Contouring for beginners

Hi my loves xoxo

I get a lot of questions every day from you guys asking if I could do a step by step guide on how to contour. Contouring, when done right, can completely change the shape of your face. It can camouflage parts of your face to appear smaller and it can help you 'carve out' features like cheekbones. You can use contouring to make your nose appear smaller and your face appear slimmer.

Using the right products and tools will help you achieve the neatest and most natural look. Choose colours that compliment your skin tone. Using products that are too dark can leave you looking muddy and using products that are too grey can really dull the skin. I always use the same colour for my contour and my bronzing so it all blends seamlessly together. Ill go through my process step by step and list the products I use. Not all skin tones are the same so choose your colours carefully. Do some research on line as to what undertones you have in your skin and match your shades from there.

First and foremost I always go through my foundation routine as normal, foundation, concealer, powder and under eye setting powder. At the minute I'm using the Kat Von D's shade and light contour palette, it's amazing and if you can get your hands on one you wont regret it. There are 3 different contour colours and 3 different highlight shades (I love Kat Von D's Lyric for setting my under eye concealer) For a cheaper alternative you could use the +NYX Cosmetics contour palette, it has 8 shades so you are bound to find one that will suit your skin tone. Another alternative would be the +Sleek MakeUP contour kit. It has one contour shade and one highlight shade. It comes in light, medium and dark, perfect for beginners.

Start by finding your cheekbone. It should start at the top of your ear and slope down towards the top of your lips. Next get a flat or angled makeup brush and grab some product. Lightly apply it just under where your cheekbone's are and sweep it down towards your lips but don't go the whole way, stop about 2/3 of the way down.

Next get a smaller brush and apply the same colour to either side of your nose (if you want to contour your nose as well). Sweep it from just under where your eyebrow starts the whole length of your nose and around the tip. Be careful around the tip of your nose, don't make it look too small as it will look quite obvious and very fake.

Next grab a small fluffy blending brush and blend blend blend. You want it to look as natural as possible so you don't want any harsh lines. Do the same with the cheekbone's blending up the whole time, you do not want to blend below the line. Use a slightly larger brush for this. 

Moving on to the bronzing. You want to "connect" your contour with your temples and forehead bronzer so it all blends nicely. Apply the bronzer with a fluffy bronzing brush to your temples, forehead and jawline and blend it all out.  It will look like you are drawing a 3 shape on the sides of your face and temples. I cant stress enough how important the blending process is, this ensures a seamless, natural finish.

After I contour I will always apply a highlight to my cheekbones, tip of my nose (slightly) and a tiny bit on my Cupid's bow. This will help your contour look more defined and it will help your cheekbones and lips pop. And that's it, simple right? Whether you choose a cream contour or a powder contour always remember to blend blend blend for the most natural finish.

This is the easiest and quickest way to contour. Take your time and play around with a few different shades and products until you find your perfect contour kit. I always use a slightly darker contour when I apply fake tan as it needs to stand out a bit more on darker skin. I use the same technique and it always comes out flawless. I hope this helps those of you that are just starting off in the world of makeup. Just remember nobody gets it perfect the first time around. It takes a lot of patience and practice but just remember that practice makes perfect. 

Have fun you guys. 

Love 

Kim xoxo