From My Vanity

Beauty, Skincare, and a bit of Lifestyle

How To: Contour, For Beginners

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MNYLooksToLove #CollectiveBias

How to Contour for Beginners // Step-by-Step Tutorial // FromMyVanity.comThere are so many hot trends going around right now — strobing, matte lips, baking, brown lipsticks, etc — it can be overwhelming if you’re just starting out in your makeup adventure. Today I have a fun “how to” post that quickly explains how to do another hot trend — contouring. In my opinion, it’s the easiest one to start out with and the one that you can incorporate into your natural every-day makeup routine without looking too ‘glam’ed up. Ready to find out how?

In this post I will be using many Maybelline products, including the new Dream Velvet Foundation, Dream Velvet Blender, and the Master Contour Palette. I’m sure you’ve been seeing them popping up on social media and at your local stores. I found mine at my local Walmart in the beauty section, displayed at the top of the Maybelline section (as shown below).

How to Contour for Beginners // Step-by-Step Tutorial // Find at Walmart // FromMyVanity.com(Which, by the way, I never realized how many Maybelline products I use on a daily basis until I sat down to create this tutorial. Anyone want to see a ‘One Brand Tutorial & Review’ featuring this brand? Let me know in the comments!)

So now that you know where it’s located….let’s move along to the tutorial! Since this is all about the face and how to contour, I’ve already done my eye makeup. (If you would like a tutorial, let me know below. It was really easy to get this matte smokey eye!)

How to Contour for Beginners, Tutorial

How to Contour for Beginners // Step-by-Step Tutorial // Foundation and Concealer // FromMyVanity.comStep 1, Foundation: I primed my skin before I did my eyes, so it had time to sink in, and now I’m using the Dream Velvet Foundation. I, personally, prefer a buffing brush to apply my foundation, but I found that the Dream Velvet Blender worked well at adding extra coverage in the areas I needed.

Step 2, Conceal & Set: The Dream Velvet Blender also worked great at blending out my under eye concealer. Since it’s rather petite and pointed, it was able to get right up under the lash line and in the corner. Perfect! Once that’s blended in, apply a light coat of setting powder all over your face. This is an important step, at least for me. I find that when I set my foundation and concealer with a light layer of powder, my contour, blush, and highlight blends into the skin a lot better. Less chance of you getting that ‘muddy’ look with your contour!

How to Contour for Beginners // Step-by-Step Tutorial // Contour & Buff // FromMyVanity.comStep 3, Apply the Contour: The easiest way to achieve a soft, every-day contour is using a two step process. First I take a dense, angled brush and pick up the contour shade in the Maybelline Master Contour Palette. Now apply this in a heavy line on the edges of your forehead, in the hollow of your cheek, and right under your chin. Think of a large “3”. Don’t worry about blending, you just want to get the contour powder in the right places. If you are unsure where the hollow of your cheeks are, make a fish face (such your cheeks in) and you’ll find them. 😉

Step 4, Buff Out: Now take a more rounded, tapered, fluffy brush and buff the contour lightly into your skin. Don’t use a heavy hand, let the brush do the work for you. This will give you the most natural contour and help your face look defined without looking chiseled.

How to Contour for Beginners // Step-by-Step Tutorial // Blush & Highlight // FromMyVanity.comStep 5, Blush: The rest is pretty self explanatory, but since we’re using the Maybelline Master Contour Palette, use your favorite blush brush to apply the blush from this palette to the apples of your cheeks. Buff and blend it, going backwards toward your hairline.

Step 6, Highlight: Of course, you have to get your glow on! From the same palette pick up the highlight powder with a smaller brush and hit the top of your cheekbones. I know it’s hard to see it in this picture, but it gave me a really beautiful glow! Nothing too bold, but a very natural, healthy glow. 🙂

How to Contour for Beginners // Step-by-Step Tutorial // Finished Results // FromMyVanity.comAnd there you have it! Just finish off the look with your lipstick of choice and you’re ready to go! Really easy, and taking those extra steps to lightly contour your face really makes a difference! It helps put back the different dimensions of your face that your foundation can cover.

I hope you found this contouring tutorial helpful! I’m no makeup artist, but I do know this is something I would’ve liked to know when I first started out wearing makeup. For too long I just applied a heavy layer of foundation (to cover those acne breakouts!) — no contour or blush or anything. 😮

Let me know if you enjoy contouring your face. Have you tried the new Master Contour Palette yet? For just under $10 you get a contour, blush, and highlight — very affordable!

PIN TO READ LATER!

How to Contour for Beginners // Step-by-Step Tutorial // featuring Maybelline Contour Palette // #MNYLooksToLove #LadyKaty92 // FromMyVanity.com

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. Thank you so much for helping to support From My Vanity through subscribing, reading, and clicking! Some affiliate links used. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine. 🙂

Comments

  2. Sammi the Beauty Buff says

    This was a great how-to! I don’t know about you, but there are definitely some photos of me wearing a contour gone wrong on Facebook. It’s hard finding a shade that works! This palette looks like it really worked for you. You can’t see a specific highlight on your cheeks, but you look radiant! Really nicely done tutorial.

    • Katie Garvin says

      I hear you, it can be hard! Everyone’s complexion is so different and there are so many different shades/tones of powder out there! The highlight was pretty natural looking, though I could definitely see it in person. However, it is so hard to capture on camera!

    • Katie Garvin says

      Haha, no worries, I don’t think we can ever keep up with all the trends that are constantly coming. I, personally, love contouring so love to do it. Strobing, however…I haven’t been able to get behind that one yet. Maybe it’s because I never like to look oily or greasy? I don’t know 😛

  9. Stacie says

    Great tutorial! I love that sponge blender, this is the first time I’ve seen it and it looks super easy to use! I’m going to pick one up of those for sure. The palette looks really easy to use, too. It looks really nice on you. Good work!

  11. Renu says

    This is such a flawless look! I love that this palette comes only with three shades so you don’t worry about what goes where and how. Some of those contouring palettes have so many “sculpting shades” that I wonder if we are making statues or doing our makeup.

    • Katie Garvin says

      Give it a try! If you really are nervous about how the results might turn out, why don’t you try it at night, before you take your makeup off? That’s what I used to do when I was trying to figure out the whole winged-liner thing 🙂

  16. Tess says

    I’m so rarely at the drugstore these days, and my CVS NEVER has new products in! So frustrating. I’ll have to find a better store near me, I’d like to check out some of these new products!

    • Katie Garvin says

      Give it a try! My biggest tip for those wanting to master a technique is to try it before taking your makeup off at night. You’re going to wash everything away anyways, and practice really does make perfect. Or, at the very least, a lot better, lol. That’s how I mastered the art of the winged liner! 🙂

    • Katie G says

      Aww, you’re so sweet! <3 I tend to use a variety of products, depending on the day. I do know, though, that I used the Tarte Tartelette In Bloom palette to get the look I am wearing in this post.

      I've recently started doing eye and face tutorial videos on my Instagram and I did a tutorial on this matte brown smokey eye! I'll link it below for you! I am just starting to do tutorials, but if you want to see what eye and face products I use regularly, follow my Instagram page and you'll be able to see new videos as I share them! I shared a face tutorial a few days ago that featured a lot of favorite products I use on my face.

      Link to Instagram Eye Video ---> https://www.instagram.com/p/BMC_Yk3BzJr/?taken-by=ladykaty92

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