These days it’s hard to find a beauty blog that hasn’t posted a contouring tutorial at least once. I even wrote a couple contouring posts here on Glamorable, although I am by no means an expert. I love the look of contoured skin on others, but rarely did it myself because it just took too much time to execute. One of the key points of perfectly contoured face is blending of the edges between lighter and darker areas. I don’t know about you, but all that layering and blending always seemed too time consuming for your typical everyday makeup, until recently.
I recently discovered products that make contouring my fair skin really quick and easy, given the right tools. And when I say easy, I really mean it, ladies! You can be a total beginner and it will look great on your first try. I’ve been using Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup [$40, available here] in 0.5 and 1.5, and Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer [$28, available here] in Light and Medium-Light to enhance the look of my skin in less than 5 minutes.
Finding the right shade is hard enough, but contouring fair skin poses an additional challenge, because every tiny mistake stands out like a sore thumb. Using just one brush to get the desired look – Artis Oval 10 [$75, available here] – I was able to achieve lightly contoured complexion with perfectly blended edges that passed quality control with flying colors.
STEP #1:
Apply foundation that closely matches your skin tone. I created a custom shade by mixing Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup in 0.5 and 1.5 which matched my skin perfectly.
STEP #2:
Put several strokes of Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in slightly lighter shade under your eyes, on the chin, in the middle of the forehead, and along the bridge of your nose. Then apply strokes of darker concealer in the cheek hollows, on the temples, and along the hairline if needed.
STEP #3:
Wait a minute for the concealer to set and blend everything away from the face in circular motion. I used one brush for everything – my favorite Artis Oval 10, which is expensive but totally worth the splurge.
STEP #4:
(Optional) If your skin tends to get oily quickly, lightly dust your face with some translucent powder. I have combination skin and found this step unnecessary because the foundation I used seems to be self-setting.
Easy, wasn’t it? Now instead of skipping contouring I follow this routine every time I need to go out, even if it’s just a quick run for groceries. Looking fabulous doesn’t have to take forever!
You can purchase these products at Urban Decay, Sephora, Ulta, and other fine beauty retailers.
How often do you contour your skin? What’s your favorite product to use for contouring? Do you prefer to blend with a brush or with a sponge applicator? Let me know in the comments below!
Disclosure: This post features products received for editorial consideration and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
Absolutely lovely. And the 0.5 is the most incredible match for your skin tone. I haven’t tried UD Foundations or concealers but these look great. I’ll swatch some next Ulta visit
Thank you Allison! I would love to hear what you think about these products after you swatch them.
That makes for a lovely, subtle contour. I wish that this foundation worked for me but alas…
Oh no, what a bummer! I found that it works best for those with oilier skin types, because it sets to a powdery finish,
I have that UD concealer and I LOVE it.
Oh yay, so happy to see another UD concealer fan!
I will definitely try this, I love my UD concealer.
Great! Can’t wait to hear what you think about this quick techniqle.
I love multipurpose products! Definitely need to try the Naked Skin line!
They have some wonderful products worth trying.
Your skin looks so flawless. I have the concealer but in “only” one shade.
You are too kind, Marcia! I’d like to thank UD foundation and concealers for making it appear that way.
Subtle contouring is what I like, esp for everyday wear
Likewise, subtle contouring seems to work the best with my complexion and facial features.
This is my kind of contouring. Just enough for the effect – but not so much that it looks harsh.
Glad I’m not alone in this 🙂 It seems that most people prefer Instagram-type contouring, but it just doesn’t look good on me.
This is super-easy! I have to try out the concealer-foundation method.
You totally should! It’s quick, easy, and looks great every time.
This is a really easy way of contouring because it takes advantage of your usual skin tone and making sure you’re not too overly mismatched
I agree, it’s pretty fool-proof and even a beginner can achieve great results.
What a great way to bring some brightness to the center of your face. Looks radiant!
Thank you! I much prefer this easy look to heavily contoured skin, on myself at least.