Contour and bronzer

[lar95]

Hi! 

so I just found out the difference between contour and bronzer (just a heads up i am not good with make up- I really don’t wear make up often like I can’t even use eyeshadow palettes lol). 

for the past two years I’ve been using the Charlotte tilbury Hollywood contour wand to kind of make my cheeks more defined. (I watched a lot of tutorials so i know where to place it! Yay!)

However in the winter i sometimes look pale…and a few months ago I saw my friend using the CT Hollywood contour wand in addition to Mario’s bronzer stick. And i was confused because like….i thought they were for the same purpose (at that time I didn’t know the difference). 

does anyone have suggestions for: 

1. a good bronzer (i think a stick would be easiest for me) (ps do you even think i would NEED a bronzer?) 

2. A step by step instruction on what product to use first and where to apply it (or if you have like a picture/graphic that would help too)

3. When I was looking online to find graphics with regards to how to apply blush/contour/bronzer, there was also stuff showing where to apply highlight. But this confused me because in some of the pictures the highlight was like in the middle of the forehead….is “highlight” technically concealer??? Because i think of highlight as something shiny and makes you glow (aka CT highlight wands lol)

I will take the advice of any kind person thank you so much xoxo

[danielledanielle]

Hey @lar95 

I love a shiny highlight, which is why when I remember seeing concealer as a highlight, it confused me too.

I think of contouring as shadows and highlighting as light.  Essentially you're adding definition with contour, kind of like when you draw something and then outline it in black to make it stand out. Concealer can be highlighter, because you're using something that's usually a bit lighter than your skin tone, so placing it on a dark under eye circle makes that area look brightened.... You didn't ask about all this, but I your post made me think of this.

Also, just to make things more confusing, you can contour with blush and or bronzer, which is something I like to do vs using contour because my undertone makes it look very gray.

Recs:

bareMinerals Gen Nude Blonzer Blush + Bronzer (great for adding color and a little definition)

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Match Stix Trio  

KVD Beauty Shade + Light Refillable Powder Face Contour Palette  

[JoSometimes]

Hi @lar95! I’m pretty new to makeup myself, but here’s what I’ve learned.

Contour is usually a cooler, darker shade that mimics shadows in the lower parts of your face. You can use it on the outer edges of your forehead, face, and jaw to make them shrink into the background.

Highlighter can be more shimmery to mimic light hitting the higher parts of your face. You can use it above your checks, your nose bridge, cupids bow, and forehead. Exact placement depends on your facial features what what you want to diminish and what you want to make more prominent. 

Bronzer is a warmer toned product. It’s meant to add warmth to your face, as if you’re standing in the warm light of the sun. It can be used similar to contour to mimic shadows. You can use it on your forehead, side of your nose, and under your cheeks.

Concealer’s main purpose is to cover up blemishes. You can use it to help brighten certain parts of your face if you go with a lighter shade compared to your foundation or skin. You can use it to highlight too if you’re not into shimmer. 

There are no hard and fast rules to how you use makeup. It’s really up to you and what you like. The only thing you really need to watch out for is using eye products specifically around eyes to avoid irritating them and only use products meant for the lips on your lips to avoid ingesting something you shouldn’t. Everything else is fair game! If you want to use a bronzer to contour your face and you like how it looks, go for it! Same with placement. If you’re happy, that’s all the matters. And if you’re not, you can always wipe it off and try again. 

Unfortunately, the rules don’t let anyone post links outside of Sephora, so I can’t direct you to specific links to diagrams. From my experience, I find diagrams can give you a rough idea of where to place products, but everyone’s face is different and what works for me might not work for you and vice versa. I was the same when I first started using makeup. I found it most helpful to ask for the advice from the makeup artists on what products would work best for me and where to place them.

I know this was a lot, but I hope it helps! I’d love to see how it goes!

[faeriegirl]

@lar95  I highly recommend the Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Warm Wishes Effortless Cream Bronzer Stick  . They are so easy to use and blend. This is an image I like to go by that has helped me.