Is The Contouring Craze Getting Out Of Control?

Thanks to Kim Kardashian, contouring is all the rage. But has it gone too far?

Posted on

11 October 2016

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Contouring was traditionally used to give a person’s face more definition when they were being photographed under artificial lighting. However, today, contouring is everywhere. It’s on YouTube, Instagram –you name it. The cosmetic industry has blown up with contouring kits over the past two years and the options are endless. The craziness has gotten to a whole new level with people contouring their abs, legs, arms and now, even their hair!

You know why contouring looks so good on Kim Kardashian? Because she is walking around being filmed by a professional camera crew with lighting! Most of us mere mortals, however, are not.

If the contouring is too harsh - as it is often portrayed on Instagram – it looks absolutely ridiculous, especially in natural light. The trick with contouring is you shouldn’t look like you have contoured. It should be soft and natural.
How can you achieve a natural and soft contoured look you ask?

Use a cream contouring product

Contouring powders are all the rage right now, but a cream contouring product looks far more natural. We love Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate palette for a natural cream contour.

image credit: Tom Ford

Use a cool toned contouring cream

There is nothing worse than looking like an Oompa-Loompa with two orange stripes down your cheek. Contouring is meant to replicate shadows and shadows are grey-toned. Opt for a cool toned contouring product as opposed to an orange/warm toned one. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Kit is a great starter kit with options for many skin tones.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Kit

image credit: Anastasia Beverly Hills

Blend, blend, blend

We cannot emphasise how important it is to blend. Harsh lines on your face make your makeup look unnatural. A damp beauty blender is a great tool to blend your contouring product seamlessly into your skin.