How to Contour in Under Five Minutes

Want to know how to contour? Whether you’re applying your everyday makeup or night-out glam, a little sculpting can go a long way in tying your whole look together. Here, we’ve got your guide on how to contour and highlight in five simple steps, giving you more defined cheekbones and a polished glow in under five minutes.

Your Contouring Essentials

Let’s start with the basics: curating your ultimate contour makeup kit. Choose your sculpting products based on the finished look you’d like to achieve…

For Super-Soft Sculpting: If you’re looking for a subtler take on contouring, use a combination of our powder Bronzer and creamy Miracle Glow Duo Pro Illuminator. The multi-tonal minerals in the Bronzer work well when very lightly dusted under cheekbones and around temples. Meanwhile, the shimmer cream in the highlighting palette can be pressed over high points with fingertips, adding a touch of dewiness that catches the light in the most flattering way.

For Defined Contouring: To get a makeup artist-level look, use the Miracle Contouring Palette, which holds eight creamy pigments to highlight, lift and define your features flawlessly. They’re buildable, blendable and easy to apply, so you’ll always get a seamless look, whether you smooth on with a sculpting brush or your fingertips. Plus, the variety of shades means you can custom-blend your contour based on your skin tone, mood or desired finish - perfect for beginners and pros.

Contouring Step-By-Step

Step 1: Prep Your Products

Our model is wearing shades from the Miracle Contouring Palette, but you can still get a softer take on the look with the powder Bronzer. Simply apply either pigment using a slanted sculpting brush wherever shading is required.

Step 2: Trace Your Cheekbones

First up, use your fingertips to figure out where the bottom of your cheekbone is, then start blending the Bronzer or one of deepest shades in the Miracle Contouring Palette just underneath. Always begin from the centre of your cheek and curve up to the top of your ear.

Step 3: Sculpt Nose, Jawline and Hairline

Next, apply the Bronzer or your cream contour on either side of your nose, creating straight lines that go from the inner corner of your brow to the tip of the nose. Shade along your jawline and around the top of your hairline to finish.

Step 4: Buff and Blend

Time to buff, buff, buff your contouring colour to perfection. Take a fluffy brush and gently go over your shading in circular motions, keeping this in mind: the more you blend, the subtler your definition will be.

Step 5: Finish with Highlighter

Use fingertips to tap and blend a highlighter shade from the Miracle Glow Duo or Miracle Contouring Palette in four key areas: the bridge of your nose, the centre of your chin, on the Cupid’s bow and the very tops of cheekbones. And… you’re done!

More Quick Contour Tricks

• Contouring works best on a smooth complexion, so always prep skin with a primer. We love Miracle Prep Illuminating & Hydrating Primer, which creates the most velvety, even canvas for makeup.

• Nothing completes a contoured look like a pop of blusher. Match yours to the texture of your contour, teaming cream sculpting with Miracle Touch Creamy Blush and powder bronzer with a sweep of Crème Puff Blush.

• When adding blusher, make sure you apply it after contour but before highlighter, taking it from the centre of your cheek up to the temples to define those cheekbones.

Looking for more makeup inspiration?

For a flawless finish, discover our guide on how to apply the most natural-looking full coverage foundation.