Contour with Class

January 18, 2017

My absolute favorite thing in the world is to come up with the titles for these blog posts! Of course I think I’m much more clever than I am in reality but I think this one is such a good one because I’m going to give you a little sneak peak of our Academy Class on Contouring, while showing you how to do it in a soft and classy way! Or even in a more dramatic way depending on your taste!

The first time we taught this Contouring Class during our Makeup Course we had an incredibly fabulous teacher who pretty much contours like its his job! The Master himself… Ryan Jones! He might even grace us with his presence as the Academy prepares to come back into session very very soon! But until then, here are just a few of the things that we teach during that particular night of the course!

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Contouring is something that has definitely stepped into the spotlight much more lately…and when I say spotlight I really mean spotlight because it started popping up more and more on red carpets. And the spectrum of drama is so incredibly vast! There is Kim Kardashian who contours like her life depends on it, and then stars such as Emma Stone who focus more on the highlighting aspect of the look!

In my opinion the less dramatic look is the one to go for, of course if you are hitting a red carpet then contour the heck out of your face! But for day to day life and on your wedding day a more downplayed contoured look keeps you looking like yourself and enhances your natural glow and features! The enhancement that was wanted are all still there, but not to the extreme that makes you not recognize yourself in your wedding photos!

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It is very important to know that you don’t need various shades of foundation to create this look, you can get it with a simple bronzer! So put all of those different shades down! If you are very serious about your contour though then you might want to invest in a liquid bronzer! It is definitely easier to blend after you follow your normal foundation regimen! I love the NYX Wonder Stick it is a double ended Highlighter and Contour stick and it is amazing and so convenient! But I’m getting ahead of myself with bringing up a highlighter, especially since it is for a more dramatic contour look!

But if you do decide to test out contouring for the first time and decide on the bronzer it is important to choose one that matches your skin. Think of it like picking out your foundation, you don’t want a color that washes you out or makes you look orange! I usually opt for a shade that is one to two shades darker than my foundation to avoid the orange tint (oompa loompa is not a great look on me)

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Now it’s time for the actual action! Don’t worry I know that it sounds super scary to do at first, especially if you are using a complex contouring look for your inspiration so it’s important to know that you don’t have a makeup artist on your speed dial to create the perfect look everyday like celebrities and maybe you don’t do makeup like I do for a living! But you are bringing out your NATURAL features! That is what is so important to remember, makeup is to enhance the beauty that you already have not hid you! So with that in mind, start by dusting your bronzer on the places that the sun naturally hits your face. Places like your nose, your cheek bones, your forehead, and jawline. And if you are wearing an updo dust a little on your neck as well just to make sure your skin is an even color!

Now that you know how to achieve this look….it is also very important to know the don’ts of contouring as well! The first being, whatever you do, do not rub the bronzer in a circular motion while you are applying it! This makes it look super unnatural, so make sure you apply it in downward strokes and with a light hand! You can always add more, but it’s quite difficult to remove it once it is on! Another important tip is to avoid areas around your eyes because this will make them look much smaller than they already are!

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I can’t wait to see how you all recreate this look! Tag us in any photos that you may post on instagram at @loustevensglamsquad! And if this post has left you wanting more? Sign up for our Makeup Course at The Glam Squad Academy! Email glamsquadacademy@gmail.com to secure your spot! Contouring is just the beginning lovelies and I just can’t wait!

 

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