How To Contour For Every Skin Tone

Photo via Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Contouring can, as we’ve shown before, look scary. But, enhancing your cheekbones or jawline doesn’t have to be frightening — or require the skill of a makeup artist. You just need the proper product arsenal to get that subtle, natural-looking sculpt.

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There’s been an onslaught of contour kits and palettes on the market. To make sense of it all, we decided to poll our favorite makeup artists to see what they love and use most — and then, we divided the tools and cosmetics into easy-to-understand categories. There are winning options here for different skin tones and skill sets: Even the aspiring Kardashian will find something to fall in love with.

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Scroll through to see which ones are right for you, and then leave any questions in the comments below.

Photo via Bobbi Brown.

For First-Timers

“The easiest way to contour is by using two shades of foundation — one that’s matched for the center of the face, the neck, and the high bones, and a second that’s slightly darker to use on the outer perimeter and underneath the cheekbones,” says Pati Dubroff, a makeup artist who works with Charlize Theron and Natalie Portman. “Cream products are easier to manipulate and erase if you make mistakes,” adds Beau Nelson, whose clients include Kristen Stewart and Nicole Richie. “I’m a big fan of the Bobbi Brown Stick Foundations.”

Bobbi Brown

Skin Foundation Stick, $46, available at Bobbi Brown.

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Start by creating an even base all over with the lighter shade, and then build the intensity very slightly at the temples, underneath the jawline, and on the cheekbones with your darker shade.

ColourPop Sculpting Stix in Dume, $5, available at ColourPop.

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This is the perfect tool for those who have resisted the contouring trend until now. The single chubby wields cream contour and highlighter, is easily blended with fingers, and is an affordable way to see if contouring is right for you.

Maybelline Facestudio Master Contour V-Shape Duo Stick, $10, available at Walgreens.

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A contouring kit — one full of cream products — can also be an easy way to go when you’re starting out. Look for one that includes both a highlight shade and a contour shade in order to provide dimension and balance.

Dr Jart+ BB Mate Contouring 1.2.3. Kit, $45, available at Birchbox.

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For Multitaskers

Thanks to this three-in-one kit, you can create the cheekbones of your dreams in record time without a handful of individual palettes. Or, when you aren’t feeling the full look but still want definition, try the bronzing, highlighting, and blush shades solo. It’s an easy addition to your arsenal either way.

Maybelline FaceStudio Master Contour, $12.99, available at Maybelline.

Many brands also provide contour sticks in sets of three to make the whole process that much easier. These normally contain a contour shade, a bronzer shade, and a highlight shade. Always use the dark contour shade first along your cheekbone, and add the bronzer hue right above it for dimension. Then, add the highlight to the bridge of your nose, top of the chin, and corners of the eyes — just remember to blend everything well!

Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Stick Trio, $45, available at Sephora.

Photo via Anastasia Beverly Hills.

For YouTube Dabblers

If you already know the basic principles of contouring and want to take your game to the next level, investing in a palette is a wise choice. “This kit has great shades to both contour and highlight,“ says Mario Dedivanovic, makeup artist to stars like Kim Kardashian. “You can experiment with the lighter shades at first, and then build to the deeper shades once you’re comfortable.”

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Contour Kit, $40, available at Sephora.

This four-pan contouring palette contains three sculpting shades and a gorgeous highlighting powder. Plus, it comes with a super-soft angled brush and smells like chocolate. What’s not to love?

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Chiseled to Perfection, $40, available at Too Faced.

Since you’re already comfortable with the basics, try a palette that can really help bring out your cheekbones. Kevyn Aucoin’s The Creamy Glow Sculpting Powder helps to define the face by balancing dark powder with a creamy highlighter.

Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow Duo in Candelight/Sculpting, $28, available at Sephora.

Sure, this palette may look like a simple shading and illuminating duo, but it packs a secret punch: the DHA-laced formula actually tans skin while you’re wearing it.

James Read Tantour Sculpting Palette, $54, available at Net-a-Porter.

For Aspiring Makeup Artists

There’s only one luxury contour product that the pros swear by, but it’s almost too intimidating for at-home use. “You can work this into a foundation application, or apply it underneath so it looks subtle,” says beauty guru Nick Barose. “It takes more blending, but once you’ve mastered the technique, it’s totally worth it.”

There are two different shade levels available for purchase, so this works on almost all skin tones. The “illuminate” portion is a pearly highlight that delivers camera-ready levels of glow. Do consider it for special events or photo opps — but have a backup option for daily use.

Tom Ford Beauty Shade & Illuminate, $77, available at Saks Fifth Avenue.

If you’re an aspiring pro, play around with sculpting shades on a palette. BH Cosmetics’ versatile shades work well for all skin tones, and provide a matte finish for both highlight and contour.

BH Cosmetics Contour & Blush Palette, $12, available at BH Cosmetics.

For Fair Skin Tones

"Surratt’s blush in Grisaille is a great contour that has no orange tones,” says Dubroff. “If you’re fair, and you use something with any warmth at all, it’s like the kiss of contour death. This is perfect because it’s a nice, soft tone.”

Surratt Artistique Blush in Grisaille, $32, available at Barneys New York.

Smashbox’s contour kit is easy to follow for beginners, and comes in two versions: one for fair complexions (seen here) and another for darker ones.

Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit, $45, available at Sephora.

Photo via Kevyn Aucoin.

For Medium Skin Tones

“Apply Aucoin’s sculpting powder with a small, dome-shaped blush brush under the cheekbones and jawline, and on the temples and bridge of the nose,” says Nelson. This shade is the “just right” of dark-but-not-too-dark for those of us who fall in the middle of the skin spectrum. If you prefer creams, Dubroff recommends Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base.

Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder in Medium, $44, available at Barneys New York.

For Deep Skin Tones

“I love this particular product for darker skins because it comes with a highlight shade, as well,” says celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty. She also recommends following up with a great liquid luminizer in golden or copper shades, like NARS Hot Sand, to really finish the skin.

NARS Contour Blush in Gienah, $42, available at NARS.

Photo via Giorgio Armani Beauty.

“If you’re quite dark, like Lupita Nyong’o, for example, you don’t need to contour. It can look a little too harsh,” says Barose. “Instead, add this bronzey highlight to bring out your features more.”

Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer, $62, available at Nordstrom.

For Applying

If you want to go after that sharper (yet still fine) edge that Dubroff suggests, try Tarte’s Sculpt & Slim Contour Brush, which is made just for that. You can use the fluffy fan brush to contour, highlight, and sculpt cheekbones, and the double-ended brush helps when you’re contouring areas like your nose or browbone.

Tarte

Tarteist Sculpt & Slim Contour Brush, $34, available at Sephora.

For more contouring tips, visit Refinery29.

By: Phillip Picardi