Angel Sanchez Fall 2014 Collection MBFW.

Trending: Contouring and Highlighting for Summer Time

In Hair & Makeup Tips by

Contouring and highlighting have been the celebrity secret to perfect cheekbones and straight noses for years. It’s even all over the runway, as seen at the Angel Sanchez and Pamela Rolland shows from Fall/Winter 2014 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Now that those secrets have come out, and most at-home beauty and makeup connoisseurs have learned how to sculpt the face using contouring and highlighting techniques.

Sculpting the face usually includes many products and can easily make the face look cakey, especially in the summertime when the sunlight illuminates every imperfection. In this makeup trend report, tips for lighter contorting and highlighting are provided. These techniques are easy on the sunlight view and light on the skin for those hot summer days.

Monique Lhuillier Fall 2014 Collection MBFW

Monique Lhuillier Fall 2014 Collection MBFW., Photographer: Maryna Martsonwww.squareearth.com

We’ve all seen Kim Kardashian’s Instagram posts of her stripes all over her face for countering/highlighting. While this is really cool and you can get the full contouring experience, skip this fussiness for the summertime. For those of you who aren’t makeup experts, simply focus on the parts of your face you want to recede and accentuate the most. Easy choice: cheekbones!

Tip 1: To Contour your Cheekbones…

Not only known for her dramatic eyebrows, Cara Delevingne’s deeply etched cheekbones are worthy of envy. To give your face the Delevingne treatment, use a matte bronzer, such as Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder, to hollow them out. Using a matte bronzer is preferable to a shimmery one. While shimmer helps bring something out rather than receding it.
Make a “fishy” face to easily see the natural contour of your cheeks and place the bronzer on that line while using a fluffy powder brush. Make sure to use a fluffy brush instead of a dense one. This helps to keep from creating a dark stripe down your face and create a more natural hollow area on the face.

Angel Sanchez Fall 2014 Collection MBFW.

Angel Sanchez Fall 2014 Collection MBFW., Photographer: Maryna Martsonwww.squareearth.com

Tip 2: Avoid Shimmery Face Makeup

While really shimmery cheekbones photograph nicely, it can make people look almost plastic in person. Skip the high shimmer powder highlighters and use a lightweight cream that is easily blendable.

Bonus Makeup Tip: Always skip glitter on the face no matter the season/ weather.

Tip 3: To Highlight your Face…

As mentioned before, try a cream highlighter, like Benefit’s Watts Up! Highlighter. Cream highlighters tend to be less shimmery and blend more easily. Place the cream highlighter on the top of your cheekbone instead of the hollow of them like you would a bronzer. This helps make the apple of your cheeks look fuller (in a good way) and higher up on your face.

Koonhor Fall 2014 Collection MBFW.

Koonhor Fall 2014 Collection MBFW. Photographer: Jane Kratochvil, www.janekratochvil.com

Other places to highlight on your face, the bridge of your nose and your cupid’s bow. Putting it on your nose brings it forward and helps it make look thinner. Placing it on your cupid’s bow emphasizes the your lips and helps make it look fuller.

Share your beauty tips and favorite trends with the FashionMingle.net Team today in the comment box below.