Contouring Addiction

Here is one of the big tricks of the trade: Contouring! For those of you that don't know what contouring your face means, it's simply applying a darker color such as a non-shimmery bronzer to areas of your face to create the illusion of a shadow to slim or reduce the look of a feature. You can use contouring to slim the appearance of a wider nose, create the look of higher cheek bones, reduce the size of a large forehead or slim down double chins.

The key to contouring is starting out with a light hand and building the color then BLEND BLEND BLEND!! Less is really more because it's better to have a subtle contour if your a beginner than having streaks of brown all over your face. Practice makes perfect! Contouring your face is all an illusion so just like any good magician, make it look real! Instead of confusing you all and trying to write out instructions on how-to contour I found a helpful tutorial that will show you all how!

My favorite contouring bronzer is Benefit's Hoola. Its a non-shimmery or sparkly bronzer. The bronzer runs for $28 which may be a bit pricey for some people but its a worth-it-splurge. (Just be sure to kick the brush already in the package because its impossible to apply with and makes a streaky look) If this is your bronzer of choice make sure you do not have much product on your brush because the color is very pigmented and can look muddy. If applied correctly the outcome is great!

To compliment the look of darker shadows you can also highlight your features such as cupids bow, above your cheeks and the top of your nose. Highlighting is adding a lighter color to the face to give a more raised that accentuates your features. Some contouring products come with a duo of bronzer and highlight. Its a great starter combo for budget friendly beginners.

Here's some face charts based on the triangle of light theory to help you all know where to add the lighter shades and contour. Good luck contouring and let me know if you have any questions in a comment below!

(picture credit: http://shessmart.com/beauty/how-to-contour-your-face-with-makeup/)