How to Contour Like a Pro
Tips and tricks for mastering the art of contouring (Henry Leutwyler).
Confession time: I’ve never contoured. Despite my role as a beauty editor, it’s one of the few looks I’ve never tried. I’ve watched friends do it, I’ve watched 15 second tutorials on Instagram that totally blew my mind (and not always in a good way), and I’ve seen enough photos of Kim Kardashian to feel like I have a pretty firm grasp on what exactly contouring does to your look—but as someone with fair skin who doesn’t typically wear a full face of makeup, it still seems intimidating. But after discovering a brand new app that provides an even more personalized lesson in defining your features, I was determined to give it a go.
On Wednesday, beauty retailer Sephora announced a partnership with the firm Map My Beauty to launch Pocket Contour, a new app built into their mobile site that acts as a contouring guide. Once you upload your photo, the app scans the image to define your face shape and walks you through where to highlight, contour, and how to blend everything together. I found it to be quicker and more efficient than a YouTube tutorial, plus it includes general product recommendations pulled from Sephora’s contour offerings.
Sephora’s Pocket Contour app shows you where to apply product and how to blend it.
Contouring has the power to change your look in both subtle and dramatic ways. You can shave off pounds (seriously) with strategically placed contour around the jawline and cheekbones, and brighten your complexion by highlighting the spots where light naturally hits your face. Pocket Contour shows you exactly where to place the product to get those effects: your forehead, along your nose, under your eyes, at your cheekbones, and along your jawline. Once you’ve applied the product, it’s all about blending together (over your foundation) to eliminate hard edges until you’re left with a more defined look.
With the app and YouTube tutorials under my belt, I finally felt more prepared, but I was still in need of a little bit more guidance when it came to colors and products. I went to celeb makeup artist Beau Nelson (who works with Kristen Stewart, Nicole Richie, and Nina Dobrev) to get his tips and tricks for natural and easy contouring.
"Contouring in a subtle way can make you look incredible," says Nelson. "But contouring in the way that’s popular on Instagram and on reality TV is not going to make you look beautiful. It’s going to make you look like you have way too much makeup on." Exactly what I’ve been afraid of.
For Nelson, it’s all about the less is more approach. If you’re going to use a creamy product, he says blending is super important, and if you opt for powder, make sure you are using the softest brush possible and building up slowly. He also suggests choosing to either contour or highlight—it’s not always necessary to do both.
When it comes to selecting your shades, Nelson says you can achieve a sculpted look using just one or two products. You don’t need to invest in an entire palette unless you want to have a “very done” look. To get the most natural, seamless application you should select products that don’t have a super heavy pigment load. Nelson likes Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate ($77) and MAC Sculpting Powder ($17).
"Contouring looks best when it’s done in colors that are slightly taupe-y and not so warm," says Nelson. Keep in mind that bronzer is not a contouring product—you should be looking for something that is neutral or slightly cool toned. While many tutorials recommend using a super light concealer to achieve your highlights, Nelson recommends a subtle radiant powder or cream that enhances the glow of your skin.
Nelson’s biggest tip? “Step away from the mirror and actually look at yourself from a distance. It’s far too easy to go too far.”
Related:
