A Complete Contour Makeup Guide for Beginners

by Coco Lee August 30, 2022

Sculpting of the face comes from using contouring techniques and has become a makeup staple. It is a popular trick that has gained tremendous popularity in this Instagram age that is obsessed with gaining followers and engaging with them. Celebrities, influencers, and commoners alike are contouring to get the right look for different occasions. Our experts have brought you contour makeup guide that will let you perfect the shades for that rightly sculpted look. Keep reading this how to contour and highlight for beginners to effortlessly glam up your look any time!

Table of Content

What is Contour Makeup?
Step by Step Contouring with Pictures

Start by prepping the face
Move on to the foundation
Don’t miss out on the concealer
Set it with a translucent powder
Start contouring now
Blush it up
Highlight for the final effect
Blusher for everyday contouring
Set it for a flawless finish

Some Tips to Contour like Pro

Create the outline first
Dab, don’t drag
Use a blending sponge
Take your time to blend
Use concealer to highlight the shade

Wrapping up

What is Contour Makeup?

Contouring is a makeup technique that lets you sculpt and add dimension to your face. You can do this by using makeup colors that are slightly darker or lighter than your actual skin color. In this way, you can highlight certain parts, slim down, or even deepen features that are otherwise unflattering.

Contouring is all about creating a light and shadow effect to bring out the natural youthful charm of your face. Though it is a must for all types of special occasions and photo shoots, you can master the technique and use it on a daily basis even by using your regular blusher. An important contour makeup guide tip is to know to achieve the play of shadow and light by placing the colors right!

Step by Step Contouring with Pictures

Here’s your formal makeup contour guide!

1. Start by prepping the face

To get the maximum out of your makeup products, invest time to clean your face and prep it well. Give it some time to dry naturally and then follow it up with a light moisturizer. Once done, wait a minute before you apply a primer that will help ease out the pores and line the face for a more even look. It also acts as a buffer between your skin and makeup products helping even application and making them last longer.

2. Move on to the foundation

Opt for a foundation that matches your skin tone instead of opting for lighter shades and run the risk of making the face ashy. Foundation is going to help your face gain a natural even tone on which the colors of your contour and blush will play well. Apply foundation in dots all over the face and take care to blend it in place such that there is an even layer over your face. Our experts cannot stress enough in the contour makeup guide that blending is the key to achieving the best makeup effects! Also checkout in detailed difference between Foundation vs. Concealer.

3. Don’t miss out on the concealer

As the name suggests, the purpose of this makeup product is to conceal spots and blemishes that show up even after applying foundation. Use Multicolor Liquid concealer only on the spots that need color correction and dab it in with a makeup sponge. Take care to match the concealer color with that of your foundation so that there is a seamless blending. Experts can’t stress this enough in the contour makeup guide!

4. Set it with a translucent powder

Your makeup needs to stay in place for long hours and at this stage, it is best done using a translucent powder. Get it right with the contour powder makeup guide; it will also take away any unwanted extra shine from the skin and give it a natural skin finish. This way makeup will neither look oily nor cakey, but oh-so-natural!

5. Start contouring now

The first step to the contour makeup guide proper is to trace your cheekbones along which you’re going to place the contour color. The easiest way is to such in your cheeks and places the color just over the hollow. Our beauty expert however has another easy and more consistent method of tracing the contour line. Place a pencil at the upper end of your ear and connect it to the end of the lip. This is your contour line, but, take care to stop at the point where the center of the eye meets the line.
Next in our contour makeup guide is, to use a contour color according to your complexion. Contour is meant to create a light shadow instead of leaving a trace of the product. Pick up the right shade as per your complexion from the De’Lanci Multifunctional Double Ended Contouring Stick. And now, it’s time to start blending the product using a blending sponge that you should dab over the product. Continue to do so till all harsh product lines have blended in.
Following the contour makeup guide, move on to contour the edges of the face, that is, your jaw line and the forehead to sculpt the outline. Blend in the product carefully again. Now, apply some on both sides of the bridge of the nose and dab it in to create a shadow giving illusion of a slimmer nose.

6. Blush it up

Applying blush does not directly affect the contouring but helps the makeup look more natural. It acts as a bridge between the shadow and light and adds that flattering flush to the cheeks! Experts have recommended in their contour makeup guide to place the blush color just above the blended contour line and blend it seamlessly. It should create a play of light shadow and color giving a bright look. Play around with the shades and you will find the contour and blush lines that perfectly complement your face!

7. Highlight for the final effect

As per our experts, this is a critical part of how to contour and highlight for beginners! Use Diamond highlighter Palette means that you’re highlighting places on your face where the light hits naturally. Places like the forehead, tip of the nose, brow bone, and top of the cheekbone are the areas to highlight. This will further bring out the play of light and shadow making your face contour sharp giving a sculpted look! Take care to apply a highlighter palette that has a slight shimmer but is not sparkly. You can also opt to use your concealer as a natural highlighter!

8. Blusher for everyday contouring

This is an invaluable contour makeup guide tip! Once you have practiced contouring a few times, you can start using your regular blush for contouring purposes! Once you are through the foundation and concealer stages, apply your blush as you would apply the contour and blush and blend it well. With time you will see how well you can give your face that sculpted look in minutes! It’s one of those makeup hacks to save your money!

9. Set it for a flawless finish

Always finish your makeup using a setting spray! The layers of products need a final setting solution that will help the colors retain their luminance without fading or running out.

Some Tips to Contour like Pro

1. Create the outline first

The best contour makeup guide says, start by creating the contour lines all over the face and then start blending part by part. Outline both cheeks together for an even contour, both jaw lines, the forehead region, and finally the nose. This way you are less likely to forget contouring any part of your face and will achieve a fully sculpted look.

2. Dab, don’t drag

Blending is the key to the best-contoured look, and as a beginner, it’s important that you learn to dab the product onto your skin. Take care not to drag it in any direction but pat it on the skin gradually all over the line for a seamless blending. Not all contour makeup guide talk about such secret tips!

3. Use a blending sponge

As a beginner, it’s important that you learn to blend well for that fine streak-free look. To achieve that, use a makeup sponge. Wet your sponge and dab it over the product so that the skin takes it in evenly as you move it.

4. Take your time to blend

You cannot rush through a fully-contoured makeup look. The best time spent getting that eye-catching look is by blending the colors of your makeup. Always blend your makeup upward to give a youthful and lifted look - a secret in our contour makeup guide!

5. Use concealer to highlight the shade

Our contour makeup guide says, in case you are in a hurry or don’t favor the use of a regular highlighter, let your concealer do the job! Use the liquid concealer in dots on the bridge of your nose, on the high place of your cheekbones, and on the center of the forehead for that instant glow. This will help highlight the features in a more sculpted way. Learn more by reading our expert’s opinion on how to highlight dark skin tones.

Wrapping up

Contouring is an incredible way of giving your face that sharp and sculpted look, and our contour makeup guide is sure to help you get that right! All you need is the right sequence of makeup product applications and the time to perfect your look. Make sure to use only high-quality De’Lanci's makeup products for lip, eye, face, and the best accessories for that flawless finish! Get tips on how to use a contour makeup brush set!