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How to Master Contouring Once and for All

Learning how to contour is easier than it looks -- with this step-by-step contouring guide, you'll have Kim K-like bone structure in no time
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Contouring Step 2: Accentuate Your Cheekbones
Perhaps the most essential of all contouring techniques is the cheekbone chisel. The key to getting it right is correct placement of your contour powder.

How to: Dip your angled bronzer brush ever so slightly into the powder and tap off any excess. It's much easier to add more product than it is to tone it down once you've made a mistake.

Pucker your lips. This will create a hollow in your cheek, showing you exactly where to add the powder. Gently blend the powder into this concave area, starting at your ear and blending inward. Don't shade any further inward than the outer corner of your eye to really create a believable shadow placement.

Blend like crazy with your fluffy powder blush. It's crucial that you blend upward, melding your contour with your blush, rather than downward, which can give you a faux five-o-clock-shadow -- not cute.

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Contouring Step 3: Add a Forehead Shadow
Contouring your forehead will keep your look cohesive. Plus, it minimizes a large forehead (take note, Tyra Banks).

How to: Lightly dip your angled brush back into the contour powder. Tap off excess powder and apply it along your hairline, at the top of your forehead and to the sides. Blend harsh edges with your fluffy brush, pulling the powder down a bit above your temples. This will mimic a natural shadow on your face.

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Contouring Step 4: Define Your Nose
Your nose might not be an area you've thought to contour, but with a few makeup brush strokes, you can make it look slimmer and straighter.

How to: Gently dip the tip of your domed eye shadow brush into your contour powder. To make your nose look more slender, blend along both sides of the bridge of your nose to create depth. Focus the powder on the middle third of your nose, and avoid blending up too far, as powder on the bridge of your nose may make you look dirty.

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Contouring Step 5: Open Your Eyes
Did you know contouring works on eyes too? Whether due to age or sleepiness, droopy eyes are a common problem among women. But instead of forking over cash for a brow lift, you just need to know how to wield your contouring kit.

How to: First, find your eye crease: Feel with your finger to figure out where the top of your eyeball is. Concentrate your contour above this divot, being careful not to put powder in your actual crease. You're faking a crease that's higher than it actually is to give yourself an instant eyelift.

Dust the shadow onto that area and swipe back and forth with a windshield-wiper motion. Blend out harsh edges so the crease looks natural.

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Contouring Step 6: Give Your Temples Attention
Your temples are a key place to contour because it will make your whole face look sleek.

How to: Dip your fluffy brush into your contour powder, and swirl a bit of powder right at your hairline on your temples. Blend like crazy back toward your hairline so the shadow is completely seamless.

BY KELLY SEARLE | DEC 8, 2016 | SHARES
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