Contouring: What it is, why you need it and who does it best

CONTOURING has become a celebrity beauty staple. So what is it, why do you need it, and which celebs do it best?

Celebrity makeup artist Lilit Caradanian shares her tips.

CONTOURING has been a celebrity beauty staple for years, but with the influx of social media it’s finally an accessible technique for the average girl.

Contouring is the art of sculpting and when it’s done well, it’s used to enhance your best features and draw attention away from others. Women around the world use this technique as a viable alternative to surgery — it really is that effective!

So if you haven’t been blessed with Cara Delevigne’s brows, Kim Kardashian’s jaw and Taylor Swift’s delicate nose, don’t despair: Take a look at the five celebs who do contouring best and check out some insider secrets to getting this look at home:

1. Kim Kardashian

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 11: Kim Kardashian attends the Louis Vuitton show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2015/2016 on March 11, 2015 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

The queen of contour, Kim has been shading and highlighting for as long as I’ve been breathing (note: a loonng time) and this woman knows her stuff. Whether she’s attending a red carpet event, or popping into her gym for a reformer pilates workout, Kim’s entire look is impeccable.

The key to achieving a look ah la Kim is to focus on shading under the jaw line, below the cheekbone and around the eye socket — and blend, blend, blend!

2. J. Lo

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 11: Actress/singer Jennifer Lopez arrives at Fox TV's "American Idol XIV" finalist party at The District on March 11, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

J Lo has come leaps and bounds since ‘Jenny from the Block’ and is the ultimate inspo when it comes to achieving a just come back from St Tropez glow. Her previous make-up artist, Scott Barnes, worked wonders on J Lo, giving her skin the perfect deep bronze, without turning it tandoori.

The trick to getting this look at home is to use a matte base and only apply bronzer to the areas that naturally hit the sun — the cheeks, nose and top of the forehead; anywhere else and you risk looking like an extra from Jersey Shore. Then highlight along the top of the cheekbones, brow bone and centre line of the nose.

3. Jessica Biel

HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 02: Actress Jessica Biel attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

It’s not enough for Jessica to steal the heart of the world’s most eligible bachelor, but she also takes out the title of most natural contouring in Hollywood. Jessica and her make-up artists know her strengths — cheekbones and lips — and accentuate these with a subtle contour and feminine highlights of pinks and lilacs, making this a great go-to for brides. The effect is understated beauty and she is the perfect example of how contouring doesn’t always have to mean a full face of makeup.

4. Cate Blanchett

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 file photo, Cate Blanchett arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. A spokeswoman for the actress said Friday, March 6, 2015, that Blanchett and husband Andrew Upton have adopted a baby girl. Edith Vivian Patricia Upton joins the couple’s three sons, ages 6, 10 and 13. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Leading the way for the Australians is the ever-elegant Cate Blanchett. Cate’s 2015 Oscars look was flawless, but this beauty isn’t a one-trick-pony; she is the most consistent star when it comes to makeup, balancing radiance and delicacy with one striking angle. Cate does a naturally contoured eye brilliantly, applying the right amount of shimmering shade and highlighter to make her pale blue eyes transfixing. She also almost always does a matte finish on the foundation, which blends her cheek, jaw and forehead contouring effortlessly.

To emulate this look, use a darker bronze on the crease of the eyelid, highlight the brow bone and tear ducts of the eye with a white shimmer and pick a bright lip — either peach, burgundy or classic red.

5. Margot Robbie

HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 22: Actress Margot Robbie arrives at the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

It wouldn’t be a who’s who of Hollywood without this young starlet. Margot has taken the States by storm and continues to be a trailblazer when it comes to contouring. Her specialty is eyebrows, because although she always sports a flawless arch, if you look at her colouring, it’s obvious that she isn’t naturally blessed with full, dark brows. Margot’s makeup team understand that she could never pull off the thick, never-been-plucked Cara Delevigne brow look, so they’ve embraced the old school glamour of the defined arch and made it work.

If your brows aren’t easy to tame, there’s no point trying to let them run wild — keep them tame and work with what you’ve got. Use a powdered shadow to fill in between the hairs and opt for an eyebrow pencil to shape along the edges and extend the brow line.

Celebrity makeup artist Lilit Caradanian is currently in Australia running an exclusive series of masterclasses for online wedding magazine Wedded Wonderland.

Originally published as Contouring: What it is, why you need it and who does it best