Does Contouring Work? My First Experience With This Makeup Trend

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Once upon a time, there was an editor who had no idea how to contour. That’s me. How does it work? What do you do? Where do you put the different colors? Do you put foundation on first? I had literally no idea what I was supposed to do, so I reached out for help. My friend Taylor explained: “Just make yourself look like Mufasa, then blend.”

After receiving the Dr. Jart+ BB Mate Contouring Kit – because it seemed to be the easiest to figure out – and a beautyblender – because it seems like a contouring necessity – I was ready to try it.

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Well, sort of ready. Once my Sephora order arrived, I realized that all of these products were extremely overwhelming. So, I did what I do best: Snapchat people who know beauty products and trends much better than I do. I turned to my friends Katie and Taylor for advice on which colors I needed to use, where to put them on my face, and what on Earth the little egg-looking sponge was for. 

So, after many charts sent from Pinterest, a tutorial set on repeat, and several selfies of my skin covered in makeup way too dark for my light skin tone, I started to blend. And blend. And blend some more. I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I looked like I had been punched in the face.

My first attempt was way too much contour and not enough highlighter. Or something like that. I’m still working on learning the properly terminology! I’ve never been more grateful for makeup remover wipes. So, with determination – and nothing good on TV – I tried again. This time, I loosely followed the guides I had been given and applied the three shades of makeup where I felt it would do the best. 

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Foundation. Mufasa. Blend.

With a little less Mufasa-ing, a bit of finishing powder, the final product was rather nice. I am by no means a makeup artist – I didn’t even attempt to wear makeup until I was in high school – but as I looked at my reflection with the different colors highlighting my face, I felt pretty good about myself. I was glad that I’d be able to practice a bit more before attending any holiday parties, but it wasn’t terrible!

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Makeup is always fun to play with. With a new trend seeming to come out every other week, it can be hard to keep up with what looks good and what is just ridiculous. While contouring is a bit overwhelming – and does actually make you look hilarious before you blend everything in – it might just be my new favorite look to whip out for all the holiday season. 

 

Do you have any contouring tips for our editor?

Categories: Fashion & Beauty, Makeup

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Hattie Weber
Hattie Weber is a senior editor at Badass + Living. A 2015 college graduate, Hattie is a Texan residing in New York City. Her life experiences – from being a traveler to a debutante to an office manager – have given her a great understanding of her fellow millennials. Hattie has been published in Thought Catalog's "More Than 20 Minutes Of Reading: Everything You Need To Read About The Brock Turner Case & Controversy." Her dedication to those she cares about and her unapologetic honesty are what make her a badass.

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