Redhead Makeup Tips – How To Contour and Highlight Your Face

Updated: November 1, 2021

The art of contouring & highlighting has been around for ages and has evolved throughout the years, from dark/heavy shading and bright highlighter to slight shading and natural highlighting.

Even the fairest redheads can use subtle shading and highlighting to create the illusion of perfectly chiseled cheekbones and a strong jawline. The technique for achieving a sculpted face is very easy, but knowing where to apply the bronzer and highlighter is key.

READ: Tips for Strobing: An Excellent Makeup Trend for Redheads 

Tools you will need:

•  Your favorite foundation
•  Cream or powder bronzer
•  Powder highlighter
•  Cream or powder blush

1. Start with your foundation + concealer 

Apply your favorite redhead-approved foundation to your face to create a blank canvas. Don’t cover your gorgeous freckles!

Next, dab your concealer underneath your eyes and on any blemishes after your foundation. When you apply your concealer before your foundation, you just end up smearing it around and making it look way too cakey.

2. Draw a letter E with your bronzer

This is the quickest and easiest way to achieve that “shadow” effect. Suck in your cheeks to locate the hollow of the cheeks. Take an angled brush and begin applying softly in swirling movements, from the temples down to the underside of the cheekbones and down the jawline. Remember that blending is key. Blend the big E perfectly without leaving obvious lines in your face.

Tip: Choose a bronzer that complements the undertones in your skin. For example, if you have warm undertones choose an earth-colored bronzer, if you have cool undertones pick a peach-toned bronzer.

3. Dab your favorite highlighter

Choose a highlighter that is light and iridescent. You can use a shadow brush or your fingers. Apply on the apple of the cheeks, on the bridge of the nose and the brow bone.

4. Apply blush on your cheeks

Choose your preferred shade of blush and apply gently with your brush –– moving upwards. Brush onto the apples of the cheeks, just above the bronzer color and below the highlighter.

Rock it like a Redhead!