Hey beauty babes.

Today I am sharing a  how-to on contouring your face. Contouring is a combination of highlighting and shaping your face to give it depth and enhance your facial structure. One of the celebrities that brought it into the limelight is Kim Kardashian. It is her signature look, and it can really transform your face from flat to sculpted. The goal is for it to look natural and subtle by blending a combination of both light and dark on the face. It takes some practice, but if done incorrectly you could end up looking like Lindsay Lohan in the picture below.

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                When contouring the face you want to follow this setup.

First start with a contouring brush and apply the bronzer or darkest shade on the sides of your cheek bones blending upward. Continue to the upper corners of your forehead and around your hairline. Next apply at the bottom on your chin and around your jawline. Then take a smaller brush and apply the darkest color on the sides on your nose. This process helps define and add depth to your face. Next, take your highlighter or lightest shade and apply down the middle of your forehead all the way down your nose, on your cupids bow, and below your lip. Apply highlighter under your eyebrows and above your cheekbones. The last step is to blend it all together to create the final effect.

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Here are some great contouring palettes that even come with how-to templates for beginners. I use TooFaced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer in medium/deep paired with Urban Decay Flushed, which has a combination of bronzer, highlighter, and blush. It is also important to have the right brushes when contouring to create the desired look.

1. Too Faced Cocoa Contour palette $40
2. NYX Highlight & Contour Pro palette $25
3. Laura Mercier Flawless Contouring palette $50
4. Kat Von D Shade & Light Contour palette $46
5. Coastal Scents Eclipse palette $15
6. City Color Contour Effects palette $14
7. Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour palette $40