin look thinner.

-Then use highlighter on the areas you wish to look more illuminated. White powder highlighter works well or a white eyeshadow. If you have used grease products for shading make sure you powder using soft rolling motions being careful not to affect your contouring.  Use plenty of powder so that if you gently touched the skin with your hand no grease product would go onto your hands.

-Highlight down the centre of the face i.e. the middle of the forehead, down the centre of the nose and the middle of the chin under the lips. Also highlight on top of the cheek bones and under the cheek bones if you want to and highlight under the eyes. Do not highlight on blemishes as they will look more obvious because highlighting makes an area more eye catching and illuminates the area, instead make sure you concealer blemishes well when applying the foundation and concealer.

-If the skin looks a little too pale then light bronzer can be used over contouring to add warmth, bronzer over highlight works well to achieve a warmer complexion. Also blusher can be used on the apples of the cheeks to add warmth, ask your model to smile so that you can see exactly where to put the blusher.

Extreme Contouring

Extreme contouring is used to exaggerate the convex and concave areas of the skin or to create the illusion that other areas are convex or concave. Convex is when something stands out from the surface and concave is when something is hollow against the surface. Extreme contouring should not be used for daytime looks as it doesn’t look natural however it works well for photo shots and character makeup to make the models look striking and dramatic as it works well under studio lights but not in natural daylight. In natural light more subtle contouring should be used as heavy contouring and heavy products can start to appear greasy or crack after they have been worn for several hours. Also care should be taken to make sure that any other skin on show matches the colour of the face to bring the look together and so that the whole body has the same skin tone. When applying make-up don’t stand too close to the client so that you can clearly see what you are doing, how it’s working with the surrounding make-up and so the client doesn’t feel intimidated or uncomfortable.

Demonstration:

-Apply primer using a foundation brush all over the area of skin that you are going to apply make-up to.

-Use a white cream or grease foundation and apply to the convex areas of the face or the area you want to appear more convex using a buffer brush. Super Color White 070 is good for highlighting as it looks good under lights and creates a flattering cool coloured surface to the face.

-Blend the highlighter into the skin with a buffer brush using circular motions. Blend onto the ears, neck and any other skin that will be on show.

-If you are using powder based products for shading then powder the skin with translucent or coloured powder depending on your chosen look using a large flat sided brush. Always use the side of the brush to pat the powder into the skin so that you are not forcing power directly into the pores. However if you are using cream or grease products for shading the skin then powder afterwards.

- Shading can be done using many different products including eyeshadows, blushers and bronzers. Start by using the lighter shades as it is easier to make the colour darker than to make it lighter. Shade under the cheekbones, under the jaw mainly at the sides towards the ears, side of the nose, near the corner of the eyes, across the eyelid focusing on the socket line and under the lip. Shading can be used on other areas if needed to create a specific look you have designed.

- Shimmering products can be used on highlighted areas to create an illuminatus look if required and if you haven’t already powder the skin after you have finished applying grease based products.

I enjoyed learning how to do extreme contouring and I would like to use it in the future for character make-up and also I think it would be good to experiment with different colours. I need to blend the contouring in a bit more so that it flows smoothly into the rest of the make-up as the lines are a bit harsh at the moment.

Kim Kardashion West is someone known for her love of contouring and many people have tried to emulate her look, just as many people in Elizabethan times tried to look like Queen Elizabeth.
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