If you’ve ever seen Kim Kardashian’s Instagram you can appreciate and understand the power of contouring. If you’ve never heard of contouring, your life is about to change. The point of contouring is to give the illusion that your face is slender and slim. A lot of girls envy the Kardashian’s high cheekbones and their perfectly chiseled jawlines, but the reality is that this look is not hard to achieve. All you need is the right products and the right guidelines and you can give yourself a mini face lift with out the nip and tuck.
Step 1: Finding the right products.
Some of the best makeup products I’ve used on my skin are either from Bare Escentuals or Tarte Cosmetics.
Bare Escentuals (or bareMinerals) is my first recommendation to find the perfect foundation color for your skin. If you go into any Bare Escentuals store they will match you with the right color of foundation, whether it be the liquid foundation (for dry skin), the matte foundation (for oily skin), or the regular lose powder foundation (for skin that is a combination of both dry and oily). However, for contouring I recommend the liquid foundation because it is a bit heavier and more dramatic. This product goes for around $28.00
To find the perfect bronzer, blush, and highlighter, I recommend Tarte Cosmetics. Like Bare Escentuals, Tarte Cosmetics is all natural and good for sensitive skin. My favorite product from Tarte Cosmetics is called the Park Ave Princess which is a contouring palette that contains a matte bronzer and a highlighter/blush duo. This can be found at any Sephora store or online at tartecosmetics.com for $34.00
Step 2: Apply foundation.
First you need to apply an all over foundation base. Make sure it is blended in thoroughly, including down your neck and behind your ears.
Step 3: Apply highlighter.
This is when you look in the mirror and start freaking out. Once you start highlighting you’ll think you look like an alien. But trust me, it won’t look like that forever. Apply the highlighter to the middle of your forehead and straight down the middle of your nose. Continue this line down your face, stopping at your top lip and continuing underneath your bottom lip. Next, highlight on TOP of your cheekbones. Make sure to get under your eyes as well. Finally, highlight just underneath your eyebrows.
Step 4: Apply bronzer & blush.
You want the bronzer to sit right in the hollow of your cheeks. To find out where this is, line up your makeup brush with one end at the base of your ear and the other at the corner of your lip. This is where the bronzer should go. To create a dramatic shadow apply more bronzer near your ear and gradually use less when you’re applying near your mouth (to avoid making yourself look like you have a mustache!). Sweep the bronzer up by your hair line and down beneath your jawline to eliminate a double chin. Lastly, apply bronzer to the outer edges of the nose to contrast the highlighting in the middle of your nose. If you want more color on your cheeks lightly apply blush on top of your cheekbones.
Step 5: Blend.
This is the final step that will pull all of your hard contouring work together. Use a CLEAN brush to gently blend in the bronzer and the highlighter until your face looks smooth. This step takes quite a bit of time to make sure your contouring is even on both sides of your face.
Step 6: Selfie
Flaunt your new contoured face on instagram. If Kim K. can do it, so can you.
Contouring is a dramatic look that should be used mainly for going to a club or a party, but you can use different pieces of it daily; for example, applying just a little bit of bronzer or just a little bit of highlighter under your eyebrows. Remember that contouring takes patience and practice! Check out makeup guru, Carli Byble, on youtube and instagram if you feel like you need some more inspiration. Happy contouring, ladies!