From The Beauty Closet

Contour

9 years ago by

Contour

Look who I ran into backstage during NYFW! It’s Anabel from our hat story.

Aside from it always been a really nice thing to run into a familiar face backstage (it’s usually kind of crazy back there!), I thought this was a really interesting beauty look. MAC decided to showcase the bare bones of contouring for the Rodebjer show. I’m way too lazy to ever really think about contouring, especially under foundation (honestly, I’m lucky if I wear any) — for me, a quick swipe of bronzer across the cheekbone is enough.

But I know there are people who really put a lot of care and thought into the contouring of their face, and it really is a very delicate and precise approach to makeup. So I was wondering if you do? And do you feel as though it’s worth the extra time spent doing it? Or do you find it too much… Maybe something reserved for special occasions?

I like the way that, on Anabel, that’s the real feature of the makeup — there’s no mascara or eye makeup, just the very painterly look of the contouring, which makes her almost look like a living portrait…

Makeup artist Maud Laceppe started with MAC Cosmetics Studio Face and Body Foundation to really make skin tone even and matte, then used their Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle to create a really dewy look. Then Pure White Paint Stick was used as a highlighter on cheekbones, and the intention was to make the look almost intergalactic (or otherworldly…) – and, finally, a blush in a taupe color helps to contrast the highlight to make the contouring even more evident. Ok, so that seems like a lot but, watching it be applied, it was really quick! (Just not quite as quick as my “roll out of bed and apply bronzer on the subway” approach…)

15 comments

Add yours
  • She looks very pretty in this picture. Great shot!

    A make up artist friend showed me how to use a little highlighter but that’s about as much as I do and even that is very light handed and mostly in the evening.

  • Like you, I’m a bum. I love the look, very put together.I wish had the time to invest in looking like that everyday but it’s down on my list. I’d rather put sunblock on.

  • I’m like you — I just do very quick easy make up

    http://hashtagliz.com

  • I love the way she looks. I don’t do contouring as for me it’s too time consuming. But when a bigger occassion comes, i’ll try it for sure :)

    http://lifestylebyola.blogspot.com/2015/09/warsaw-watercolors.html

  • She’s breathtaking!

    I, too, am very lazy with makeup these days. Sans foundation, mascara, eyeliner, eyebrow or contour-anything, I’ll leave home with nothing on my face but a deep, warm burgundy lipstick pressed with fingers into my lips for some colour (I like RMS Diabolique, as I have really pale lips) and for night time – the remainder of the lipstick on my fingertips, I’ll press into the highest part of my cheekbones.

    For very special occasions, getting a super-sculpted look with next-to-no-effort is, smooth the tiniest amount of Nars Illuminating Cream in Hot Sand (their most neutral shade from sallow – me – to fair) all over (not just on high parts of) my face. That way, the bits that are highest and most prominent will automatically stand out and make the other areas recede, without any need to shade/contour. I prefer altering my face as little possible, as I will never forget visiting a friend in hospital. Not realising she was a master (mistress?) at contouring, I walked right past her bed, as she looked so different (really tired and much older and her face just looked quite not the same as usual) without all her (extremely subtle, but effective) contouring.

    Otherwise, I’ve found that the best way to get a 100% natural contoured look is by massaging my face really firmly with loads of moisturiser every single morning, to kick start the circulation and firm up skin muscles. It seems to work really well, because what started as a way to relieve my early morning headaches from sinus issues, has everyone commenting on how taut and sculpted my face looks this past year – no need to shade or highlight!

  • Je ne considérais pas que je faisais du countouring, mais c’est vrai que j’utilise la touche éclat de YSL à chaque fois que je me maquille. Par contre, jamais le tralala avec la poudre plus foncée tout autour du visage façon KK. Donc on va dire que je fais un demi countouring ?
    Bon après, mascara, anti-cernes, touche éclat et blush, ça ne me prend pas des heures non plus.
    Ma mère est très “terracota dans le métro” aussi, c’est le seul maquillage qu’elle possède d’ailleurs…

  • On dirait plutôt qu’elle a une jolie petite couche de plâtre sur le visage + de la vaseline sur le bout du nez et lèvres, non?
    Je crois que nous avons des critères d’esthétiques différents en France… Cela se vérifie en comparant nos actrices sur les red carpets!

  • (je trouvais Anabel 10 fois plus jolie et fraîche sur votre post chapeaux!)

  • yes, I had to check, 100% different

  • I wish I could have this result !! For now I only use touche éclat from Yves Saint Laurent to highlight a little bit but I am not sure to use it correctly :(

  • I just started contouring last week and it’s now part of my daily routine . I bought the Nars contouring kit last Friday and it’s super easy and it has such a huge impact. It’s like I just lost five pounds. The Nars artist showed me how to do it, it took like two seconds, (I bought their brush too.) and when she was done everyone around was like “Oh my God what was that- I want it! I kept showing off my cheekbones for the rest of the night. It’s a miracle in a compact.

  • Pff, when I see contouring videos and tutorials, or even Kim K’s, I always feel kinda sorry for the poor girl standing below all that make up. I think it’s important to remain yourself. And contouring is like drawing a new face over your own’s, just all those layers of make up, it’s insane, plus the actual fact of resculping with colors your face, that is no longer yours, its a no flaw version of it. Too weird for me..

  • I don’t see much of a difference between accentuating your body by dressing for your proportions or accentuating your face through makeup. As with fashion, makeup can be subtle, loud, tacky, and deceiving. I love my bare skin, but I also love a super subtle contour. My latest favorite is Dr. Jart Contour Mate, which works beautifully on my fair, rose complexion. (Unfortunately the set has no shade options but the ones included, which don’t flatter anyone with a deeper skin tone than mine.) Bonus: it has SPF 30.
    If you are carefully curating your wardrobe, why not your face and hair as well?

  • En fait j’adorerais pouvoir le faire, mais je ne pense pas être assez douée.. Et puis ça reste très ‘américain’, à Paris, on ne voit pas beaucoup ça !

    http://www.pardonmyobsession.com/

From the Archives

This or That
  • This or That
  • Holiday Gifting
  • DORÉ x THE OUTNET
  • Happy Holidays!
  • #AtelierDoreDoes
  • How To...
atelier dore this or that summer sandals chunky sandals vs. delicate sandals

This or That / Sandal Edition

This or That: American or Française?

This or That: American or Française?

atelier dore this or that lingerie lace or cotton sex month

This or That / Lingerie Edition

This or That / Blush vs. Bronzer

This or That / Blush vs. Bronzer

This or That: The Beanie

This or That: The Beanie

This or That: Nails

This or That: Nails

This or That

This or That

This Or That

This Or That

Silja Danielsen Photo

This Or That: Low Knot or Top Knot