How to Contour Your Face: Before and After Photos

Face Shape: Oval

Is Your Face an Oval? An oval-shaped face resembles an upside-down egg. The forehead is slightly wider than the chin, and the face is longer than it is wide.

The Strategy: Oval faces have the easiest contouring route. “You can pick and choose the things you want to highlight and contour, because there is a softness to the face,” Bettelli says. “You can add in angles to accentuate the features.”

How to Contour Oval-Shaped Foreheads

Focus the contour on the forehead and chin to draw the eye to the center of the face and condense the length. Make sure to work the darker color all the way into the hairline; otherwise, your faux bronze could look a little too obvious.

As a tip, consider using a cream eye shadow or shadow base instead of concealer when highlighting the face. Bettelli recommends MAC’s Paint Pot ($21, originally $28). “Concealer is often too orange, especially on light-to-medium skin tones,” she says. “So, use cream eye shadow for contouring. Creams are so much more forgiving to move and shift.”

How to Contour Noses on Oval-Shaped Faces

To make your nose appear slimmer, apply a reflective highlight along the bridge and a subtle contour along the sides of the nose. “Be sure to start your brush at the top of the nasal bone and stop the eye shadow before the tip to avoid a shiny bulbous nose,” Bettelli says.

How to Highlight Oval Faces

Bettelli recommends using the MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter ($23, originally $30) to highlight, since it has brightening yellow undertones. Under the eyes, create a triangle shape to level out the depth of the cheekbones.