5 Ways You’re Contouring All Wrong

Every week, there seems to be a new form of contouring creeping up on your Insta feed, YouTube account and in your favourite magazine (STELLAR, obvs.) Whether it’s clown, yoda or henna contouring, this statement make-up trend seems to be getting more and more complex. Us though? Well, we’re still mastering the basics, so we took a look at the most common mistakes we’re making when trying to get our cheekbones perfectly chiselled.

1. Using the wrong brush

If you’re using your blush or foundation brush to contour STOP NOW. Contouring deserves and needs its own set of brushes. We love this double-ended Lancome cheek and contour brush, €34. It comes with both a flat-head and a fluffy brush for precision contouring and blending.

2. Using the wrong shade of contour

Believe it or not there is a specific formula to successful contouring and it involves using different shades to create the illusion of defined cheekbones. If you’re using a shade that’s too light to have the desired effect then your contouring will be non-existent. As a rule of thumb, aim for a contour that’s two shades darker than your foundation. We love Clinique’s chubby stick sculpting contour, €23. It’s the prefect colour to add just the right amount of definition. 

3. You haven’t taken off your make-up from last night

This is not just a sin when it comes to contouring but one of the biggest make-up mistakes you can make in general. If your contour is looking cakey or dirty, then improper cleansing might be to blame. Give Trilogy’s gel cleanser, €27.69, a go. It’s gentle enough to not make your skin excessively oily or irritated, but tough enough to ensure your pores are completely make-up free.

4. You haven’t mapped out your face

It may look ridiculous but mapping out your where you are going to put your highlighter or contour cream will result in some seriously successful contouring. There are so many YouTube videos that can help you map out your face. Our fave? This one from Smashbox, which shows you how to contour according to your face shape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H11icXFuW4Y

5. You don’t give yourself enough time

We have such hectic lives and finding the time to contour is tough but there’s no point dedicating only 30 seconds to do the job, because it just won’t work. It’s totally possible to do it quickly but less than a minute just won’t cut it. Guilty of doing a rushed job? This 5-minute every day contour is our life saver when we’re running low on time.

• Contouring
• make-up