How to Highlight and Contour Your Face...

Let's start with contouring (it's the dark brown color in the photo above).  When you contour, use a nice taupe shade or a deep bronze color. Try to avoid using most bronzers when you are contouring, you'll just look too orange. (The only exception is Benefit's Hoola Bronzer. It's a nice lighter brown shade. It's available at sephora.com for $28.) When you tan, you do not go bronze in these places right? So use a matte taupe shade or a light brown matte blush.

1. The temple. The purpose is to make your face a little more oval in shape. As you might know already, the oval shape is the ideal shape for makeup application.

2. The nose. Try avoiding making your nose mega-narrow. This would completely alter your face. Imagine the shape and size of your face with a narrow nose. You will look too artificial! So use this technique just to define your nose so that you wouldn't look flat in pictures.

3. Cheekbones. This is my favorite part to contour. It really makes a lot of difference! It can make you look like you've lost 5-10 lbs! Hahaha! Just be careful not to pile it on, otherwise, you will look like you have a streak of dirt on your face. Just make it subtle and blend!

4. Jaw line. This defines your face more. It can easily disguise double chins and it really separates your face from your neck. It also adds shape to your whole face.

5. Eye Crease. The purpose of contouring this part is to create the illusion of depth in the eyes. It adds drama to any makeup, and make your eyes pop out and really 3 dimensional.

6. Inner corners of the eyes. Make your nose appear narrower and your eyes deeper by adding shadow on this area

Highlighting (the light color in the photo above) is used when there is a certain part or feature you would like to bring out or "highlight" or "bring focus to" when there are certain flaws you would like to take focus off of. Today, I used my new MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50 at maccosmetics.com). It was easy to use & it looks great!!

1. The central part of your forehead. This creates an illusion of an oval face because it highlights the central part of your face. You highlight your forehead to bring it out from the rest of your face.

2. Under eye and cheek triangle Disguise your tired eyes or dark circles with highlight. In this area, you can use a little bit of shimmer (but not glitter). The light reflecting particles reflects light so it gives your dark circles a lighter finish. This also brightens up your entire look. You want to bring out your cheeks, not make them recede.

3. Chin. This will bring out your chin area so that your chin is separated from your jaw line. Plus, this completes the oval-illusion we are trying to achieve.

4. Nose line. Highlighting the top narrow bridge of your nose will make your whole face appear more oval and a bit longer. Plus, this makes your nose look "matangos" so that it looks more, again, 3 dimensional. You want to make your best features come out. I cannot stress this out more.

5. Brow bone. This is the area between your crease and your eyebrows. By bringing this out, your eyes will have more depth giving you more space and "drama" to work with. Defining the eyes is important to give you that sophisticated and a put-together look.

6. Collarbone. Bring out your collarbones so that you appear slimmer! There is no other reason and purpose for this. Haha! When you do do this step, I recommend using a cream highlighter first before you top it with a highlighting powder. If you use powder alone, it will just get erased before you even step out of the house

And finally...BLEND!!!!!!! This is very important. You don't want any harsh lines.

**Please remember: this takes lot of practice. Chances are it won't look perfect the first time you try it. Don't get dicouraged, you'll get the hang of it!!**