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A beginner’s guide to contouring and highlighting

Contouring and highlighting – the art of enhancing facial features, like cheekbones, with makeup – can be a risky but potentially incredibly rewarding endeavour.

Basically, you end up looking one of two ways: as chiselled as a Kardashian, or like you have lines of shit smeared across your face.

Obviously, the latter outcome is to be avoided at all costs.

I turn to M.A.C Cosmetics senior artist Melissa Gibson for a beginner’s tutorial in the art of contouring.

Step one: cover your face with a light natural foundation. This is your base for everything to come. Then, for step two, take a second foundation five to 10 shades darker than your natural skin tone and mix it with the lighter foundation to create a few colours to work with.

Trying to create magic on a budget? Use your summer foundation as the darker shade.

Then, you start to draw.

“Use a paddle brush to draw lines where you’d love to have a bit more of a contour: the cheek, the temple, down the nose, in the corner of the eyes, down the jaw line,” instructs Gibson.

The third step is to blend, blend, blend with a blending brush or wet sponge to even out all the rough edges.

Some think using powdered bronzer is the best way to contour, but Gibson says that’s a big misconception. It’s actually better to use creamy foundations and concealers because they’re easier to build and blend, especially if you accidentally go overboard.

Another key to contouring success? As much natural light as possible to evaluate your work.

“People think they look great in the bathroom, then walk outside looking like marionettes,” cautions Gibson. “Don’t go out with lines on your face.”

It’s also important to note that, when it comes to contouring, less is more.

“You can go a little bit darker at night and in photos, but otherwise you’d be surprised how much a little product can change the shape of your face,” she says.

After contouring is complete, do exactly the same thing with highlights. In step four, Gibson takes the lightest of light concealers and creates a triangle under my eyes and up the side of my nose. She also uses the concealer to draw lines on my cheekbones.

“It’s like drowning your face in light,” explains Gibson. “You can also take it down the centre of the nose, on the chin and on the cupid’s bow. You’re creating a more three-dimensional face.” In step five, she blends the highlights the same way she did the contours.

If you’re the type who wants to go the extra mile, this is where powder comes into play. Use dark and light powders to go over the contours and highlights. Since powder is more matte, the effect will be multiplied.

The one rule here: “Don’t use a big brush. Use a fan brush or else the dark powder can end up looking like a dirty blush,” warns Gibson.

Dust some of your regular powder over your entire face to unify the look and you’re ready to dazzle the world with your new cheekbones.

Learn makeup skills from Gibson and head of M.A.C makeup artistry Gordon Espinet at #MACInstantArtistry. Watch live demos, interact with videos and meet one-on-one with M.A.C artists until Sunday (October 19) from 10 am to 9 pm at the Toronto Eaton Centre (220 Yonge, 416-595-9576).

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