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History of Contouring
- Contouring used by Elizabethan stage actors in the 16th century
- Actors in the late 1800s used greasepaint for contouring
- Makeup considered vulgar by Queen Victoria in the 1800s-1900s
- Marlene Dietrich popularised contouring in the film world in the 1920s and 1930s
- Max Factor Sr. introduced shading in 1934 to prevent flatness on film
- Ben Nye did makeup for characters in 'Gone with the Wind' and 'Planet of the Apes' in 1944
- Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor contoured in the 1950s
- Kevyn Aucoin sculpted the look of celebrities and models in the 1990s
- Aucoin's book, 'Face Forward,' introduced contouring to the general public in 2000
- Kim Kardashian popularised intense contouring in the 2010s
Body Contouring
- Body contouring gained attention in the 2000s through social media and celebrities
- Contouring extended beyond the face to include shinbones and breasts
- Contouring and strobing became popular beauty techniques
- Contouring products became more affordable and accessible
- Drag queens use contouring to emphasize feminine features and soften masculine ones
Purpose and Techniques of Contouring
- Contouring accentuates desired features and hides or changes unwanted ones
- Powder and cream contour products are commonly used
- Contouring involves using light and dark colors for depth and dimension
- The technique of contouring has evolved and advanced over time
- Strobing, a lighter counterpart to contouring, also gained popularity
Famous Figures in Contouring
- Ben Nye did makeup for 'Gone with the Wind' and 'Planet of the Apes'
- Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor contoured in the 1950s
- Kevyn Aucoin sculpted the look of celebrities and models in the 1990s
- Kim Kardashian popularised intense contouring in the 2010s
References and Resources
- 'Teen Vogue' defines contouring as shaping and enhancing facial structure through makeup
- 'Slate' discusses the use of boob contouring on the Oscars red carpet
- 'Byrdie' provides a comprehensive history of contouring from 1500 to 2015
- 'L'Officiel USA' explores the history of contouring in makeup contour TikTok
- 'The New York Times' declares that we are living in the golden age of contouring
Contouring is a makeup technique that uses cosmetics to define, enhance and sculpt the structure of the face or other body parts, such as breasts.
Contouring is usually produced by placing a warm or cool toned color that is one or two shades darker than the skin color in areas such as in the hollows of the cheeks, on the side of the nose, and on the temples to give a shadow and a slimming effect. It can be complemented with a highlighter that is one or two shades lighter than the skin color on areas of the face that are more prominent such as on the apples of the cheeks and the tip of the nose or the t-zone (forehead, nose, and chin). This technique can also be referred to as strobing, which generally uses only lighter powders and shades and little to no darker ones.
contouring
contouring (countable and uncountable, plural contourings)
