Aisling on beauty: Contouring tips for the real world

Love or loathe her, Kim Kardashian has shaped many of the beauty trends of the past few years. Her passion for contouring has brought it to the mainstream, and every brand now has at least one contour kit.

Sculpting the features using this technique involves the painstaking application of lighter and darker foundations, concealer, powders, highlighter, blusher and bronzer. And blending. So, so much boring blending. It can take Kardashian’s make-up artist four hours and about 50 products.

Make-up artist Bobbi Brown dislikes contour, saying it “looks like dirt on the face”. And close up, it does.

It is all in the blending, you see, and choosing the right shades for your skin tone. This is difficult to do.

When foundation and concealer are applied the face becomes a blank canvas, so it is necessary to put colour and shape back in. Contour kits are usually a combination of blusher, bronzer and highlighter. This is the easiest form of contouring for those of us who live outside the scrutiny of the paparazzi.

Looking natural is key. Apply blusher and bronzer in the usual way. Highlight the top of your cheekbones and the bridge of your nose and blend everything together lightly.

The easiest way I have found to do this is with creamy products. Clinique Contour and Illuminate Chubbies are easy to blend. If you prefer a powder, try Mac Sculpt and Shape Powder Duo, Smashbox Step by Step Contour Kit or Maybelline Master Sculpt Contouring.

A warmer glow is the most forgiving and easy to use. By Terry Terrybly Densiliss Contouring Peachy Sculpt Blush, Diorblush Sculpt Professional contouring powder blush and Clinique Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palette are all easy to blend.

Use a light hand, make sure there are no hard edges and you are away. Unless you have four hours and a make-up artist to hand, of course.

• amcdermott@irishtimes.com
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