Have you ever given in to your cravings and had a bowl of steaming hot ramen at midnight, only to wake up with a swollen, puffy face the next morning? Maybe you just don’t like how your cheekbones protrude or that your round face shape is your archenemy (we think it’s adorable though)?
In times like this, contouring is our best friend, and the art of contouring is a skill that many of us strive to master in our lifetime. But what if we told you that you’ve been contouring your face incorrectly all along?
This TikTok makeup hack, which shows us how to contour for Asians with a simple twist, has been trending all over our FYP (For You Page). Curious? Continue reading to learn how it works!
Credits: @ling.kt/TikTok
How should Asians contour?
This hack is much simpler than it appears. Instead of applying contour horizontally across your cheekbones and jaws, apply it in vertical lines and blend it vertically, as demonstrated by @dvy.nguyen on TikTok.
@dvy.nguyen #stitch with @sarah for all the girlies thst have round face 😭 #fyp#makeup#contour#asian#asianmakeup#makeuphack
TikTok influencer @mirchelleytiktok, who attended a makeup demonstration by Taiwanese makeup artist Stanley, stated that, unlike our Western counterparts, Asians’ cheekbones protrude sideways.
Credits: @mirchelleytiktok/TikTok
As a result, sculpting our faces sideways, as we’ve been taught our entire lives, will only make our faces look wider and fiercer.
The Taiwanese makeup artist also suggests starting from your sideburns and swiping downwards vertically to the end of your brows, creating a soft shadow effect that slims your face.
@mirchelleytiktok i am ditching my old contouring technique fr #contour #contouring #contouringhacks #makeuptutorial #makeupartist #makeuphacks #viralmakeup
4 contour products we recommend
For this technique to work, we must also find the right contour powder that is not too dark, or we will end up looking muddy instead of snatched!
Too Cool For School Artclass By Rodin Shading
First on this list is the most iconic Too Cool For School Artclass By Rodin Shading, a contour powder that can be found in any K-beauty junkies pouch at one point in time.
This contour powder was a classic and the first of its kind, with its three-in-one shades that users could easily mix to create the most natural-looking contours for their skin tone.
Inspired by the father of modern sculptor, Rodin, the Too Cool For School Art Class By Rodin Shading will help you create detailed contour and dimensional effect with its natural shadow effects.
Too Cool For School Artclass By Rodin Shading (9.5g) retails for US$19 (~RM88.06) at Too Cool For School online, and RM56.25 at Shopee.
Etude Shadow Contour Powder
The Etude Shadow Contour Powder is another iconic contour powder in the world of K-beauty, used by many makeup artists on your favourite K-pop stars such as Twice, New Jeans, Jang Won Young, Black Pink, and more!
Created with YouTuber Cho Hyo Jin, Korea’s popular beauty guru who is also known as a “contour genius”, you can trust that this contour powder is of the highest quality.
Its shadowy colours provide the most natural contour without looking muddy, and the two shades allow you to mix it to your desired colour. The powders are also separated, preventing colour invasion so that your contours will look clean at all times!
Etude House Shadow Contour Powder (2 x 5g) retails for US$24 (~RM111.24) at Etude House online, and RM69 at Shopee. A discount is offered at Etude House online at the time of writing. Tap in to see updated price!
JUDYDOLL Highlight & Contour Palette Natural Long-lasting Waterproof
Stepping away from the K-beauty scene, we have the Highlight & Contour Palette Natural Long-lasting Waterproof from JUDYDOLL, a C-beauty brand that’s been taking over Dou Yin and Xiao Hong Shu.
Since its launch, more than five million units of this contour palette has been sold and we can totally see why!
This contour palette contains not only two shadow shades, but also matte and shiny highlighters to help you re-sculpt your face.
Thanks to its “AIR JET air flow cutting technology,” the powder has been upgraded to be even more delicate and easier to blend, and the colours have been adjusted to be more neutral to suit Asian skin tones.
JUDYDOLL Highlight & Contour Palette Natural Long-lasting Waterproof (9g) retails for RM72 and is available at Shopee. A discount is offered at the time of writing. Tap in to see updated price!
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick
Moving from the Asian brand contours, we have the Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick in our list.
This matte contour stick has a buildable cream-to-powder formula that leaves your skin with a lightweight, matte finish. It’s also made to layer, which makes blending easier, and it stays put on your skin without creasing or caking.
Match Stix Matte Contour Skinsticks contour in a variety of shades that have been tested to look good on a wide range of skin tones, so if you have darker skin, this is the contour product for you. They also come in an easy-to-use stick format, making re-application an absolute breeze!
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick (7.1g) retails for RM160 and is available at Sephora.
Image feature credits: @cwassaunt/TikTok, @dvy.nguyen, @ling.kt/TikTok
