Face contouring - please explain

[Bedroomdilemmas113]

I am trying not to offend but I don’t know how else to phrase this.

I have an event coming up where I realistically need makeup done professionally. I had makeup done professionally for a wedding a few years back and hated it, but couldn’t put my finger on why.

Trial yesterday. Makeup artist was excellent and very talented. The issue isn’t her - I thought my previous dislike was just the artist caking the makeup on but now twice, 2 different artists.

It looked ok in the mirror but in photos I genuinely feel there were drag queen vibes.

I am talking about the base, not the eyes.

I also felt like my face looked much rounder (puffier/fatter?).

I then took a photo later of my son and his girlfriend - who I had sat across a table from (beautiful, she looked gorgeous) and in the photo I noticed that it looked like her face is much rounder than it actually is in real life.

I know she contours her makeup.

Is this something that makeup contouring does to your face/how it looks? I am totally confused, I absolutely hate how it looks on me but I need to find some kind of resolution because I do need professionally applied base makeup for this day that’s coming up. But 100% not like this. If the contouring is the issue, I’ll ask them not to contour.

I know all of this sounds absolutely ridiculous but it’s really stressing me out.

Objectively, mum and husband said my makeup looked lovely (husband wouldn’t lie, I believe he liked it, and he knows I would rather he was honest). He thinks it’s just that I had heavy lips and am not used to them but it’s definitely the roundness of my face and this what I would call the drag queen look (but I realise that doesn’t make sense as the makeup was done to look very natural). It felt caked.

Does this make sense to anyone/does anyone know what I mean? It’s driving me mad and Google isn’t being very helpful!

Just tell the MUA you don't want contouring and you want a natural base.

Sorry I think my post is confusing because I’m confused.

I will definitely do that if the contouring is what’s causing this - I’m not sure it is, which is why I am asking (badly!) whether that’s what contouring does - is it supposed to make your face look fuller/rounder?

No,the complete opposite.

I’m at a total loss then.

I don’t have a round face, I am comparing pictures of me from 4 days before to yesterday and it looks like my face has swollen and bloated and is suddenly moon like but the only difference is my makeup

I thought it was supposed to make your face look more angular - cheekbones more prominent, forehead narrower, that sort of thing.

I have a face that cannot seem to handle professionally applied makeup. I get it maybe does look good in photos but it real life it looks draggy, no matter how natural it’s attempting to be.

Contouring is meant to correct for fave shape so if you want it to look slimmer/not round, that’s what you need to ask the mua for, and a good one can correct for this. Without contour, a single tone base can flatten out the look of your face and make it seem wider - it sounds like you need more/better contouring not less. There are loads of guides online if you google ‘face contouring guide’ - I’d look through some of those and see if it makes more sense and helps you ask for what you’re after.

Also phone cameras tend to use slightly wide angle lenses for closer up pictures. You are better off having someone take a photo from a distance then zoom in/crop to see what your actual face looks like.

It also is the angle some photos are taken from, particularly if you are using a phone and are much closer than you would be to take a photo with a camera. There was something doing the rounds a couple of years ago of the same woman stood still, photo taken selfie mode with front opened camera from straight on or above, then from about 2 meters away and then from 4 meters away and zoomed to look the same size. The further away one looked so much better of all of them, she looked thinner in the face.

It could be contour, it could just be photos are now often taken from short distances.

Hmm I think the fact that you felt another woman who was photographed also looked round faced, when in person she did not, this may have absolutely nothing to do with the make up and could be a camera/lighting issue at the event you were at.

I have a round face and I know that contouring definitely adds definition. I only use the darker contour at the top of my forehead at the hairline and under my cheek bones. I blend it in well and then add blush and a minimal amount of highlighter. I also use a lighter contour colour in the middle of my forehead, under my eyes (a kind of straight line starting from my pupils and going out to the temple -so not a round shape IYSWIM).

But I don’t use much actual product. I get a glow rather than heavy lines.

What had your makeup pro used on your face and how defined was the contouring? It might be that your face needs more subtle makeup.

Could your son’s girlfriend show you how to do it?

I think that’s it, it’s just too heavy for my face. But she said it was the only option for it to last and that it needs to last.

She was so lovely and is clearly very talented, I just hated the look of it on me.

I wonder whether the commends about the camera angle are part of it too…

I have decided I’m not going to have it done, I don’t like it and I like myself fine without it….
If the makeup doesn’t last then so be it!

Thanks so much for the advice!

I just use a tinted moisturiser or BB cream. I’ve never had an issue with it coming off, and you can always reapply. Just rub in like moisturiser.

If you’re not used to a full face of makeup then it will look odd to you. I don’t the same as I don’t usually wear lipstick and think I look overdone with it, although others say it looks nice. You want to look and feel like you, not be uncomfortable so I would just wear what you normally wear and reapply/top up if needed.

The 'drag queen' thing is simply down to heavy make up when you're not used to it. I'd say the roundness if you noticed it only in photos and not in the mirror/real life is due to the camera. In my opinion there's make up designed to be photographed in and make up designed look natural in real life. I've seen few examples where both are achieved at the same time.

I agree that if you aren't used to wearing make up, it will be the first thing you see on yourself in every photo. I got my DD to do my makeup for a recent event and I thought I looked like I'd been done at the undertakers for an open coffin viewing, but everyone around loved it and said how good I looked.

I never wear make up normally, so I felt it looked unnatural, but it wasn't meant to be natural, it was meant to look good in pictures.

I think the trend has been for very fake drag queen like make up lately. Contouring is very heavy to me. I'm no fan at all of fake lashes and contouring and eyebrow faff.

I'm older. I have always worn make up but the heavy makeup thing is not for me at all.

I think it must be hard to get a professional to do it and it feels like you. Lots of women on their wedding day don't look like them either.. my bestie regretted getting her hair done because she didn't look like herself!

Is it possible to find some pictures of the kind of make up look you like and ask for that?

It really isn't the only option for it to last, we've been setting our base for years without contouring first 🙄 is find a new MUA personally,she doesn't sound like she knows what she's on about.

Sorry that was my poor explanation.

Heavy makeup (albeit giving a ‘natural look’) was what she said was needed to make it last all day/photograph well etc, not contouring.

I think a pp has nailed it - she’s done/is doing makeup that photographs well, because that’s what most people want at a wedding (maybe all people?). However, I would rather feel and look myself! And perhaps that’s what I need to tell her - it doesn’t need to be makeup for photography

I agree with this, it’s the way images are distorted on our phones when we take selfies/photos close up. There’s loads of explanation videos with examples on TikTok op.

Blush placement can change the shape of your face. If it's on the round part of your cheeks it makes you look fuller but if it is more to the side, it can be more flattering.

Hi op, are you used to wearing makeup at all? Take baby steps with it. Also try a different mua if she doesnt suit you

If you look on YouTube there’s lots of face contouring and it will give you an idea of what kind of contouring you want, it can be done all different ways to give you different looks , ie slimmer jaw, slimmer nose etc have a look then you’ll know what kind of look make up wise you want and take a picture with you to give them some idea of what your hoping to achieve.

I just want to look like me 🤣
I do wear makeup if I’m going out but a very light base - I have good skin. I think having it thickly covered just looked so strange!

Contouring makes your face look more angular usually. The placement of blusher can make it look rounder. On the apple of the cheeks for a rounder look, swept along the cheekbones for a more angular look.
I don't feel that makes people look like a drag queen though, it can fill the face to make people look younger.

Face powder is very off trend these days but you can get some setting spray. Charlotte Tilbury does one as does Urban Decay.

You can also use bronzer instead of stick contour - go east on it at first - and the powder will help set your face.

Have a look at Lisa Eldridge and practice at home.

I think it’s filling my face but I already look younger than I am (skin alone, my body shows every year!) so my face doesn’t need to be filled. It’s just making me look very round faced!

Drag queen feel I think I’ve accepted is more due to the 57 billion layers of makeup that were apparently essential to look good when being photographed!