A SMALL INTRODUCTION
I've been using makeup for years now. I've tried pretty much everything and when i say everything i mean it.
As a teen, makeup was a fun way to express myself through actress/singer/celebrity inspired looks. Copying a makeup look is easy, fashionable and probably safe, if you know what suits you and in that age i hadn't given much thought of that. If you remember the "Power of goodbye" era of Madonna, you can easily guess that the results weren't always the ones expected.
So, I can proudly declare that i have gone from "the baby Bardot cat-eyed look" to "female Ziggy Stardust" and from "the seductive Penelope Cruz smoky eyes" to "plain zombie". The truth is that some makeups belong only to the big screen or certain photo shoots, they are far from easy to pull off in everyday life, especially if you don't give them a twist and make them your own.
In my very early 20's, i started experimenting with more natural looking looks that some found much more cuter, and some others (including myself) found flat and boring. Thankfully, that era was relatively short and then the miracle happened.
I really understood my face.
And, of course, learned how to properly contour and finally give those natural (and more eccentric looks) the twist they needed.
Contouring, in my humble opinion, is a very misunderstood business. Most of the girls i know who have tried contouring (including makeup artists!) consider it as a way to turn all faces into ovals. Though the oval face shape is the ideal, i don’t think that one should hide prominent cheekbones or a strong jaw line in the name of symmetry.
“Imperfections” of that kind are what makes us uniquely beautiful and they shouldn’t be hidden, they should be flattered.
Having said (all!) that, let's take a look at the face shape categories and how one should contour accordingly.
How To Determine What Face Shape You Are
You are a Oval Face Shape if: Length will be equal to one and a half times the width.
You are a Round Face Shape if: Your face shape is as wide as it is long. This may vary a little but generally the measurement is close.
You are a Rectangular Face Shape if: Your Face Shape is longer than it is wide.
You are a Heart Face Shape if:Your face shape is narrow at jaw line, wide at cheekbones/and or forehead.
You are a Square Face Shape if: Your face shape is about as wide as it is long.
You are a Triangular Face Shape if: Your face shape is narrower at the temples and is wider at the jaw bone.
You are a Diamond Face Shape if: Your face shape is widest at cheekbones, and if narrow forehead and jaw line of approximately equal widths.
You are a Long face shape if: Your face is a longer version of the oval.
GENERAL CONTOURING RULES
Contour where you need it and remember to flatter not to alter. DON’T try to change your face shape or go crazy with the amounts of products you use. Just like eccentric makeups, extreme contouring can look harsh, overdone and in a very bad way, fake.
No matter what your face shape is, highlight your forehead, under your eyes and your chin to draw attention to the centre of your face.
Light shading will make facial features more prominent.
Dark shading will make facial features recede.
TO SCULPT YOUR FACE YOU WILL NEED:
1)Your true foundation color that matches your skin exactly and a primer or a good quality moisturiser as a base for it.
2)Your contour color that should be 1 to 2 shades darker than your foundation and with the same undertone. It can be a bronzer, a foundation or a powder.
3)Your highlighting color that should be 1 to 2 shades lighter than your foundation and with the same undertone. I recommend using a concealer.
NOTE
The pictures I’m using are guides. I recommend interpreting them like this:
Highlight the area shown but when it comes to contouring, follow the lines. Draw blendable lines on your face, don’t paint the whole area, especially if you are opting for a day makeup. If you are going for something more glamorous, then feel free to experiment more but make sure to blend really well. The whole point of this is to create shadows not to end up with three different shades of foundation or powder.
THE FACE SHAPES
OVAL FACE
You do not need really have to contour as your face shape is already symmetrical. Oval faces have balanced features, both halves of the face match with perfection. They attract many admirers and are often the centre of attention. You can experiment as oval faces can support most make up trends. Just remember that light shades appear more prominent and darker shades decrease the size of the area.
RECTANGULAR FACE
The rectangular face shape is long and slender, about the same width at forehead and just below cheekbones. Rectangular face shapes may have a very narrow chin or a very high forehead. It is a very interesting face shape so contouring just on the corners of either side of your forehead and your jaw blending up to the bottom of your ear is more than enough to accentuate your look.
LONG FACE
Long faces are a slimmer version of the oval shaped face, they have long noses, narrow chins and a high forehead. As an oval based shape you don’t need a lot of contouring, just go across the lower section of your chin, use some blush on your cheeks the right way and go crazy with your eye makeup, the odds say you can support it better than anyone!
HEART FACE
The heart face shape is wide at the temples and hairline, narrowing to a small delicate chin. Heart shaped faces, have eye-catching cheekbones which narrow down to wards the chin. Faces like that are amazing for makeup so focus on playing with shadows using a contour color which is only 1 shade darker than your makeup for a more natural look. Contour slightly at the temples and cheeks and make sure to highlight your chin and forehead with a color that is 1 shade lighter than your makeup.
DIAMOND FACE
The diamond face shape is a cross between heart face shape and an oval face shape. It is balanced and dramatic, widest at the cheekbones and narrow equally at the forehead and jaw line. As a cross of two shapes you get the best of both worlds so use contouring to make your cheekbones and jaw line stand out even more. For a more natural look, use the colors suggested for the heart shaped face.
TRIANGULAR FACE
The triangular face shape is the reverse of the heart-shape, a dominant jaw line with narrowing at the cheek bone and temples. It is a very interesting and rare shape so intensify it’s uniqueness by contouring on the jaw line and cheeks following the lines shown above and make sure to blend really well.
SQUARE FACE
The square shape is easy to recognize, it is strong, with broad cheekbones and a squarish jaw and hair line. The goal here is to flatter and soften the angles of your face without losing them so try contouring above the lines shown in the picture on the corners of either side of your forehead. Also, contour above the lines on either side of your jaw optionally blending up to the bottom. For square and generally angular faces I would recommend using contour/highlight in colors 2 shades darker/lighter than your foundation for more eye-catching results.
ROUND FACE
The round face shape is full-looking with a round chin and hairline. The widest point is at the cheeks and ears on women with round face shapes.Round faces tend to be wide as they are long; they have small noses and youthful look. They receive many compliments about their look even in old age. In order to make these sweet, child-like faces look even cuter, contour to your temples, cheeks and half of your jaw line. Don’t be harsh with your lines and make sure to blend well.
I hope this was helpful!
