Contouring products?

Dec 22, 2014

Shianne W.

I need help with contouring. What are good products to use?

Dec 22, 2014

Makeup A.

I like he NARS contour pallet

Dec 22, 2014

Yaira D.

You can go for drugstore bronzers and powders (:

Dec 22, 2014

Hannah K.

It depends on what you like and your skin tone, but always make sure you're using a brown shade with a VERY cool grey undertone. That's what will make your contouring look natural.

Bronzer is the wrong product for contouring for several reasons:

It is often shimmery, which is not what you want when trying to create a shadow.

It is also often orange in tone, and though not all bronzers are, bronzers are warm toned and therefore unsuited to the task of contouring, which entails making a darker, almost grey toned shadow. Shadows are not orange.

If, somehow, you found a bronzer that was a matte, cool, grey toned brown, bronzers are also often sheer and therefore require a more heavy handed application. That's why, when people contour with bronzer, it can often end up looking dirty or muddy, because they have to apply and blend a thick layer of product.

In short, what you're trying to do with contouring is create the illusion of shadows, which are cool and grey toned in nature. Bronzers are specifically designed to give a bronzed glow to your face, so you should apply it on the high points of your face, where the sun would hit. Bronzers are simply not the correct product for contouring. They will never give the desired effect, though of course if you have nothing else they can be used.

I'd ask Jackie and Alma, as I myself don't contour or have experience with contour products. I do know that they both highly recommend the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder. If nothing else, a concealer or foundation two shades darker will work in a pinch. Hope this clarified it for you! :)

Dec 22, 2014

Yaira D.

Lool into the Covergirl Trublend concealer sticks!

Dec 22, 2014

Yaira D.

Look *

Dec 22, 2014

Brianna M.

Hannah, can I contour with a cool grey shadow instead of brown? maybe like just on a whim?

Dec 22, 2014

Hannah K.

Yeah, why not? The problem isn't so much the product as the color. It looks bad and obvious when people contour with bronzer, like Jaclyn Hill, who always looks awful to me because her face is orange and patchy and just...ugh. But yeah if you have greyish brown eyeshadow, or Nyx's blush in Taupe or some such, it will work fine :)

Dec 22, 2014

Brianna M.

Thank you lol cause I normally take my lorac 2 shadow in cool grey to contour and to me it looks better and since it has no shimmer or orange to it it looked good I was just checking lol :)

Dec 22, 2014

Hannah K.

Well I'm glad it's working for you :)

Dec 22, 2014

Cheez H.

Everyday, I just use the shade "Naked 2" from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette. For a thing I keep in my purse, I have E.L.F.'s Contouring Blush and Bronzing Cream (only available online, www.eyeslipsface.com). Yes, the "contour" shade is called "Bronzer", however it is matte, so it works to contour. Contour should always be matte. I am paraphrasing something from Cody Wren that she posted on Instagram (@codywren): As a contour shade, you never do shimmer. If you look on at a shadow on the ground, it is flat/matte. Hope this helps!

Dec 22, 2014

Andrea V.

Makeup forever makes a great one:) and it comes with its corresponding highlight shade as well:)

Dec 22, 2014

Krupa B.

Yehh I use the makeup store eyeshadow in smog and it's the perfect colour and very grey toned
also I hear the nyx contour stick is really good but I havnt used it