Contouring the Forehead and Highlighting the Jawline for Your Face Shape
Alright besties, let’s talk about contouring that forehead and highlighting the jawline. If you’ve been scrolling TikTok or endlessly watching YouTube makeup tutorials, you’ve probably noticed everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) doing magic contouring tricks that seem to transform their face shape in an instant. But let’s keep it real, sometimes we’re out here attempting to contour and… uh… look like we rolled around in bronzer.
No judgment though—we’ve ALL been there. The good thing is, with the right tips and a bit of practice, contouring is your bestie, not your enemy. So let’s break it down, step-by-step, for different face shapes. Oh, and we’re about to spill some tea on how to snatch that forehead and carve out a jawline people will double-tap in no time.
What’s the 411 on Contouring & Highlighting?
Okay, quick definition just in case someone out there is new to this gig (no shame, we’ve all gotta start somewhere). Contouring basically means using a darker shade to create shadows, a little optical illusion that makes certain areas of your face look smaller or more “sculpted.” Meanwhile, highlighting is all about reflecting light, creating brightness and getting that ✨glow ✨—you’re calling attention to those spots you wanna pop. Pretty simple, right?
Here’s where it gets a little tricky—every face shape is different. So what works for Bella Hadid… might not exactly snatch your forehead (which is fine, we’re talking about individuality here y’all!). It’s super important to learn how to adjust contour and highlight to match YOUR face shape. We’re getting into the details for each of the most common face shapes below.
And if you aren’t sure what your face shape is?… girl, hang tight! We got you covered in the next part.
How to Figure Out Your Face Shape?
Let’s get this first step right. Grab a mirror (or use your front camera if you’re lazy like me) and check out the shape of your face when your hair is pulled back, or at least kinda clean and out of your face. Then, ask yourself these Qs:
- Are my cheeks the widest part of my face?
- Is my forehead wider than my jawline or is it more balanced?
- Do I have sharp features, or are the edges more soft and round?
Here’s a super-reliable cheat guide table for ya to figure it out real quick:
| Face Shape | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Round | Cheeks are widest, soft edges, almost equal width and length. |
| Oval | Forehead is slightly wider than jawline; balanced proportions. |
| Heart | Forehead is noticeably wider, with a narrow chin; hairline may form a peak. |
| Square | Forehead, cheekbones, and jawline have similar widths and strong features. |
| Diamond | Narrow forehead and chin; cheeks are the widest part of the face. |
Got your shape? Cool, now let’s get to work on creating that perfect contour + highlight combo tailored to YOU. You’re about to level-up!
perfect contour + highlight combo tailored
Contouring the Forehead: What and Where?
We’re gonna zero in on your forehead first. Here’s the thing: The goal here isn’t to make it disappear (like, no thanks), but to create balance. You’ll use contour to shape it and give it some definition based on your natural proportions.
For a Round Face:
If your face is round, we’re trying to elongate the face a bit. Forehead contouring will help you “slim” it down and add definition.
Here’s what you wanna do:
- Place your contour half an inch into your hairline on both sides of the forehead, in a semicircular motion, sorta like you’re putting bunny ears on yourself 😂.
- Blend, blend, blend!
Now for the forehead-highlighting part: Skip most of the central forehead highlighting unless you really want to go for the E-girl soft glam look (which, in that case, go crazy, bby).
For an Oval Face:
Your face is already naturally the envy of contour queens because it’s super symmetrical. You won’t need a lot done.
- Slightly contour from the temple region either side of your forehead up to your hairline. Keep it subtle, we just want to add some dimension.
Highlighting for you? Go right in and add a tiny bit of brightness dead center on your forehead (it’ll add balance).
For a Heart-Shaped Face:
It’s all about making that wider forehead appear slimmer. So, we’re gonna focus on contouring the edges of the forehead and temples.
- Starting from the sides of your forehead (near your temples), apply contour lightly in a semicircle, stopping at about the middle of the forehead—because we’re keeping the center from looking too wide.
At the same time, GO OFF with that jawline, darling:
For Square Faces:
For you, baby, it’s definitely about softening—why? Because your forehead and jawline are pretty similar in width. So let’s balance those out:
