Should I be contouring?

[msrisotto]

I see that this is a thing with Kim K and celebs in general, but what about us plebs? I rarely bother with makeup, but for occasions I use tinted moisturiser or maybe foundation. Am I way behind the times? What am I missing out on? How would I get started?

Honestly, I wouldn't if I were you.

I likes a bit of mascara as much as anyone, but I think contouring is going a bit far.

Make-up should make you look like a better (and better slept) version of yourself. Some of the contouring is a real art form, but when it makes you completely unrecognisable then you've possibly got a bit too much slap on.

Just my two penneth worth. Probably the wrong answer considering this is S&B.

If you don't wear much makeup to start with then I don't think there's much point contouring. It can look very glamorous but if it's applied badly it can look horrific.

Apparently (I've read somewhere!) contouring is going out now - 'highlighting' is in.
(Am none the wiser...)

Contouring is best left to when you're going for a properly made up look for a night out I think (and takes a lot of practise to get right). For day to day it's best to steer clear imo as its a very 'perfect' and heavy look, so in bright daylight it looks slightly odd.

Actually, I checked (can't sleep) - strobing is the latest thing now.

I think it looks very odd really although I'm absolutely fascinated with it. I was watching a Lisa Eldridge video where she said she has to be careful with contouring because she has a thin face and didn't want to look skeletal. Tbh she was just on the right side of skeletal so it does work.

I wish I had the energy, but I am just going to accept my lumpy potato face instead. I tried, I looked stripy and odd. I can't be arsed trying again.

I think chroming is actually the latest one! I for one will stick with my highlighter thanks. Lipstick is for lips!

Crikey!
Chroming
Just had a look at it and I'm not a fan tbh - it's back to the shimmery face of the late 90s/early 00s.

I do quite like the lighter touch of strobing, but I'll probably just stick with what I know

I know bunny, chroming is just taking it too far! I think contouring can look fab but you have to have a light touch and be a pro at blending. I have had a comedy go and its not really for me. I will stick with my blusher and highlighter!

If you rarely bother with makeup then I wouldn't be arsed.

However I have to admit that on fat days I do it and it does make my face look less piggy.

However you have to go to every bloody mirror in the house to make sure you've blended it really well.

You also have to have something more grey then brown (I use Taupe by NYX) and only do about an inch from your ear. Stripes down to your mouth are a baaaaad idea. And then you have to blend like a lunatic.

But once you get the hang of it a million youtube tutorials later it can definately improve the occasional moonface.

Superb, I saw this meme recently and it made me laugh.
The teens nowadays seem so amazingly perfectly groomed and made-up, I can't get to grips with it all and am in awe when I see some of the flawlessness!

I'm with you bunny. I was in Superdrug the other day and two 14/16 year olds(actually I had no idea how old they were so that's a rough guess) came in and they looked flawless, like they'd just been made up professionally. I felt like a dowdy old lady! When I was a teen I wore glittery eyeliner, pink eyeshadow and sticky lipgloss and looked a right mess. It's not at all fair that the teens of today look amazing.

NO

It looks ridiculous. It's one of those things that looks amazing in pictures but bloody awful in real life. I think that's why slebs do it because 95% of people will see them in pics and not irl.

Just a bit of highlighter will do

I remember years ago reading an article about how makeup was applied to models for magazine features and advertising type things, and contouring was used. The makeup artist said 'obviously this wouldn't work for real people in real life' but here we are. The stakes seem to be getting higher all the time. I would be such a failure if I was a teenage girl nowadays.

Ok, thanks for your thoughts! I saw tutorials on youtube so I thought it was now an everyday thing, but I understand now that it is not. I don't have a highlighter though so i'll get on that instead

I have a nearly 16 year old girl who now spends HOURS doing make up, contouring being one of the things she does. I got her to do it on me, I looked ridiculous!! I just don't have the time that she does but even if I did I don't think I could be bothered. It's definitely not the 'natural' look!!

My 12 year old has several "looks" that she can pull off easily, from subtle fresh-faced barely there may up to full on mo/Goth style. Sigh. No idea where she got it from, I wear nothing more than a smudge of eyeshadow and lipstick every day, only do the full slap if going out which doesn't happen often. She has a one of those cantilever make up boxes with tons of make up. At her age I had 3 lipsticks (Rimmel Heather Shimmer, 17 Twilight Teaser & Miss Selfridge Copper Knockers), a couple of nail polishes and some Woolworths eye shadow (olive sludge green and a bluefish one)

I have roseca so cant wear blusher and a light contour gives some warmth and definition to my face. I use a mac eyeshadow that i put a tiny amount of under my cheekbones and then a highlighter on top of the cheek bones, currently also a MAC one. It looks really suttle.

When i cant be bothered i just use a light bronzer over the cheekbones. In fact, a light bronzer is probably the loveliest way to wake up a face. Looks so youthful and refreshed. Not at all orangey.
I went to harvey nichs and the girls there showed me how to do it.

I contour in about 5 seconds flat, well its maybe not contouring but it does help my face - a sweep of bronzer (hoola by benefit) under cheekbones from hairline and a sweep along temples. Can make a huuuuuge difference to how your face looks

I think contoring was just meant for photographs - otherwise it looks stripy and mucky in really life. I wrong? It is actually for day to day now?

I agree with Kennington, contoring only really works in photos. I went to DDs parents evening last week, one of her teachers had tried contoring and it was horrific. She had a big shimmery white stripe down her nose with a rusty brown colour down the sides. Loads of very pink blusher with the white stripes above and below. It was barely blended and looked bloody awful.
I haven't got a clue what she said to me about DD I was just totally fixated on her face.

I'm sorry but what the bloody hell is contouring? I feel like I probably need it being fat and ugly but since I don;t know what it is it makes that difficult. Will it make my fat ugly middle aged self look all 20 and gorgeous and perfect?

I think it's shading for your face coloring in cheekbones and the like

Oh god, please don't!

I'm good at makeup, I'm even good at contouring but unless I'm going on a big night out I just don't bother! It looks ridiculous. The Kim K look in general looks ridiculous in an everyday setting. If I turned up at the office made up like that my co-workers would assume I'd have a stroke and call an ambulance.

I do use a little(!!!) highlighter to brighten up my face at times but full coverage foundationand contouring should really be reserved for special occasions.