Contouring: The Art of Transformation

If you'd uttered the word 'contouring' just five years ago, chances are you would've been met with a blank stare of bewilderment. Back then, a woman's makeup regimen was much simpler - pops of colour, a bright lipstick, a dash of blush and mascara. Then Kim Kardashian posted two selfies of herself (but, of course), and the Internet went wild. The first was a picture of her face with a series of light and dark strokes (very much resembling war paint), while the second showcased the final effect - more prominent cheekbones and a slimmer nose - and the next makeup fad was born.
What few people know is that contouring existed long before Kim Kardashian came along. The process dates as far back as the 1500s, when threatre and stage actors applied shades onto their faces to highlight their facial expressions. Even old Hollywood sirens such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe were no strangers to the makeup technique that used to subtly sculpt their faces for the big screen.
So what exactly is contouring, and why the sudden interest? To put it simply, it is a makeup technique that uses light and dark shades to subtly shape the face and make it more symmetrical.

"When you apply makeup, you are basically applying colours to your face that are meant to complement your skin, hair and eyes," explains Dubai-based celebrity makeup artist Nina Ubhi, who is currently acting as the Resident Beauty Specialist with Sisters Beauty Lounge. "But contouring is a form of subtly reshaping a person's face. Not everyone is happy with every part of their face. If they feel like their forehead is too big, we can give it the illusion of being smaller, through contouring. If they think their nose is bulbous, we can actually slim it down. If they feel like they don't have cheekbones, we can create cheekbones - because everyone has those features, it's just that some have them more hidden than others. "
Over the years, contouring has developed into an art form in itself. More and more women have taken to playing around with the shape-shifting beauty technique, and it is all too common to find pictures of the 'war paint' up on Instagram. That can be credited to its versatility - contouring can be done in hundreds of ways. But unlike putting on makeup, it is not just about applying colour to your face. One must understand their face shape and skin type, and know how to play around with light and shadows.
All this comes with experience, says Nina Ubhi. "I first analyse a client when she doesn't have any makeup on, and I can instantly tell what kind of look will suit her. As a makeup artist, I aim to create a type of symmetry and balance to a person's face. There are a lot of women, for whom, it doesn't matter what you do - makeup simply does not look good and they are better off with a more natural look. Yet, for some women, heavier makeup actually looks good."
That is not to say one can go overboard with it. Applying the light or dark shades indiscriminately can go very wrong very quickly and come across as 'fake' or pasty.  Which is why the first rule is to know the features you want to highlight, and those you want to disguise. And remember - it isn't about hiding behind the layers or makeup, but about letting your best features shine through. As Nina says, "There is no perfect face shape. Every shape is different and beautiful in its own way. It's just my job to give it symmetry."
Now, contouring can be a little mystifying - especially because there are so many different ways to do it. Here, Nina talks us through the process for three different face shapes.
 
 
 
ROUND FACE SHAPE

Prepping
Prep the skin with moisturiser to create a barrier between the skin and the makeup. Next, dust a loose powder (that is just half a shade lighter than the skin colour) onto the skin and use a brush to dust off the extra powder.
Apply a primer - this has to be specific to a person's skin type. For example, if a person has dry skin, a hydrating primer is preferred.
You can contour the eye first to avoid any smudges later on. Irrespective of face shape, use a lighter contouring shade under the arch of the eyebrow, then blend a darker eyeshadow along the lash line. While contouring the eyes, if one does not have an indented socket, applying a darker shade of brown along the socket line can help enhance it.
Highlighting
Use a contouring palette and choose a shade that is roughly three shades lighter than the skin tone. This is the highlighting shade. Just as white gives the illusion of a larger surface area, the light shade enhances all areas of the face it is applied on.
Use this shade to draw a line along the centre of the nose, in the shape of a palm tree. For round face shapes, this line will be longer, to elongate the face. Next, draw the light shade under the eyes, in the shape of wings. This is done to highlight the face and cover dark circles. The light shade is also used under the lips, drawn upwards to give the effect of a face lift.
Shading
The dark shade must always be six shades darker than the skin colour. In the case of a round face, the dark shade must not be at the top of the forehead. Instead, shade along the temples to give the face the illusion of length. Also shade along the cheek to create an indent that emphasises cheekbones and along the bridge of the nose, as well as the nostrils, to give the nose a slimmer look. Shade above the jawline to define it and give the face a sculpted look.
Blending
Gently buff the light shade into the darker shade using a moist sponge.
Foundation
Many makeup artists prefer to use foundation first, and contour (having the highlighting and shading stage) after. If you prefer to do this, the shades you use must be close to the skin colour. If not, gently apply foundation over the blended face.
Setting
This is a way of locking in the foundation and brightening the face. Dust a powder (that is one shade lighter than the skin tone) only onto the highlighted parts of the face. If you dust it off immediately, this is simply called setting, but if you leave it on for a brief period of time (five to 10 minutes) before brushing it off, it is called baking.

HEART FACE SHAPE

Prepping
Prep the skin with moisturiser and dust a loose powder (half a shade lighter than the skin colour) onto the face. Follow this up with a primer and eye makeup, as desired.
Highlighting
Highlight the centre of the nose, and below the eyes and lips, as seen earlier. In the case of a heart-shaped face, the 'palm tree' that runs along the centre of the nose will be smaller so as not to highlight the bigger forehead. The area below the eyes and lips, must be highlighted in an upward motion.
Shading
Add the dark shade all across the hairline and blend it in. This will give the illusion that the hairline is a lot lower than it actually is and will make the forehead appear smaller. Draw the dark shade along the nose, starting from the tip of the eyebrow - this will make the bridge of the nose look smaller. Since the model already has a small nose, there is no need for a darker shade on the nostrils.  
Also enhance the dip of lip to create more depth.
Blending
Gently blend the two shades together using a moist sponge.
Foundation
Apply a layer of foundation (that is closer to the skin colour) over the blended face, starting from the forehead.
Setting
Lock the foundation in place by dusting a loose powder onto the highlighted parts of the face. Leave on for five to 10 minutes before dusting it off.

OVAL FACE SHAPE


Prepping
Prep the skin with moisturiser and dust a loose powder (half a shade lighter than the skin colour) onto the face. Follow this up with a primer and eye makeup, as desired.
Colour Correction
In the case of a red skin tone, a new step is introduced - a colour correction phase. This is done by dusting the skin with a light green powder which neutralises the redness of the skin (point to note, orange neutralises dark circles below the eyes).
Highlighting
Oval face shapes are already symmetrical and do not need a lot of work. Highlight the centre of the nose and below the eyes and lips.
Shading
Shade along the temples to give the face more depth and dimension. Use thicker lines along the cheeks to highlight cheekbones. Also shade along the chin for a more chiselled jawline.
Blending, Foundation & Setting
Repeat the blending, foundation and setting stage, as seen earlier. The makeup will take half an hour to properly set in and look natural.