What Is Contouring and How Is It Different from Highlighting and Bronzing?

Contouring is all about playing with shadows to sculpt bone structure. The job of contouring makeup products is to darken the skin in a way that looks like a shadow, to create the illusion that various parts of the face are a little bit more distant from the eye than is actually true. This, in turn, makes the non-shaded parts stand out a little more.

The area of the face most frequently contoured is just below the cheekbones, although people also contour below the jawline, along the sides of the nose, and along the perimeter of the forehead. Eyeshadow technique, despite also including color, is actually also all about contouring and highlighting.

Speaking of, highlighting is the exact opposite of contouring – naturally, the two are indispensable in a completely makeup look. A highlight attracts light to the face, making the features seem closer to the person looking, as well as overall larger.

The top of the cheekbones is the part of the face most frequently highlighted, followed by the bridge of the nose, the center of the forehead, the inner corner of the eye, and the area just above the cupid’s bow. People have also taken to highlighting just below the contour to make it stand out more, as well as along the jawline to make it look sharper.

Lastly there’s bronzing, which has fallen out of style to a certain extent. The purpose of a bronzer is to make the skin appear sun-kissed and more tanned, so it is applied to the high points of the face where it is now more popular to highlight instead.

Whereas contour makeup products are usually matte with a neutral or cool undertone that passes for shadow, bronzers are usually a little warmer with a hint of orange or red, and they often have a bit of a shimmer.

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