Over the years, my makeup routine has changed drastically. Yes, my age has something to do with it, but mostly, it’s my daughters. My time to get ready in the morning has drastically dwindled over the years (unless I set my alarm for a ridiculously early time, which isn’t going to happen). Because of my lack of time in the mornings, I have had to perfect my makeup look in a short amount of time.
When highlighting and contouring became quite popular, the whole idea intimidated me. What do I have to put where? How much? How do I blend? Did I do it right or do I look like a clown?
What is highlighting and contouring for, anyway? Contouring helps create depth and give you dimension on your face. Using a taupe or a deep bronze two shades darker than your skin works well for contouring. Angled brushes work best for contouring. I love this inexpensive e.l.f. brush.
Highlighting is for enhancing parts of your face you would like to bring attention to (ie your cheekbones). It also gives your makeup an overall brighter look. I personally use a liquid highlighter and just use my fingers to blend, but a stipple brush like this e.l.f. one works well.
While highlighting and contouring can be pretty intense (think Kim Kardashian), it is possible to pull this look off on a day to day basis and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time.
Here is the guide that I used to teach me the basics and refer to from time to time, courtesy of Birchbox.
I love how easy this makes the whole process look, and like I said, you do not have to spend a lot of time doing it. To me, adding these simple steps to my makeup routine made me comfortable enough eliminating others, like eyeshadow and eyeliner.
Currently, here are my two favorite highlighting and contouring products I use on a daily basis. Good news is they won’t break the bank and they are easy to use.
Benefit Cosmetics High Beam, Bare Minerals California Bronze
Want more details on perfecting this look? Check out this easy to follow You Tube video.
