Utah Master Esthetician Practice Exam

What term describes the technique of diminishing a feature while highlighting another to enhance appearance?

1. Shadowing and Contouring

2. Highlighting and Smoothing

3. Shading and Brightening

4. Blushing and Softening

The correct answer is: Shadowing and Contouring

The correct term that describes the technique of diminishing a feature while highlighting another to enhance appearance is shadowing and contouring. This practice is commonly used in makeup artistry and aesthetic treatments to create a more sculpted look by using darker shades to create shadows that diminish features and lighter shades to highlight and accentuate desired areas. For example, contouring typically involves applying a darker makeup shade along the sides of the nose, under the cheekbones, or along the jawline to create the illusion of depth and definition, effectively reducing the appearance of those features. Meanwhile, highlighting involves applying a lighter shade to the high points of the face, such as the cheekbones, brow bones, and the bridge of the nose, drawing attention to those areas and enhancing their appearance. This technique is essential for creating a balanced, aesthetically pleasing look, making those areas that are highlighted stand out while those that are contoured recede into the background. Other options do not accurately capture the specific process of altering a feature's prominence in the way that shadowing and contouring do.