What is Contouring & Highlighting? - Contouring is the strategic application of makeup to create shadows and draw areas of your facial structure back.  If you choose, you can then complement your contouring with highlighting. A highlighter is a shade lighter than your natural skin tone and is used to bring certain features forward.

Whether your dream is to have higher and more prominent cheekbones, a narrower nose, a more defined jawline, or a thinner face shape, you can achieve it with some practice.

How to Pick Contour & Highlight Shades –

To Contour: Select a bronzer or use a foundation that is 1-2 shades darker than your natural skin tone or normal foundation color.

To Highlight: Select a highlighter or use a foundation that is 1-2 shades lighter than your natural skin tone or normal foundation color.

 Best Tools to Use:

Beauty Blender

UltraPlush Professional Vegan Brush

Contouring and Highlighting in 5 Easy Steps

STEP 1: Select Foundation

Select your usual foundation shade and apply as you normally would. Don’t forget to prep with our Pregame Primer.

STEP 2: Shade Key Areas

Choose a Foundation that is a few shades darker than your skin tone or use a Beachin’ Bronzer. Use the darker foundation shade (or bronzer) and apply it to the areas that you’d like to contour, such as the hollows of your cheeks, temples, hairline, jawline or nose.

STEP 3: Blend It Out

Start with a lighter application at first. You can always add more to build the intensity. It’s much harder to take away than to add on! Make sure to blend well, so there are no harsh lines.

STEP 4: Highlight

Use a highlighter, or select a foundation shade that is 1-2 shades lighter than you would normally wear.

STEP 5: Brighten Key Areas

Apply the highlighter or lighter foundation shade to the areas that would naturally catch light. This is generally the tops of your cheekbones, brow bones, bridge of your nose, forehead and chin. Next, layer on a small amount of highlighter to the cheeks and nose.

How to contour & highlight specific to your face shape

Round Face Shape

Key Features:

• No pointed features
• Face is long as it is wide
• Rounded cheeks

Makeup Goals:

• Add angles and depth to cheekbones
• Create structure

How to Contour a Round Face:

1. Select your usual foundation shade and apply as you normally would.
2. Choose a bronzer or foundation that is a few shades darker than your skin tone. Use the darker shade and apply it with our Small Pointed Face brush to the sides of your forehead and along your temples to give the appearance of narrowness. Also apply to the areas below your cheekbones, only going halfway, using a curved line to your jawline to help lengthen your face. Make sure to thoroughly blend so there are no harsh lines.

How to Highlight a Round Face:

1. Select a foundation shade that is 1-2 shades lighter, or use a highlighter if you would like a shimmery, luminous look.
2. Apply the lighter foundation or highlighter under your eyes. Draw an upside-down triangle for an extra brightening effect.
3. Brush in the middle of your forehead and cheekbones. This is where light naturally hits on a round shaped face and will help broaden this area. Finish with lightly applying under your eyes to brighten.
4. Add a little color to your cheeks with one of our blushes or cheek tints!

Diamond Face Shape

Key Features:

• Slightly pointed chin
• Longer than wider face
• High cheekbones
• Hairline is more narrow than cheeks

Makeup Goals:

• Add fullness to jaw and forehead
• Minimize cheek width

How to Contour a Diamond Face:

1. Select your usual foundation shade and apply as you normally would.
2. Choose a foundation that is a few shades darker than your skin tone or use a bronzer. Use the darker foundation shade (or bronzer) and apply it with our  Contour Brush to the area below your cheekbones, only going halfway. Make sure to thoroughly blend so there are no harsh lines.

How to Highlight a Diamond Face:

1. Select a foundation shade that is 1-2 shades lighter, or use a highlighter if you would like a shimmery, luminous look.
2. Apply the lighter foundation or highlighter under your eyes. Draw an upside-down triangle for an extra brightening effect.
3. Brush in the middle of your forehead as well as the middle of your chin. This is where light naturally hits on a diamond face and will help broaden these areas.
4. Add a little color to your cheeks with one of our blushes or cheek tints!

Oblong Face Shape

Key Features:

• Face is 2x longer than wide
• No pointed features
• Narrow chin

Makeup Goals:

• Balance height to width
• Enhance cheek width

How to Contour an Oblong Face:

1. Select your usual foundation and apply as you normally would.
2. Choose a bronzer or foundation that is a few shades darker than your skin tone. Use the darker shade and apply it with our  Contour Brush to your hairline to help lower your hairline. Apply under your chin, for a rounder face as well as below your cheekbones, only halfway. Make sure to thoroughly blend so there are no harsh lines.

How to Highlight an Oblong Face:

1. Select a foundation shade that is 1-2 shades lighter, or use a highlighter if you would like a shimmery, luminous look.
2. Apply the lighter foundation or highlighter under your eyes. Draw an upside-down triangle for an extra brightening effect. This is where light naturally hits on an oblong shaped face and will help broaden this area.
3. Add a little color to your cheeks with one of our blushes or cheek tints!

Heart Face Shape

Key Features:

• Slightly pointed and narrow chin
• Widow's Peak
• Forehead is the widest part

Makeup Goals:

• Balance forehead to chin
• Play up high cheekbones

How to Contour a Heart Face:

1. Select your usual foundation and apply as you normally would.
2. Choose a bronzer or foundation that is a few shades darker than your skin tone. Use the darker shade and apply it with our Small Pointed Face brush to the sides of your forehead, temples to help balance your narrow lower half to the wider upper half of your face. Other key areas to hit for contouring are your cheekbones, making sure to end halfway as well as the center of your chin to help soften the point of the heart. Make sure to thoroughly blend so there are no harsh lines.

How to Highlight a Heart Face:

1. Select a foundation shade that is 1-2 shades lighter, or use a highlighter if you would like a shimmery, luminous look.
2. Apply the lighter foundation or highlighter under your eyes. Draw an upside-down triangle for an extra brightening effect.
3. Brush in the middle of your forehead as well as the middle of your chin. This is where light naturally hits on a heart-shaped face and will help broaden these areas.
4. Add a little color to your cheeks with one of our blushes or cheek tints!

Rectangle Face Shape

Key Features:

• Square jaw line
• Face is longer than wide
• Width of hairline and jaw even

Makeup Goals:

• Soften corners of face
• Define cheekbones

How to Contour a Rectangle Face:

1. Select your usual foundation and apply as you normally would.
2. Choose a bronzer or foundation that is a few shades darker than your skin tone. Use the darker shade and apply it with our Small Pointed Face brush to the sides of your hairline, helping your face appear more narrow. Also apply it along your hairline, under your jawbone to create a narrow illusion and cheekbones only going halfway. Make sure to thoroughly blend so there are no harsh lines.

How to Highlight a Rectangle Face:

1. Select a foundation shade that is 1-2 shades lighter, or use a highlighter if you would like a shimmery, luminous look.
2. Apply the lighter foundation or highlighter under your eyes. Draw an upside-down triangle for an extra brightening effect
3. Brush in the middle of your chin. This is where light naturally hits on a rectangle shaped face and will help broaden this area. Finish with lightly applying under your eyes and brow bone to brighten under your eyes.
4. Add a little color to your cheeks with one of our blushes or cheek tints!

Oval Face Shape

Key Features:

• No pointed features
• Face is 1.5x longer than wide
• Slightly upside down egg-shaped

Makeup Goals:

• Add depth to cheekbones
• Play up balanced face shape

How to Contour an Oval Face:

1. Select your usual foundation and apply as you normally would.
2. Choose a bronzer or foundation that is a few shades darker than your skin tone. Use the darker shade and apply it with our cruelty-free UltraPlush Professional Vegan Brush,  Small Pointed Face to the sides of your forehead, helping to appear narrower. Also apply it below your cheekbones, ending halfway. Make sure to thoroughly blend so there are no harsh lines.

How to Highlight an Oval Face:

1. Select a foundation shade that is 1-2 shades lighter, or use a highlighter if you would like a shimmery, luminous look.
2. Apply the lighter foundation or highlighter under your eyes. Draw an upside-down triangle for an extra brightening effect.
3. Brush in the middle of your forehead as well as the middle of your chin. This is where light naturally hits on an oval shaped face and will help broaden these areas. Finish with lightly applying under your eyes and brow bone to brighten under your eyes.
4. Add a little color to your cheeks with one of our blushes or cheek tints!