A Makeup Artist is only as good as his or her tools. Here I share the 4 key tools I use when it comes to mastering the fine art of CONTOURING! With these little babies in hand you will be contouring like a pro in no time.

Whether it’s highlighting or contouring your complexion the Rae Morris Flawless Shader is my brush of choice. Hold it on it’s side to highlight the high points of the face – like the cheekbones and the ridge of the nose – or hold it flat to the face using the full width of the brush to contour the cheeks, temples and jaw line. Whether it’s creams or powders, there is nothing this brush can’t blend and shade. I give this bush a fool-proof rating!

Brows are one of the most important steps when it comes to shaping the face. The brows define and frame the eye area and have the capability of giving the face a mini lift when done properly. Remember to use a shadow which is one shade lighter than the natural colour of your brows, and apply it with my go-to brow tool – Estee Lauder’s Brow Brush #20 – fill, define and extend your brows into a professional finish. This angled brush is perfect for sculpting and defining a area that is often forgotten. *Tip; The trick is to do a ‘feathered stroke’ in the direction the hair grows. This will give a more natural, defined finish. 

One of my favourite techniques to shaping the eye area is to first shade through the socket area of the eye with a bronzer or soft brown shadow. By doing this, it exaggerates the shape and space between you lash line and brows. My weapon of choice is the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Brush. The feathered flat end of the brush allows you to get right into the contour of the lid to add depth to the eye and then buff the shadow/bronzer out and over the remainder of the lid in a circular motion to give a sense of space & definition. You will be surprised at how youthful and awake your eyes will look!

There is no denying your fingers are one of the major tools we use when applying foundation. The warmth of the fingers helps to blend the product into the skin resulting in a more seamless finish. There is, however, times when we don’t want to get our fingers messy or when we need to build the foundation to give us that extra coverage. To do this, I can never go past the Precision Blending Sponge by Manicare.  Use it wet – for a more sheer finish – or dry – to achieve a more maximum coverage. This re-usable antibacterial sponge gives you the ultimate angle to apply your foundation in the areas needed while blending it out where you don’t. *Note; Keep your blend fresh and ready for action by washing in a little soap and water regularly.