Enhance strengths and hide flaws: discover how to do contouring with our beauty tips.

Considered the most important beauty secret of the stars, it is becoming increasingly popular among all beauty addicts: contouring is the chiaroscuro technique that defines the oval of the face and harmonises the features. And while initially reserved for catwalks and photo shoots, contouring has gradually become part of the make-up routine of many women, who have learned how to contour and enjoyed the effects.

Contouring is an advanced make-up technique that allows you to redefine your facial features and give your face three-dimensionality, sculpting it and harmonising some of its characteristics in a targeted manner. Thanks to contouring, it is possible to hide certain flaws and, on the other hand, enhance and valorise the best points.

Contouring also refers to the theory of shadows, according to which the perception of volumes can be altered, thus perfecting the face in a natural way. It is based on two main elements:

• LIGHTELEMENT (LIGHT): made with products Highlighters that highlight certain parts of the face, highlighting them and creating relief and volume.
• SHADOWELEMENT (SHADOW): serves to absorb light and thus create the shadow areas that cushion and camouflage defects.

How to do contouring

First of all, it is important to remember that to achieve perfect contouring you will need only a few products but they must be of high quality and easy to combine. Good dexterity, the right tools (such as brushes and/or sponges) and a little time will also be essential. In short, this is not a technique for "last minute" make-up.

Before starting, you will need to prepare your skin : you will need to cleanse your face thoroughly, remove dead skin cells and apply a good moisturising cream. The first step for high-performance make-up is the base!

Once the cream has absorbed, it's time for face primer. There are many on the market with different formulations: choose the one you prefer according to your needs and your skin type. Mesauda Perfect Skin, for example, is the ideal face primer for those who want a smoothing product without silicones, parabens or paraffin. Its ingredients allow the epidermis to breathe and at the same time perfect the skin, preventing foundation from getting into the folds of the face.

In addition, it is important to know the shape of your face. When experts give advice on how to contour, they always point out that there are no fixed rules for the technique and that it varies according to the shape and tone of the face.

And now let's see what steps you need to follow for perfect contouring...

Choose three different shades of foundation

First of all you need the foundation that you use every day, to which you should add a foundation two shades lighter and a foundation two shades darker. As with clothing, light colours "enlarge" and highlight, while dark colours "shrink" and minimise.

Here's how to use the three products:

• NEUTRALBASEFOUNDATION: with your foundation you are going to create anevenand neutral base which will serve to even out your complexion.
• LIGHT FOUNDATION: light foundation, on the other hand, will serve to illuminate certain areas of the face. It is usually applied to the centre of the forehead, along the upper eyebrow line, the bridge of the nose, the cheekbones, the centre of the chin and the cupid's bow (the area between the lips and nose). It can also be replaced by a Concealer.
• DARK FOUNDATION: Dark foundation will serve to minimise certain facial features. These features are usually the top of the forehead, the sides of the nose, the temples, the hollows of the cheeks and the sides of the jaw. Again, the foundation could be replaced by Concealer or a bronzer.

The right touch with the rightHighlighter

To enhance certain parts of the face (e.g. the cheekbones), you can also use Highlighter. Whether in powder or cream form, this product will help you to brighten up your face. This is why it is particularly suitable for the winter season, when the skin can appear dull and duller.

Password: fade out!

In order to make contouring look natural and avoid a mask effect, it is essential to blend and even out the various products. This will reduce the gap between light and dark areas of the face.

In general, cream or liquid products adhere better to the skin, but are more difficult to blend. Conversely, powders are less demanding and blend more easily.

Choose the right brushes

Finally, brushes also play a key role in creating the perfect contour. When explaining how to do contouring, beauty experts (almost always) use small to medium brushes, which are easy to handle and will help you to reach only the areas of the face that are affected without too much effort.

To sculpt and create shadows, brushes with dense, angled bristles are ideal. For highlighting and creating highlights, use flat brushes.

Brushes, as well as sponges, play a key role in contouring. That is why it is important to choose good quality tools and to take care of them constantly.

Features that make the difference

We have already mentioned that when it comes to countouring, we can use cream, liquid or powder products. Obviously, cream and liquid products are suitable for dry skin, while powder products are good for combination or oily skin. So, powder, cream or liquid? As always, it depends on you and your skin type.

Again, remember that powders are easy to blend and mattify the complexion more, whereas liquid and creamy products are more difficult to blend but give a much more natural effect (if applied and set well, of course!).

The golden rule for any type of contouring is not to use overly pearly or glittery cosmeticsto illuminate: the effect should be naturally luminous. The colour should also be chosen carefully and should match your complexion perfectly.

Choose highly pigmented textures for a high-performance result and opt for formulas that are easy to blend, such as the palette Poker Face by Mesauda. Its extraordinary and long-lasting formula is rich in precious active ingredients that work synergistically to preserve the skin's youthfulness. In addition, pomegranate oil and coconut oil improve elasticity and propolis and ginger extracts help to revitalise in depth thanks to their antioxidant power.