Contouring & Highlighting

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, or living in a cave in some distant land for the last year or so, you will have heard about contouring and highlighting. Now no longer reserved for models on fancy photoshoots or those who have a makeup artist at their beck and call, contouring and highlighting have fast become a major part in many girls' daily makeup routines. 

If you have been living under a rock/in a cave, firstly, I'm amazed that you've managed to stumble across my teeny tiny blog, and secondly, you probably want a quick catch up on what exactly contouring and highlighting is...

Contouring is the technique of shading parts of the face or body to change the appearance of those features. Highlighting involves using brightening products on the face or body to draw attention to certain parts. Most commonly, contouring is used under the cheekbones to give the appearance of a slimmer face and more pronounced cheekbones. Contouring can also be used around the hairline and down the sides of the nose as well as along the jawline and chin. Highlighting is most commonly used under the eyes to brighten this area, as well as in the centre of the forehead, down the bridge of the nose and above the cupids bow of the top lip. 

So let's get on to how you do it…

Firstly you will need to select some products to use when contouring and highlighting. There are numerous products available on the high-street, you don’t need to opt for the most expensive, high end products to try your hand at contouring and highlighting. If it’s your first time trying the technique, I’d suggest starting with a high-street product that you can pick up easily and cheaply, then when you decide if you like the effect contouring and highlighting gives, you could branch out to try high end products. Both cream and powder products are available on the high-street and contour kits can be a great product to get started with. Superdrug offer the Beauty UK Contouring Palette for only £4.99 which is made up of three cream products; a contour shade, a bronzing shade to warm the face and then a highlighting shade. If you’re looking for a cheap powder contour kit, the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit is available from both Boots and Superdrug at £6.49 and again offers a contour shade, a bronzing powder and a highlight shade. Also priced at £6.49 is the Sleek Face Contour Kit. It comes in three different shades; Light, Medium and Dark, each offering a contour and highlight shade. 

 

Contour shades should always be matte as they are supposed to mimic shadows. Glittery/shimmery bronzers are not suited to contouring as the shimmer in these products will reflect light, thus pulling the area of the face forward and having the opposite effect you are trying to create with the contouring. 

When it comes to applying the product, your tools are quite important. You can start out by using a fluffy eyeshadow brush to first apply the product. Using an eye brush instead of a larger face brush will help you to get an accurate application of the product. It is important to blend so you don’t have any sharp lines on your face, contouring on a daily basis will need to look natural; unless you choose to rock a full Kim K makeup look on a day to day basis, then you go ahead and do what you do! If it’s your first time at contouring, then I’d suggest starting off with little product on your brush, it’s easier to add more than to take it away. Apply the product in a light sweeping motion in the desired area to be contoured, and then blend, blend, blend! You can switch to a larger face brush once you feel more confident; an angled brush is ideal to get into the hollows of your cheeks to really carve out some cheekbones! Obviously stick to a smaller, fluffy eye blending brush to apply contour down the sides of the nose, and to any smaller areas of the face, a large brush will just apply too much product in an uncontrollable way to such areas. When it comes to applying highlighter, many people apply cream highlighter with their fingers. You can apply a small amount of product in a controlled way and by using a tapping motion you can really help ease the product onto the skin to create a natural finish. You can use a brush for the application of both cream and powder highlighter; again, I would suggest a small eye brush to apply the highlighter to any areas of the face as you will have a controlled application. 

There are so many videos on YouTube that demonstrate the transformation you can create with a bit of highlighting and contouring, and these are great to refer to if you want to see how it’s done or get some inspiration for products and tools to use. I think that with any makeup technique, practice makes perfect, and the only way you’ll become a pro at it is to get trying! So if you’re new to it all, I suggest giving it a go to find out what works best for you as an individual. Personally, I don’t do a full contour or highlight routine on a daily basis as it is time consuming applying and blending the products, however I use a matte bronzer to lightly sculpt my face giving the teeny tiniest hint of a contour, and by using a brightening concealer under my eyes it gives a touch of highlighting to my face.

Lastly I’d like to add that I don’t think anyone should feel pressured to contour or highlight! I think that in today’s society there is so much pressure on young people to look a certain way, to dress a certain way, and with the increasing popularity of celebrity culture, makeup blogs and YouTube videos, I think sometimes young people can potentially be influenced to feel like they have to copy the same makeup their favourite celebrity/blogger/vlogger/youtuber is wearing and use the exact same high end products to get the same results, which just isn’t the case. You should NEVER feel like you have to make yourself look different, everyone is beautiful in their own way.  I think that makeup should always be fun, and that even if you don’t have the “ideal” oval face shape, you should never feel like you have to try and disguise your face shape. Makeup is there to enhance what you’ve already got, so embrace your face and never feel the need to disguise yourself! 

Do you contour on a daily basis? What are your must have contouring & highlighting products? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Amy Rose Beauty xo

How To: Waxing At Home

Hair. Everybody has it, and we all get it in places we don't necessarily want it. Warm waxing is a great way to remove hair as it is quick and effective in removing any unwanted hair on the body.

Before I was studying my Beauty Therapy NVQ in 2013, I had only ever attempted to wax my legs a few times with at home wax strips bought from high-street stores such as Boots or Superdrug. I was extremely nervous being waxed for the first time, and was worried that my classmate; who was new to waxing too, would hurt me more than my tutor who had years of waxing experience would. Still, as we were all learning, we had to be each others guinea pigs, and I was surprised how little it hurt. My poor attempts at waxing at home prior to learning how to warm wax had me convinced that waxing was too painful to even consider, and that I would rather shave than wax.

With spring being here already, and summer fast approaching, I thought I would write a post explaining how to wax, as well as mention some important things to consider when waxing to ensure you are doing so in the most effective and hygienic way.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Wax Heater
• Warm Wax
• Wooden Spatulas
• Wax Strips (these can be material or paper)
• Cotton Pads
• Tweezers
• Pre Wax Lotion
• Baby Powder
• After Wax Lotion

SETTING UP:

Before you start waxing, consider a suitable location to do so. Ideally set up a space in a bathroom or other room without carpet, just in case of spillages. If you have to wax in a carpeted room, use old towels to cover the chair and floor area you are going to be sitting over. You could use kitchen roll to place your wax heater on so that wax does not drip onto your surfaces. Plug in your wax heater and insert the wax. Make sure you turn the wax heater on! There has been numerous times I have plugged in my wax heater and forgot to check the heat setting was high enough to heat the wax! It will take about 30 minutes for the wax to heat up, check the wax periodically and stir with a wooden spatula.

THE HOW TO:

• Wash your hands! Make sure you use soap to get rid of germs and bacteria before starting the waxing treatment.
• USE YOUR PRE WAX. Apply a small amount of the pre wax product to a clean cotton pad and gently wipe over the area to be waxed. This helps to clean the area prior to waxing, and also assists the wax in gripping the hair. 
• **TIP** If you have waxed previously and found it to be painful, you can apply a small amount of baby powder to a cotton pad and gently swipe it over the area to be waxed. This helps the wax to grip the hairs and reduces pain.
• Apply the wax. Dip your wooden spatula into the wax. Wipe clean one flat edge of the spatula and allow excess wax to drip off.
• **TIP** I usually pick up a wax strip with my other hand to use as a “drip catcher”, basically I hold the wax strip below the spatula as I move the spatula from the wax pot to the client’s skin.
• ALWAYS apply wax in the direction of hair growth. You should have the spatula at a 45 degree angle from the skin; this helps to get a thin and even application of wax that will allow optimum hair-grabbing. 
• Apply the paper or material wax strip over the wax and smooth down in the direction of hair growth; use your fingers to rub the wax strip applying pressure and keeping the wax warmed. 
• STRETCH THE SKIN! Hold the skin taught, this will assist with quick and easy hair removal, as well as reduce the pain. Hold the skin with one hand and grab the base of the wax strip with the other. 
• PULL FAST! The slower you pull the wax strip, the less effective it will be, and will also increase the pain for the client (or yourself). Pull the wax strip against the hair growth in a quick manner again at about a 45 degree angle from the skin. 
• Re-apply the wax strip to the area to remove excess wax and hair that was missed. 
• **TIP** - You can re-use a wax strip a few times before disposing of it. This will keep your costs down and also make the process quicker.
• **TIP** Don't over wax an area. Ideally you should only wax an area once, any few remaining hairs can be tweezed out. I wouldn't recommend re-applying wax to the same area more than twice as the skin will be very sensitive and you can cause pain. 
• Once you have waxed the area completely, use your after-wax lotion by applying on a cotton pad and then rubbing over the skin. Not only does the after-wax have soothing properties, it will also help in preventing any infection. 

AFTERCARE:

After waxing, it is essential you take care of your skin over the next few days. If you have slight soreness as well as red and bumpy looking skin do not worry. This is a common temporary reaction to waxing and these symptoms should subside within the next 24-48 hours. However, if you experience persistent redness or irritation you should contact your GP for advice. The basic gist of aftercare is to keep the area clean, avoid heat and do not apply products to the area for at least 24-48 hours. Here are a few more in-depth aftercare instructions you should follow after any waxing treatments regardless if you waxed yourself at home or had any waxing done in a salon.

• Avoid heat. No hot baths or showers, use cool to lukewarm water only. This includes no saunas, hot tubs or other steam treatments. 
• Similarly, avoid tanning for a few days. This means no sunbathing, sun beds or fake tans. The UV rays as well as heat of the sun or sun beds can seriously damage your skin especially where it is recently tender due to waxing.
• Don’t sweat it! Don’t take part in any sport, gym work or other exercise.
• Don’t touch it! Avoid touching the treated area, especially with unwashed hands. The pores of the area will be open, and unnecessarily touching can spread bacteria and cause infections. 
• Avoid using deodorants, body sprays, powders, lotions and other products on the area unless they have been recommended by a beauty therapist or are specifically made for use after waxing (e.g., after wax lotions).
• Re-apply antiseptic creams or after-wax lotions to the area regularly for the following 3 days or as needed. Make sure you wash your hands before applying any products to the area. 
• No exfoliation for at least 2 days! After a few days, you should exfoliate at least 3 times a week to prevent ingrowing hairs. Ensure you keep the area moisturised as this will keep the skin supple and assist new hair to grow through normally. 

If you notice a small amount of hair regrowth after a week or so, this can be normal. If you are new to waxing, it can take up to 4 treatments for your hair to get into a growth cycle that gives the best result from waxing. You should avoid shaving between waxing as this will hinder the growth cycle of your hair. To maintain your smooth appearance you should wax regularly, every 4-6 weeks depending on hair growth. 


This post turned out a lot longer than I anticipated, but I wanted to give you all as much information as possible to help your at-home waxing techniques. I am relaying the information I was taught when I was learning, and obviously if any fellow beauty therapists are reading this then you may have been taught differently than myself. Please get in touch with any questions you have for me. You can do this by leaving a comment, tweeting me or using my Facebook page Amy Rose Beauty. All the links are in my profile.

Amy Rose Beauty xo