Bridal Beauty Series: Highlight & Contour

     Makeup can be many things, but ask any makeup artist about the fundamentals of applying makeup and they will emphasize the importance of highlight and contour. One of the masters of this technique was Kevin Aucoin, who employed degrees of contour to sculpt everyday women and men and celebrities into different film icons in his book Face Forward. The juxtaposition of shadow and light is employed by every makeup artist, and is seen (most famously) on celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez. Kim is a modern example of how contour and highlight are used to sculpt features. Many celebrities utilize this trickery because they are heavily photographed, and not always from the most pleasing angles. Although photo shop will always play a role, the placement of their makeup tricks the eye, feigning that their  perfectly sculpted jaw or slim nose is a product of good genes or an excellent plastic surgeon!

     Looking amazing in her wedding pictures is certainly a goal for most brides, why not profit from the contour & highlight techniques used on Ms. Kardashian and her celebrity counter parts. If you are doing your own makeup, there are lots of resources you can turn to that will not cost anything. YouTube is a great one, and you can enter any search terms to find the look you are aiming for on your big day. Try to look for videos from working, professional makeup artists, they will be the best teachers, and are more concerned with proper technique. Here is a video from Gossmakeupartist:

Key Things to Remember:

Placement

Notice where he places the contour, and contrastingly the highlight. When you bring light to any area of your face, you are highlighting and amplifying that area or feature. When you contour or shadow an area, you are hollowing and diminishing that area or feature.

Blending

Whether you are using cream or powder or something in-between, blending is very important. There should be no seams between where the contour ends and the highlight begins. Blending and blurring these “lines” tricks the eye into perceiving the whole face, rather than bits and pieces.

Practice

Practice makes perfect, so try it out for a big night out, to see how it wears, and ask for feedback from friends you know will be honest with you. Take lots of pictures, indoor and outdoor in natural light.
Bridal beauty is really about the glow, and with a little help, you can make your best features shine on your big day!

Daniela is a freelance makeup artist based in Toronto, Canada.