All about contour

Contour is the hardworking underdog in my makeup collection.

With it my makeup look is complete, without it something is missing. I use contour to enhance the shape of my face, especially around my cheeks, nose and jaw bone.

Before contour

Contour should be a darker cool-toned matte shade that is used to push back facial features. It works in the opposite way to highlighter which brings features forward.

Applying contour

Contour is best worn just under the cheek bone to make the cheeks look more shapely. It can be used vertically on each side of the nose to make the nose appear slimmer. It can also be used along the jaw line to disguise a double chin. And contour is best used in or above the eye socket to make the eyes stand out.

Just before blending, adding blush and highlight

All of my contours are in a powder formula but they are also available in stick and cream formulas. Given my oily skin, powder is best for me.

And done

My favourite is the Sephora Colorful Contour in Tranquil No 26. It is only available from Sephora USA. I was lucky to have my lovely friend Colleen pick it up from the US on a recent order she placed. It retails for $US14.

Second is the Kevin Aucoin The Sculpting Powder. Miss P picked it up for me during her recent trip to the UK. It is very high end at £35.

Third is the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow. I picked this up from New York's Bergdorf Goodman last year. The sculpting powder is a little warm for me but I can get away with it. This is another high end product at $US68.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Powder Contour Kit in Light to Medium is so much more than just a contour palette. It contains lighter powders for setting the face and highlighting. I'm drawn to the bottom middle colour as it is the coolest colour in the kit. It is available at Sephora Australia for $70.

And a call out to a great drugstore alternatively is the Australis AC on Tour Contouring and Highlighting Kit. It does look very much like the Anastasia one. It is highly pigmented and powdery so you need to be very careful not to overdo it. Again I'm drawn to the bottom middle colour as it's the coolest in the kit. It is available from Priceline for an amazing $16.95.

And the best brush I've found to apply contour is the Zoeva 109 Luxe Face Paint Brush. Available from Sephora Australia for $28.

Until next time xx