Thanks to Kim Kardashian West and Instagram, it seems like contouring has become a part of the makeup mainstream. The technique is designed to help you enhance your cheekbones and make your face look slimmer—what's not to love? Well, just how hard it is to achieve.
When done correctly, the results are amazing. But this step can take a lot of time, a lot of products, and a LOT of practice to master. That's why we talked to makeup artists to get their best tips on getting the defined cheekbones of your dreams every single day—no cosmetology license or Sephora shopping spree required.
First, forget everything you think you know about contouring, says makeup artist Suzy Gerstein. Trying too hard to replicate that look "tends to lead women to try and chisel out something that might not exist naturally, resulting in overly made up and cookie-cutter makeup looks—not to mention layers and layers of product," she says. Instead she suggests approaching it by asking yourself: How can I bring out what's already here? "That results in more strategic product choices and placement rather than one million steps that just look crazy in real life," she explains. As in, work with what you have, not against it.
Susan Posnick, makeup artist and founder of Susan Posnick Cosmetics, makes a similar point. "Remember, contouring is all about the illusion of gently altering a face or nose shape," she says. "It is not something you want to see when looking at a woman's face." You want people to assume that your face is naturally defined.
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One of the most common contouring mistakes is to go too heavy on the bronzer. To avoid this, add your cream bronzer to the hollows of your cheeks before you apply foundation. (ICYMI: The "hollow' of your cheek is where you feel your face dip beneath your cheekbones. Suck in your cheeks and purse your lips to find it!)
"If by chance you are a little heavy-handed at first, the foundation will blend and soften the darker color," explains Posnick. As for the cream option, they typically have a more natural finish and are easier to work with, Posnick says. "Darker powders can be more difficult to blend, and unless in the hands of an artist, can look dirty."
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Using a light pink blush is another way to create subtle definition within the cheekbones, sans that tricky bronzer. "Apply cream blush in a neutral pink tone in the hollow of your cheek instead of the apples and blend up and out," explains Gerstein. "Cream blushes are great for a subtle sculpted look because they blend out super easily." She likes the RMS Lip2Cheek in Spell ($36, amazon.com). (We also like this Au Naturale Creme Blusher from the Women's Health Boutique.)
Need more guidance on contouring? Look no further:
There's nothing quite like the beautiful glow that you can get from a highlighter. But sometimes, the shimmer makes it a little more difficult to blend in and look natural. Posnick recommends using a foundation that's simply two or three shades lighter than your normal shade to highlight. Apply the lighter foundation with your finger or a small brush along the tops of your cheekbones and down the center of your nose. It might not pick up light the same way a shimmer highlighter would, but it will still draw attention and accentuate these areas.
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Buffing and blending is key when creating a natural look to prevent hard makeup lines, especially when contouring. Gerstein recommends using a fluffy synthetic-bristle brush to buff out any lines, like MAC's Duo Fibre Face Brush ($42, maccosmetics.com). She advises to "use a light hand," to avoid overworking it and irritating the skin.
A damp Beauty Blender is another great tool to soften what hard lines you may create. It's also great for correcting mistakes. "Have a damp Beauty Blender dipped in tinted moisturizer on hand—when used as an eraser it hides a multitude of sins," says Gerstein.
For the easiest effect (perfect for those days when you sleep through your alarm!), add an illuminizer like Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer, ($26, Sephora.com) to your moisturizer. "This will make your skin will look slightly contoured, as the illuminator will attract light and highlight the areas of your face where natural light would normally hit," such as the forehead, cheeks, and nose, explains Kristine Cruz, senior makeup artist at Antonio Prieto Salon. It hardly gets much simpler than that.
