Easy Contouring Products

Illamasqua Hollow Cream Pigment - £17 / Sleek Face Contour Kit - £6.49 / MAC Harmony Blusher - £17.50
NARS Douceur Blusher - £21 / Louise Young LY20 Super Fan Brush - £26

As the not so proud owner of a big roundy moon face I do like to contour my cheekbones now and then. I've always longed for a makeup technique that could slim my face down a tad (or to just have a less round face!) and it was only when I started watching YouTube makeup tutorials a few years ago that I discovered contouring. I find it fascinating to watch people's face shape change just by adding some brown powder underneath their cheekbones & jawline. Its something I've always struggled with though as it can be hard to find a contour colour that isn't too orange & a brush that doesn't make me look like I have an orange beard. I love Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow because it solves both of those problems in one go. Its the perfect colour for my skin & a quick swipe with my fingers allows for precise application. Its easily blended out and has superb staying power for a cream product. If you like the texture of Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel but find the colour too warm for you then Hollow Cream Pigment is a fab cool toned alternative.

If I'm going for a powder contour product then I really like the Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light. Light is quite a deceptive name as it is still a fairly dark colour but with enough blending it can look great. It is slightly warm in tone but most people would probably welcome the effect that gives. Sleek also make a Face Form Contour Kit which includes a blusher for just £10. I also like MAC's Harmony Blusher for a matter product but with the same warmth. It can be a bit dark on me so again lots of blending is key here. A lot of people rave about the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer but that was far too dark, orange & glittery for me. Same goes for NARS Laguna Bronzer. A NARS product that I do think works for contouring is their Douceur Blusher. It offers subtle colour and definition to the cheeks in one. Use it to sculpt the sides of your face rather than applying it to the apples of your cheeks. Its also very sheer so its hard to overdo it. The amount of pink in this product makes it look very natural, almost as if you were born with those cheekbones!

I've tried to contour my face with a lot of different brushes in the past. Various MAC MUA's had promised me that if I bought the rather expensive 138 or 168 brushes then my contouring troubles would be over but both left me with orange beard syndrome & a big hole in my bank account. I know a lot of people like it for contouring but I prefer to use the Real Techniques Contour Brush for blusher & concealer. I still really like the MAC 109 brush but no brush is as easy to use as the Louise Young LY20 Super Fan Brush. Seriously, it is an absolute dream! Its really well made & the bristles are so soft. The extreme width & fluffiness of this brush means that it is brilliant at blending. The shape allows you to follow the natural contours of your face with great ease. I just tap the very middle of the brush into my chosen contouring powder and the clean ends on either side blend it out perfectly. Using the LY20 is almost like Contouring For Dummies. I cannot emphasise enough just how foolproof this brush is. It can also be used to apply highlighter & setting powder so this brush is an absolute must have for me. If contouring is something you find difficult then this wonderful Louise Young brush could be the exact product you need in your arsenal.