The best contouring tips in 3 easy steps

April 25, 2015 10:52 AM

Contouring can be seriously scary, especially when the results are so drastic that you can't even recognize yourself.

Everyday contouring tutorial

When we think about contouring, most of us reserve it for those special occasions where we would like to make a special impression.

What if we told you there was a contouring technique, so easy you could pull it off on a daily with little time lost?

Contouring can be seriously scary, especially when the results are so drastic that you can't even recognize yourself.

The trend was originally meant for red carpet looks or on-stage makeup to accentuate facial features so they would stand out in low lighting or from afar.

With these tips, the concept can definitely be translated into your everyday makeup routine in just a few simple steps.

With the goal of enhancing your natural face shape, this subtle contouring tutorial can be done with products you already own in just a couple minutes.

Here's how:

STEP ONE: HIGHLIGHT AND BLENDUse a concealer or foundation one shade lighter than your natural skin tone. Apply under your eyes, your chin, the top of your nose and any other area you want to highlight or bring forward. Use a soft brush to blend into your skin.

STEP TWO: CONTOUR AND BLENDWhile you can use a foundation one shade darker than your skin tone, you can also use a bronzer. Instead of applying it with a fluffy brush like you normally would, use a more dense brush that will apply the product more heavily. Swipe the bronzer down the hollows of your cheeks, on either side of your nose, and along your hair and neck line. Focus on areas you want to fade into the background. Blend with a big fluffy brush.

STEP THREE: FINISHING POWDERUse a translucent finishing powder to blend everything together so the look has a natural finish. Use a big fluffy brush and swirl all over. Finish with your usual makeup routine and you're done!

View examples in gallery.