Round Face:
Characteristics: Soft, curvaceous features, similar length and width.
Goal: Add structure, create the illusion of length and definition.
Contour:
Cheekbones: Apply contour in a diagonal line from the top of your ear down towards the corners of your mouth, stopping about midway on your cheek. This helps create more sculpted cheekbones.
Jawline: Contour along the outer edges of your jawline, from the ear down to the chin, to make it appear steeper and more defined.
Temples/Forehead: Apply contour along the sides of your forehead, near the hairline, to narrow the face.
Nose: Contour along the sides of the bridge of your nose to slim it.
Highlight: Top of cheekbones, bridge of nose, center of forehead, center of chin, under eyes in an inverted triangle shape.
Oval Face:
Characteristics: Balanced proportions, length is about 1.5 times the width. Often considered the “ideal” face shape.
Goal: Enhance natural features, add dimension without drastically changing the shape.
Contour:
Cheekbones: Apply contour just under the cheekbones, from the top of the ear towards the corner of the mouth, keeping it subtle.
Forehead: If your forehead is wider, a slight contour on either side of the forehead near the hairline can help.
Jawline: A subtle contour along the outer jawline for chiselling.
Highlight: Top of cheekbones, bridge of nose, center of forehead, cupid’s bow, center of chin.
Long Face (Oblong):
Characteristics: Longer than it is wide, often with a prominent forehead or chin.
Goal: Shorten the appearance of the face and add width.
Contour:
Forehead: Apply contour along the hairline across the top of your forehead to visually shorten it.
Chin: Contour along the very bottom of your chin to shorten its appearance.
Cheekbones: Apply contour horizontally under the cheekbones, blending outwards towards the ears, rather than too far down towards the mouth, to create the illusion of width.
Avoid: Contouring the sides of your face too much, as this can make it appear even longer.
Highlight: Under eyes, on the apples of the cheeks (blended outwards), and sparingly on the center of the face.
Square Face:
Characteristics: Strong, angular jawline, forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are roughly the same width.
Goal: Soften sharp angles, create a more oval appearance.
Contour:
Jawline: Apply contour heavily on the corners of your jawline and blend down into the neck to soften the angles.
Temples/Forehead: Contour the corners of your hairline to soften the angularity.
Cheekbones: Apply contour under the cheekbones in a slightly curved line, aiming to soften the strong lines.
Highlight: Center of forehead, under eyes, bridge of nose, chin, and tops of cheekbones.
Heart-Shaped Face:
Characteristics: Wider forehead, prominent cheekbones, and a narrower, pointed chin.
Goal: Balance the wider forehead with the narrower chin, soften the prominence of the cheekbones.
Contour:
Temples/Forehead: Contour along the sides of the forehead and temples, especially where it’s widest, to reduce the width.
Cheekbones: Apply contour subtly under the cheekbones, starting from the ear and blending towards the middle of the cheek, avoiding going too far down towards the chin.
Chin: A very subtle touch of contour on the tip of the chin can help soften its sharpness.
Highlight: Under eyes, bridge of nose, and tops of cheekbones (slightly lower than for other face shapes to minimize their prominence if desired).
Diamond-Shaped Face:
Characteristics: Widest at the cheekbones, narrower forehead and jawline, often with a pointed chin.
Goal: Soften prominent cheekbones, create width in the forehead and chin.
Contour:
Cheekbones: Contour directly under the most prominent part of your cheekbones, blending inwards towards the nose to make them appear less wide.
Temples/Forehead: A slight contour on the outer edges of the temples can help narrow the widest part of the face.
Highlight: Apply highlight to the center of the forehead to widen it, and to the chin to bring it forward. Also highlight under the eyes and on the bridge of the nose.
Remember, these are guidelines, not strict rules. Experiment with different placements and blending techniques to find what works best for your individual face and desired look. Natural lighting is always best when applying and checking your contour.