I recently took a one on one contour class just to see if I can improve my contour game. I was shocked to see that with one palette I could pretty much have an overall look by only using a few other products. I couldn't wait to share this new discovery, so for this week's Look of the Week, I remembered that Balmain Spring-Summer 2016 show had very fierce contouring.
Start off with a foundation; Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation is a reliable medium coverage option. A contour palette can be used two ways, by either using contour shades alone for a soft neutral look or in addition to a full make up face with the rest of your make up for contouring purposes only.
Let's focus on a neutral daytime look. I just used my foundation as concealer as well to keep it light. Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit in Light/Medium is so easy to use because the colors are arranged in the order that you should use them. If you don't have a contour kit, you can also just use three shades you may have at home.
- You need one dark brown for carving out the contour, a lighter brown for blending and blush and a light color highlighter, which isn't too sparkly.
- Shimmer looks great on younger girls but too much highlight can accentuate the negative so I try to stay conservative with the highlight.
- Remember, we are not only following a trend but also making sure we put our best face forward by doing what works the best with our own features.
Think of it like fashion; only adopt trends that look great on your figure.
The biggest mistake I was making during contour was taking my brush and making a straight line from the hairline next to my ear, down to almost my lip area. So here is the step that is going to change everything. Stop halfway and turn your brush in, swooping it up in a circular motion like you are underlining the ball of your cheek. The easiest way to describe this is like making the letter "J" but slanted.
Next, just a bit on the side of the forehead (depending on your forehead shape). I also never contoured my chin either but it's so easy, you just need to follow your jawline but make sure you blend really well. While contouring and highlighting think of your bone structure as a guide, touch your face to see where your bones stick out.
The nose is tricky because if you don't blend well it looks terrible. I like to use an eyeshadow crease brush for this since it's a small area.
- Draw two short lines between your brows going all the way down if you have a wide nose, or just a short line if you have a narrow nose. My nose is super narrow and almost looks long when I smile, so I go all the way across from one nostril to another making a horizontal line and "shortening" it.
- Highlight the tip of your nose instead if you want to "raise" your nose.
Another really great tip I learned was for the eyes. Whether it's age or lack of sleep, I have recently noticed that I have a hooded lid. I was still going into my crease and carving out a line there but I learned that was a mistake.
- Instead go over the hooded crease and make the line where your crease should be (or sadly used to be). Wow, talk about a life changer! I am now doing this with any crease eyeshadow and love the difference.
Now that we have contoured, let's blend everything out with a bronzer.
- Use it as your blush and just go over all the areas to soften the harsh dark brown. Don't forget to blend out your eyes with it as well.
Last but not least, let's highlight.
- A little bit on your forehead, under the eyes (only with a matte color), on top of your cheekbones (feel them with your hands so you know exactly where they are.
- I skip this step for myself but if you want to make your nose look thinner, go down the center of your nose.
- Dab this light color all over your lid to make the eyes pop.
All you really need after this is mascara and a lip color. Since it brings out all the nice features in your face, slick your hair back in a tight ponytail or bun like the Balmain girls.
Aline Agopian
