How does contouring fit into your routine?
Years ago, I contoured my cheeks on a near-daily basis, but these days, I don’t usually contour. The irony is probably that I needed less contouring then compared to now!
— Christine
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If I have time, I’ll do some light contouring around the outer edges of face and down the nose, but it’s not something I do regularly, so I don’t buy a lot of contour products.
I have the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder on hand for if I’m doing a full face of makeup for a special occasion, but mostly don’t do much contouring. Sometimes I do on “normal makeup days” when I’m feeling emotional and fat (usually when I’m PMSing…), as I have a round face so doing a bit of jaw and cheek contouring helps slim things down. I also don’t use highlighter as a “contouring” method all the time, though do so more frequently than “sculpting” contour, as I like that little bit of light bouncing off the tops of my cheeks, but I usually leave the other areas free of highlighting unless I’m doing a “full-on” contouring look.
Also if you type contour/ing enough it stops looking like a real word…
Exactly the same! Almost a part of my daily routine a few years ago but now for an every day makeup and on the go, it’s been culled! Brows, lashes, concealer.
I contour, to some extent, every time I do my makeup. The products vary depending on a few factors – day/night, occasion, destination, etc.
I don’t usually. When using a full coverage foundation I will do just a touch with bronzer or I look too flat!
It was my go-to when I knew there would be pictures in artificial light or going out for the evening. Now, I no longer have a night life (since I work nights) so my Mac sculpt is just sitting in my drawer. I think if my work environment didn’t have natural lighting, I would contour more ( contouring just doesn’t look great in natural lighting to me)
Even though I like it, I only do it when I have some extra time or when I’m doing a full face, not every day. I haven’t quite mastered it yet and I feel like for just an everyday look, I can end up looking too done if I’m not careful. I have the second Kevyn Aucoin sculpting book and I use the highlighter more than I use the contour.
I don’t usually contour. I don’t even own contouring products!
Lol, me neither! Not specifically at least. I’m more into neutral and glowy blushes and some bronzer to sculpt my face 🙂
Most day I do some light contouring under my cheekbones, around my chin, and the sides of my nose. Not always, though.
When I was considerably younger and or thinner, I didn’t really bother. Having very high cheekbones and sharper features, there wasn’t really any need at that time. Over time, my features have a little more “pudge” or softness or something, so I do some minimal re-chiseling and sculpting with a non-orange bronzer or even a taupe powder.
I very rarely contour, I’ve not got time to be faffing around it. I do my makeup at 6am and the quicker I can do my makeup, the longer I can have in bed haha! I do sometimes contour for nights out or special occasions
I think I’m somewhere between contouring and bronzing. I use NYC Sunny or TheBalm Bahama Mama lightly around my hairline and down the hollows of my cheeks just for a healthy colorful glow so my face doesn’t look so flat after foundation and powder!
I’d like to try some of the new highlight/contour cream pens/pencils with the Real Techniques Bold Metals contour brush – the flat top-ish one 🙂
I rarely do it. Only for special occasions or for the blog, and even then…
I only contour when I do a full face of makeup, which happens rarely,
I have very defined bone structure so it entirely depends on my mood and the level of coverage in my base products. For more casual looks, when I am wearing TM or a BB/CC cream, I tend to take a pass. If I am wearing a heavier foundation for a more detailed makeup look (Born this Way is a good example), I find I need to add back the dimension to my face and definitely will go with contour. Contour favs are usually a satin to matte bronzer such as Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar (very subtle on NC20-25) or Illamasqua gel sculpt for an excellent completely neutral gel based contour product.. it really rocks and looks incredibly natural! It’s like a gel based version of Chanel Notorious…but not quite as grey or cool in tone.
Only for performances, really. I am freckly, contouring doesn’t look great on me, and I’m kind of over it
I usually brush some cool-toned bronzer underneath my cheekbones but that’s about it. From what I’ve seen doing it properly is a time-consuming technique to learn and get right and I value expediency in my everyday routine (I would rather just use those minutes to sleep in the morning).
It doesn’t, although I bought a contour powder last year and I play around with contouring when I’m at home trying out new products or colour combinations. I’d like to get some level of skill before I leave the house.
I have a round face and I need contour in my life. I’m pale and fat, otherwise my face will just look like a full moon… hahahaha
Same here, Rox. lol
I do a very light contour around my cheekbones and chin everyday that I wear makeup. I rarely ever do a heavy/dramatic contour.
My face is a bit round with not much of a jawline, so part of my usual routine is to put a bit of contour (cream or powder) or bronzer along my jawline, then from just under my cheekbone up along my temple, then from just under my cheekbone toward my ear. I’ll put a tiny dab of highlighter on the top of my cheekbone and on my Cupid’s bow. Then I apply a bit of blush to my cheekbone (not to the apples of my cheeks — very old-school, I know, but, believe me, it looks better on me this way) and then blend everything with a bit of my finishing powder. I use a really tiny amount of product and the effect is very subtle — I like to keep the drama on my eyes and lips — but with just a base product and concealer, my face looks too flat. On my most minimal makeup days (just doing laundry or going for a walk) I skip both concealer and contouring and let a bit of rosacea redness show through my base/sunscreen. The current contouring/strobing craze hasn’t changed my routine much, although it has delightfully given me a much wider range of products to choose from (although surprisingly few contour shades are really gray enough to do the job properly).
You don’t need to contour Christine. The beauty companies love to sell the idea that we need to alter our faces with contouring to fit some cookie cutter mold because they are out for profit only. The more contouring we are sold on the more money for them.
If I’m doing a full face and I have plenty of time, I’ll contour my cheekbones and forehead a little bit, but blush and highlight are more important to me (especially blush!). Skipping the contour wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t have time or wasn’t feeling it.
I usually do a bit under my cheekbones and if doing a more made up look I’ll do my jawline and nose lightly too. I use the Smashbox kit or the Clinique cheek contouring palette in nude depending on how made up I want to look. I try to keep a natural look regardless.
I lightly contour my cheeks nearly every day. Occasionally I’ll do my jawline and forehead too, but not very often.
Since your review of the Sephora Contour in Tranquil, I use contour every day I wear makeup. The shade is perfect for my skin tone and blends really well with any shade of blush I feel like wearing. I really only use it in the hollows of my cheeks to create the illusion of a less round face so it literally takes like 30 seconds to do. I also always use highlighter or illuminator but with these I vary what shade and brand I use.
Tranquil is a godsend for cool-toned gals like me, who missed out on Chanel Notorious and don’t want to pay evil bay prices for it. I even bought a backup. Well done Sephora, please don’t ever DC it.
I read somewhere that NYX in Taupe is supposed to be similarly cool toned but I haven’t had a chance to go somewhere and look at it in person. Although since it’s pretty cheap, if I can’t get somewhere to look soon, I may just take a chance and splurge the $5 (Lol) and order it.
There’s the old NYX Taupe and the newer HD formula, which I have seen in person. The new one is suppose to be cooler- toned, but I think it’s still too warm for me to use as a contour. Plus it’s brown-based, whereas Tranquil is darker and grey-based, so it mimics shadows better for me ( I also have black hair, so darker shadows). If you google ” nyx taupe vs. sephora tranquil” there are a couple of swatches comparing the two. But if you get NYX Taupe let me know what you think, kind of curious!
Yes the NYX pics did look brown based which wouldn’t work for me either. Ironically I dyed my hair black from high school up until last year when I switched to a dark brown with cool red tones. I need to do a Target run tomorrow and Ulta is next door. If I end up going late enough for them to be open, I’ll pop in and look. Will post back.
I thought Nyx HD Taupe was supposed to be warmer than the original taupe? The original is not available @ Ulta, so it’s Nyx.com. I thought Christine’s swatches showed the original as cooler. Maybe we can bring up those two with the Sephora to compare.
There are comparison swatches on google and you- tube. The old one looks warmer and rosier, and the new one looks cooler and browner to me.
I only contour when I wear a full coverage foundation, most days is wear sheer foundation/vbb cream with my eye/lip makeup. So I don’t mind and enjoy doing it, it’s a steps a skip most days.
I don’t do it at all. It always looks fake. Most people seem to use a too-dark contour shade and a too-gilmmery highlight shade. It’s not a good look, especially for daytime.
I’ve been contouring since…I dunno, 2010? 2011? The intensity and application has varied over the years, but most of the time I do at least a bit. I just like the dimension it adds!
Haha. Pretty much never, to be honest. I find it to be too severe and I don’t think I really “need” it since I have pretty strong cheekbones and a thin nose bridge already! My actual nose is wide but I find that it looks weird if I try to make it look thinner.
Being chubby and pale, I contour pretty much every day. I have very round cheeks and more of a fivehead than a forehead so I like to tone those down. Even on the days where I wear nothing but a primer, CC or BB cream, mascara, and a lip gloss, I contour my face. I like how my face lifts when I contour! The only problem is trying to find anything cool enough to contour with–I’ve hit pan on my LE brow powder from Ulta that they don’t carry anymore!
It doesn’t, really. I practice once in awhile, but have yet to really like the way it looks.
It doesn’t. I personally think it’s a trend that needs to die. Many pro MUAs agree. But I was also blessed with high cheekbones and my makeup icon, Kevyn Aucoin always said makeup has no rules. So if you like the look of a Snicker’s bar on your cheeks, have at it. 🙂
It isn’t a big part of East Asian beauty routines and I am glad for that. Bad contouring very easily looks like dirt cheeks so it isn’t the best thing for the average person on a rushed morning.
I occasionally contour my cheeks every now and then I prefer strobing with Clinique Hefty Highlight. I have super dry skin and it makes me look less withered, dry, & flat.
I don’t do it either. I think I would end up looking quite strange as I probably wouldn’t do it right……
I don’t contour.
I don’t wear makeup every day anymore but when I do I always contour. I contour right after I apply my foundation.
Highlight 80% of the time, mostly just above my cheeks, but contouring I do maybe 10% of the time. I like how it looks when I do it, but I rarely make the effort. Also have become almost obsessed with buying highlighters lately but rarely buy bronzers and usually only do for the packaging (MAC cough cough)
It does not! (I am very thin and rather angular, so unless I am doing zombie/vampire/dead makeup I stay away.)
Lately I’ve been contouring almost everyday but in a light way, I use my bahama mama or the nyx wonder stick in light which is my favorite because of the cooler shades
No, I don’t contour as I’m fair and I don’t think it’d look natural on me. I will use bronzer, blusher and or highlighter but only to warm up my face and give it a glow.
Probably should, bec. the fat pads of my cheeks are asymmetrical. Got a small Tatre contour pencil, the LM highlighter and the Clinique hefty in a Sephora Favorites, and it’s remarkably easy to do with pencils. Most of the time think it’s too trendy and WGAS? I usually only do it for play, not for wear. Should recheck the Sephora Tranquil.
I do a full face five days a week. But I have to do it in segments. Before work I do foundation, brows, and eyeliner. During lunch I do eyeshadow, blush, mascara and lips. I have a very plump full face so I’m definitely interested in trying it. I need to start practicing and see if I can fit it in.
I hate contouring.
I’m sorry but they tried to sell us on contouring in the early 90’s too.
Unless you’re going to do a photo shoot it looks stupid walking around with that much makeup on.
I’m NC 10-15, (very fair & warm complected) & nearly all bronzers/contouring products look like dirt smeared on my face.
I have a girlfriend who is the daughter of a famous musician & is a talented singer herself, unfortunately she wears loud ‘stripes’ of contouring products daily. On camera this looks fine, in person it looks bizarre. I don’t have the heart to tell her this, plus it’s not really my business. I prefer to look natural, perhaps a bit subtly enhanced with highlighter. If she wants to go around looking like a drag queen that’s her choice.
Not at all, I don’t contour. I don’t think I need to, to be honest, also I have yet to come across a product with a colour I like, that dosn’t look like dirt on the face. I’ve had it done a lot of times at various counters, but I don’t think it adds anything good.
I’m doing it much less now, I think with my face shape the current contouring trend ages me. I don’t have the clear “apples” of my cheeks (but prominent cheek bones thus a natural contour) so I find it a challenge to do blush – I’m still trying to figure out how to create the illusion of actual cheeks!
I’m finally giving contouring a go!!! I just bought two different foundation sticks specifically so I can try it out, and I already have the Shade and Light contour palette to set the cream sticks. Fingers crossed I can whittle these cheeks and some of my facial roundness down.
I’m fairly new to contouring. I like the results but don’t see myself doing it often. Mostly for special nights out or photos and the like. Not an every day look. I do warm up my face with a bronzer but that’s only to add some dimension and color to my fair skin.
I’ve never tried full contouring, but I use some bronzing products I have in a contourish way based on what I have seen in videos. It warms up the face a little and I notice a bit more definition at the cheeks in the quick-quick way I do it.
I have a round baby face so to look more contoured, I use It Cosmetics Vitality Disc and just sweep the bronzer, then the highlight on my cheekbones. I don’t know how to use the contour pallets with lots of shades&the It is so easy! And I look more rested which always helps lol
I don’t contour with creams every day, I will contour with a powder like NYX Taupe blush or one of the ABH Contour Kit powders and my NARS Ita brush every day I wear makeup. I’ll blend my contour into my pale skin with Too Faced Milk Chocolate bronzer, kind of like a transition shade. I’d rather skip something like eyeliner if I’m in a pinch for time than skip contouring. I always wear full coverage foundation so it’s important to me to redefine features.