Makeup involves several steps and contour is a technique to sculpt your facial features by creating shadows on the face. A makeup artist has shared one ‘mistake’ people make with contour.
Contour is a popular makeup technique that can shape and sculpt your facial features and it is generally applied after foundation and concealer. You can use contouring to make your cheekbones appear lifted, your nose to appear slimmer or make your jawline look sharper.
It’s all about using makeup to create the appearance of natural-looking shadows on areas of the face, like around the forehead, on the hollows of the cheeks, and along the sides of the nose and jaw, according to the Charlotte Tilbury website. Many beauty fans want to know how to achieve a sculpted and lifted effect but a makeup artist has urged women to stop making one mistake when it comes to contouring. Cristina Pignataro has more than 25 years of experience in the makeup industry and she caters to women over 40-years-old in particular.
She uses social media to share makeup hacks and professional tips for “youthful, glowing skin.”
The makeup artist recently shared a video on TikTok helping women with their contour placement.
After swiping some of an LYS Beauty contour stick on her face to demonstrate, Pignataro said: “When we do our contour this low all it does is bring our face down and we don’t want it down, we want it up but don’t worry, if you still struggle with contour placement I have a super easy hack for you.”
She told viewers to grab any makeup brush they have on hand, suck in their cheeks and place the brush from the top of their ear down the line that is created by sucking in the cheeks.
The makeup artist then pointed to the ‘stop line’, explaining that your contour should not go below this line.
She added: “I put a little bit of my contour on my brush. Now, what I’m going to do… starting at my hair line I’m just going to take it in a little bit, I’m not going all the way down.
“I’m just gonna go let’s say maybe to like where my iris begins. Then when you take off that brush you have a perfectly placed contour.”
Giving tips on how to blend the contour, she advised to “push it up and back” using a brush.
Pignataro then showed what would happen if she left her contour in the lower position and blended it in.
The difference between the two is the first way “brings the face down” and the second way “brings the face up”, according to her.
She noted: “We’re not trying to look older here. We want you full and lifted.” In the caption of her TikTok post the makeup artist wrote: “Stop ageing your face with this ONE contour mistake! Let’s lift, not drag, ladies. Watch till the end to see the instant facelift trick!”
The clip demonstrating how to use contour to get ‘lifted’ cheekbones has garnered more than 80 comments.
One user said: “Very important tip ladies to keep those cheek bones lifted!” Another added: “Wow, great tip, looks good.”
A third chimed in: “Omg wow! Such a difference!” This was echoed by a fourth who commented: “Wow, what a difference.”