Article: Contouring 101 (Part Two)

Maybe we should start calling this the Khontour.

There is a party on my face. Obvs Kim Kardashian is invited, and all her family too. In Part One of Contouring 101, we learned about applying contouring powders (bronzer and highlighting powder) to trick everyone into thinking you’ve been getting your 5+ a day. In Part Two of Contouring 101, I’ll show you my attempt at tricking everyone into thinking I’ve also sprouted next level cheekbones overnight.

Like a sensible beauty blogger, I forgot to photograph two of the four main components that I use to create this look, so here are the last two (Lioele Triple the Solution BB Cream and a Sedona Lace 480 brush). The first is a cream highlighter or pale cream concealer in two shades lighter than your skintone.

The second is a foundation or cream concealer two shades darker than your skintone. I used an Elf All Over Cover Stick and a wee tube of Elizabeth Arden foundation that I’ve kept even though it’s too dark for me.

This is the HIGH FASHUN result. The under eye highlight is a key component of the Khontour, and I have also contoured around my nose and under my jawline and cheekbones. There will be more powder contouring and highlighting after this.

After this, I blend it all out with a flat top kabuki or foundation brush and a little foundation or BB cream. I’ve used my Lioele Triple the Solution favourite but you could use your normal foundation too.

Next, I powder contour over the top to amp up the intensity. Here I’ve powder contoured where the pink dotted lines are, as well as along the sides of my nose. I also powder highlight under my eyes and on the tops of my cheekbones so that everyone thinks I’m radiant because of the thirty litres of water and ten hours of sleep I get every day. Then, we blend.

This is the result of the two-step Khontour. It’s still not overdone, but if you use an even lighter cream highlighter than I have (it’s hard finding a cream concealer in shades lighter than #001 white-as-a-sheet), you can make people think your cheekbones are even more great.

What did you think of this tutorial? Would you try this for a night out? Let me know in the comments!

Collab & Look: TV Series – Keeping Up With The Kardashians!

Today’s post marks the beginning of a series of reality-meets-TV looks I’m going to do for you guys – and to kick off the series is a collaboration with the wonderful Laura from Laura Loves Beauty! Laura also lives in NZ and we thought we’d both copy a celebrity “look” to give something new a go. Jump on over to Laura’s blog here to check out her post.

Lately we’ve been hearing quite a lot about the Kim Kardashian-esque contour and today, equipped with the palest concealer I own and a LOT of highlighter, I made myself over into the newest Kardashian; Khelese.

This took A LOT of highlighter, concealer and bronzer, and if you want to understand how confused I feel looking in a mirror right now you should definitely see this comparison.

To start off with, I applied Lioele’s Triple the Solution to my naked face. I used this product because it provides some coverage while also acting as a primer. On top of the BB Cream went A LOT of concealer and foundation in quite a few shades darker than my natural skin tone. I’m using an Elf Concealer Stick here but if you guys know a paler concealer please give me a heads up!

I applied concealer in a kind of bird shape over my face – the tail being on my forehead with the wings under my eyes and the head under my nose. Just like a bird’s wings carry a bird, the crucial part of the Kim K look is really in the under eye highlight. After I blended this thing out with a Sedona Lace 480, there was a lot of highlighter applied under the eyes in the same “W” shape over my concealer.

The eye makeup for this look was done in a rather stupid fashion – I did it after my foundation then had to remove all the fallout from under my eyes afterward and re-do my undereye highlight. If you are planning on doing this, do your eye makeup first.

I started off by priming with Urban Decay’s primer potion, then applied Bootycall from the Naked2 Palette all over my browbone. Snakebite went all over my lid and I used an xoBeauty blending brush to introduce the two, kind of like how Brody Jenner is a degree of separation between the Hills and the Kardashians. Blackout went in the outer V and there was more blending.

I concealed in the inner corner, applied Bootycall over the top and then there was even more blending. Oh hey there Kanye, weren’t expecting you to get all relevant over here. That’s what happens when you blend, my friends. Now we are in Kimye territory: an exciting and terrifying mix of pop culture, musical genius and television.

After this, I lined my eyes right the way round with Maybelline Colour Tattoo, then applied mascara and false lashes. There was pressed powder, bronzer, highlighter and lipstick involved afterwards along with a Lana Del Rey song. The lipstick is TopShop’s “Innocent” mixed with Wet & Wild’s “Just Peachy.”

And there you have it; my take on Kim Kardashian’s super contour. I keep looking in the mirror and getting a fright so by that judgement alone, I think I did a pretty good job.

I can also make faces in the mirror and pretend I’m Kim Kardashian. That counts for something right? I don’t think I’ll be wearing this make-up out of the house anytime soon, but it is fun to see how shadows and highlights can make your face seem like it’s a different shape.

What did you guys think of this look? What are your favourite reality TV shows? Don’t forget to check out Laura’s post here!