A Week of Beauty: Contouring

Happy Monday morning to all of you!

I realize that sentiment may be an oxymoron, and on any other Monday I would have told myself to suck an egg, but that extra hour of sleep on Saturday night has revolutionized my life.

REVOLUTIONIZED, people.

For example: I worked out this morning. As in I actually got out of bed and sweated. Before work.

And I liked it.

I KNOW!

I don't even know who I am anymore.

I am pretty sure Daylight Savings is making me a better person.

So, with my new-found energy and overall zeal for life (granted, I may have to take a nap under my desk this afternoon), I have decided to dedicate this week to beauty techniques and products. My friend Melissa and I talked at length about this yesterday and we both decided that this was something that most of us have in common: we all want to look and feel our best but we don't want to spend half of our paychecks in the process.

I find that at this time of year everything begins to look dull. My skin is dry, my hair is limp and my make-up just isn't working its magic. However, sometimes all it takes is one little trick to feel peppy again! This week, we will tackle techniques, products and styles that I have either tried or come highly recommended. And if you have any ideas or suggestions, send them my way!

Contouring:
To begin, let's chat about contouring. Now, please believe me when I say that I am not an expert at this. I scour Pinterest to find the absolute best ways to put on make-up without looking like a mime. I have very fair skin and dark hair so I am already a walking contrast. Looking like a dewy sunkissed goddess or Elvira is a very thin line, my friends.

But, contouring has some definite benefits! It can emphasize your favorite parts and de-emphasize those that are not. And it can totally lighten you up, which is nice since we have fewer minutes of sunlight every day.

Recently, I took some pointers from my very best friend, Kim Kardashian. Love her or hate her, her face is freaking amazing, and it is only enhanced by contouring. Here is what her contouring looks like:

To be honest, this is way too complicated for me. I am pretty sure if I applied this method I would look like I have camouflage on my face. I do not spend precious minutes getting ready every morning just so I can go hunting.

However, I did find a website that breaks it down, making those who are make-up-challenged, like myself, learn how to contour properly. For example:

See how the the bronzer is applied just below the cheek bone and not on the cheek bone? This is amazing! How did I not know this? This nugget of information would have been very useful during my freshman year of high school.

Here are some more useful tips:

• If you have a round face and want to make it look more oval: Apply a bronzer a shade or two darker than your skin tone in a "3" shape alongside your face: on your temples, the hollow of your cheeks, and your chin.
• If you have a prominent forehead: Shade around the outer edge of your forehead along your hairline to minimize the area with bronzer.
• If you have a flat or wide nose: Shade alongside your bridge starting from your inner brows. Then highlight right on the center of your nose.
• If gravity is taking a toll and your cheeks are sagging: Apply a highlighter just above your cheekbone all the way to your temple. Use a blush directly on the cheekbone, then use a bronzer in the hollow of the cheek, underneath your bone.

My mind is officially blown.

In conclusion, contouring rocks! Learning how to do it may take some time but it can definitely brighten you up as we head into the cold winter months.

And if you are a contouring genius or have any pointers for those who aren't, be sure to leave a comment or two. It takes a beauty village, my friends.