The contour edit:

Film Star Bronze and Glow in fair/medium, £49, Charlotte Tilbury; Shade & Illuminating Cream, £56, Tom Ford; Powder and Sculpt Brush, £35, Charlotte Tilbury; Sculpting Brush, £40, Rodial

Contouring was a thing long before Kim's infamous 'unblended' post, but it's a thing that's grown and grown in popularity ever since. So much so that brands like Rodial have actual contour bars in department stores and brands have launched contour palettes, combining blush, highlighter and bronzer all in one place; Smashbox's Step By Step Contour Kit is a gem. With hundreds of thousands of 'how-to contour' tutorials on YouTube there's never been an easier time to embrace and accentuate the angles of your face - should you want to.

You can contour with powder and/or a liquid foundation - as I'm definitely not a make-up artist I find powder an easier option to use as it's quick to apply and very easy to correct. However, if you're keen to try this out, use your own foundation with two others: one in a shade lighter and the other one darker. A stick foundation like Bobbi Brown's Foundation Stick, or Benefit's Play Stick Cream Foundation are great options to play around with to get a more subtly sculpted face as they're very blendable.

Prep your skin first for even coverage, by applying your usual foundation in whichever way you prefer (I've recently got into using a Kabuki brush) to create an even base. 

Step 1:

Map out your face, by tracing your temples with the darker foundation, using either the foundation stick directly or an angled brush loaded with the product - using specifically angled brushes like Real Techniques Sculpting Brush and Rodial's Sculpting Brush help ensure you get your product exactly where you want it and blended accordingly. Carry the darker shade along and against your hairline for a more natural toning - this is also a great trick if you have an unfortunate hairline (like me) or are conscious of your forehead.  

To accentuate your cheekbones, find the hollow part by placing your fingers on either side of your face and then applying the darker pigment just above where you feel your bones dip. Then dependant upon the shape of your nose, you can apply directly down both sides to narrow, bringing the product up into your brow to add length and width - ideal if you have a shorted nose.

Step 2:

Blend. Either with a stippling brush (Real Techniques and No7 have great options) or beauty blender tapping over the area of the darker contoured colour to merge it into your base foundation. By tapping in small circular motions - use the larger, rounder end of the blender as it gives you more space to work with. For a really natural look go over, and over, and over the area again to ensure it's really blended. When working on the nose use a shading brush to ensure that you've properly blended all the groves and creases. 

Step 3:

Hightlight! Concentrate the lighter foundation stick, or concealer underneath your eye area, an upside down triangle shapes helps conceal dark eye bags. You can opt to take the lighter product across your chin and up the centre of the nose, bringing this shade into the centre of your forehead. Work away any excess product with your damp beauty blender. 

Step 4: 

Powder. Set your look with a translucent powder (I'm currently loving L'Oreal's True Match Powder) and you're good to go!

Jumper, £30, Asos