How to Contour for Square Faces to Soften Angles

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Unlocking Your Angles: The Ultimate Guide to Contouring for Square Faces

You’ve been told you have a “strong” jawline, a “powerful” forehead, a “defined” chin. And while these are fantastic qualities, sometimes you want to soften those angles, to create a more oval, delicate appearance. Contouring isn’t about hiding your features; it’s about using light and shadow to sculpt them. This definitive guide is for anyone with a square face who wants to master the art of contouring to achieve a softer, more balanced look. We’ll go beyond the basics, offering a step-by-step, actionable plan that will transform your makeup routine.

Understanding the Square Face Shape

A square face is defined by its equal width and length. The forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are all roughly the same width, creating a strong, geometric structure. The goal of contouring for this shape is not to eliminate these features but to create the illusion of curves. We’ll use darker shades to “recede” the wider areas and lighter shades to “bring forward” the center of the face.

Tool Up: Your Contouring Arsenal

Before we dive into the technique, let’s assemble your kit. The right tools make all the difference.

  • Contour Product:
    • Powder: Ideal for beginners and those with oily skin. It’s easy to blend and buildable. Choose a cool-toned, matte shade. Avoid anything with warmth or shimmer, as this will look muddy and unnatural. A taupe or grayish-brown shade is perfect.

    • Cream/Stick: Great for a more intense, long-lasting contour. It provides a more skin-like finish and is excellent for dry or mature skin. Blend it in with a damp beauty sponge or a dense brush.

    • Liquid: The most advanced option, offering the most natural, skin-like finish. Blend it in quickly, as it can set fast.

  • Highlight Product:

    • Matte Concealer/Foundation: One to two shades lighter than your skin tone. This will be used to create bright areas without adding shine.

    • Shimmer Highlight: A subtle, finely-milled powder or liquid. Opt for champagne, rose gold, or pearlescent shades. Avoid chunky glitter.

  • Brushes and Sponges:

    • Angled Contour Brush: Perfect for carving out the cheekbones and jawline. The angle fits perfectly into the hollows of your face.

    • Fluffy Powder Brush: Essential for blending out your contour and applying setting powder.

    • Small, Tapered Brush: Ideal for precise application on the nose and temples.

    • Damp Beauty Sponge: The ultimate tool for blending cream and liquid products seamlessly.

The Golden Rule: Placement is Everything

The secret to a successful contour for a square face is strategic placement. We’re not following a generic contour map. We’re targeting specific areas to visually reshape the face.

Step-by-Step Action Plan: Mastering the Contouring Technique

Let’s break down the process into easy, actionable steps. We’ll start with the most impactful areas and move to the finer details.

Step 1: The Jawline – The Softening Strategy

The most prominent feature of a square face is often the jawline. Our goal is to “shadow out” the hard angles to create a more curved, V-shape effect.

  • Application: Using your angled brush and a matte contour powder, start at the back of your jawline, right where it meets your ear. Apply the product directly along the bone, from the ear to the chin. Instead of a hard line, think of a soft, blended shadow.

  • Technique: Use light, feathery strokes. Do not apply a thick, dark line. The key is to blend down and slightly inward towards the neck. This creates a shadow under the jaw, making it appear less wide and sharp.

  • Concrete Example: Imagine you’re drawing a soft, diffused “U” shape along the very edge of your jaw. The darkest point should be at the back, near the ear, fading as you move towards the chin.

  • Mistake to Avoid: Applying a thick, harsh line that stops abruptly. This will create a noticeable line of demarcation. Blend, blend, blend until the shadow looks natural, like a natural shadow would fall.

Step 2: The Forehead – Creating a Gentle Curve

A square forehead can appear wide and flat. We’ll use contour to round the temples and bring the focus to the center of the face.

  • Application: Apply your contour product along the hairline, focusing on the outer corners of the forehead, near the temples. Instead of a straight line, apply it in a soft, rounded shape.

  • Technique: Start at the hairline and blend the product down into the temples. Use circular motions with a fluffy brush to diffuse the color. The goal is to create a soft halo of shadow around the edges of the forehead.

  • Concrete Example: Think of it like you’re darkening the corners of a square to make it look like a circle. Apply the product at the top corners of your forehead and blend it down towards your temples and slightly into your hairline.

  • Mistake to Avoid: Applying a thick, horizontal line across the top of your forehead. This will make it look shorter, not softer. Focus on the outer edges and blend inwards.

Step 3: The Cheekbones – The Lift and Soften Technique

While many face shapes contour the cheekbones to create a sharp, defined look, our approach for a square face is slightly different. We want to lift and soften, not just carve.

  • Application: Find the hollow of your cheekbones. The contour should start at the top of the ear and move slightly forward, no further than the outer corner of your eye. For a square face, a common mistake is to extend the contour too far towards the mouth. Keep it high and short.

  • Technique: Use your angled brush to apply the contour in a diagonal line, blending upwards towards the hairline. Blending up is crucial as it creates a lifted effect. Avoid blending down, which can make your face look droopy.

  • Concrete Example: Place your brush at the top of your ear and sweep it in a gentle, upward diagonal line towards your temple. The line should be short and focused on lifting the face, not carving out a deep hollow.

  • Mistake to Avoid: Applying the contour too low or too far forward. This can drag the face down and make the cheeks look sunken, which can exaggerate the square shape.

Step 4: The Nose – Refining the Center

Contouring the nose is about creating a more streamlined, delicate appearance to balance the strong features of the face.

  • Application: Use a small, tapered brush to apply a thin line of contour product down the sides of the nose. Start at the inner corner of your eyebrow and follow the natural line of the nose.

  • Technique: Keep the lines straight and close together to create a slimming effect. Blend the lines out with a clean blending brush or your fingertip. The goal is to create a soft shadow, not two distinct lines.

  • Concrete Example: Draw two thin, straight lines from the inner corner of your eyebrows down the sides of your nose. Blend the lines softly outward.

  • Mistake to Avoid: Drawing thick, messy lines. This will only draw attention to the contour itself, not the illusion it’s creating. Keep the lines neat and the blending soft.

Step 5: Highlighting for Illumination and Softness

Highlighting is just as important as contouring. We use light to bring certain features forward and create a more oval shape.

  • Application (Matte Highlight): Use a matte concealer or foundation a shade lighter than your skin tone. Apply it under your eyes in an inverted triangle shape, on the center of your forehead, and on your chin.

  • Technique: Blend the matte highlight with a damp beauty sponge. The inverted triangle under the eyes lifts the face, while the highlight on the forehead and chin creates a focal point, drawing attention away from the jawline and temples.

  • Concrete Example: Draw an upside-down triangle under each eye, with the base along the lash line. Put a small dab on the center of your forehead and chin. Blend until seamless.

  • Application (Shimmer Highlight): Apply a subtle shimmer highlight to the very tops of your cheekbones, the brow bone, and the tip of the nose (optional).

  • Technique: Use a small, fluffy brush for a precise application. The shimmer on the cheekbones should be placed just above your contour, blending upwards. This placement lifts the face and adds a healthy glow without accentuating the width of your face.

  • Concrete Example: Dab a small amount of highlight just above the outer end of your cheek contour, right where your cheekbone catches the light. A small swipe on the brow bone just under the tail of your eyebrow also adds a nice lift.

  • Mistake to Avoid: Applying shimmer highlight on the jawline or forehead. This will draw attention to the very areas we are trying to recede. Keep shimmer on the high points of the face.

Step 6: Blending, Setting, and Finishing Touches

The final and most crucial step is blending and setting your work.

  • Blending: Using a large, fluffy powder brush, go over your entire face in soft, circular motions. This will diffuse any harsh lines and make your contour and highlight look seamless.

  • Setting: Use a translucent or color-correcting setting powder to lock everything in place. A light dusting will prevent your makeup from creasing and moving throughout the day.

  • Finishing Touches: A pop of blush can tie the look together. Apply a soft, peachy or pink blush to the apples of your cheeks and blend it upwards towards your temples. This adds a healthy flush and further enhances the lifted effect.

Troubleshooting Common Contouring Mistakes

  • The Muddy Look: Your contour shade is too warm or too dark. Opt for a cooler-toned, ashier shade, and use a lighter hand.

  • The Streaky Look: You’re not blending enough. Use a damp beauty sponge for cream products or a large, fluffy brush for powders and blend until you can’t see a line.

  • The Harsh Line: Your application is too heavy. Start with a tiny amount of product and build it up gradually. It’s always easier to add more than to take away.

  • The Droopy Face: Your contour on the cheeks is too low. Remember, the goal is to lift. Keep the contour high, on the cheekbones, and blend upwards.

Contouring for Square Faces: A Final Thought

Contouring is a skill that takes practice. Don’t be discouraged if your first few attempts aren’t perfect. Start with a light hand, focus on blending, and remember the core principle: using shadow to recede the wide, flat areas and light to bring forward the center of the face. By following this guide, you will master the art of softening your angles, not by hiding your beautiful bone structure, but by celebrating it with a touch of strategic artistry. The end result is a more balanced, harmonious, and naturally radiant version of you.