Are We Too Old To Contour?

 There is always some sort of makeup fad. Red lips, nude lips, highlight, no highlight. But the contouring one seems to have hung around ... thanks to the Kardashians. All that layering of highlighting and shading looks great in a photoshopped pic but often frightening in real life. Yet a little sculpting of the face to give light and shade can make the features really stand out. But is it something that we can only pull off if we're young?? 
The answer to that is no but we just have to be subtle about it. I am a believer that less is more as we age, so we only need to apply makeup lightly and with contour  only placed it where you need it. And for that you need to know what shape your face is . For example if you're like me and your face has become gaunt - my cheek bones are like lethal weapons when I kiss someone on the cheek these days - then you don't need to sculpt in cheekbones. But if you have a round face then shading in the area below the cheekbones and under your blush will give you a nice sculpted look. If your nose is wide then placing contour either side of the nose and blending in will give it definition and make it appear smaller. If you want a more defined jawline then applying it around the jaw will accentuate this area .See below .
The products you use can make the  difference between looking natural or looking like Halloween too. I use both creams and powders , often using bronzers to create a more natural look based purely on the colour of the product. Too dark and the contour appears unnatural. The aim is to make your face glow , but no-one can quite figure out how you have achieved it. Using a foundation stick that is a couple of shades darker than your skin works really well. Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Sticks are great for this. I also like Nars Laguna in powder form as the colour is subtle and blends well with most lighter colour skins. Applying with a beauty blender too can be really helpful to blend the edges in properly so it appears seamless with your foundation and blush. Also a lot easier to control than using the wrong shaped brush. If your skin is dry I would recommend a cream contour. 
See below for favourite products. :) x

Pic courtesy of Pinterest