The Sephora guide to perfect contouring

Ever lusted after the skin of a gorgeously contoured celebrity but looked ridiculous when you tried it at home? It happens to the best of us! For anyone not in the know, contouring is the art of face or body sculpting with makeup products. The technique is most commonly used on the face to define and enhance its structure. Popular areas to highlight include the cheekbones, nose, jawline and temples.

Recently, body contouring has become just as popular. In contrast to expensive and risky plastic surgery procedures, high-quality professional makeup can quickly and safely enhance your good bits while playing down your imperfections. Body contouring can be carried out on all sorts of areas including the decolletage and breasts, stomach and abs, and even those pesky bingo wings. When body sculpting is done well, it can firm skin, enhance blood circulation and cover blemishes. When done badly, it can look as if you have brown straps around your body... Not the look you were hoping for!

Yep, body contouring is an art form. Rather than diving straight in, why not do your homework with the following tips for perfect contouring?

Map it out

The first thing to do is map out the area you’re body sculpting. To find your cheekbones, place two fingers on the side of your face and find the point where the bone dips. This is where you’ll want to create the impression of contoured, firm skin with your body sculpting makeup.

Make lines not war

Use a makeup colour that's two shades darker than your skin tone to draw bold lines. Don’t panic - these may look ridiculous now but they'll soon be blended! Focus on the sides of the nose if you want to slim its appearance, and the sides of your forehead if you want to reduce its span. The cheekbones and jawline are two of the most obvious areas to enhance, and you can even apply a subtle shadow under the lips to give the impression of an enlarged pout.

Bag the best brush

Contour queens swear by beauty blenders. These egg-shaped makeup sponges form a point which can be used to expertly blend all types of liquid makeup. Use them to apply your base makeup, then soften the dark lines of your body contouring product. Use a circular dabbing motion to diffuse makeup into your skin for a flawless finish.

Choosing your body sculpting makeup of choice

Our personal pick is Shade + Light Crème Contour from Kat Von D Beauty. This luxurious highlighter and contour cream creates depth and dimension, hydrates skin and covers blemishes. Products that only have one function are so last year!

With six carefully selected colours to choose from, you’re bound to find the perfect shade for your skin type. Those with a very pale complexion can opt for the lightest Parchment shade, while other customers should select a tone two degrees darker than their usual foundation. Better yet, you can pick up additional refills of this Kat Von D Beauty favourite. When you hit the bottom of the palette, simply slot in a brand new refill and continue your usual body sculpting routine.