CONTOURING

This post is by far my most requested; possibly due to the rise of Kim K, or even the release of Maleficent (in which Angelina Jolie wears my favourite makeup look ever). Whatever the reason, prominent cheekbones and a chiselled jawline seem to be the look on everyone's wish list. Move over HD brows.

Much to my disappointment, my cheekbones are buried somewhere under childlike full cheeks; making contouring a daily ritual in my morning routine. Like most beauty products, it is not necessary to over spend. For example, I will religiously return to the same two products time and time again - neither of which are stupidly priced:

• Sleek, Contouring and Blush Palette 

•     MAC, Vanilla Pigment

The secret to contouring is creating light / shade in the right places. Apply shadow (bronzer) under your cheekbones and it will accentuate them; apply it on your cheekbones and your outcome will be what resembles stripy facial tan lines. Before you apply any product, become aware of your own facial structure. Feel for your cheekbones and suck in your cheeks, this way you will know exactly where to begin your sculpting.

On and slightly above your cheekbones is the place for highlighter - you do not want any shadow here. For day to day use, your highlighter should not appear white or tinted, it should simply catch the light and twinkle delicately, again drawing attention to the shape of your face. You can use the highlighter that comes with the Sleek palette, however I prefer the vanilla pigment, since I find the sleek highlight can appear very white and sometimes too obvious. The Sleek blusher is one of my favourites since it gives a faint golden shine which will also make the apple of your cheeks sparkle. 

If you feel the shadow below your cheekbone has become too wide/low then you can neaten it with a small amount of concealer - although be sure to buff this in well as we do not want apparent lines. 

When it comes to brushes: for bronzer I stick to the Real Techniques contouring brush; for blush I use their blush brush; concealer I blend in with the Real Techniques expert face brush; and highlighter I apply with the Real Techniques shading brush. You will also need a clean brush to blend in your highlighter. 

Where to create shadow:

(Daily use)

Below cheekbones

Temples 

(Going out)

Hairline

Jawline 

Center of cupid's bow

Sides of nose 

Where to use highlighter: 

On / slightly above cheekbones
Brow bone 

Just above brows 

Centre of nose 

Corners of the eyes
Cupid's bow 

Where to use concealer: 

Under the eyes 

In between shadow and jawline 

Over any blemishes / redness 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask, I will do my best to help but I must point out that I am no professional and these are simply my personal opinions. Hopefully this post has been helpful, and if you have any post requests I'd love to hear them. 

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