Hey hey, what’s up, beauty babes! 💕 Ok, today’s post is all about contouring and highlighting for a narrow face shape! If you’ve ever looked into the mirror and thought, “Uh, why does my face look so… angular?” or “Can I make my face look a little more full or balanced?” then girl, this one’s for you.
Contouring and highlighting can totally transform how your face looks—it’s like makeup magic, I swear! ✨ Narrow face shapes are super pretty (hi, have you seen Bella Hadid? 😍), but sometimes you wanna give yourself a bit more oomph—like some extra dimension or fullness in certain spots. And guess what? I’ve got your back with this step-by-step guide. 🤗
Let’s get started, babes!
Narrow Face Shape Vibes!
First off, if you’re not sure what a narrow face shape is, lemme break it down real quick. You know you’ve got a narrow face shape if:
- Your face seems longer than it does wide (kinda like an oval but skinnier).
- Your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are almost the same width.
- When you smile, your face looks more elongated.
If this sounds like you, then hey girl hey, you’ve got a narrow face shape! You’re acing it like a model already. 🎉 But sometimes, you might wanna balance things out a bit. That’s where contouring and highlighting come into play to make your features look poppin’. ✨
Contouring 101: What’s the T?
Alright, now when it comes to contouring, the whole purpose is to add shadows with the contour shade to create depth and slim down areas you don’t wanna draw attention to. You wanna make certain pieces of your face stand out (hello, cheekbones) and others more lowkey (BYE, long chin).
So, what’s the trick for narrow faces? We’re gonna focus on adding width and structures… like creating the illusion of a slightly fuller face.
Let me hit you with the first contouring tip…
Focus your contour on the sides of your face rather than underneath your cheekbones!
Here’s the tea: Because your face is long and narrow, you probably don’t need to chisel out those cheekbones too much, babe. Instead, use your contour shades strategically on the sides of your face.
Where to Contour for Narrow Faces:
1) Jawline:
Place just a smidge of contour under your jawline but mainly focus on the sides of your face where you want a tad more structure. You can also rub some across your chin horizontally to make that area look shorter if it’s too pointy.
2) Forehead Temples:
If your forehead feels a little too tall or wide, start contouring your hairline close to your temples. This helps shorten the appearance of the forehead while giving your brows a nice, framed look for that Insta-worthy finish. #BrowsOnFleek 😎
3) Cheeks & Side of Face:
Contouring under your cheekbones is cool, but don’t let it draw downward. In fact, it’s even better to place your contour slightly higher than you usually do. This lifts and defines your face without elongating it. Blend the contour outward into your hairline to soften up the long dimensions of your face.
Highlighting for Narrow Faces: The Glow Up!
YASSS!! Talkin’ about highlighter now! This step can be the difference between looking “meh” and looking like a G-L-O-W goddess ✨. We want those areas to pop and make the face look a little bit fuller.
Even though highlighter is usually for brightening, when you’ve got a narrow face, we’re going to use it to catch the light but add width too. 🙃
Where to Highlight for Narrow Faces:
1) Cheekbones (But Wider!):
Instead of sticking to the tops of your cheekbones only, bring the highlight out toward the apples of your cheeks and well out by your temples. This creates an illusion of fuller, rounder cheeks and adds more balance to your face.
2) Horizontal Forehead Glow:
Putting highlighter right in the center of your forehead can make it appear taller (which we want to avoid with narrow shapes!). Instead, place your highlight horizontally right above your brows. Trust me, this brings width to the upper part without making it look extra tall.
3) Center Chin Glow:
It’s often cute to keep the chin glowing, but if yours is already kinda pointy, go easy. Add just the tiniest touch of highlight on the center of your chin to give it some dimension without adding extra length.
Put It All Together, Babe!
Ok, let me just give you the playbook for getting this all on your face and looking bomb AF💣. Start by grabbing your contour product, which could be a cream contour stick or powder (whichever you feel comfy with). Same for your highlighter, whether you’re into liquid, cream, or powder formulas. If you’re not sure which to choose, here’s a quick tip:
Use cream if you’re after that dewy skin look, or go with powder if you want a more matte or natural finish.
Contour First:
- Jawline Vibes:
Use a face brush or sponge to apply a small amount of contour product right along the sides of your jaw. Blend upward so it looks natural, not sharp. -
Cheekbone Lift:
Lightly contour the sides of your cheeks, blending outward, not downward! This trick helps to widen your face a little bit. -
Forehead Frame:
With a fluffy brush, sweep some contour along your hairline above your temples. Avoid sticking too close to the center of your forehead unless you’re intentionally trying to shorten the height of your forehead.
Highlight Next:
-
Cheekbone Brightness:
Apply your highlighter on the high points of your cheekbones but blend it outward to the sides of your face. Keep it high and out toward your temples for a fuller look. -
Forehead Glow:
Highlight horizontally above your brows but keep it wide, not centrally focused, to avoid making your forehead look longer. -
Chin Glow (but small!):
Add just a teeny bit of highlight to the center of your chin. Too much will sharpen it, so less is definitely more here.
Blush is Your BFF
Finally, don’t sleep on how transformative blush can be! 🍑Paired with contour and highlight, blush tied it all together and made EVERYTHING seamless. Here’s what you need to remember for a narrow face—apply your blush outwards and even a little on your temples. This helps to make the face look more naturally full. Aim for a blush color you love, whether you’re into peachy tones or that cute pink flush. 😘
Final Tips:
✨ Blend. Blend. Blend.
After you’re all contoured and highlighted, grab a big ol’ fluffy brush and blend the heck outta everything. No harsh lines here, sis; we want it to look soft and natural.
✨ Bronzer over Contour:
Swap out that contour product for a bronzer if you want a less dramatic look that adds warmth and makes your face glow effortlessly!
✨ Lighter Loads:
Don’t start with too much product right away! Build it up slowly so you can control the look. It’s harder to fix if you put on too much from the jump.
And there you have it, babes!! Now you know exactly how to use contouring and highlighting to enhance a narrow face! 🎉 You’ll be rocking that glow and structure like a freakin’ makeup boss now. 💁♀️
Contouring and highlighting is literally like unlocking a cheat code for your face. So fun, so customizable. The more you practice, the faster you’ll get and the more you’ll figure out what works best for YOU! Keep slaying, my loves.
Catch you next time! 😘 #StayBlended
