#tutorial

I hope everyone had an awesome Art Basel filled weekend, and is ready for the Monday grind! Today’s post is in response to a flood of the same question I keep getting. Girl’s from all over have been messaging me via my blog about how I do my contour. Now if you keep up with popular makeup culture, we know that contouring your face is the bees knees right now. I am not a huge fan of wearing makeup, but I am guilty of playing the contour game hard! I wanted to dedicate this post to telling you guys the order in which I contour my face and the products I use.

The Alexis Lee Killer Contour 

1. Start with a clean fresh face. Make sure you exfoliate with warm water and then apply toner to your face once its cleaned. I use Proactiv Renewing Cleanser for my exfoliant and I use Sea Breeze Astringent as my toner.
2. Once my face is cleansed I apply a thin layer of tinted moisturizer all over my face. Don’t use to much because it will cause your base to be oily. The tinted moisturizer I use is Proactiv B&B Cream in Light/Medium.
3. Time for Foundation! I use MAC Studio WaterWeight SPF 30 Broad Spectrum Foundation in NW25. Using the applicator I put some on my forehead, both cheeks, nose, and chin. I then blend it all out with a Stippling Brush until the layer is as thin as my Tinted Moisturizer.
4. Once your face has been moisturized its time for some spot concealer. I use the spot concealer to cover random redness, imperfections, and bags under my eyes. I mix Maybelline Master Class Concealer in 30 Light/Medium with MAC Match Master Concealer in 3.0. Once you have covered all of your trouble spots its time to take a beauty blender sponge and just blend the concealer into your base.
5. Since you just spent some time using plenty of liquid based makeup I like to lightly dust my face with Setting Powder before I continue. I used a large soft dome blush brush to dust on some Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder in Universal. I like this product because it causes no discoloration and evens out the tone of your face. Setting Powder is key if you are also going to be exposed to any camera flashes.
6. Your face should now be pretty dry; this is where the fun begins. A contour kit is essential, I use the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Kit in Light. This kit is pretty pricey, so if you want a bigger bang for your buck try the Sephora Creme Contour Wheel.
   1. Start with the lightest shade in the kit (if you have the ABHCCK the shade is called Banana). With a Foundation Brush sweep some of it on the bridge of your nose, put some in a triangular pattern underneath your eyes, dot some on your chin, and finally in between your eyebrows dot some of the color.
   2. Second use the darker shade in the contour kit (if you have the ABHCCK the shade is called Mocha). Using a Foundation Brush Sweep some of it right underneath your hairline, put two thin lines of it along both sides of your nose, if you have a round face smudge some of it right beneath your jawline, Finally put two thick lines of the darker color at the lowest point of your cheek bones. I use the middle of my ear as a guideline for the cheek bones.
   3. Now that you look like some sort of war painted native it’s time to blend! Use two different beauty blender sponges for this (one beauty blender for the light colored spots and another for the darker colored spots). Blend everything out until your face has the depth and severity that you personally like. I tend to blend less on the cheekbones, I prefer a more dramatic look.
7. Now that all of your Creme Contour has been blended its time to put some finishing touches on your face. I like to use a fan brush to continue blending the darker colors of my contour. Once I’m happy with the blending, I reach for my Bronzer! I use NARS Bronzer in Laguna, because of the amount of creme product on your face you want to stick to a bronzer that doesn’t have a sparkle in it. It will leave your face looking greasy. Take your fan brush and load it up with Bronzer, lightly go over your cheek bone contour with the bronzer (continuing to use the middle of your ear as a guideline). Just give your face a very light dusting of the bronzer all over for a nice healthy glow.
8. Time for Blush! I like to use NARS Blush in Orgasm. Make sure you get the apples of your cheeks and the bridge of your nose. I also sometimes apply some on my brow bone for a little extra depth. With any excess I lightly dust my entire face.
9. Last step; Highlighter! I use NARS Multiple Stick in Orgasm. I use the stick instead of a liquid highlighter because it is much easier to blend and manipulate. Apply it on the bridge of your nose and the highest part of your cheeks, then just blend it out with your beauty blender sponge. Hit it one last time with the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Universal, and your face should be one hundred percent flawless with gorgeous depth and definition!

I hope this was helpful to everyone who is trying to step-up their makeup game!