Contour or Highlight First? Your Makeup Order Guide

We recommend applying contour first, then highlight, because contour creates the shadows that define your features while highlight brings attention to the areas you want to catch the light. This order lets you see the shape you have created before adding brightness, making it easier to keep the two effects balanced rather than blending them into one indistinct layer.

Check the product’s listed specifications when evaluating contour or highlight: which goes first.

After your foundation or other base makeup, place contour sparingly where you want more definition, such as beneath your cheekbones or along the perimeter of your forehead, and blend until the edges look soft. Next, add highlight to the high points you want to emphasize, such as the tops of your cheekbones, using a light hand and checking your makeup in natural light when possible.

If you are using cream or liquid contour and highlight, apply them over your base before setting with powder; blend each product separately so the deeper and brighter shades stay where you want them. With powder formulas, you can set your base first, then sweep on powder contour followed by powder highlight, building gradually to avoid a heavy or patchy finish.

Check the product’s listed specifications when evaluating choose an order that suits your formulas.

Contour and highlight placement does not have to follow a rigid map: consider your face shape and the features you want to emphasize, and use less product for a softer everyday effect. Our team’s Mastering Contour and Highlight Like a Pro digital makeup guide covers face shapes, blending tips, and contour and highlight techniques, and you can also explore our article on what goes first, contour or highlight.