Award winning beauty stylist Sinéad Kelly talks about the latest trend for a tailored individual look: hair contouring.
![Hair contouring[1].jpg](https://www.essentialsurrey.co.uk/downloads/5489/download/Hair%20contouring%5B1%5D.jpg?cb=21e92dfe12e366edf220b91d141b9690&w={width}&h={height} "Hair contouring[1].jpg")
First there was face contouring, made famous by the one and only Kim Kardashian, where darker and lighter shades of make up are applied to create shape and accent specific facial features. Since then hair contouring has followed and hair stylists have never looked back.
Hair contouring is a similar concept to face contouring, but works with your hair colour and shape to accentuate your best features and enhance your skin tone.
The key is in identifying face shape. A professional hair stylist can do this for you during a consultation, as well as discussing what features you wish to accentuate. But here’s our general guide to the different shapes if you’re looking in the mirror at home:
- Round face: The length and width of your face are about the same. Usually characterised by a shorter forehead and chin with a rounded jawline – Emma Stone and Cameron Diaz have classic round face shapes
- Square face: The length, width and jawline are just about equal in size. Characteristics are similar to those of the round face, with a sharper jawline – Angelina Jolie and Keira Knightley both have square face shapes
- Rectangular face: This face shape is longer than it is wide but with a more defined angular jawline and a broader forehead – Kristen Stewart has a classic rectangular face shape
- Oblong face: Your face is noticeably longer than wide, with a broad forehead, cheekbones and jaw line. The shape will roughly resemble a rectangle with softer corners – Cara Delevigne has a classic oblong face shape
- Heart shape: The face is defined by a wider forehead and a narrow pointed chin, similar in shape to an inverted triangle –Scarlett Johansson and Reese Witherspoon both have heart shaped faces
- Oval shape: Your face will resemble an egg shape. This is often considered the hourglass of face-shapes and is desirable due to its versatility – Beyoncé is well known for her oval face shape
Once you know your face shape, the detailed placement of colour, and choice of complementary tones, can work together to instantly make your face seem more defined; with your favourite features emphasised. For example, for a round face type it is common to strobe with light colour at the front and add darker colour to the back to soften the features.
The major attraction of hair contouring is that it is fairly low maintenance and regrowth is much more manageable than using block colour.
If you'd like to check out more great beauty advice, or organise an expert consultation on hair contouring you can have a look at the Sinead Kelly website here.
For more health and beauty articles, like Sinêad Kelly's 10 step programme to a 10 minute blow dry, click here
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