Contouring is one of my favourite things and if I could muster
the brain power to get it into that song from The Sound of Music (you know the
one!) then I would. But I can’t so I thought I’d blog about it.
So, a few of my friends have asked me, WHAT IS CONTOURING?
Well, I will tell you.
Contouring is basically where you sculpt the face, creating
shadows to make parts of your facial structure more prominent; normally the
cheekbones, jaw-line and nose.
Like I've said contouring is about creating shadows. Now,
shadows are cool in colour, having blue and purple undertones, SO, the most
realistic contours should replicate this. therefore you choose products that
are cooler in tone, rather than bronzers and blushes which can make your
complexion look ruddy (redder than normal, almost dirty).
The contouring products that are out there come in creams and
powders and choosing the right one for your skin is very important. I myself
prefer to go for cream contouring products as I find them more easily blendable
but I have been known to use the odd powder here or there, SO, these are some
of the products I have used and I hope you might find these reviews useful.
1. M.A.C. Pro Sculpt Cream £18
Everyone knows how much I love MAC - almost as much as I love
contouring so when I saw the MAC Pro Sculpt Cream online I just had to try it,
so I took a trip to my nearest store and tested away.
 |
| MAC Pro Sculpting Cream |
The product comes in two
shades (one darker and one lighter) and they are so unbelievably creamy. This
texture means they are easily blended into your base. However both shades are
quite warm, which, for my skin tone is not ideal. However for warmer skin tones
this would be perfect. Also the texture of these creams is perfect for dryer
skin types, but when used with a translucent powder on top is perfect for all.
2. & Other Stories Contouring Cream £10
This was the first contouring cream that I used and I fell in
love. I really cannot fault it. It has been carefully created to suit all (and
I mean ALL) skin tones out there.
 |
| & Other Stories Face Contouring Cream |
Although the product looks very brown in the palette
it is a perfect mix of pigments which means that it is not going to make you
look like you’ve had a fight with a sunbed. The mix of tones creates a
cooler/ashier toned contour which is flattering to all skin tones (pale through
to dark). The texture is slightly less creamy than the MAC Cream but when
applied with a brush it blends out beautifully to create gentle contours. It
can also be built up to create a more dramatic effect.
3. MAC Pro Longwear Eye Shadow in Fashion Fix £17
An eye-shadow you say? YES! An eye-shadow! I've been looking
for a taupe colour for contouring for ages and have I been able to find one? NO!!!
 |
| MAC Pro Longwear Eye Shadow in Fashion Fix |
But then I found this eyeshadow and I love it :D one you've put on your base, set it with a powder then apply your contour with this (otherwise the pigment will stick and clump awkwardly, not what you want!). So, one you're powdered, use an angled blush brush to define the cheekbones and jawline (if you want too), the angled brush will do all the work for you and you will be left with smoothly defined cheekbones!
4. Blush Professional Contouring Palette £11.44 (price correct at the time of publication)
This palette is wonderful - actually a lot of blush professional products are wonderful - but this was the first one I bought! For the price it is amazing value for money and has everything you need in it to sculpt the face.
 |
| Blush Professional 6 Colour Contouring Palette |
The palette contains a white (highlighter), beige, flesh, brown and two pink powders. Use the brown powder for contouring - using your angled blush brush - but use it with caution, you don't need to use much as it is well pigmented. If you use too much you run the risk of looking slightly muddy. You can the gently use the flesh and beige tones to blend out and neutralise the colour for smooth contours. The pink shades can be flushed onto the apples of the cheeks for a healthy rosy glow! I did however find the white powder quite chalky and matte so I didn't like using it as a highlighter, but, all in all this palette is great for the price.
Well, I could talk about contouring all day so I will stop there! Let me know if there are any wonder products you would recommend and I may just test them out!
Much love
R x
