If you’ve noticed your jawline looking softer or heavier over time, you’re definitely not alone. As we age, natural collagen loss, skin laxity, and shifting facial structure can lead to sagging around the lower face—especially in the jowl area. While skincare and in-office treatments can help, makeup artists say the right contouring technique can also make a surprisingly big difference.
According to beauty creator and makeup expert for mature women Cheryl of Blondie Social, one common contouring mistake may actually be making jowls look more noticeable instead of more sculpted. In her viral video, Cheryl explained that the traditional jawline contour trick many makeup artists use—drawing a dark contour line all the way from the chin to the ear—works best on people who don’t already have visible sagging.
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“I’ve seen it on here a million times,” Cheryl explained, referring to the popular contouring method. “That technique will absolutely snatch your jawline if you don’t have jowls.” However, for mature skin or heavier jowls, she says the placement can unintentionally emphasize drooping rather than lift it.
Instead, Cheryl recommends a more targeted contour placement that focuses only on the area where sagging actually begins. Rather than tracing the entire jawline, she suggests starting the contour slightly farther back—right where the jowl starts to droop near the chin—and blending the product downward toward the neck and back toward the ear.
The real game-changing step, though, is what she doesn’t contour. Cheryl advises avoiding darkness directly on the drooping area itself. Instead, she applies a brightening product there to create a lifted, smoother-looking effect.
“Instead of putting any darkness right where the drooping starts, I’m going to apply a brightener,” she explained in the tutorial. The contrast between the softly sculpted contour and the light-reflecting brightener helps visually lift the lower face and reduce the appearance of heaviness around the jawline.
When comparing both sides of her face in the video, the difference was noticeable. The traditional contour side appeared slightly heavier and darker near the chin, while the adjusted technique created a brighter, smoother, more lifted effect from both the side and front angles.
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How To Recreate The Lifted Jawline Trick
To try the technique yourself, start with a cream or powder contour shade that’s only slightly darker than your skin tone. Then:
- Locate where the sagging or jowl area begins near the chin
- Start your contour line there instead of the chin
- Blend the contour downward toward the neck and back to the ear for a natural shadow effect
- Apply a brightener or concealer directly on the sagging area near the chin
- Blend softly to avoid harsh lines
The key is subtle placement. Overly dark contour can sometimes create shadows that make mature skin appear heavier, while strategic brightness can help restore dimension and lift. For women over 40 or 50 especially, softer makeup techniques tend to be more flattering overall. Harsh lines and heavy contouring can settle into texture and emphasize skin laxity, whereas blended, diffused products create a fresher and more youthful appearance.
The best part about Cheryl’s technique is that it doesn’t require a full glam routine or complicated products—just smarter placement. And for anyone looking for a quick way to make the jawline appear more sculpted without invasive procedures, this subtle contour adjustment may be worth trying.
