Do it Yourself: Contouring

Everyone wants a flawless glow and perfect skin. How exactly do they achieve it?? Contouring has been a leading beauty trend for many years and has most recently become one of the top trends on the internet. NV Beauty Boutique is here to help list what tools and make up you’ll need to contour, the key steps and tips in contouring!

What you’ll need:

• Face primer or moisturizer
• A base foundation that matches your skin
• A beauty blender sponge
• Concealer or a highlighter
• Highlighter or shimmer
• Cream contour or powdered contour
• Small makeup brush for nose contour
• Translucent powder
• Bronzer
• Finishing Spray
• Make up brushes: 360, e70, big brush, blush brush and bronzer brush

Step 1. Prepare your skin Cover face with moisturizer or face primer. Why? This helps if you have oily or dry skin

Step 2. Begin with Foundation

Add your base foundation to your face using a dabbing motion with your clean beauty blender. Slightly wet your beauty blender before adding the foundation. Bring the foundation out to your hair line, ears, and under your jaw line. Why? Dabbing makeup makes it look less streaky and more natural. If you add water, the beauty blender absorbs less makeup and saves you money! Make sure all brushes and blenders are clean before use. Try not to use your fingers (oil!) when applying makeup.

Step 3. Apply Concealer

Using your concealer, apply with a makeup sponge which features you want to come forward on your face. Include under the eyes, under the nostrils, chin, forehead, slightly on bridge of nose. Why? This makes your face appear to have more dimension

Step 4. Begin to Contour Grab your cream contour, tan or darker shade and apply product to face. Each face shape is different, but typically you want to apply it to the outside of your forehead by your hair line, apply to jaw line and to your cheeps. Imagine an oval on your face and contour outside of the oval.  To contour the cheeks, start at the top of the ear and draw a line to the corner of the mouth, but sop in the middle of the pupil. Why? Adding a darker colour adds depth to your face and makes other features stand out more

Step 5. Blending the Contour Crème Grab your clean, damp beauty blender and begin to blend with tapping motion. On your forehead, blend out towards your hairline. On your cheek bone, blend up, not down. Blend outward towards your ear. Why? Blending inward is counter productive. We need the dark colours to go outward, not inward on the face.

Step 6. Contouring the nose

Contouring the nose is very challenging. Grab clean, thin makeup brush (e60) and begin at the eyebrows. Lightly Draw two thin lines down the nose. Apply a bit on contour under the nose to make the nose appear lifted. Apply contour creme on the nostrils if you have big nostrils. Why? Contouring the nose will make it look thinner

Step 7. Blending the nose

Blend out the nose with a clean shading angle brush (e70). Using a tapping motion to soften out the line. Go slow and carefully. Why?  Using a brush is more exact then using the beauty blender

Step 8. Baking on concealer

Apply a fair amount of translucent powder with a sponger for two minutes under the eyes. Dust away with a big brush off the face. Why? The powder helps set the makeup in place

Step 9. Baking the contour

Apply some bronzer over the contour crème on the jawbone, cheeks and forehead with a clean bronzer brush. Apply translucent powder under the bronzed cheek bone to clean up any lines. Why? The bronzer helps set the contour colour in place.

Step 10.  Highlight specific areas & apply blush

Add a shimmer or a highlighter onto your cupid’s bow, tip of nose, under brows, on cheekbone and slightly above the brows. Apply blush to your cheeks with a clean blush brush. Why? This brings your look to the next level!

Step 11.  Finishing spray

Spray your face with a finishing spray so that your makeup lasts all night! Remember to wash off the makeup before bed Why? To avoid touching up your makeup ?

Good luck and Happy Shopping!

Kalleigh Sharp