Easy Tips For Contouring A Round Face Shape

Mastering contour techniques is already a fiery beast in the makeup realm, but it gets even more difficult when you have a face shape that doesn't work with typical face contouring methods. Namely, a round face shape.

Now, before we continue, the round faced folks should know that they're incredibly blessed. Round faces look youthful, lush, and classic. Look no further than beauty icons such as Queen Latifah, Drew Barrymore, and Selena Gomez to see the gorgeous qualities of a round face.

However, contouring a round face shape can get a little tricky. You want to accentuate some of your features without the contour looking out of place against the curve of your cheeks and jawline. Fortunately, there are contouring strategies that can flatter your natural face shape without making you look like you're wearing stage makeup. To use contour to get the perfect makeup look, you'll need a light touch and a good sense of color.

One of the biggest mistakes when contouring a round face shape is drawing exaggerated, poorly blended lines everywhere. The visual effect can certainly be interesting, but for everyday makeup, you'll want something that looks good from multiple angles. Instead, focus on lightly applying your contour shade to your forehead and cheekbones. Deepening the shadow along your hairline and temples will help emphasize your brow and add more depth to your face, while placing contour below your cheeks will lift and enhance your cheekbones. If you choose to contour your jawline, be sure to follow the shape of your jawbone to avoid any unnatural-looking shadows on your chin.

For an extra lifting effect on your cheeks, you can try out the "Y" contouring hack. As demonstrated by @fentybeauty on TikTok, this contouring technique uses a Y shape to add definition to your face. Rather than draw a single straight line across the hollow of your cheek, make a slightly curved Y. Draw the first line along the bottom of your cheek in the direction of the corner of your mouth, but once you reach the center of your cheek, make the line turn slightly upward, tracing the natural curve of your cheekbone. Then, add one more short line (the second stem of your Y) that extends just a little bit closer to your mouth. After blending it in, you'll have a more narrow appearance that still complements the full cheeks of a round face shape.

Choosing the proper shade for your contour makes all the difference, regardless of your face shape. If you use a contour color that doesn't suit your skin tone, the optical illusion will be ruined and you won't get the look you want. Always pick a contour shade that's noticeably darker than your skin color, but not so dark that it looks unnatural on you. If you're having trouble choosing a color, look at how your skin appears when your face is under a shadow — this is the shade you should be looking for in a contour product. And remember, if your skin gets darker during the summer, you may need another contour shade for the warmer months.

The other big rule for contour colors is to pick a cool shade, per She Finds. Even if you have warm undertones, the "shadow" you create with contour should still be a cool tone. Otherwise you'll just be using a bronzer, and bronzer adds a glow to your face, not depth.

You can successfully contour a round face shape, but contouring is not a makeup necessity. So if you continually find that contouring doesn't feel right for you, there are other ways you can define your features. Draping, for instance, is an excellent alternative to contouring. This old-school beauty technique uses a heavy application of blush to bring attention to your cheeks, temples, and brow bone.

Blush can be an effective way to do a quasi-contour on a round face shape, as the warm, flushed look can be more harmonious with curved features than the cooler shades of a regular contour. Draping is also a great way to play up how youthful and healthy a full face looks, as well as emphasize your eyes by taking blush all the way up to your temples. If a draping technique sounds too advanced, don't stress out: You can do a quick version of blush contouring with TikTok's circle blush hack, which lets you apply all the blush you need in a simple motion. Follow up with highlighter for an extra glowy effect.

Contouring might be intimidating at first, but if you work with your natural beauty rather than against it, you'll end up with a defined, sensual makeup look that shows off all the fabulous features of a round face shape.