Contouring has gone from a mere beauty trend to a staple in many people’s makeup routines. It’s easy to do, but it can also be easy to make little mistakes that really cramp your contouring style. Fortunately, lots of these mistakes are super easy to avoid or fix, and when it comes to fixing them, we’ve got your back.

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Using a Contour Shade That’s Too Dark
Thanks in part to dramatic YouTube tutorials and Instagram posts, it may seem like you have to use an ultra-dark contour colour to achieve results. In reality, this can leave your makeup looking harsh and unnatural.
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Fenty Beauty
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Choose a Lighter Colour Than You Think You Need
You can fix this mistake by choosing a colour two shades darker than your skin for a natural look, or three shades darker for more drama. Try finding your exact skin-tone match in Fenty Beauty’s Match Stix Matte Skinstick, then go two or three shades deeper than that to find the perfect contour shade.
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick, $31.
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick, $31.

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Contouring With Bronzer
You might be tempted to contour with bronzer, and then wonder why it looks unnatural. The idea behind contouring is to mimic or enhance shadows on the face and shadows have a cooler undertone. Bronzer, however, tends to be warm-toned to give the illusion of a sun-kissed glow.
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More pics: these are the worst fake tans to ever walk down a red carpet.

Sephora
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Choose a Neutral or Grayish Colour
Go for a product with a cool, grayish undertone rather than a warm, orange-y one. The Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Contour Powder comes in three cool-toned shades (Light, Medium, and Deep) perfect for carving out perfect cheekbones.
Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Contour Powder, $57.
Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Contour Powder, $57.

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Choosing the Wrong Formula
Again thanks to YouTube videos and Instagram tutorials, it may seem like creamy sticks and concealers are the only contour options. In fact, creams can be tricky and time-consuming to blend.
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For more beauty tips, check out the best moisturizing lipsticks to fight dry, chapped lips.

Kevyn Aucoin
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Choose the Right Formula Based on Your Skin Type
Cream isn’t the only option at all! It’s a good idea to choose your contour formula based on your skin type. If you have oily skin, go with a powder. If you’re on the dry side, go with a cream. If you’re extremely dry, you can mix that cream with an oil. Normal skin? You can pretty much choose whichever formula you’d like. If you have normal skin, a palette that includes both creams and powders – like the Kevyn Aucoin Contour Book – will give you plenty of options.
Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Book The Art of Sculpting + Defining Volume II, $78
Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Book The Art of Sculpting + Defining Volume II, $78

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Not Blending Enough
It’s one of the most common beauty mistakes but it's so easy to end up with a skunk-like stripe, get discouraged, and never try contouring again.

e.l.f. Cosmetics
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Use a Clean Brush or Sponge
This one is so easy to fix, even mid-contouring catastrophe. Put down the contouring brush or sponge! Use either a clean brush or a brush with some leftover foundation on it to blend out the edges. The e.l.f. Cosmetics Ultimate Blending Brush is soft but dents, which makes it perfect for blending out harsh lines where your contour meets your foundation.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Ultimate Blending Brush, $6.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Ultimate Blending Brush, $6.

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Forgetting to Set
This is such an easy step to miss, but just like with concealer or foundation, setting a cream contour helps to keep everything in place.
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You might like: 23 of the best brands that are not sold at Sephora.

Sephora
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Set It!
Set cream contours with a light dusting of powder contour in a similar shade to your cream. Powder contour kits like this one from Anastasia Beverly Hills give you plenty of options.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit, $52
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit, $52

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Placing Your Contour Too Low
Contouring is supposed to slim and sculpt the face, so placement is key. Contouring too low – towards the middle of the cheeks – can make you look gaunt rather than snatched.
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See more: 10 things your makeup artists should never do.

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Plan Your Placement
Ideal placement depends on your individual face shape, but what flatters a lot of face shapes is to follow the line created from where your ear meets your head towards the corner of your mouth.

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Extending Your Contour Too Far Inwards
Placement is really important, but in our contour enthusiasm, it’s easy to get carried away and blend too far inwards, toward the nose.
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RELATED: 20 beauty and fashion trends that need to go away forever.

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Keep Your Apples in Mind
It’s best not to contour past the apples of your cheeks. When blending, use short, deliberate strokes to keep control of your placement.

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Thinking You Absolutely Must Contour
Over the past decade, contouring has gone from the realm of drag queens and celebrity makeup artists to something completely mainstream. It can be easy to think that, if you’re going to do your makeup, you absolutely must contour.
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If you like things a little more natural, why not try the best natural beauty products available in Canada?

Sephora
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Switch It Up and Keep It Simple
Sometimes a little blush or a healthy dose of bronzer can give a fresh, pretty look without the glam and drama of a Real Housewives contour. It’s a great alternative for when you have to get out the door in a hurry. Try a blush-bronzer duo to save time and still achieve a fresh and sunkissed glow.
<a href="http://Sometimes a little blush or a healthy dose of bronzer can give a fresh, pretty look without the glam and drama of a Real Housewives contour. It’s a great alternative for when you have to get out the door in a hurry. Try a blush-bronzer duo to save time and still achieve a fresh and sunkissed glow. NARS Mini Blush/Bronzer Duo, $28" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NARS Mini Blush/Bronzer Duo, $28.
<a href="http://Sometimes a little blush or a healthy dose of bronzer can give a fresh, pretty look without the glam and drama of a Real Housewives contour. It’s a great alternative for when you have to get out the door in a hurry. Try a blush-bronzer duo to save time and still achieve a fresh and sunkissed glow. NARS Mini Blush/Bronzer Duo, $28" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NARS Mini Blush/Bronzer Duo, $28.
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