Beautiful Bridal Makeup: 5 Expert Tips for Contouring on the Wedding Day
Contouring â every bridal makeup artistâs most feared technique, but, with the right training, the potential to be transformed into the favourite!
Learn how to apply beautiful bridal makeup and contour like a pro on our 2 day bridal makeup course.
Thereâs something about skilful contouring that can set a bridal makeup look apart from the rest and when done correctly, it can even be utilised for your more, subtle, makeup styles.
The art of contouring isnât only reserved for very heavy makeup, as Kim Kardashian might have us believe (although this is an option!); when applied with care and expertise and blended perfectly it is possible to achieve sharp, high cheekbones and graceful, angular facial features in a very natural way.

Follow our pro makeup artist contouring tips for beautiful bridal makeup:
Less is More
When it comes to creating beautiful bridal makeup, it is important to apply slowly and build up layers gradually and this applies even more so when it comes to contouring.
As youâve probably already realised, itâs very easy to overdo contouring and once the makeup is on, itâs hard to remove it and start again (and not exactly a situation you want to get into with clients!).
To avoid ending up with a bit of a clown look, use only a very small amount of your lighter and darker shades of foundation or contour stick, blend well and then add more if you need to.
Map the Face
Contouring is done best when taking the whole face into account from the start, rather than doing it bit by bit, so begin the process by mapping the face.
Take a shade that is about two steps darker than the overall base and trace along the temples, the hollows underneath the cheekbones and down either side of the nose bridge narrowing at the tip to create the illusion of smaller size or up into the brow bone for elegant length.

Blend, Blend, Blend!
Blending is key to perfect contouring, particularly if youâre aiming for a softer bridal makeup look. Avoid using a brush or sponge that is too small and instead, opt for a broad surface to do your blending such as the larger end of a beauty blender. If youâre aiming for a sharper look for the nose, use a narrower brush or the smaller side of the beauty blender for increased precision.
Highlight Darker Skin
When working on a bride with darker skin, focus more on the highlighting to pop out the raised areas rather than shading in the hollows, as you would on fair skin.
Highlight along the cheekbones, the bridge on the nose, chin and centre forehead.
Use Matte & Shimmer
Stay away from darker shades that contain any shimmer â matte makeup in the natural hollows of the face will help to create depth, whereas shimmer brings areas out. Because of this, a shimmery highlighter works really nicely for the raised areas that you want to make pop, so mix your products up and use a bit of both!

Know Your Products
Contouring can be a tricky technique to master, so anything you can do to make your life easier when starting out should be welcomed. One thing you should do is to know which products are best for your skill set.
When first starting out, using powdered products is best as these are really easy to blend; when youâre feeling a little more confident you can move onto cream or cream to powder for a stronger look and finally, stick concealers for thick application.