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

Considered the most important beauty secret of stars, it is becoming increasingly popular among all beauty addicts: contouring is the chiaroscuro technique that defines the oval of the face and harmonizes the features. And if at first it was reserved for catwalks and photo shoots, contouring has slowly entered the make-up routine of many women, who have learned how to do contouring and enjoyed its effects.

It is an advanced makeup technique that allows you to redefine facial features and give three-dimensionality to the face, sculpting it and specifically harmonizing some of its features. Thanks to contouring, in fact, it is possible to hide some flaws and, on the other hand, to enhance and bring out the best points.

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

• LIGHT ELEMENT (LIGHT): made with products Highlighters that highlight certain parts of the face, highlighting them and creating relief and volume.
• SHADOW ELEMENT (SHADOW): serves to absorb light and thus create the shadow areas that dampen 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 of excellent quality and easily matched to each other. Good dexterity, the right tools (such as brushes and/or sponges) and some time on your hands will also be essential. In short, this is not a technique for "last minute" makeup.

Before you start, you will need to prepare your skin : you will need to cleanse your face thoroughly, remove dead skin cells and apply a good moisturizer. The first step for a performing 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 based on your needs and skin type. MesaudaPerfect Skin, for example, is the ideal face primer for those who want a smoothing product without silicones, parabens or kerosene. Its ingredients let the epidermis breathe while perfecting the skin, preventing foundation from going into the creases of the face.

In addition, it is important to know the shape of one's face. When experts give advice on how to do contouring they always specify that this technique has no fixed rules and, indeed, these vary according to the shape and tone of the face.

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

Choose three different shades of foundation

First you will 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 colors "widen" and highlight, while dark colors "shrink" and minimize.

Here is how to use the three products:

• NEUTRAL FOUNDATION: With your foundation you are going to create a smooth, neutral base that will serve to even out the complexion.
• LIGHTFOUNDATION: light foundation, on the other hand, will serve to brighten certain areas of the face. It is usually applied to the center of the forehead, along the upper brow line, the bridge of the nose, the cheekbones, the center 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 minimize certain facial features. Usually these features are the top of the forehead, the sides of the nose, the temples, the hollows of the cheeks, and the sides of the jawline. Again, the foundation could be replaced by a Concealer or bronzer.

An extra touch with the 'Highlighter right

To give even more emphasis to certain parts of the face (such as the cheekbones), you can also use a Highlighter. Whether powder or cream, this product will help you brighten up your face. This is why it is especially good for the winter season, when skin can look duller and duller.

Watchword: fade!

To make contouring look natural and avoid the mask effect, it is essential to blend and even out the various products with each other. 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. In contrast, powders are less challenging and blend more easily.

Choose the right brushes

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

To sculpt and create shadow areas, brushes with thick, angled bristles are ideal. Instead, to highlight and create highlights use flat brushes.

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

Features that make a 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. In short, 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, while 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 that applies to any type of contouring is not to use overly pearly or glitter cosmetics to brighten: the effect should be naturally luminous. The color should also be chosen carefully and should perfectly match your complexion.

Opt for highly pigmented textures for a higher performance result and opt for easily blendable formulas, such as the palette Poker Face by Mesauda. Its extraordinary, long-lasting formulation is packed with valuable actives that work synergistically to preserve skin's youthfulness. In addition, pomegranate oil and coconut oil improve elasticity, and propolis and ginger extracts help revitalize deep down with their antioxidant power.