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THE NATURAL CONTOUR & HIGHLIGHT

the beauty department the natural contour + highlight

Post/Photos: Amy Nadine, Graphic Design: Eunice Chun

We’ve seen quite a lot of contouring and highlighting the last few years… some are nailing it, some are afraid to even attempt it and others are walking around looking, well, a little like fashion victims. I hate to say it! Especially because I think makeup is a creative expression and I hate when people call someone else’s makeup “wrong”. But there’s always room for improvement and constructive criticism (blend blend blend!) and this contouring and highlighting technique just might make all the difference in the world! Because when it comes to C&H, it’s better if people didn’t know you did it and it shouldn’t be read by the naked eye.

the beauty department natural contour + highlighting trick

So try this: instead of doing it after you apply foundation (with cream or powder contouring & highlighting products), do it before with liquid or cream products!! Then apply foundation lightly over it and around it using a stippling motion with a dampened egg sponge.  It gives a much more natural look and people won’t notice that you added the dimensions back in. Here’s how:

the beauty department natural contour + highlighting tools

TOOLS:

STEPS:

the beauty department contour

  1. After moisturizing your face, apply two drops of liquid bronzer onto the palm of your hand.
  2. Swirl the foundation brush into the bronzer to load it up.
  3. Look in the mirror and suck in your cheeks. Follow the hollow by pressing the brush repeatedly as you move along just under the cheekbone.
  4. Sweep the brush along the temple.
  5. Sweep the brush along the hairline.
  6. Sweep the brush just under the jawline.

the beauty department highlight

7.  Squeeze a pea-sized amount of the liquid highlighter into the palm of your hand.

8.  Load up the kabuki concealer brush by swirling it into the highlighter.

9.  Sweep the brush along the under-eye area to draw the bottom half of an infinity sign.

10.  Continue drawing the infinity sign above the brow as demonstrated above.

the beauty department foundation

11.  Pump a few drops of foundation into the palm of your hand.

12.  Dip the egg-shaped sponge into the foundation a few times to load it up.

13.  Lightly stipple (press repeatedly) the sponge along the perimeter of the highlighted and contoured cheek areas and gently over them.

14. Repeat on the forehead.

15.  Repeat on the nose, chin and any other bare areas.

16.  Finish with a pop of cream blush on the top half of the apple of the cheeks.

Set everything with powder and you’re good to go!

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