Mastering the Art of Contouring for First-Time Drag Kings

Have you ever found yourself in awe of the transformative prowess of makeup? Even if you’ve never picked up a makeup brush in your life, or you’ve only ever learned how to feminise your face, you can learn how to masculine your face.

Welcome to the world of Drag King contouring. Like a sculptor chiselling a masterpiece out of a block of marble, we can use makeup to carve out our persona. While it takes some practice, learning how and where to place shadow and light on your face is key to developing your masculine persona.

Let’s look at some essential techniques, common mistakes to avoid and how to create a look that’s not just convincing but captivating. 

Understanding the Basics: Contouring the Face

Contouring is a makeup technique used to define and enhance the structure of the face. By applying darker shades (contour) and lighter shades (highlight) in specific areas, you can create the illusion of a stronger jawline, a broader nose, or more angular cheekbones, among other effects.

The darker shades are typically applied to areas you want to accentuate or define, like the edges of your jawline, the sides of your nose, and the angles of your cheekbones. The lighter shades are applied to areas you want to highlight, like the center of your forehead, the bridge of your nose, and the middle of your chin.

Remember, stage makeup is different from everyday makeup. You want to cover all areas of your face to enhance facial features under strong lights.

The key is to blend well so that the transitions between light and dark areas look natural. Overdoing it can result in a muddy appearance. According to makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin, "Contouring is like underwear; it's not meant to be seen."

Before You Begin: The Fresh Canvas

Always start with a clean and moisturised face. This will help take care of your skin as well as avoiding the muddy look once you put makeup on. You can also opt to use a primer to create a smooth canvas for your makeup.

Choosing your Shade: More Power to You

When selecting contour and highlight shades for masculinising a face, it's important to choose colors that complement your natural skin tone and create a subtle yet effective contrast. Here’s a general guide:

Contour Shades:

- Fair Skin: Choose a contour shade that is 1-2 shades darker than your skin tone with a cool or neutral undertone (e.g., taupe or a cool brown).

- Medium Skin: Opt for a contour shade that is 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone with a neutral or slightly warm undertone (e.g., soft brown or mocha).

- Olive Skin: Use a contour shade that is 2-3 shades darker with a neutral to warm undertone (e.g., rich brown or caramel).

- Deep Skin: Select a contour shade that is 3-4 shades darker with a warm or neutral undertone (e.g., deep chocolate or espresso).

Highlight Shades:

- Fair Skin: Use a highlight shade that is 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone with a neutral or slightly pink undertone (e.g., ivory or pale beige).

- Medium Skin: Choose a highlight shade that is 1-2 shades lighter with a neutral or golden undertone (e.g., light beige or soft gold).

- Olive Skin: Opt for a highlight shade that is 1-2 shades lighter with a warm undertone (e.g., warm beige or honey).

- Deep Skin: Use a highlight shade that is 1-2 shades lighter with a golden or warm undertone (e.g., caramel or soft bronze).

Tips for Choosing the Right Shades:

- Test Shades in Natural Light: Always test contour and highlight shades in natural light to ensure they blend seamlessly with your skin tone.

- Undertones Matter: Pay attention to your skin’s undertone (cool, neutral, warm) when selecting shades to ensure a natural look.

- Blend Well: Regardless of the shades you choose, blending is key to achieving a natural and effective contour. The goal is to create the illusion of masculine features without obvious lines.

Mapping Out Your Face: How to Masculinise

Contouring is a powerful tool for masculinising a face in Drag King performances. Here's how you can use contouring to achieve this effect:

1.  Jawline and Chin: 

   - Apply a darker contour shade along the jawline to make it appear more pronounced. Extend the contour down towards the chin, creating a more squared-off shape. This helps in giving the face a stronger, more masculine structure.

2.  Cheekbones:

   - Apply contour under the cheekbones, but instead of the upward, more rounded sweep used in feminine contouring, use a more horizontal or slightly downward angle. This creates a more angular and defined look, typical of a masculine face.

3.  Nose:

   - Contour the sides of the nose to make it appear straighter and more defined. A broader or slightly wider nose bridge can give a more masculine appearance. Highlight the bridge of the nose to keep the contour from looking too harsh.

4.  Forehead:

   - Contour around the temples and along the hairline to give the illusion of a more prominent brow ridge, which is often more pronounced in masculine faces. This can also help to make the forehead appear slightly smaller if desired.

5.  Eyes:

   - While eye makeup is often minimized in Drag King looks, contouring around the eyes can deepen the eye sockets and create a more rugged look. You can also slightly contour under the eyes to create the appearance of more shadow or depth.

6.  Neck and Adam's Apple:

   - If you're going for a particularly realistic look, you can contour along the sides of the neck to suggest a more muscular neck, and even create the illusion of an Adam’s apple by shading the area under the chin and highlighting a small area in the center of the throat.

7.  Highlighting:

   - Use highlighter sparingly, focusing on areas that would naturally catch light, like the center of the forehead, the bridge of the nose, and sometimes the top of the cheekbones. Keeping highlights minimal helps maintain the masculine look.

Remember, the key to successful contouring for Drag Kings is blending well. You’re aiming for an ‘airbrushed’ look.

The overall goal is to create strong, sharp lines and angles, which are typically associated with masculine features. Experimenting and practicing with different looks will help you find the most effective way to masculinise your face using contouring.

Have fun with it!

Xx Danica Lani

The King Coach

P.S. Wanna be a Drag King? Click here to join the Kings of Joy community

Hello handsome, 🌈 I'm Danica Lani, The King Coach, here to empower you in your exploration of gender, sexuality, and performance. I have proudly mentored, choreographed, and produced 112 first-time Drag Kings since December 2020. Welcome to the joyous community of Kings of Joy, where we uplift and celebrate each other every step of the way! 🎉🤩 Let's embark on this Drag King journey together, embracing our true selves and cheering each other on! 🤗💖 #KingsOfJoy 

Photo credit: 📸 Sarah Malone