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Hey ya’ll!
I know these past few weeks has been a lot for us as Black people. We were already adjusting to the new normal due to COVID-19. The moment we begin to settle and get in the groove of working from home, going outside with masks on, sanitizing all that comes into our homes from the outside, and accepting that 2020 just doesn’t count, HERE COMES MORE!
The long and growing list of our people that we have lost due to police brutality has been entirely too much. Not to mention, the many times we are harassed and profiled by police, but thankfully we didn’t lose our lives. We are tired, mad, sad, exhausted, frustrated, drained, or all the above. Unfortunately, we know police brutality against black people is nothing new, but to have to deal with that on top of the stress of a pandemic is just entirely too much man.
If you are like me, you are fighting for your positive moments. It’s not easy, and I definitely have to search or try really hard to create peace. As women, we are trying not to be afraid for our husbands, children, brothers, cousins, nephews, and friends and even our own safety. Additionally, we are trying hard not to stress and still hold it down at home. We breathe such a huge sigh of relief when those in our homes finally walk through that door, safe and unharmed at the end of the day. That’s a huge emotional and mental weight we are carrying daily. With that being said, often times I feel like I deserve a delicious treat for simply not losing my shit….and of course I reward myself.
With these many rewards, I’ve unfortunately collected a lot of awards in pounds…on my body (*eye roll*). My face has filled out a little more than what I prefer, BUT I’M STILL CUTE THO…lol. Since we are mainly viewed from the shoulders up due to all the zoom meetings and virtual happy hours, contouring is a great makeup trick to learn and perfect right now.
Contouring is the opposite of highlighting. Highlighting is the process of brightening and accentuating, where the light catches. Contouring is the process of creating shadows and minimizing. “They” (the teachings of my cosmetology book from school) say the ideal face shape is oval. So many, if not all, makeup artists use that as a guide when contouring, hence that almost rainbow shape that’s created on the forehead. It helps minimize a bigger forehead or create more of that oval shape. Contouring in the hollows under the cheeks help to accentuate the cheek bones and make round cheeks (like mine) more structured or chiseled. Now to address that double chin honey (I’m talking about mine too), you can shade/contour along and under your jaw line and under your chin to take you down to a single chin.
Now some tips to remember:
I recommend using a contour color 1 or 2 shades darker than your foundation shade. I’m sure you’ve seen people use shades darker than that sometimes, but that’s necessary for television or photoshoots or something involving a lot of bright lights.
BLEND, BLEND, BLEND!!! These contoured areas should not look obvious or like definite dark lines when you are finished. Blend your contour product out really well so everything looks nice and natural.
Also, practice ya’ll. If you don’t get it right the first time, that’s fine. We are home, for the most part, and have time to practice. Try different products, tools, and methods until you find what works best for you. Remember it’s just makeup, you can always wipe it off and try again. Have fun with it!
