Meghna Hair And Make Up

Being of Asian ethnicity, our skin tone is prone to dis-colouration and pigmentation. I’ve never really had any issues with pigmentation growing up, however time has taken its toll. Growing older (and from an accident with a pressure cooker-don’t ask!), my skin tone doesn’t look as ‘clear’ as it used to and whilst being pregnant, I certainly didn’t get that ‘glow’. FACT OF THE DAY: a lot of…

With summer…comes weddings. And with weddings…comes lots of glamorous  make-up looks :) I posted a wedding look I did recently on my Facebook Page and Instagram and thought it would be good to share with you the products I used and how I created the eye look-just in time for those all summer long weddings!  The eye look is super easy and doesn’t require many products. Here is a step by step on…

So theres just over two weeks to go until the due date of baby Patel…EEEEK!! I left work earlier in the month and since then, it has been GO-GO-GO trying to organise the baby’s belongings and renovate the house slightly. It’s madness, but baby Patel’s belongings has literally taken over! I swear the baby has more stuff then I do. Anyway, last month, my beautiful besties threw me an amazing baby…

Nina Ubhi Beauty and Hair Institute Masterclass

For those that follow my blog, Instagram and Facebook, you know that not only do I freelance but also a Creative Artist at the Nina Ubhi Beauty Hair and Institute. I recently wrote a blog post on a masterclass held by Nina Ubhi herself back in Xmas and then us girls at the agency held one ourselves. On 9 June 2016, we held a 3hr masterclass and this time those that attended were able to practice…

My baby shower outfit…

Being comfortable and still be fashionable has literally been my daily struggle in this pregnancy. A baggy t-shirt and a pair of joggers has been my saviour when lounging around however for daily wear, I prefer something a little more fitted. In all honesty, its really only my baby-bump thats grown and I haven’t put much weight on elsewhere. But to find clothes that fit how it should (and want),…

So big news….(although some of you might already know by now)..but I’m officially 25 weeks pregnant!! I’m super excited especially because its my first baby. My husband and I didn’t want to find out the sex of the baby but I have a feeling its a boy!). Problem is, I haven’t thought of a single boy’s name because initially I was convinced I was having a girl! Anyway…name suggestions would be very…

Make Up Masterclass: Nina Ubhi Beauty and Hair Institute

Hi dolls! It’s been a while since I last wrote a blog post, I mean really where have the past 4 months gone!! For those that follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you’ll know I’m a Creative Artist at the Nina Ubhi Beauty and Hair Institute. I’ve been a part of the agency for nearly 2 and half years now and I absolutely love it! The girls in the team are amazing and one day is never the same within…

Last Saturday…

…was one of my best mate’s masquerade themed birthday party. It was held at Noir in London and everyone got their masks out! I went for a girly, lace ‘phantom of the opera’ style mask (although because it was made of metal I had crazy indentations in my forehead)! The Mask…   Being a masquerade themed party I wanted to replicate that feel of glamour,sparkle and jewel tones. I managed to bag…

A lot of my clients ask me how to contour and in a way they can do it at home…to clarify there are generally two ways of application; 1. Powder contour only 2. Cream/foundation contour which can be done before or after applying foundation.

In this blog I’m going to explain how to contour and highlight using a cream foundation/concealor on top of your normal foundation. The benefit of this method is that its a great way to start learning how to contour as its easy to blend together, however once you’ve become a pro, doing the contour first and then adding the foundation on top will also give you the desired effect. Cream contour and highlight lasts so much longer and gives a stronger effect then a powder contour on its own. For some however, the idea of using such products is quite daunting (because lets face it, no-one likes looking like a clown when its not halloween).

So with this in mind, here are my quick and easy steps to master the art of contouring and highlighting. P.s…this is a bit of read but I promise it will be worth it in the end!

Before you start:

Remember highlight and contouring is all about working with the natural structure of your face to make some areas stand out and others not so much.

The following are guidelines so its always worth assessing first what areas you want to make stand out, what areas to look slimmer etc. You want to keep everything in PROPORTION. 

  Step 1: The base…

Start by applying your favourite primer followed by foundation all over your face. As a word of advice, a creamy foundation will help the following steps become a lot easier and for your contour to blend. I love love love Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation. For those that have followed my posts on Instagram and Facebook, you know how much I can’t get enough of this product as it stays on all day and night and gives flawless coverage. It’s also super easy to work with when it comes to blending and contouring.

Step 2: The highlight…

Earlier in the year, I went to the United Make Up Artist Expo with a fellow artist, and it was there she introduced me to Mehron  products and instantly fell in love! Specialising initially in theatre, TV and costume make up, they quickly moved on to offering high quality, colourful and super blendable products to the public. It’s for this reason that the Mehron Celebré HD Cream Foundations are my new go-to products for contouring and highlighting. They blend in so well with foundation and will definitely make your life easier!

The main areas to highlight are the higher planes of your face, i.e the forehead, down the middle of your nose, chin, above your jawline and under your eye (cheekbone). Opt for a shade 1-2 times lighter then your natural skin colour to give that highlight effect.

Under eye and cheek: you want to take the highlight down the side of your nose, up and out towards your temples to make an upside down triangle. You want to apply enough product so you get an even layer and you don’t see the foundation underneath.

Forehead: Here you want to take the highlight from the middle of your eyebrows and apply even strokes fanning out across the middle of your forehead. Everyone needs a little highlight on their forehead but how much depends on how small or big the space is. For example, if you have a small forehead, you want to take the highlight close to the hair line to make the area look bigger and prominent…a bigger forehead will need shorter strokes to give the illusion of a smaller area.

Nose: you want to apply a thin and even lie down the middle of your nose. Again, if you have quite a narrow nose the line you apply should be a little thicker as it would just look out of proportion. In the picture my line is fairly thin because I’ve been blessed with an uneven nose *rollmyeyes.

Chin: Apply a small amount on your chin, again how much you put on depends on how big or small your chin is.

Above the jawline: From your chin, apply an even stroke out towards your lower ear. You don’t need to go the whole way but make sure its above your jawline (below would be for contouring).

Above your lip: This stage is optional, but adding a tiny dab on top of your cupids bow makes your lips look fuller and helps the cupid’s bow stand out. #poutwithoutthebotox

  Step 3: The contour…

At this stage, you want to opt for a shade 2-3 times darker then your skin tone. A lot of people freak out when they see such a darker shade on their skin so if you’re a bit unsure then opt for a shade 1-2 times darker until you become comfortable with it. Again I’ve used the Mehron Celebré HD Cream Foundation for the contouring.

Forehead: As with highlighting, where and how much of the contour shade you apply on your forehead depends on the size of space and how fair or close your hairline is. In the picture of me, I applied the contour shade at the top of my forehead and at my temples only. This for me gives the illusion of a more proportioned forehead. If for example you have a wide forehead, you may want to take the contour all around your hairline, however if you have a small forehead, you may not want to apply too much otherwise it will just look smaller.

Nose: On either side of the highlight line, apply a line of the contour. Again how thick the line is depends on how slim you want your nose to look. Once blended, the natural eye will be drawn to the centre of your nose (i.e. the highlight).

Hollow of your cheek: The easiest way to find the hollow of your cheek is by pulling a fish-face. There is literally no other way to describe it but I’m sure you all know what I mean! You want this ‘look’ to be your guideline on where to apply the contour. Generally you want to start from the middle of your ear-apply a stroke from the ear towards the corner of your mouth. You don’t want to take it all the way as this can sometimes make you look a bit old and a little ill.

Jawline: From your chin, below the highlighted area, apply an even stroke along your jawline (below the highlighted area). This will give you a more defined jaw.

Step 4: Blend stage 1…

Using a small headed stiple/kabuki brush like Sephora Pro-Small Stippling Brush #42 blend the edges of all the lines you’ve created. Don’t blend too much of the centre of the lines as it will disappear and the contour becomes a bit messy. Focus only on blending the edges of the lines.

  Step 5: Blend stage 2,,,

Using a damp sponge (make sure to press out all the excess water with a tissue) start patting the highlight and the contoured areas into your foundation. Make sure not to rub it in as this would just cause the product to move. If you can invest in a Beauty Blender I’d definitely recommend it but a very good substitute (and cheaper) is the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.  A good tip is to face natural daylight if you can or take a photo of yourself as you go along to see any areas which still needs blending.

Step 6: Powder and set…

Using a small powder brush or powder puff, pat on a translucent powder (my fave Laura Mercier Translucent Powder) onto all the highlighted areas. Let it set for a couple of minutes and then brush off with a large powder brush. Use the excess product on your powder brush to sweep around your face. This will help all the foundation/concealor set and last that extra bit longer.

Step 7: For that extra oomph…

I like to add a bit of extra bronzer on top of the contoured areas for that little bit of extra staying power and strength. I’ve recently discovered MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Dark Deep. They have quite a range of colours but they are super pigmented and has an ever so slight shimmer. Use a angled powder brush for the hollow of your cheeks and a small fluffy eyeshadow brush for your nose area. If you wanted to, you could even use it as a base and then use a darker shade to chisel out your cheekbone. For the highlighted areas, a cream eyeshadow works great down the centre of your nose and a shimmer under the brow bone and on your cupid’s bow.

So here you are..my step by step on how to contour and highlight! I really hope this helps you all and gives you those to die for cheekbones every girl dreams of!

Ciao bellas! x