Heavy contouring is out (finally!) and has replaced with lighter, more natural makeup. You don’t have to throw away your contouring makeup product – just use them differently! It’s now become more about adding dimension to your face, rather than changing its shape.

Show off your skin texture

One of the things we didn’t like about the heavy face contouring trend is the layers and layers of products. It was impractical for hot, humid weather (raise your hand if you felt your makeup was melting by the middle of the day). It also hid your skin texture and looked “overdone.” What’s pretty in Instagram is often overkill in real life!

So use a foundation that has light to medium coverage, and apply in thin and sheer layers. (We like using a damp Beauty Blender, because it really buffs the makeup into the skin.)  Spot-conceal with a concealer brush, applying only where needed and blending out the edges. Voila, a fresh face with less product.

Don’t apply a contouring makeup product straight to your face

Most people dip their sponge or brush into their contour palette and then buff it into their skin. Wrong! Instead, press the product on your hand and use what’s left on your sponge or brush. If you put too much, take some off with a clean sponge.

That lets you apply lighter, sheerer layers and press it into the skin. It looks more natural, as if you’ve just got an inner, healthy glow. (You can also look for contour makeup with the right formula.)

natural way to use contour makeup products

Blend the edges well

Take the sponge or brush that you used to apply your foundation and pat around the area where you applied contouring powder. This blurs the edges and makes it look even more natural.

Brush off the excess powder

After setting your makeup, take a fluffy fan brush and flick off the excess powder. This leaves the pigment and color but prevents the over-powdering that hides your skin texture and makes you look “overdone.”