Technique · Written in Casablanca
How to contour oval face
An oval face needs very little contouring — the proportions are already balanced, so the job is definition rather than reshaping.
Written by Lamyaa Aissi, professional makeup artist, Casablanca.
How to do it
- Place a light shadow just under the cheekbone, starting from the ear and stopping before the centre of the face.
- Add a touch along the jaw only if you want more definition, not to change the shape.
- Skip forehead contouring in most cases; on an oval face it shortens what does not need shortening.
- Blend upwards toward the ear.
The Moroccan adjustment
Contour must be cool-leaning relative to the skin to read as shadow, and genuinely deeper than the skin on the deeper half of the Moroccan range — cool greyed browns simply disappear.
What goes wrong
Contouring an oval face as if it needed correcting. The most common result is a face that reads narrower and older than it is.
Questions
How to contour oval face?
An oval face needs very little contouring — the proportions are already balanced, so the job is definition rather than reshaping.
What goes wrong most often?
Contouring an oval face as if it needed correcting. The most common result is a face that reads narrower and older than it is.
Does this change on Moroccan skin or in a Moroccan climate?
Contour must be cool-leaning relative to the skin to read as shadow, and genuinely deeper than the skin on the deeper half of the Moroccan range — cool greyed browns simply disappear.
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