How to contour for your most chiselled cheekbones yet, according to makeup artists

It carves killer cheekbones. It adds three-dimensional shape to the face. Contouring – the art of using light and shadow to accentuate your bone structure – has become accessible for all ever since Kim Kardashian and Mario Dedivanovic brought their sculpting skills to social media. But there can be something daunting about contouring’s multiple shades of foundation and knowing precisely where to draw those painterly stripes.

Allow us to reveal all and explain exactly how to contour for a defined look that won’t leave your makeup looking cakey.

Create a radiant base

“First apply a base that gives you a luminous finish and evens out skin tone,” says makeup artist Cher Webb. “Cover any under-eye shadows with a long-wearing concealer two shades lighter than your skin tone to brighten. Also highlight under the brow, the upper cheekbones, nose panel and cupid’s bow.”

Choose the right tone

When choosing a colour to contour with, lean on products with shades that mimic natural shadows like taupe or soft grey, rather than bronzers. “Your perfect contour colour shouldn’t look orange or grey against your skin,” Bobbi Brown senior pro artist, Zara Findlay, says. “You want it to look almost like your perfect bronzer with a little more coolness to act as a shadow.”

Cream or powder?

Ah, the million dollar question: cream or powder? Bear in mind, each will give you a different finish. “A cream contour is going to look more natural and dewy on the skin, which is great for someone with a normal to dry skin type,” says Zara. “A powder contour is going to give you a more defined and matte contour, especially if your skin is prone to oiliness.” Also bear in mind, a cream contour stick is generally easier to blend, making it ideal for contouring first timers. But a powder tends to go the distance on the dance floor.

Pick the right brush

When applying your contour use a brush that has a small tip or an angled, tapered head depending on the area of your face that you’re working on.

Contour tricks for the face

While there are generally no hard and fast rules for makeup application, contouring is an art form and can be tricky to master if you want your skin to look snatched not stripy. “I like to start my contour on my nose, eyes, centre of the Cupid’s Bow and bottom lip line,” Zara explains. “When contouring the nose, make sure to use a small fluffy brush along the sides of the nose, drawing into the contour of the eyes and also around the tip of the nose.

“When contouring the cheeks, use the top of your ear as a guide for the height of your contour,” she continues. “You want to find the hollow of your cheekbone and blend up as this will really lift the face.”