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Survey Says... June 10th, 2015

Happy Wednesday! Here's this week's survey, which you can copy and paste and share as a comment.

  • Your skin tone/coloring:
  • Favorite brush to contour with?
  • Favorite contouring product?
  • How often do you contour?

35 Comments

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Michele Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Light/neutral (Trish McEvoy Shade 2.5 Even Skin or Light Beige in Treatment foundation)
Favorite brush to contour with? IT Cosmetics velvet contour brush; I think this may no longer be available and honestly I got it free – YAY
Favorite contouring product? Too Faced Sun Bunny or a blush one shade darker than the one I pick for the day
How often do you contour? Every time I do my makeup. I have a round face with high cheekbones and contouring really makes a difference. I’ve been contouring since before it was a “thing”. Although I agree with many of your readers’ posts about contour palettes being over-rated – seriously unless you’re a makeup artist, you really only need one contour shade, a blush, and a highlighter (possible a second if you change up warm to cool or seasonally).

Sarah Avatar

Skin Tone/Colouring: Fair. (NW15)

Favourite Brush to Contour With: Real Techniques Contour Brush (keepin it simple!)

Favourite Contouring Product: MAC Harmony and/or NYX Taupe

How Often Do You Contour: Every time I apply makeup, unless I’m going for a no-makeup makeup look.

Kiersten Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: pale with yellow undertones. I normally use ivory makeup.
Favorite brush to contour with? I don’t really contour but I have this fluffy ecofriendly brush that I use to blend my foundation.
Favorite contouring product? I don’t really contour but I have a coral blush that I like to put on the apples of my cheeks for a pop of color.
How often do you contour? rarely

Blue Avatar

■Your skin tone/coloring: light, cool
■Favorite brush to contour with? MAC 129
■Favorite contouring product? I don’t care that much as long as it’s taupe. NYX Taupe is pretty good, I also loved UD Naked and Naked 2 eyeshadows though I do not love burning through eyeshadows by using them as a face contour, especially the best (IMHO, obviously) colors in a palette.
■How often do you contour? I do my jawline and very lightly on my cheeks most times I know I’m likely to take pictures or if I’m wearing a very dark lip that drowns out the definition in my face. Holidays, vacations, and when I’m feeling gothy, I guess. haha. I highlight daily but it’s more for the skin than the bone structure.

Nancy T Avatar

Your skintone/coloring: Medium w/ olive undertones MAC C4.5 Studio Fix Liquid, deep brunette, teal-green w/ gold flecked eyes.
Favorite brush to contour with: Elf Studio line Angled Blush Brush because it lays down the color and buffs it out FAST.
Favorite contouring product: for winter Nyx Taupe blush (old one) even though it is very cool toned and I’m quite warm, it replicates REAL looking shadows. But then in spring into autumn, I use the 3rd deepest shade in a now DC’d Revlon Photo-Ready Bronzer quad. All 4 shades are matte, which has me at a loss as to why this was DC’d, because it really is great.
How often do you contour: just about every single makeup look I do! I need to now that I’m older and there is the beginning of a softening of my features. Also, because of my use of vit. C based serums, my face seems paler than the rest of me! Idky???

Lotus Avatar

Hehe.. Maybe your body just seems darker.. 😀 Now I see why you bought those shades! Your coloring is gorgeous! Beautiful, Nancy! 🙂

Nancy T Avatar

Thank you! The eyes throw people! Including me. I began using vit. C serum to get rid of hereditary melasma and sun freckles, it worked, but also did a minor bleach job, lol!

Nicole Avatar

Hey Nancy, my face is lighter than my body too. It has been since I discovered sunscreen and exfoliants in my early 20’s. I think it’s pretty much a norm. I use vitamin C serums and alpha and beta hydroxy’s. Heck no..I’m not going into the drak spotted face night without a fight! If it means my face is a little lighter so be it..bring on a nice bronzer to warm it up or rock a pale lovely visage! You get the best of both worlds and less brown spots 🙂

Nancy T Avatar

This is true! And I definitely agree that this, while odd looking, is still 1000% better than all that discoloration I previously had!

MissJae1908 Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Dark/Deep NW48-50
Favorite brush to contour with? If it’s a creme contour, then my beauty blender. If it’s powder, than my contour brush from Real Techniques or my contour brush from the Sonia Kashuk purple holiday set.
Favorite contouring product? The Ulta Contour Kit
How often do you contour? Maybe once every couple months. I usually bronze instead. But I always contour my nose…it’s a little on the wide side lol

CeeCee Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: MAC NC20

Favorite brush to contour with? Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. It’s the perfect shape for laying down product and it’s dense enough to blend both powders and creams

Favorite contouring product? As far as powders go, either MAC Taupe or Shiro Cosmetics Do Your Research. Do Your Research is a cool toned gray, straight gray. It can seem scary but it’s sheer enough that’s it’s difficult to overdue it and the color really replicates shadows. My current cream favorite though is OCC John Doe

How often do you contour? Frequently. I would say daily but some days I don’t have time and I rather go without them walk out of the house with it looking unblended

Lotus Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Fairest cool toned, Green/Aqua/grey eyes that turn Amber on occasion.. Dark blonde.
Favorite brush to contour with? I don’t contour. If I do, I’m usually dabbing w/my fingers on an area of the nose. Or I just use what is left over in my blush brush. IT cosmetics French one. If I’m really into it, I use a shadow blending brush or concealer brush like MJB Concealer brush, a small fan brush, or something tiny. I’m relatively tiny so big brushes won’t work there. 🙂
Favorite contouring product? Whatever blush I’m wearing tends to be just fine. Where the sun hits are the places that work best for my face. If I really want to get into it, MAC Shale or A very cool toned grey/taupe, sometimes a ruddy brown.. It works, no idea why.
How often do you contour? Only when I feel like it. It’s not a necessary staple for me and I’d rather not spend time doing it. My face works as a face. I’m not a selfie person or filming so it’s not a necessity at all.. I do love me highlighter!!!!!! I guess I kind of always reverse contour.. If that makes sense.. 😀

Cat Avatar

I’m confused. Didn’t you say in another post that you’re against contouring? You may not have meant that you are completely against all of those things that you mentioned, but that was the way it came across to me.

Lotus Avatar

Hi Cat! Exactly.. I think you misread. Above I say that I don’t contour. I don’t need to not find it necessary. For he purpose of participating, I explain I use blush and play off where sun hits.. Which works fine for me., and then I list brushes I like.. Then I said what I would use if I had to go into contouring. Point being: I don’t contour. Highlighting isn’t contour. 🙂 Question on other post: What do you dislike that everyone else seems to like? The trend of a contour palette, altering our faces.. It’s quite negative to those whom I consider my children and most are already beautiful and it does nothing but look messy. Photos, film.. That’s different.

Tracy Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: NC20
Favorite brush to contour with? IT cosmetics velvet luxe #315
Favorite contouring product? With all the products out there, I still think Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer is the best
How often do you contour? everytime I do my makeup !

Kat Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair/light warm undertones – NC15 (although I’ve gotten some sun this week, and I think I might be closer to an NW20 now! I’m trying to exfoliate my tan away and hiding my pale face with bronzer because I am not about to buy a new foundation just because I forgot to wear sunscreen!)

Favorite brush to contour with? I have a few that I got when I was beginning, but I find myself most often reaching for the Sephora Collection Pro Small Blush and Contour #74. It’s one of those little round brushes that fits so nicely into my cheeks. I use a fluffy eyeshadow crease brush to contour my nose.

Favorite contouring product? I switch it up, depending on the look I’m going for. If I’m very pale or it’s in the wintertime, I’ll usually use the middle contour shade from the ABH light/medium palette (I think the shade name is Fawn) because it’s lighter and more neutral. Lately (i.e. summertime) I’ve been reaching for the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil. I have to use the tiniest amount on my skintone, which is why the deluxe sample I have has lasted sooooooo long.

How often do you contour? Most days I wear makeup, but I’ve never been a fan of the super harsh contour that’s been popular the last few years. I do a little under my cheekbones, along my jawline, and down my nose, because I wear pretty big glasses (as well as having a pretty prominent nose) and if I don’t add some dimension back it can look like I’m wearing a fake nose! I tend to blend it out really well, try to make the whole effect pretty subtle.

Shelly Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: NARS Siberia(ish)

Favorite brush to contour with?
MAC 116 for powder (at least at the moment), or Real Techniques Expert Face for cream.

Favorite contouring product?
MAC Next to Skin blush, or OCC Creme Colour Concentrate in John Doe.

How often do you contour?
Almost every time I wear makeup.

Rachel R. Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Very fair neutral; magenta-red hair, hazel/green eyes

Favorite brush to contour with? E.l.f. Studio Contouring Brush or The Slenderizer Bamboo Contour Brush.

Favorite contouring product? Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, MAC Blush in Taupe, Notoriously Morbid Divinations Blush in Necromancy.

How often do you contour? I never do full on heavy face contouring. Most days, I contour under my cheekbones, my nose, and lightly around my chin.

Meghan Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: light with yellow undertones
Favorite brush to contour with? Either the Sigma F40 (large angled contour), F05 (small contour) or the box o’ powder flat top brushes.
Favorite contouring product? The Balm Bahama Mama, Charlotte Tilbury bronze & glow bronzer (which I wore on my wedding day) or MAC Taupe.
How often do you contour? Once a month, maybe

Nicole Avatar

Skintone: Medium with yellow to neutral undertones
Favorite brush to contour with: Sephora Pro: I use both the #74 and &79 depending on if I want a soft or deeper contour. I have others. I always go back to these.
Favorite product for contouring is Kevyn Aucoin Medium sculpting powder.But, I also like the KVD contour kit powders too now that I have some color too. So, I use those too in order to stretch my KA.
I contour for special occasions and for full-face makeup. Since, it is summer that has been maybe 3-4 times a week at most.

Diana Avatar

◾Your skin tone/coloring: Medium Tan with Yellow/Olive Undertones
◾Favorite brush to contour with?: RT Contour Brush
◾Favorite contouring product?: Bahama Mama Bronzer
◾How often do you contour?: Special occasions or if I’m going out. I used to contour on a daily basis but stopped when I realized how long it took me to contour.

Sheb Avatar

Skin tone: NW10
Favourite brush to contour with: Real Techniques contour brush
Favoring contouring product: MAC Omega eyeshadow or Burberry Earthy blush
How often do you contour: Only on fat days

Celia Avatar

-Skin tone is Fairest Neutral Porcelain (Laura Mercier Porcelain, Bobbi Brown Porcelain or Alabaster, Tom Ford Cream, Guerlain Beige Pale, etc)
-My most reached for contour brushes are the Real Techniques Angled Foundation Brush and/or their Contour Brush.
-Cream contours are usually my favorite so my top choices there are OCC Creme Colour in John Doe, Illamasqua Hollow, and NARS Altai (though that is impossible to find now. I regret giving away my backup and treat my tube with lots of love). For powder my top picks are Pumpkin and Poppy Oak Bark powder (which can be built on its own but I usually use it to set my cream contour) and MUFE Artist Shadow shades M-548, M-636, S-556,and M-620 (depending on the intended look).
-I contour frequently. Usually I do an extremely subtle natural-looking contour on most makeup looks, but occasionally I’ll go into a dramatic darker shadow or weird shade (dark purple contouring is fun). I view contouring as really part of any makeup routine since it largely comes down to accentuating certain features through shadow and light (darker colors in creases and light shinier shades on inner corners to accentuate the eye, lining the lip with a slightly darker color than you lipstick, putting some highlighter on your cheekbones, etc are all forms of contouring). I like contouring as an enhancement and accentuation of what someone has naturally.

pePear Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: light medium
Favorite brush to contour with?: MAC 168 or Charlotte Tilbury Sculpt brush
Favorite contouring product?: Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder but sometime I cheat on him with Kat Von D Shade+Light Contour palette! 😉
How often do you contour?: everytime I do my makeup!

Cat Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: MUFE Face & Body #36 Pink
Favorite brush to contour with? I’ve just been using an angle brush from Coastal Scents but I have a hunch that my contour would be easier to blend out if I actually invested in a better brush.
Favorite contouring product? ABH in Fawn
How often do you contour? It’s rare that I leave the house without contouring to some extent. However, on the days I decide to apply makeup when I’m not leaving the house, it’s 50/50. So, on average, twice a week.

lee Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Medium/Dark (NC44/45)
Favorite brush to contour with? the small MUFE blush brush that came with the holiday travel set (and Fifty Shades of Grey blush trio)
Favorite contouring product? none yet, Kevyn Aucoin’s powder works during winter but for summer I’m resigned to using Smashbox Halo Powder in Medium/Dark
How often do you contour? Always, I have a round face and wider nose that I don’t particularly love.

Mariella Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair, cool-toned
Favorite brush to contour with? either the Real Techniques contour brush or those flat, square brushes that come in Benefit blush boxes
Favorite contouring product? The Balm bronzer (is it called Bahama Mama? the name escapes me totally) or MAC Wedge eyeshadow
How often do you contour? rarely – it’s not a look that suits me

Kiss & Make-up Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: light to medium warm

Favorite brush to contour with? The new Rodial sculpting brush

Favorite contouring product? The new Rodial sculpting powder (sensing a theme here?)

How often do you contour? Not often enough… I was quite consistent for about a week or so and then I went back to my only-contour-on-special-occasions ways…

Áine Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Very light, neutral.
Favorite brush to contour with? The Real Techniques Sculpting Brush for sure.
Favorite contouring product? Nyx blush in Taupe for powder, Nyx Wonderstick for cream. I really need that greyish tone in my contour products, otherwise the whole thing turns into an orangey mess.
How often do you contour? Maybe a third of the times I wear makeup. Depends on if I’m going for something that I think could benefit from contouring or embracing my baby face.

Alexa Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair/light with warm undertones
Favorite brush to contour with? – real techniques sculpting brush! i used to just squish down my blush brush but i LOVE the rt brush
Favorite contouring product? – nyx taupe. it’s obviously very very cool toned but it works perfectly to imitate natural shadows! i used to just use whatever matte bronzer i had with me but since i have such bad acne scarring on the sides of my face, using bronzer to contour just ended up making the pink scars pop even more 🙁
How often do you contour? – only once or twice a week, usually if i know i’m taking pictures i will. i sometimes do for work but only if i’m working during the day – i work in a bar so contour is lost in the dark 🙂

Corinne Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Medium olive skin tone… In winter I get really pale with yellow undertones and in summer I can get very very dark so I would say NC25 in the winter and NC35/NARS Barcelona in Summer

Favorite brush to contour with? Real techniques Buffing Brush or Expert Face Brush… I feel like it gives me good control over the product and blends really nicely.

Favorite contouring product? I just started using the Balm’s Bahama Mama and I love it!

How often do you contour? When I’m going out in the evening. I don’t have the time to do it in the mornings before work!

Katie Avatar

Skin tone/Coloring: Pale with yellow undertone (Clinique Creamwhip, Estee Lauder 1N2 Ecru)
Favorite brush to contour with: Sonia Kashuk No. 30 Contour Brush
Favorite contouring product: NYX taupe and Milani Bronzer XL in 02 Fake Tan (there’s two shades- one cool matte, one warm shimmer. The cool matte is great for contouring!)
How often do you contour: I do light contouring every day (I have a very round face that looks really flat if I have foundation but no contour), and I amp it up a notch when I’m going to be photographed or I’m going out at night.

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