How to contour using an airbrush make-up gun

Contouring is the make-up technique everyone wants to know, and it’s celebrities such as the Kardashians, as well as our obsession with selfies, that have driven the trend.

Contouring is about applying make-up in such a way that it gives shape to different areas of the face. By creating shadows in certain places we can create the illusion of more defined features. Who doesn’t want super-sculpted cheekbones, a slimmer jawline and thinner nose?

You can easily give clients a contoured look using a make-up gun. Invest in a dual-action, gravity-fed spray gun because it will help with precision and spraying on finer details. Using a foundation that’s two shades darker than your client’s skin tone, add six to 10 drops to your gun and then gradually build up the colour, spraying lightly so that the base is subtle.

Using a shading pad as your guide, ask your client to suck in her cheeks so that you can locate the hollows. With the shading pad a few centimetres away from the face, place it below the hollows and, using a sweeping action, spray from the ears towards the nose to create definition.

To create the illusion of a thinner nose spray down the inner sides of the nose and for a more defined jaw spray along the jawline using sweeping motions. You can even spray a small amount under the client’s bottom lip for a fuller lip look. Finish off by spraying a highlighter on the high points where your client’s face naturally catches the light.

Dee Hargreaves is a freelance make-up artist, 2013 Warpaint competition winner and Airbase pro member. She is based in Oldham and works across the North West.