THE DAILY RANT : Contouring and why its over rated.

There are certain things that annoy me.

Make up crazes are one of them. I dislike when something gets taken, used and then overused to the point of obnoxious. Contouring has definitely done this to me.

It's not that I hate contouring. I just understand it. I understand that it isn't a make up trick invented to be used by Kim Kardashian but a trick that goes as far back as the 1920s and 1930s when black and white film stars used it to soften the contours of their faces for filming so that the light responded better.

It is also used by the drag community to soften the contours of the face to transform gender. It's had many guises over the years. It has now more recently been used by Kim Kardashian to transform her face. Which, if you feel you need contouring is great, if not, fine.

What does worry me is the startling amount of women who haven't got a clue what contouring is and when to use it or even where to start. I get asked to help with contouring a lot and its always from people who want to know how to do the Kim K face or the Instagram drag look. Which, they do not realise is a hell of a lot of make up. I mean layers. There are very few people who have the stomach for that amount of gear on their face. I am one of these people. I contour but I contour by adding a little darkness to my blusher rather then layers of dark and light foundation.

Thing is, the drag community uses contour to soften the edges and to transform a male to female face. It looks amazing and its very impressive. However, women using this skill are just that - women. Our faces already have these softer edges and we don't need to add harsh contour. In fact, contour badly blended looks like dark dirt on the skin and contour done with the wrong skin colors or on the wrong face shape can actually age a person. We don't need a ton of make up.

Thing is, its a marketing ploy. Every now and again, companies need to think up new products or trends to keep people buying make up or skin care. This is why you now see companies that have attached the word 'contour' to things that have NOTHING to do with actually contouring as a technique. It's to sell it to people who do not understand what it involves. Nearly every product I am coming across now has the word contour attached in a baffling way. I've been in cosmetics for a while now and I can see these trends coming up again and again.

I get it that trends happen and its great to see new things being released as it stops my job getting boring and occasionally break through products happen - Kiehls new eye cream. End of! But, I draw issue with what as women we are expected to keep doing. So now the ideal routine involves - moisturiser, primer, foundation, concealer, contour, powder, setting spray, blusher, eyes, lips, lashes and done? Who has the time for that????? I was hoping for great things with the BB trend. I was hoping we would see the rise of the all in one being a thing. However, this seems to have faded away. I think when people realised that BB cream is only in one texture (light) that it put a lot of people off. If we could do a full coverage BB cream then THINK of the money you would save on at least four products.

I'm a big believer in BB creams.

I'm just sick of seeing women get confused, ripped off and worried about this contouring gig. I think it would be much better if we just learned to ask for what suits us rather then what trends there are. Certainly in terms of skin this is true. I think eyes and lips are made for trend. If a burgundy lipstick is hot right now - do it! However if a trend that could possibly age you is hot - possibly leave it?!?!? What worries me further is the message we are sending to young women. I've been asked by teenagers and one younger client how to contour. I can't bring myself to do it. I don't agree with it. When someone who looks 11 is asking how to apply contour - it really makes me feel sad. I think at that age I was happy with nail varnish and flavoured lip balm (from the Body Shop!) and that was it. Now, girls that age are asking for dark lipstick and contouring. Scary times.

I don't know if many will agree but I have heard enough complaints from Make Up Artists to know that a good few feel the same as I do. We don't want to see the back of contouring but we want to see it die back down and go back to being a trick and not a trend.



On a related yet unrelated topic - this is along the lines of the discussion but made me laugh!