Contouring Mistakes That Are Making You Look Older
Contouring is a well-known makeup trick that can literally change the appearance of your face, and let's face it, we all love to look snatched now and then. From sculpting cheekbones to thinning out the bridge of our noses, this technique is used by makeup lovers all over the world, but it isn't always done correctly. Over 15 years of working in the beauty industry, I've discovered what works and what doesn't when it comes to contouring, and a wrong application can make you look much older. Beginners can start with our handy guide to face contouring, but even if you have a little experience in chiseling your cheekbones, these tips can help you to avoid the common errors that actually age you.
In the early 2010s, heavy contour was popular thanks to stars like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez. These days, the art of chiseling facial features is much more subtle and it can be done in a way that can't be detected. It's admittedly not easy to do but once you're aware of the mistakes that you're making, you'll find that contouring will only make you look more youthful, instead of having the opposite effect.
It's a mistake not to blend enough
One of the biggest mistakes you can make with contouring is not blending enough. You never want to see a stripe or a streaky patch on your skin, but rather the finished result should be a hint of shadow that gives your features a seamless silhouette. You can use either a powdered bronzer, a cream stick, or a liquid formula to contour your cheeks. Powdered bronzer is a godsend for novice makeup users because they're most forgiving and easiest to use. They're also very versatile, as you can use a tiny brush to contour the sides of your nose and a large fluffy one to cover bigger areas like your chest. Cream sticks and liquid versions with a doe-foot applicator, like the Saie Dew Bronze – Soft-Focus Liquid Bronzer + Liquid Contour, give you the most precision, but you'll need to master blending them onto your skin or you'll be left with a visible line.
With powder bronzers, swipe a mid-sized brush onto the product and brush it onto the area you want to contour. Simply go over it using short strokes until you get a blurred finish. If you're using a liquid or cream, place a few dots on your face and use a stiff brush to blend it together. When contouring your cheeks, be sure to move in an upward motion so that you have a lifting effect, while you should aim downward when sculpting your jawline. After the makeup is sufficiently blended, buff the area lightly with a sponge for a diffused finish.
Using a shade that's too dark is a common blunder
Contouring requires using makeup a few shades darker than your natural skin tone but if it's visibly noticeable, you need to go lighter. Contour that's overly shadowy will only end up muddy and be difficult to blend. What's more, that's the first thing people will notice when they look at your face. The whole point of using bronzer is to make others believe we were born with perfect bone structure, so you don't want to draw that kind of attention.
The best contour color for you will be no more than two or three shades darker than your foundation. It may be hard to tell, especially in the packaging, but if you have the time, make a trip to a retail store and try some shades out. Also, keep in mind your skin's undertone. If you're warm-toned, choose a bronzer that's more golden, while cool skin tones need options that have a bit of red to them. Just avoid anything that's too orange or it'll stand out too much and look like a bad faux tan.
Don't place the color too low on your cheeks
The advice we used to get to contour our faces was to suck in our cheeks and place the dark color in the hollow area. While this method helps you see where to apply the bronzer, applying it too low won't give you the lift that you're looking for. Aim the contour just underneath the cheekbones, starting from the highest point and stopping at the center. Be sure not to swipe too far below or you'll end up with a long stripe and your features will look pulled-down. If you want to make your cheeks appear fuller, make a slight curve inward towards your nose in a circular motion.
If you applied the contour too low, don't panic and wipe off all your makeup. You can easily fix it by adding some concealer on the lowest part and using a sponge to gently blend it upward. That'll give you the added effect of sculpting the sides of your face and highlighting your jawline. Don't forget to add a touch of shimmery highlighter on the tops of your cheeks for the perfect soft-glam look.