Step by Step makeup

Hey beautiful people! I used to be so intimidated by contouring and highlighting, but after a lot of practice and some amazing tips, it's become my secret weapon for defining my features. If you've been wanting to try it or just want to level up your makeup game, you're in the right place! It's all about understanding your unique features and enhancing them. First things first, let's talk about understanding your face shape for contouring and highlighting. Knowing your face shape is key to placing your products exactly where they'll make the biggest difference. Do you have a round, oval, square, heart, or long face? For my round-faced friends, I swear by contouring along the temples and jawline to create more definition, while highlighting the center of the forehead and chin can elongate your face. If you have a more square face, softening the jawline with contour can be a game-changer. For an oval face, you're pretty lucky as most techniques work well, but you can still enhance your natural curves with subtle contouring beneath the cheekbones and along the temples. Next up is the art of shade selection, which is crucial for a natural, seamless look. This is where understanding your skin tone and undertone comes into play. You definitely don't want to look muddy or orange! To find your undertone, check the veins on your wrist: blue/purple usually means cool, green means warm, and a mix means neutral. Your contour shade should be 1-2 shades darker than your skin tone and have a somewhat cool or greyish undertone to mimic natural shadows. I made the mistake of using a warm-toned bronzer for contour once, and let's just say I looked more orange than sculpted! For highlighters, choose shades that are 1-2 shades lighter than your skin and complement your undertone. Brands like NARS offer fantastic contour shades, and for a great budget option, elf has some amazing stick contours that are easy to blend. Now for the application tips that will take your look from good to gorgeous. Seriously, blending is your best friend here – no harsh lines allowed! Whether you prefer brushes or sponges, make sure your tools are clean and you're using light, dabbing motions to blend everything out. I usually contour the hollows of my cheeks, along my jawline, the temples, and sometimes the sides of my nose for a more sculpted look. Then, I highlight the tops of my cheekbones, my brow bone, the bridge of my nose, my cupid's bow, and the inner corners of my eyes to bring light and dimension. My fave trick is a subtle shimmer for a natural glow, but sometimes a blinding highlight is just what you need for that extra pop! To help you get started, here are a few product recommendations that I love. For foundations to build your base, Maybelline and Born This Way (Too Faced) have such a wide range of shades to match almost any skin tone. And before all that, Cetaphil is my go-to for skin prep to ensure a smooth canvas. Physicians Formula has some lovely bronzers that can double as a soft contour, and KimChi Beauty and LA Colors often have fun, affordable highlights to experiment with! It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be amazed at how much contour and highlight can elevate your look. Go ahead, give it a try!