The most important thing to remember when contouring and highlighting is what you want to show off and what you want to push in. After you have applied your foundation, grab your brush and make an imaginary diagonal line from your ear down to your cheekbone. Use this as a guide to where you should “darken.” Take the same powder and go on each side of your temples near your hairline to make your temples look smaller. Again, this is depending on what you want to highlight or make smaller. If you already have a small forehead, skip this step. Next, go underneath your jawline to accentuate the line. I usually start off with powder on the cheekbones and use any excess product remaining on the brushfor these next two areas.

Depending on your nose shape and what you want to achieve, grab a eyeshadow brush and make two parallel lines on the sides of the center of your nose. This is a popular technique if you have a wider nose. Personally, I skip this step altogether and instead just swipe a little bit of what’s remaining on my brush on the tip of your nose. If you do try to narrow out your nose, keep in mind you don’t want people seeing two straight lines on your nose since that will just look silly. Use very little product to create a shadow effect and make sure your powder is not too dark so it doesn’t look “dirty.”

Taking the same eyeshadow brush you used on your nose, use it in the crease of your eyes for added depth.

I love doing this in the summer not only because it makes your bone structure stand out but it’s a great way to warm up your face and look tanned. Use a matte bronzer when contouring such as the NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna. 

Aline Agopian