Hello everybody! When I ask on instagram and facebook what posts you would like to read, I am often asked about contouring. I thought I would create a 3 way contouring guide, sharing the ways in which I contour and how I do it. I also have a contouring Q&A coming up....please remember I am not an MUA, this is just what works for me and what I have learnt from lots of MUA’s online ^_^
1. Quick Contouring
This is the everyday-makeup contour. I go through phases of contouring on the regular and then not really bothering, but it can make a HUGE difference in a very subtle way which is exactly how it should be! You want a product you can apply quickly which is hard to get wrong. Nothing too orange or too dark and certainly keeping away from the crazily pigmented products!
HOW?
Take the RT contour brush and gently tap it against a powder bronzer. Now suck in your cheeks/pout and see your cheekbones become emphasised. Start from the top of the cheekbone (next to the middle of your ear) and gently stroke the bronzer downwards. Be sure to use short strokes with your brush and try not to go much further than the end of your eyebrow. If you have a very round face like myself, extent the contour slightly up from the middle of the ear to around where your brow stops, this will decrease the size of your face (or at least give that perception!). Remember everyday contour is not supposed to give you that Angelina Jolie look, rather its meant to add a little definition to your face. So go lightly on the cheeks and brush a little more on the temples if you have a wide forehead.
I USE & RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING:
- Sleek Contour Kit in Light (6.49) This is perfect for everyday because its a light brown shade. Great for fair-medium skintones. I only really use this when I’ve chosen a very light base (generally I go a tone up when picking a base shade but I do own a few bases my own skintone and like to use this one for those!) I like that is it subtle and so makes for a full proof contour, you won’t get those harsh streaks when swiping this on!
- Sleek Face Form Kit in Medium (£9.99) is a deeper brown but it’s been my go-to contour shade for the past year and a half. This shade is darker so adds a little warmth without being orange (Sleek are superb at getting their contour powders right) but for anyone with skin-tone NC35-NC45 it’s the perfect option for a quick brush on the cheekbones and added definition. You can also build this up, but as with all sleek products it is more than decently pigmented, so one sweep is wonderful for that quick contour look.
- Bourjois Delice De Poudre Bronzing Powder: (£7.99) A new release from Bourjois; this is the bronzer that I have been using for the past two weeks and I have to say I’m super impressed. Although it appears to have some shimmer in the pan, what transfers on the cheeks is a warm shade which is dark enough to add decent definition to the cheekbones and add a slight touch of warmth. I have found this isn’t super pigmented and there is no fall out, which makes it perfect for the mornings when you’re in a rush. I won’t say too much as there is a full review coming up soon!
- Benefit Hoola (£23.50) is a beautiful choice fair to medium skintones. It looks very light in the pan and when swatched, but on the skin its adds amazing definition and a little bit of warmth at the same time. I really did write this off when I first got it, but I fully understand the hype and love how well it works with fair skinned girls as well as olive toned ones. I’m not sure how Benefit did it, but it really is a bronzer that is recommended by fair skinned bloggers like HelloOctober and by warmer skintones too!
I did try and swatch these biy honestly after 15 minutes of awkwardly turning my arm around and then trying to get the focus right, I realised it was pointless. This is because aside from the sleek contour powders they all look so different on my arm compared to on my face! So I’ll try and do some #MOTDs with these instead over the coming weeks on Instagram. That’ll give you a more accurate idea of how the bronzers look.
I hope you found my quick way of contouring helpful, it’s certainly nothing revolutionary but each of these powders work fantastically on a daily basis and when I’m in a rush. My top tip for quick contouring is to still have a light hand and spend at least 30 seconds blending in each cheek because two harsh lines down the sides of one’s face is never a good look.
Remember contouring is not the same as bronzing, the first is to add definition and the second to add warmth. Although sometimes you might get away with bronzing the ‘3’ shape on your face and adding definition as well as warmth, it all depends on the shade and your skintone! If you’re interested in reading some reviews on budget bronzers click here.
Thanks for reading!
