Technical file: Contouring

Contouring is used to sculpt the face, contouring can be used in advertising to slim the face down, and in catwalk looks that can range from natural contouring to contouring using different colours. 
We were given the choice in our practical session to choose between creating natural contour or contour that would fit a more editorial or catwalk look, I decided to go with natural. 

Health and Safety:
Make sure your hands are washed before touching your clients skin. 
Place a gown on your client to avoid products dropping.
Make sure to complete a consultation before starting.
Make sure all brushes are clean before going from one client to the next.


Tools needed:

• Skin care products (moisturiser, cleanser and toner)
• Primer 
• Foundation to match skin tone and a couple of shades lighter and darker then the clients skin tone
• Concealers
• highlighters (powders and creams) 
• Setting powder 
• Bronzer 
• Blusher 
• Makeup brushes 

Steps to complete this look:

1. Prep the skin by cleansing, toning and moisturising. 
2. After this add primer to the skin, depending on if you are going for a dewy glow or simply sculpting the face it may be worth using a primer to suit this.
3. Colour match your clients skin tone to the correct foundation.
4. After this apply foundation all over the face, blending well.
5. Take a foundation/concealer that is a couple of shades darker than the natural skin tone and place this in the areas of the face that you require shadow. (This is usually the hollows of the cheeks, the forehead, under the chin and sometimes the bridge of the nose)
6. Blend this so that it looks seamless.
7. Take a concealer that is a shade lighter than the skins natural tone and apply this to the areas of the face that require light. (This is usually the front of the forehead, the cheekbones, the chin, the bridge and tip of the nose, the cupids bow and the eyebrow bone. 
8. Blend this so it looks seamless
9. After this apply a cream highlighter to these areas too, be careful not to go in with too much product as if you require more for the look you can build it up.
10. After this apply a setting powder to the areas that can be oily, such as the T-zone area.
11. Then go in with the bronzer and lightly go over the areas of the face that you shaded.
12. After this go in with a powder highlighter and go over the areas of the face that you have added light too. 
13. Steps 11 and 12 are optional if you require a more dewy natural contour.
14. Set the makeup with a setting spray, this may also make the skin more dewy looking.

Here is the outcome of my natural contouring:

I believe the images of this do not reflect truly what the outcome of this look was, I should have used the flash as this would have picked up the highlight on the face and would be a better representation of my work. In reflection if I get the time I will go back and create this again and take more pictures. However, I liked the fact that you could see the highlight and this made the face look golden and glowing, I also thought the contouring was successful as you could really see the depth in the face. 

I would also like to create a more catwalk/editorial look as this would allow me to practise contouring further, it would also be worth looking to recreate this process on different face shapes.