Make-up - Catwalk Contour

Contouring is an outline representing or bounding the shape or form of something. It is the edge or line that defines a shape/object. We contour to bring colour and natural shadows back to the face to look better. 

Sculpt: to form, shape or manipulate or other shaping techniques

Correct: remove the errors from

Highlight: a bright or reflective area in a painting, picture or design

Products/textures:

Cream contouring:

If you don't want to achieve a complete matte finish with all powder then use cream/wet products to contour, illuminators, strobe liquid not contour powders. (Experiment and add eyeliner and foundation together to create a cream texture) - experiment with cream contouring using foundation creams/liquids and concealers to do your base before adding further depth and defined shape.

Powder contouring:

Powder/set a foundation base, before you add any shape to the face using contour powders on top for any more sculpting so it blends well and is smooth, rather than applying contour powders straight on to a foundation base.

Matte or Cream: Quality of the product is important when contouring (smoothness, feel of the product, the tone, the movement and colour difference. Compare these creams and powders and see what you like to work with to contour and highlight.

Bronzers/Shimmer: to add glow, tan, a sun kissed warmth, these can also be shimmery so don't use bronzers as contour shading powders as shimmery products reflect light - bringing it forward, not back.

Look at the light/darkness of the shade, highlight a few shades lighter than the models skin match and to add depth and shadow use a tone a couple of shades darker than the skin base.

How does it appear on the skin? Examine the natural shade tone of the model and re create this tone. You can see the natural contour of the face - the jaw outline for example. Understanding the colour of natural shadows on the face for different skin tones is important. Areas on the face will be lighter than other darker areas/shadows - you will sometimes require more than one light shade and one dark shade for highlighting and contouring to add this depth and shade. 

 Evaluate face shapes for contouring (not just face features) examine jaw lines and hair lines - these create different contour outlines of the face, cheek shapes/propionate or no cheekbone structure - observing the bone structure/low or high cheekbones/shape of the bridge of the nose/rounded, pointed or flat chin. Move the face to the side to see the profile of the face, low or high cheekbones/jaw lines/nose shapes/chin shapes. Look at the parts of the face that move forward (naturally catching the most light) so you know where to contour.

Information from Fenella

Before

This lesson was helpful in terms of understanding different peoples face shapes and contouring and highlighting their features as opposed to my own. It was good to practice on other people as this is something that is done on a daily basis in the industry whether it is done naturally or more extreme. It is important to get the contour right as it can completely change the face shape and if it is not done right then it can make the model look oddly shaped.