How to contour a round face: a step-by-step guide

To contour a round face there are three areas to keep in mind: cheekbones, jawline, forehead.

1) CHEEKBONES: 
Place the contour stick on your lower cheekbone and follow the structure of it until you reach the level of the eye.

To give your face a heart-shaped look, continue adding some product starting at your temples to your eyebrows.

After you have drawn the same line on the other part of your face use a contour brush to blend the product in small circular motions.

Using the right brush is very important when blending in makeup, especially contour because you want to make sure that the product stays in place and doesn’t reach other parts of your face.

KIKO MILANO’s contour brush will get the job done nicely thanks to its compact and short bristles which will ease the blending process.

Start blending in small circular motions from the center of your face moving up so you can create a nice shade effect.

2) JAWLINE:
For this part of your face, make sure you are facing straight in the mirror so you have a clearer idea of the structure of your face. 

Apply the product all across your jawline starting from under one of your earlobes until you reach the other one.

Instead of blending it in circular motions as you would do for your cheekbones, gently sweep the brush back and forth until the product is blended. With the remaining product on your brush, sweep it right under your jawline towards your neck for a gradual shadow effect.

3) FOREHEAD:
Start from the center of your forehead close to your hairline and follow the structure drawing an arch-shaped line leaving more space between it and your hairline until you reach the outer part of your eyebrow. 

Repeat this on the other part of your face and do it staring straight at the mirror to get the same line as the one you have already drawn.

This time, with your contour brush or with a beauty sponge, gently dab the product onto the skin to blend it, going towards your hairline.

If you are going to use a beauty sponge, always remember to slightly wet it first to limit the absorption of the product.

When used correctly, contour sticks will also give the illusion of a slimmer face, and with the help of some other products, it will be easy to achieve.

Start by applying your contour on the parts of your face as you would usually do. 

When you reach your jawline, add another line on the outer part and right above the previously drawn line. 
This way, when blending it, you will achieve a more defined heart / V shape giving your face some angles.

Also when you are contouring your forehead, add one more line on the left and right part of your face, at eyebrow level so the same effect is recreated in that area.

For a perfect and even look you may want to contour your nose as well. 

Start by adding and shaping two lines along the bridge of your nose and connect them when you reach the tip of your nose. You can either apply it directly with the contour stick or by using a concealer brush that you will use to blend in the product.

In the middle of the nose add a small amount of concealer, this way when you blend it all in, the result will appear more natural. 
Gently sweep the darker lines vertically to create a nice and smooth shade. The same technique can be used for the concealer so it will be an even look.

To perfectly achieve a slimmer-looking face, you also need to use other makeup products that work beautifully with contour.

Let’s start with your cheeks. 
For this area of your face, you will want to use blush. 

Apply it with a blush brush or with an angled brush and instead of applying it on the apples of your cheeks, add it slightly higher, following the shape of your lower cheekbone. This way you will achieve a more natural finish.
If instead of blush you are using bronzer, you can apply it the same way.

Don’t forget to highlight your features! 

To create a perfect balance, apply a highlighter on those parts of your face where light usually hits, like on your upper cheekbones, and on the tip of your nose. 

Don’t forget about the eyes! For a slimmer face, you may want to slightly enlarge your eyes, and the best way to do so is by applying a light-colored pencil right under your waterline and then adding a shimmer or pearly eyeshadow around your tear duct.

Contouring is a great way to learn about your face and your features, and by adding the shadow you will automatically make some parts of your face stand out!