Are you tired of looking flat and dull in photos? Are you ready to make a statement and exude confidence with your appearance? With just a few simple makeup techniques, you can master the art of “Glow Up” and have a naturally sculpted look in no time! Highlighting and contouring are essential beauty techniques to create depth and dimension for a beautiful, flattering look. Here’s an easy guide on how to use highlighting and contouring for your next “Glow Up” transformation.
1. Illuminating the Face: Highlighting and Contouring for a Sculpted Look
- Highlighting and contouring are the perfect combination for creating a “sculpted” look that emphasizes key features of the face.
- Highlighting is a technique used to emphasize the areas of the face that naturally reflect light like the bridge of the nose, cheekbones, and cupid’s bow.
The Best Highlighters to Use
When selecting a product, it is important to choose a product that is creamy and easily blendable. Creamy formulas also ensure that your highlights won’t become cakey, as a result of the natural oils in the skin. Popular highlighting products to use include liquid and powder highlighters, cream illuminators, and even colored primers.
Contouring for Definition
Contouring helps bring out more structure and bring out areas of the face that appear flat. To maximize the effect of the look, use two shades that are several shades darker than the natural skin tone. Apply the product to areas like the forehead, nose, cheeks, chin, and jaw with either a brush or a sponge. Then blend to your desired level with the proper tools.
The Finishing Touch
To complete the look, apply a small amount of blush to the cheeks and a light dusting of shimmering powder to the top of the cheekbones. To enhance the shape of the eyes, apply a light coat of eyeshadow and mascara. When finished, you will have a look that is subtly sculpted and illuminated.
2. Breaking Down the Basics of Glow Up Techniques
Glow up techniques have become an incredibly popular way to enjoy the newest trends. But if you’re just starting out, these techniques may seem a bit daunting. Luckily, mastering the basics of glow up techniques is easy once you understand the key concepts. Here’s what you should know:
Prepping the Skin
The most important thing when it comes to glow up techniques is prepping your skin. This includes exfoliating, cleansing, and moisturizing. Exfoliating should be done about once a week to remove dead skin cells and give your skin a much needed pick-me-up. Cleansing is also essential to keep your skin healthy and free from debris and dirt. Moisturizing helps to seal in hydration for healthy and glowing skin.
Makeup for Glow Up
Once you’ve prepped your skin, the next step is to pick the right makeup for your needs. A good rule of thumb is to use lightweight products that help you create a subtle and natural glow. Stick to dewy foundations, cream blushes, and soft highlighting and contouring for a beautiful glow effect that won’t be too heavy.
Highlighting and Contouring Basics
Highlighting and contouring are essential when using glow up techniques to create a natural and luminous look. To get started, apply a light layer of bronzer to your temples, forehead, and chin. Then, use a shimmery, light highlighter on the upper cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, and the cupid’s bow. The final touch is to blend these shades together and use a highlighter for extra glow under the brow bone and around the eyes.
Finishing Up
Once you’ve perfected your foundation, highlighting, and contouring, it’s time to finish off your glow up look. Try topping everything off with setting spray to lock in your makeup all day and night. Then, add a few coats of lengthening mascara, and apply a long-lasting lipstick for a full and stunning glow up look.
3. Step-by-Step Guide to Sculpted Contouring
When it comes to contouring, it can seem like a daunting task. With so many products and techniques available, it can be hard to know where to start. Luckily, sculpted contouring is easier than you think! Here is a step-by-step guide to help you begin mastering the art of sculpted contouring.
Choose your products. Before starting any contouring, you need to pick the right products. For sculpted contouring, you’ll want a foundation or concealer a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone, as well as a foundation or concealer a few shades darker. You’ll also need a cream contour or a contour palette, a makeup brush or sponge, and a beauty blender.
Apply primer. After choosing the right products, it’s time to apply primer to your face. This will help keep your makeup looking fresh all day. Choose an oil-free, silicone-based primer for best results. Allow the primer to sit for a few minutes to absorb into your skin before moving on.
Begin contouring. Next, use your cream contour or contour palette to define your features. Start by drawing a line down either side of your nose and blend it in using your brush or sponge. Then draw a line down the tip of your nose and under your cheekbones, and blend that in as well. Be sure to also bring the contour color slightly upwards towards the hairline.
Highlight. Now it’s time to highlight! Take the lighter shade and apply it to the areas you want to bring forward. This includes the top of your forehead, your brow bones, the center of your chin, and the center of your cheeks. Blend in the color using your beauty blender, using a light patting motion.
Set and finish. Once you’ve finished contouring and highlighting, it’s time to set your makeup. Use a setting powder to lock your look in place. Finally, add a few finishing touches with blush and a subtle lip color. And there you have it! You’ve successfully created the perfect sculpted contour look.
4. Radiant Results: How to Make the Most of Your Highlighted and Contoured Look
Highlighting and contouring allows you to create a range of looks from subtle to dramatic. When done right, the results can be truly radiant. To ensure you get it right, here’s a handy guide to making the most of your enhanced features.
- Start with a lightweight foundation that matches your skin tone.
- For contouring, choose a shade that’s slightly darker than your skin tone.
- Apply the contour with a fan brush in the hollows of your cheeks, along the sides of your nose, your hairline, and under your chin.
- Dust away any fall-out with a flat brush immediately after.
When you’ve finished contouring, you’ll be ready to highlight. To create a soft glow, stick to just the inner corners of the eyes, the cheekbones and the brow arch. For a more dramatic look, extend the highlighting down the bridge of the nose and along cupid’s bow.
You’ll want to sweep a highlighter one or two shades lighter than your skin tone across the highlighted areas using a highlighting brush. Don’t take it too far, though – aim for a natural and effortless look.
Now that you’ve mastered the basics of highlighting and contouring, you can be confident of achieving radiant results. Show off your new look – you deserve it!
Show them who’s boss and show off your most confident self by following these highlighting and contouring techniques! We hope these tips have given you the perfect platform to perfect the art of glow up – so put it to the test and be sure to share your reveal with us!