7 alternate ways to contour and accentuate your face shape

1 August 2018

By Fashion Quarterly

We all love contouring for its ability to slim and sculpt your face.

And while you’re probably aware of the cheekbone carving, jaw-chiselling makeup technique, what you might not realise is that there are plenty other tricks available. From the use of hair colour to facial yoga and how you shape your brows, these handy hacks cleverly create facial definition where it matters most.

Scroll below to learn the 7 alternate ways to accentuate your face:

Contour with your hair colour

As with the light and dark principals of contouring with makeup, contouring via hair colour can offer a similar result. Want to accentuate those cheekbones? Ask your hairdresser for lowlights on the strands that hit at your cheeks. And if you want to elongate your face, go for highlights at the crown of your head and your tips.

TRY: Toni & Guy’s colour contouring.

Make the most of blush

Though current makeup trends are leaning towards a more natural look, this doesn’t mean you still can’t use the magic of makeup to your advantage. Cleverly applied blush can shape the face without looking like you’re wearing a large amount of makeup. Instead of a common pinky hue, why not opt for one with peach or brown undertones? Wear it slightly lower than usual – just below the cheekbone – then blend up into the hairline.

TRY: NARS blush in Gina, $47, from Mecca.

Grab your comb and add height

Backcombing may feel so ’80s but it’s a surefire way to elongate the face. Apply dry shampoo or texture spray into your roots and gently backcomb the crown of the head. Use a large soft bristle brush to smooth the outside of the hair, hiding your backcombed secret safely within.

TRY: Oribe gold lust dry shampoo, $72, from Sable.

Get your pony right

Matching the height of your ponytail to the height of the tips of your cheekbones can help towards your goal of face definition.

TRY: Kitsch back to basics hair ties, $13, from Mecca.

Say yes to face yoga

Just like normal yoga, facial yoga can strengthen and stretch the muscles, and drain excess fluid away from the face. But unlike slogging it away in your lycra, all you have to do in a facial yoga session is lie back and relax while your therapist gives your face its workout.

TRY: A facial yoga session from The Facialist, $110.

Nail that cat eye

Now’s a better time than ever to crack that eyeliner technique you’ve been putting off practising. A cat eye not only becomes a focal point but it also adds to your overall look and helps to accentuate the face.

TRY: Shiseido automatic fine liner, $71, from Farmers.

Reconsider your brows

Pluck, wax or thread, whatever you’re doing to your brows stop right now. Turns out getting your brow shape right could be just the thing your face needs. An arch (but not too arched) can lift and highlight the face, so head to a pro and ask for a brow consult, STAT.

TRY: Benefit brow services.