If you opened a fashion magazine, also if you connected on Instagram over the last few years you probably heard about the contouring make up. This make up technique used to be only reserved for show business people, models, singers and actresses.But should I use it for my make up wedding ?
Certainly after Kim Kardashian, the Queen of contouring, shared her daily make up transformation on the social medias. This technique became very popular. Definitely a lot of followers of new beauty trends got inspired and started sharing their contouring experiences on instagram too and now
almost all the make up brands are offering their contouring palettes on the beauty market. This is the reason why this technique is now so fashionable and accessible to every woman.
Firstly if you are a bride to be looking for the perfect make up for your wedding, you probably wonder if you should ask your make up artist to use this technique on your face for the big day or not.
Then we help you to make your choice.
What is Contouring ?
The contouring consists in sculpting the face enhancing the natural shades and highlights. Also this technique can be more or less subtle depending on the result you want. For the daily life the idea is to enhance some part of your face and hide others to get a harmonious result. Most of the famous make up artists say it is not supposed to be noticeable. But some women use it to completely change the shape of their face. Contouring is exactly the same technique used by theater artists whose make up must be visible from a long distance.
Contours and highlights…ok ! but where ?
Under the jaw line ? Below the cheekbone? Around the eye socket? Cheeks, nose, top of the forehead ? Not as easy as it seems!
The shading and highlighting technique is like a hairstyle, it has to be different for every woman. To understand better let’s see the sketches below.
It is really important to first define your shape before starting sculpting your face. Contouring is not easy to apply and a beautiful results first depends on the knowledge of your natural aspect. You will need to practice a lot before getting a perfect result.
What kind of make up products ?
A beautiful result will also depends on the products you use. Brushes and make up products.
First, use a natural hair angled cream brush, it is better to sculpt and aim specific parts of the face. We suggest to have two brushes. One for contouring and one for highlighting.
Then, use matte shadows for contours and you can use shimmery products but only for highlights . Never use shimmery products for contours and most of the famous make up artists say not to use bronzer unless your skin is already naturally tanned. It is better to use powders to contour, creams give a dewy and less natural result.
Contours must give the illusion of a natural shadow giving shape and enhancing the facial structure. This is why the colors you should use are beige, brown, taupe and grey. The colors must be well blend in with the foundation to avoid hard lines. Work with your brushes to mix the products and blur the colors. Demarcations would really ruin your make up.
Our opinion about contouring : Yes, but for the Red Carpet !
We think contouring + highlighting should be reserved for the red carpet, shows, photo shoots… where there are artificial flash lights. Even if it is extremely well done, the result is never natural at the day light. If you are not a show business celebrity but a beautiful normal life woman you should only use contouring for nightlife events. Remember less is more !
If you are a bride to be looking for the perfect make up, in the Riviera Maya or everywhere else, we suggest you shouldn´t use the contouring make up technique for your wedding. It is better and more adapted to choose only subtle highlights for a fresh, glowy and natural result. Your make up artist will know perfectly how to use the luminizer to make you shine bright like… your diamond ring !
If you like make up as us check our blog for eyelashes for your big day !
