Contouring: HOW IT'S DONE, SON

Here is a man who cares not a flea's cowlick for contour powder

I get questioned IRL a lot on what I use for contouring. Here, I'll share, knowing, of course, that such a post is redundant, only adding to the excessive blahblahblah on the subject.

First, in my opinion, contouring is not for everyone (nor their grandma).

It's acceptable for 'correcting' here and there or trying to trace the chola/Kardashian mask to the exact wart. Still, if one is not in makeup for the artistry, and not in a photoshoot/selfie-obsessed, contouring can be completely unnecessary.

What an interesting, fun, amazing way to spend your time....

You can use it to redo your face contours after blotting them out with full coverage foundation. This is old-fashioned and boring for normal life, IMO. 'Tis the age of translucency, of sheer finishes, and slapdash cool. Mais oui. Contouring can appear starkly vulgar, very easily.

E.G. A CC cream allows your facial framework to shine through, as it merely evens out your skintone. So if you do contouring more suited for FULL coverage on top of that, it jars.

ALSO, some face shapes/features just don't need it. Aging. If you resemble Clara Bow, why would you undermine your natural beauty by 'carving out' cheekbones? Just leave it.
Or nose contouring...it can so easily make you look mean and hard. Like you regularly throw cell phones at your maid and then go on Oprah and pretend that you're sorry.

 Leave it. All that agony to look stupidly gaunt and witchy...

I blame it on the dearth of embroidery, the shunning of archery. It's like, when arts requiring much focus and attention to detail, as monogramming handkerchiefs, or falcon training do, became unhip, the human race decided to shift all that surplus energy to....applying bronzer. Skillfuly. And talking about it much too much. And being bored to death but still talking about it because it's easier and more accessible than horses, falcons, embroidery coaches (aka grandma).

Kashmiri ladies embroidering shawls and not giving a damn about their cheekbone highlights

Bride with a bird (nary a muddy bronze stripe in sight)

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I use the darkest and lightest shades of the Maybelline fit me foundation sticks, to carve out the contours. (When I say carve I mean a couple of dabs, blended).
 Like contour sticks RE: Artist of Makeup RE: Zukreat, but cheaper.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick: It is very interesting. 

The beak gets a dab of the dark shade on the end of it, because when that's blended out, it makes it cuter and shorter, more like a deer and less like a bird of prey.

I then pat on foundation with clean hands, because brushes/stippling is boring. I sometimes re-emphasize the contours with a cream bronzer like Omorovicza Sunkiss (cool-toned) or Guerlain Terracotta TM (warm-toned). This way there is that bit more dimension, avoiding the striped tiger look. By the way, cream bronzer used with a fluffy brush = evenly distributed, diffused...more airbrushed-ish.

Alternative: lighter foundation in centre of face, a coupla shades darker for the outside, no contouring faff needed.

Put on some Wet n Wild Coverall powder/Chanel Poudre Universelle. Go back to dreaming of medieval times. Refrain from using mop as a hobby horse.

THE END