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How does contouring fit into your makeup routine?
It’s something I used to do more often but am too lazy to bother with most of the time now!
— Christine
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It doesn’t. I don’t have time for it!
Even though I don’t bother with heavy Instagram contouring of my face, I always do some light handed “sculpting”. And I have to keep it subtle, because my face has fairly sharp, well defined features. High cheekbones, for instance. So rather than define them, I reshape them into a rounder, less “pointy” appearance.
I rarely contour because I suck at it!!! I can’t blame the products because I have found several that work well and work on my very pale, cool toned complexion but I just don’t have the patience to do it properly. Besides where I live in Montana only the deer, cows and wild turkeys would be here to see it.
It’s not something I do for an everyday routine, but I do some contouring for more “done up” looks like special events, parties, etc.
It doesn’t! 🙂
I contour almost every time I wear makeup, which is almost every day. It’s not a lot of extra work and it makes a huge difference in my face.
I cheat and sort of mash up my contour and bronzer together into a ‘brontour’ type step. Basically I use a matte, neutrally undertoned bronzer and then buff into the hollows of my cheeks, jawline, etc. I sometimes use a contour product like the KA sculpting powder or Surratt Grisaille but I find I need a little more warmth after so bronzer is still necessary. I’m often in a rush or just feeling lazy so I usually do the brontour thing. Plus I like the effect. It’s super ‘healthy’ looking, makes me look outdoorsy in a good way!
That’s what I do. I rarely have time for real true contourning, but I like to run some neutral matte bronzer around my face and then in the hollows of my cheeks. Gives a little definition on an otherwise flat face from foundation.
Omg I do the exact same thing! Brontour is a perfect name. I usually use a big round brush such as Bobbi Brown’s bronzer brush and buff the bronzer into the hollows of my cheeks as well as a little above them, sides of my forehead and jawline. The big brush ensures the whole process takes like 1 minute because it doesn’t have to be super precise.
Yup I use the Chikuhodo GSN-2 because it gets the job done in a jiffy and has relatively short, densely packed bristles. It’s a big powder brush but I actually just like it for buffing. Really good with less pigmented bronzers like Tom Ford Terra (I’m a tad paler than n15 and Terra doesn’t show up on me unless I go in with a super dense brush).
I feel like a lot of the responses on this thread are interpreting contouring differently than i do. I def don’t do the instagram style contour and highlighting and baking and what have you. I’m really low key. I didn’t even think of it as contouring until I came to know of the term and then I was like, ah, that’s what I’ve always been doing with my bronzer. Idk? If the question is like, ‘how does Kylie Jenner/Kardashian style kontouring fit into your makeup regime, I would say never. But I like the brontouring thing we have going on lol!
I know right? Contouring doesn’t equal what Kardashians / Jenners are doing, frankly I think that technique takes too much time if I’m just heading out to work etc. All I do on a daily basis is brontour with Hoola or Laguna (both fit my yellow skin tone as natural shade actually), and use a brush shaped as Wayne Goss 02 to brush on some highlight, that later gets blended with my blush. I used to use a fan brush for highlight but realized I actually don’t like the very chiseled way of highlighting / contouring my rather round and flat face. On days that I actually put contouring powder on the hollows of my cheeks, without adding an extra bronzer with a big fluffy powder brush, I think it looks so fake as if I drew stripes on my face. It’s probably due to that I don’t have a sharp jawline or obvious cheekbones at all, hahaha. When I was slimmer I could see natural shades under my cheekbones, oh well those days are behind me…
I’ve never gotten nose contour either, because I feel like it makes my nose look dirty? I still attempt it sometimes with Kevyn Aucoin medium or Mac eyeshadow in wedge, but I’m not feeling much effect to make my nose look taller or anything, especially if I move my face..
I’ve bought the Anastasia contouring creams but only used it on my wedding and practiced with it prior to that. Although I agree it makes some what of a difference on close up pictures, but in order to achieve that effect my face looks extra made up in real life.
I still didn’t join this trend! It took me time to figure what product could work for me. Now that I know… I wonder if I would really do it regularly because I like a natural base and go bold on eyes and/or lips. I might be afraid to be over the top… I don’t see a lot of people wearing make up around me!
I think it’s so overblown and totally ridiculous for the average woman. The Instagram queens still love it though! I can’t imagine being seen in public with that much makeup on my face.
I will use bronzer in the winter to take away some of the winter paleness that I get, but otherwise I won’t touch any of it.
Nothing beats a beautiful, bright complexion. Spend your money on facials and good skin care and skip the paint by numbers tricks.
Amen, sister!!
Usually, I don’t. I don’t find it ever looks very natural on my round face. Even when I was younger, my face was round. Now that I’m older, having that round face actually makes me look younger than I am, which is nice. A very “chiseled” face can look aging (just look at someone like Vanessa Redgrave, for example – she has always look “older”, even when she was young – at least to my eyes). When I do try my hand at contouring, my face just doesn’t look like “my face” and if there is any effect at all, it’s mostly to look like I’ve got dirt smeared on the sides of my face.
Very sparingly to not at all. I do not look too good with brown stripes on my face. I let some bronzed, blush and a small amount of highlight do the trick.
I’ve only recently been experimenting with it! I use a mix of ABH Warm Taupe and Raw Sienna from the MR palette on the fluffy side of the brush that comes with the palette, and then blend out with an angled fluffyish cheek brush. I’m lucky that I don’t have to think too much about placement because the natural shadow from my cheekbones is pretty easy to see and follow, but I can’t tell when my contour looks natural or not, and whether it actually makes a difference to my face.
it doesn’t! 🙂
I love contouring, I do it everyday. It makes such a difference!
I’ve given up. I thought maybe, like highlighting, once I find the right product I’ll finally figure contouring out. Once I got the sheen-not-sparkle highlighter I thought, “aaahhh, that’s what I’m looking for.”
Contouring leaves me perplexed, although I felt compelled to try. A few of the Sephora techs have told me I don’t really need it as I have structure to my face. Maybe so. I have tried ABH cream palette, KVD Shade & Light, Kevin Aucoin Sculpting powder, and maybe a few others I am forgetting about. Did not like how any of them worked on me.
A sweep of bronzer with a big brush then blush is my version of contouring. Anything with a true contouring shades of taupe-y brown I just hate. Mud. I’ve decided to quit searching and just give up, and do my bronzer sweep thing. 🙂
It doesn’t. It’s a fad that is hopefully on its way out.
I contour a little bit — not much at all, but I’m so pale, it warms me up a bit, and I prefer it to bronzing, especially in winter. I don’t make it complicated. Good brush, light color, blend and done. Adds about 45 seconds to my routine.
I do a bit of subtle contouring under my cheekbones on all but the most casual days. It takes me less than a minute, and definitely enhances the shape of my face. I’ve yet to try totally transforming my face with highlighting and contouring. That would be fun to try sometime, though!
Occasionally I’ll do a light contour under the cheekbones & sometimes jawline and hairline, with a subtle highlight above and below brow bones, on top of cheekbones, & down nose. I almost always do the last two daily. It takes two seconds, and really brightens up my face.
It’s automatic, every time I wear makeup. I’ve been doing it for 25+ years, well before it was a “trend” (although if one looks back at images from the 80s, it can be noted that blush placement was in the “contours” of the face). I started wearing makeup in the 80s, and this is what we did. Contouring can really be done with any shade of blush, hence the terms “contour blush” or “sculpting blush” found on the labels of many products. I see it as a “technique” that allows me to enhance my natural features, and because I’ve done it for so long, it takes no more time than it does for anyone to apply blush on the apples of their cheeks (less really, since I just follow the natural contours of my face), and I find it to be a more attractive look on myself.
I only do subtle contouring if I’m wearing a full face (for me, that means foundation and cheeks, because I often skip those on a day-to-day basis). Even when I do contour, I just do a little bit of a contour on my cheeks and on the sides of my forehead. I don’t bother with the jawline at all because I have a large double chin that can’t be hidden, which I’m okay with just leaving it be.
I’ve never tried it. Doubt I have the skill for it to go well, and not up for the learning curve; probably didn’t help that I saw a salesperson at Ulta who hadn’t gotten it down, and it was startling. I don’t want to make the mistakes.
I do a daily quick and dirty contour of my nose to slim it, but that’s it. I’m much too lazy for more than that.
I’ve ne we been interested in contouring so haven’t looked at doing it. I’m very in to doing highlighting tho.
Contouring is not something I need. I have defined cheekbones, so I just go with what O’ve got.
It doesn’t fit all all, never done it and don’t even wear blush. I do full on eyes everyday and foundation and lips and that’s all!
It doesn’t! I’m too pale. Also, it seems like something that looks better in photos than in real life.
I very rarely contour but when I do it is subtle and just under my cheek bone but my cheek bones are already defined and high it is just to go through the motion.
I have really round cheeks, so a little contour makes my face look thinner. I make the ritual “fish lips” to accent the hollows of my cheeks with a matte bronzer, but I don’t bother with other accents around the face. Highlighting (or strobing, if you’re trendy) emphasizes my cheekbones, brow bones, cupid’s bow and chin. These are part of my everyday makeup routine. I use a loose brush for the contouring and a light touch with my fingers for the highlight.
It doesn’t – I don’t really like it or see the need for it when you have blushes and highlighters.
I only do a little contouring under each cheekbone and I like it!
I use KA Sculpting Powder and a small MAC stippling brush to lightly contour my cheeks, jawline, and forehead. It takes no time and it is a small step that makes a difference to my entire look. I need some definition on my face. My highlighter is very subtle and gives a ‘lit from within’ appearance. It Cosmetics illuminator really works and never makes me look like a disco ball.
I contour my jawline and cheekbones most days, but it’s a really simple, light contour. The whole thing takes about as long as lipstick application and is basically invisible. It’s not what we’ve come to think of as a “contoured look.”
I’ve Just started experimenting with this in the past few months and I wouldn’t call it contouring, more like sculpting.
I watch this great YouTuber called Aly Art and she showed you how to sculpt your face to change the shape and it’s really easy to do and really works. So that’s what I’ve been doing. Not all the time but some of the time. It just takes a little longer than applying your blush so doesn’t add a lot of time to applying makeup.
It doesn’t. I am not a makeup artist. Virtually every single woman I see with a “makeup contoured” face looks like a DIY gone wrong!
Since I started using Blush Fusion mineral cosmetics, I started contouring and highlighting my face as their mineral makeup keeps my skin flawless and its sooo easy to apply.
It’s still pretty automatic in my routine. But like some of the others here I never knew I was contouring but I’ve been doing it for decades. I didn’t have sculpting powder back then, nobody did. I just went darker with the blush under my cheekbones. Then I evolved into a full on contour person for the last couple years. I’ve noticed myself getting lazy though and just sweeping bronzer all over my face lately. I do have one rule hurry or not I contour under my jawline and chin. I feel significantly different when it’s not done. Idk why but that particular spot wants its contour cream!
I do contour most of the time my high cheekbones but very ever so lightly I go for the natural look although I use my contour, blush and highlighter. I diffuse it well but I do like how it gives a nicer definition although almost unnoticeable but it is there. Many times I use a bronzer also and diffuse everything with my kabuki brush. I love WetnWild ticket to Brasil it is very soft and light in my ghostly face perfect match from heaven!
Usually only when playing, to see if I can! Although it’s not mega obvious, one side of my face looks pre-contoured naturally. The cheek fat pad on one side is further down..or bigger…or something, so it is not perfectly symmetrical. Maybe some day I’ll ask S for a tute, or try doing one side only. I think this is one of those self critical issues. It’s really not overtly noticeable.
I’ve started doing it everyday! I just do the dark on my cheek hollows and jawline (esp one little droopy spot) with my new quicktrick and for the light part just use concealer on my nose, spot on forehead,chin and Cupid’s bow and follow up those with highlighter. Not sure it makes a difference.
It doesn’t.
It’s too hard to find something cool enough for me, so I usually skip it.
It doesn’t! My face is already pretty angular so contouring would be overkill!
I mostly don’t but I will on my nose and cheeks depending upon which concealer I use. When I am without weave and in my natural short curly TWA, I may contour my forehead to add some depth but that’s about it. My features are contoured on their own lol
I’m heavy with a round face, so I do some light contouring every day. I like to use a gray-toned taupe powder. I contour lightly underneath my cheekbones, and around my chin. I have a large nose with a flat bridge (head on, I look like a muppet with one of those triangle noses lol). I contour my nose to give it some dimension and make it look slightly narrower.
I absolutely love contouring. I do it almost every time i wear makeup. I use the lightest contour shade in the KVD shade and light palette for my cheekbones, and the middle contour shade for my forehead.