Contouring

[Mia1982]

I've really been struggling with contouring to create a more feminine face.  I've watched tons of makeup videos,  bought products,  but when I practice it never looks anything like the mtf videos.  Any easy to follow tips girls? 

[VickySGV]

Tip 1) Relax, almost none of us get it as perfect as the videos make it seem.  (It took the video maker 25 tries and a week + of editing to get it right.)

 

Tip 2) Relax in front of the mirror for three to five minutes just carefully looking at your face to see where the shades will go.  (My cheekbones are much higher that most of the models I see in those things, and you too may have ethnic differences in your face structure.) Learn what you are trying to do in principal and make it unique to your face.

 

Tip 3) It dose not have to be perfect to be very very good!  You may discover that something you are not doing perfectly according to the films is actually perfect for you!! 

 

Tip 4) knock off being your own worst critic, you are tons more critical of your makeup than the worst Transphobe will ever be.  (Sadly, your Trans friends may be worse than the phobics on that, but it happens. So do it for you not them.)

 

 

[Mia1982]

Thanks so much! I think the best thing I took from that is take more time looking at my face and the principle I am trying to accomplish then make it work for me vs a more cookie cutter approach bc we are all so different. 

 

Such a good point. Like maybe this shade won't work for me, or that formula doesn't sit well on my skin type or maybe I'm contouring where the girl in the video was but my face is different. 

 

I'll keep at it but with a new outlook and thanks for the tips!

[VickySGV]

To quote the character Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady, "By Jove I think she's got it!!!"

[Sally Stone]

Mia,

 

Sorry for the late response, but one of the things that makes contouring difficult for girls like us, is that most contouring tutorials are oriented towards cis-women and their typically feminine facial structure.  If you are like me, with a more masculine face, the areas to be contoured, don't exactly match a woman's face.  As an example, I've learned that when I'm sculpting my cheekbones, I need to shade higher up towards the apple of my cheek than a woman would.  I also know I need to lighten the area above my eye all the way to the brow.  It might help to watch some trans contouring tutorials to get a feel for where to contour.  Don't get discouraged though, really good makeup application takes lots of practice.

 

Hugs,

 

Sally