Contouring usually brings to mind extreme streaks and super chiseled “after” selfies. But it doesn’t have to be so intense or time-consuming — a few strokes of the right products tailored to your face shape and skin tone can create a subtly sculpted, but still noticeable effect that’s wearable in the real world. The lovely ladies over at Bircbox US asked make-up artist Faye Lauren to tone down the theatrics on three different staffers to show just how significantly a few strategically placed swipes of bronzer and highlighter cam enhance your natural features. Let’s do this…
If You Want a You-But-Better Glow
Contouring and the bare-faced trend can co-exist — the trick is using sheer, tinted skincare instead of shimmery bronzers and highlighters. The real key to getting this no-make-up look is working with a shade that’s close to your natural skin tone. This helps soften any bronzing, which can look especially harsh on fair skin tones without any middle ground between highlighter and bronzer.
The Technique: To make staffer Lorelei’s features more pronounced, Lauren used the three lightest shades in the Laura Mercier Contouring Palette. She swiped the lightest “highlight” shade on the highest points of her face – down the bridge of the nose, the middle of the forehead and on the tops of the cheekbones—to brighten, and applied the darkest shade along the hair line and jawline to define. To blend the two together, Lauren applied the medium shade on the apples of the cheeks, along the bridge of the nose and on the chin before blending with a damp beautyblender® to get a seamless finish. Alternatively – using different shades of a creamy concealer, like Benefit’s Boi-ing, would work just as well!
If You Want a Fresh, Dewy Flush
Applying bronzer along the hollows of your cheekbones to help define them is contouring 101. To really make your cheeks pop, try contouring with two different shades of blush. This technique works best with blendable, creamy products that will get you that coveted dewy finish.
The Technique: Lauren applied the Balm’s Cider, a peachy blush from theBalm’s How ‘Bout Them Apples Palette, on the apples of staffer Junia’s cheeks, before dabbing Caramel, a darker, pinker shade, behind it and higher up on the cheekbone. Next, she traced along Junia’s hair line and under the apples of her cheeks with Benefit Fakeup to make her face appear more narrow. She finished by swiping Jelly Pong Pong’s Glow Getter, a shimmery liquid highlighter with a pink undertone that gives medium skin a healthy glow, down the bridge of the nose, on the chin and cheeks to add dimension without piling on more bronzer.
If You Want a Warm, Air-Brushed Finish
When contouring on darker skin tones, steer clear of powder products that can look chalky. Instead, use a liquid, matte foundation in one to two shades darker than your skin tone to bronze.
The Technique: Lauren used Stila Liquid Foundation on Courtney’s forehead, along the sides and under her nose, and along the bottom of her chin to elongate her face. Next, she applied blush from Jelly Pong Pong’s Caribbean Sun Duo in an upside down triangle shape on the apples of cheeks to create more length and dabbed the top corner of each cheek with the matching bronzer. The cream-to-powder formula creates that airbrush finish that is smooth without being too dry. Finally, she applied small dabs of Benefit High Beam on the bridge of the nose, above the Cupid’s bow and at the centre of the chin to accentuate Courtney’s lips.