Trying to keep up with the latest makeup trends is difficult and it’s especially challenging when you’re not very good at it!

Contour is one of the most recent makeup developments, and everyone is going mad for it. Lady Leshurr even made a dedication to it in her song Queens speech. Interestingly though, she talks about it as though it gives people something to feel good about. So long as you’re good at it, she isn’t wrong.

The most important thing when it comes to contour is blending. If you don’t, you’ll have awkward lines all over your face. I’m hardly a makeup expert, but I do like the sense of accomplishment when people comment on my contour. “Your contour is so on point today” is an intensely satisfying compliment.

Here are a few very basic steps on how to introduce contour to your makeup routine:

  1. Start with a moisturiser as a base for your makeup. There are specific skin type moisturisers out there, so beginning with this can help people with dry skin avoid their makeup going flakey, and help people with oily skin avoid having sticky foundation! My favourite is Nivea’s Oil Free Moisturising Day Cream.
  2. Apply your foundation, using a sponge! I don’t recommend brushes in the slightest, as they can leave streaky lines on your face, and the makeup often sits on top of your skin rather than actually getting into it, again, this can cause sticky makeup! My favourite is Rimmel London’s Lasting Finish liquid foundation.
  3. Next, apply a light concealer to highlight certain features of your face aswell as to cover up those nasty face demons! Draw a V shape between your eyebrows that joins at the top of your nose, and bring the bottom of the V into a line that goes right to the tip of your nose. Blend this into your foundation using a sponge. Put a little concealer onto your philtrum, and under your eyes. Again blend it properly to avoid patchiness. My favourite is Rimmel London’s Wake me up.
  4. Onto the main contouring bit! Get yourself a contour brush, and put a little bit just under your cheekbones, from the hair line to roughly the centre of your eye (if you were to draw a line from the eye to the bottom of the face, that is where it would meet). Blend this upwards to lift the face rather than age it. Put a little just under your jaw line to avoid a double chin look, and a tiny bit in your hair line to help sculpt your face. Using a smaller brush, apply it from the eyebrows to the end of the nose, just on the sides to define the nose shape. BLEND. My favourite is Collection’s Highlight & Sculpt kit.
  5. Finally, apply a setting powder to settle any shininess, and make it last a little longer!

So, what on earth is contour and how do we use it? Contour is a type of makeup that helps to define our facial features, and we use it to our advantage!!

  • Subscribe to The Student Pocket Guide for exclusive competitions, deals, discounts, tips and advice!
  • Read The Student Pocket Guide.