How to add a natural contour
Take a look at Yoshimoto Bua's Instagram account and you'll find that she's the master of understated glam (take Saoirse Ronan's fresh-faced look at the 2017 Academy Awards, for example). That's all to say, her take on contouring tends to be subtle and eminently wearable.
She uses a big fluffy brush to "pat on a little bit of product" (after shaking the excess product out). She's also careful with how she wields her brush: "Instead of poking the face with the bristles, hold [your brush] flat to the face," she explains. "Then you can do little back and forth feathery movements."
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Your perfect contour placement
As for placement, Yoshimoto Bua recommends "aiming from the center of the ear to the center of the mouth." She also deposits a tiny bit of color along the jawline and at the temples, as well as along the sides of the nose. "You can lightly blend the edges from that initial placement and you can also scoop it under the apple of the cheek a little bit," she adds.
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Where to apply blush
After completing the contour, Yoshimoto Bua goes in and adds in a little color with some blush. She applies color to the apples of the cheek, even sweeping color upwards to the orbital bone (aka the upper cheekbone).
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How to choose the perfect blush shade
Does anyone else have trouble finding flattering blush colors for their skin tones? Yoshimoto Bua's advice is genius: "I like choosing a color that might be a little lighter than you think you might want for blush — because it actually shows up and it's much easier to blend and use," she says. "Then, you can go in later with a deeper tone if you want to punch it up."
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You can soften your contour with some blush
Yoshimoto Bua says that she sometimes contours the brow and nose bridge area using the tiniest amount of neutral blush if she's going for a more understated look.
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