Ever since the invention of photography, we have been constantly
bombarded with images of beautiful women with flawless skin most of us would kill
for. However, behind all that glitz and glamour, every red carpet-walking celebrity
has the help of a vital make up technique called “highlight and contour.”
Highlighting and contouring is the master illusion in the
magic of makeup. One can take a square face and give it the illusion of a heart
shaped face. Want a slimmer nose or a more defined chin? No problem! Highlight
and contour is the technique for facial definition. In simple terms, highlighting
means making an area of your face stand out. Contouring is the art of creating
shadows on the face to make certain areas less noticeable. This process begins after the application of
foundation. As with most aesthetic techniques, subtlety is almost always
desirable. This can be achieved by blending.
For highlight, choose a color that is a few shades lighter than your foundation. You may also use white. As for contouring, go two shades darker than your foundation and always stick with a matte color. Some people use a bronzer for contouring, but be cautious, because some bronzers come with shimmer or sparkle—which, of course, defeats the purpose to shadowing. For evening make up, feel free to apply more to produce more significant contrast. However, always make certain that you blend it in with your foundation.