My Holy Grail Contour Kit!!

Contouring and highlighting is probably my favorite step when I'm putting my face on. I love going from having a flat, pale face, to having actual cheekbones!!! It's probably the most enjoyable part of my make-up routine for that very reason. So here are my steps and favorite contouring and highlighting bits and pieces. Here we go!!

I opt for a powder contour in my make-up routine, I just find it works better for me than cream products. I know plenty of gorgeous ladies who cream contour, but I just like powder products better. I generally move between two different contour palettes, but my routine and my tools are always the same.

My absolute favorite contour and highlight duo of all time, ever is the Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light. It seems to be never ending because I use this all the time and I've yet to hit pan on either the highlight or the contour shades. Cray cray!!

To contour, I first like to carve out my cheekbones with the contour color and my Blank Canvas Cosmetics F30 flat contour brush. This brushes bristles are really short, dense and narrowly packed. If you're familiar with the Nars Ita brush, it's very similar. I lightly press the brush into the contour shade and tap off the excess, and then it's time to carve out the general shape and angle of my contour. From here I can build up the pigment if I need to, though I tend to leave that for the second step.

The second step for me is to take my Real Techniques Contour Brush and blend, blend, blend!!! This is the point where I start to-ing and fro-ing from my F30 to my RT brush to build up the colour and blend for a nice diffused finish.

I'm going to blow your mind with my highlight tool... I take my middle finger, swipe it in the pan and then dab and blend onto the top of my cheekbones. Yep. Sometimes I will use a small fan brush, but mostly I'm lazy and my fingers do the job.

So there you have it, my contour routine!

Have you any recommedations for contour products? Highlighters? 

Drop me a line below! 

XO 

Amy

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My Flawless Eyeliner Routine

Winged liner can make or break a look… One twitch and it's all for naught, and you must strip the whole lot and start over. 
 

 

I used to avoid doing liner unless it was a special occasion or I wanted to wear lashes, but not anymore. I have found the perfect combo, and I'm dying to let you all in on it!!

The liner I have been all about is the Rimmel London Gel Liner in 001 Black. I suppose you could use any liner you like but this liner is my love right now. I got it in the #CorkBlogMeet15 goody bag and have been ob-sessed.  


Gel liner is a tricksy little Hobbit, and for this liner you need an incredible brush to make it easy and fool proof. That's where my Blank Canvas Cosmetics E39 Bent Liner Brush comes in. Because of the angle of the ferrule bend and the thin bristles you can lay the brush really close to the lash line and get a really precise application. Then because of the angle of the brush you can map out the wing according to your eye shape and it will be even and fabulous every time!!

You can set the gel with a black shadow if you want but I only do that for nights out where I feel I might be up dancing…

So there you have it, my flawless winged liner combo!!

What do you think?

Xo

Amy

My Flawless Base Routine

That base, yo!! 

One of the things in your make-up stash that needs to be great is foundation. I've gone through so many brands trying to find my Holy Grail for my flawless base. Today, I'm going to walk you through my flawless base routine - including the brushes I use to achieve it! I used this routine for the look I wore to a gig I attended recently, which you can read about on Monday. 

First up, I take my skin through its usual cleansing and moisturising routine, using my Nivea Cleansing Milk, Refreshing Toner and Energizing Day Cream. 

After my moisturiser sinks in, I prime my skin, and to do that I use Benefit Pore-Fessional. I take it over my nose, cheeks, forehead  and on my chin. Then I blend it out with my fingertips, and give it a second to sink in. 

For foundation, I dot some Estee Lauder Double Wear in Shell over my skin, and then buff it in with my Blank Canvas Cosmetics F20 Flat Top Foundation Brush. I buff it into the skin for a medium coverage finish, work it down onto my neck and out to my ears. Once it sets a bit, I repeat, dotting the foundation once more, and pressing it into the areas where I need more coverage. The beauty of Estee Lauder Double Wear is that it's buildable and doesn't cake. Once the coverage is how I want it, I buff out the edges for a seamless finish. 

Double Wear sets by itself, but I've found that it sets matte, so I take my Real Techniques Powder Brush and my Physicians Formula Happy Booster powder, and pat it over my entire face to set the foundation with a slightly glowy finish. 

And there you have it!! My flawless base routine with a radiant finish!! 

What do you use for your flawless base??

xo,

Amy

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