There has been a trend of late to heavily contour the face with either different shades of foundation or bronzing powder.

Contouring the face is not new. You trace contouring the face back to the black and white film era and into colour film. Even the likes of the beautiful Marilyn Monroe relied heavily on her makeup artist Whitey to help create her perfected look.

( Above a concealer palette with light and dark shades. The darker shades can be used to sculpt the face, whilst the lighter shade can be used to highlight. Another low cost option when contouring the face.)

Marilyn used contouring to define her face shape and to help alter the look of her nose .But what you didn’t see in her pictures were awful muddy dirty stripes down the side of her cheeks, in an attempt to try and emphasis her cheek bones.

If you are going to contour your face then try to be subtle about it. Remember less is more and never use bronzer with shimmer if you can avoid it. This often has the tendency to react with the oils in your foundation or skin and can turn a muddy colour on the skin.

On a recent photo shoot I did with a professional model, I was a appalled to see a model turn up with awful hollowed out cheek bones in a glittery muddy brown. I asked her to turn up with light make up so that I could touch up and enhance where needed for speed on the shoot. Well that request has taught me a lesson I will never forget. Her facial makeup had to be removed and redone ( without any bronzer or contouring,. The model had great cheek bones, all she needed was a little blush. She looked fantastic once her makeup had been redone. But that time is taken from the time needed with the photographer and the loss of daylight.

Please, please re think the use of heavy contouring on the face. Remember when  using a bronzer you should use it lightly in the places where the sun would naturally catch your face. Use it to sculpt around the hair line on a high forehead. If you must use it on your cheeks then use it very lightly just under the cheek bone, and then sculpt the jaw line. But even then, it would probably serve you better to invest in a face powder a couple of shades darker that your foundation, than to use a shimmer bronzer.

Not everyone needs to contour their cheek bones. Some people are naturally blessed and if you over emphasise an asset you can end up detracting from it. So think before you reach for the brown powder and brush.