Sunday, June 2, 2013

Tips and Tricks: Put Your Best Face Forward with Shading and Contouring

We’ve all had those moments when we wished that Photoshop was available in a little jar. And while most of our problems can usually be fixed with a good foundation and a little concealer, sometimes these tools are just not enough.

Luckily, with little more than a couple of face brushes and some skin tone complimentary tones, you can help reduce bloat, sharpen angles, and brighten and highlight your best areas. Prep by applying your foundation, as I don’t recommend this tutorial over bare skin.

Tools:
A couple of face/blush brushes, with at least one being angled. Don’t bother with kabuki or large powder brushes, though.

A light (highlight) tone and a dark (shadow) tone in colors that compliment your skin. The shadow tone should actually be more of a taupe/gray, than a brown, since that’s a shadow’s natural color. While there are actually contouring kits that will have both shades for you, matte pressed powder eye shadows will work just fine. 

You’ll also want a matte bronzer. 


Step 1: Nose
Use your shadow tone to deepen the sides of your nose, giving it a slimmer appearance. Use downward strokes from the bridge and lightly (lightly, you don’t want to apply too much color and put rings around them!) circle your nostrils.


Take your finger and dab the highlight tone down the bridge.


Step 2: Cheekbones
Use a blush brush to sweep the shadow tone in the hollows of your cheeks. You can find these by sucking your cheeks in and feeling for the area under the bone. 

Use the highlighter on the apples of your cheeks, with an angled brush, and sweep the color up. 
Step 3: Jaw line
Use your matte bronzer and, again, lightly sweep the color around the edge, giving yourself a more delicate jaw. Careful not to give yourself fake 5 o'clock shadow!

Step 4: Forehead
I goofed and forgot to photograph this part, but using the bronzer on your temples and swiping some highlighter in the middle, you can contour the sides of your forehead, making it slimmer and daintier looking.



You’re done!
Enjoy. 

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