Saving Face

Smashbox contouring

My daily makeup routine can be pretty extensive. I use liquid eyeliner on the regular and often apply lipstick before heading off to work. But with all of the effort I put into making my features pop, sometimes my skin tone and bone structure seem to fall flat. That’s why I’ve been curious about contouring, a makeup skill I wanted to master but needed some extra help to do so.

It was fate when Sephora began offering complimentary contour mini-makeovers. You can book an appointment at your local Sephora or just stop by and ask for an associate to walk you through it. I was really impressed with the Smashbox contouring kit (exclusive at Sephora) and liked following along as the associate did one half of my face step-by-step, then handed the brushes over to me. I went back to work feeling a little more confident but not too done up. My coworkers hardly noticed, except for one girl who called out from a few cubes over, “Wow, I can see your cheekbones from here!” I’ll take it.

I’m sharing some of what I learned at Sephora if you’re interested in booking an appointment to become a contouring expert. It won’t be step-by-step (I’ll leave that to the experts), but here are some simple tips I took away.

  • Your contouring doesn’t have to start like a Kardashian’s. Mine was done using powder and I blended it in as I went. Much less alien-looking.
  • Having the right brushes is the first step to contouring correctly. A contouring kit is great, but if you already have a bronzer or shimmer powder that you like, the right brush will help you apply it so that it makes the most impact. Ask at your local Sephora to find out which brush is right for which product.
  • Apply your contouring makeup in good lighting and apply a little bit more than you originally might. The lighting in Sephora helped me see what I was doing, but I kept stopping and looking at the sale associate when I thought I had applied enough. Each time she told me to do a bit more; the trick is to continue to blend and I won’t walk out looking scary!
  • If you’re interested in any of these products, wait til there’s a coupon. I mean, come on. Don’t pay full price if you don’t have to. My sales associate tipped me off that there should be a coupon coming soon, so I’m waiting to purchase the kit until that arrives in my inbox. (Get Sephora Beauty Insider emails and free birthday gifts by signing up here.)

Unfortunately I didn’t get a finished-product photo, but will share one once I can!

Contouring at SephoraSephora-contouring-1

Contouring

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    Comments

    Sarah Lagen

    I love your first point!! haha, no one wants to look like the Kardashian’s! 🙂