How To Highlight and Contour for Your Face Shape

Whether you are a working professional, a student, a stay-at-home mom or come from any walk of life, Maskcara Beauty makeup will help you enhance your natural attributes and make you feel beautiful and confident, all day long. There are some general tips and tricks to help you achieve your best look when first learning how to HAC (highlight and contour) but as you develop your techniques you may feel more comfortable and confident getting more technical in the placement of your highlight and contour based on your face shape.

The most important thing to understand here is that Highlight and Contour go hand-in-hand. For the best results always do both. While contouring uses shades darker than your skin tone to clearly define and give shape to your natural features, Highlight works towards accentuating your face with a lighter shade. Together these two- highlight and contour- work like magic wands and give your natural features a beautiful enhanced look.

So, let’s understand the different face types and the best ways to highlight and contour accordingly.

Face Shape: Diamond

If your cheeks are broader than your natural hairline, with a pointed chin and the face is longer than it is wide then you have a face shape known as Diamond.

The best way to contour a diamond face shape is just below the cheekbones, starting from the ears to the middle of the cheeks. Keep your contour and blush more parallel to the floor. When contouring along your jawline, keep the contour thin so you don't diminish the size of your chin too much. Highlight the area under the eyes, making an inverted triangle. Highlight along the brow bone to give your eyes an enhanced look. Also highlight the middle part of the chin and forehead.

Face Shape: Heart

If your cheeks are broader than the natural hairline and the chin is pointed and narrow, your face shape is known as the Heart face type.

The best way to contour a heart face shape is just along the forehead and the temples to make the broader top half of the face more aligned with the narrower bottom half. Also contour them from the ear to the middle of the cheek, just below the cheekbones and slightly under the chin. You contour and blush areas are angled more downward. When using the highlighter, make an inverted triangle under the eyes to enhance your eyes and a little highlighter right in the center of the forehead and chin.

Face Shape: Oblong

If you have a really long face, and half as wide with no accentuated points on the jaw, chin or the hairline your face shape is Oblong.

To contour, go along the natural hairline and under the chin to give you face a rounder look. Also contour all the way from the ears to the center of the cheeks, under the cheekbones. Your contour will be in a curved shape to help create a more defined cheekbone. The blush area will be larger than your contour. The best way to highlight an oblong face shape is to create an inverted triangle under the eyes.

Face Shape: Oval

If your face is much longer than it is wide, something like an inverted egg, with no defined points on the hairline, chin or jawline you have an oval face shape.

To contour, shape the sides of the forehead slightly and from the ears to the middle point of the cheeks. Focus your contouring out your cheek shadow to create more definition. To highlight, cover the area under the eyes and along the brow bone. Also use a little highlighter in the center of the chin and forehead.

Face Shape: Rectangle

If the width of the hair and jaw line is almost the same, and you have a longer than wide face it is a rectangle face shape.

To contour, go along the sides of the forehead and the hairline. Continue your contour all the way down the side of your face and then only bring in a minimal cheek contour section. Also contour under the jawbone. To highlight, cover the area under the eyes going up along the brow bone and right in the center on your chin.

Face Shape: Round

If the width and length of the face is almost equal with no defines points on the hairline, chin or jaw line then you have a round face shape.

To contour, go along the temples and the forehead to make it look narrower and the area under your cheekbones, from the ears to the middle of the cheeks. Similar to a pear face shape connect your cheek contour and contour along the jawline in a pie shape. To highlight, cover the middle part of the chin and forehead and create an inverted triangle under the eyes.

Face Shape: Pear

If the length and width of your face is almost equal and the jaw and hair line are almost equally wide, then you have a square face shape.

To contour, go along the sides of the hairline and forehead, and under the jawbone. Also contour under the cheekbones, starting at the ears all the way up to the middle of the cheeks and down along the jawbone in a pie shape. Use your blush to enhance your cheekbone. To highlight, cover the area under the eyes, going up along the brow bone. Also cover the center of the forehead and chin.

Know your face shape to highlight and contour to perfection!

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