Contouring is the new black! Well, sort of, for Orange Is the New Black star Taylor Schilling and her ELLE Canada cover. The newly-lobbed actress covers the June 2015 issue of the mag and she does subtle, cheekbone-enhancing, and contoured makeup right. Sorry, Kim Kardashian, but this is the best way to do kontouring — I mean contouring.
The art of contouring is just that — an art — where cheekbones are carefully crafted. But the technique is intimidating, especially when using Kim K. as a guide. Schilling's version of contouring is so soft and relegated to her cheeks, as opposed to everywhere, that it looks almost easy to copy!
Schilling also rocks a Canadian tux on her cover, which is denim-on-denim, without looking cheesy, thanks to the high rise cut of the jeans and the deep V of her button down. Her pose and outfit remind me of Emma Watson's 2014 ELLE cover, so the magazine is being a bit self-referential, as well.
But back to those sculpted cheekbones. The fact that the rest of Schilling's makeup is totally soft is why her contouring feels just so beautiful. Her sunset smoky eye is not bold or loud; it's blended perfectly and is in the same color family as her contour.
Add the fact that the lob falls just past her chin also creates an overall sense of balance from the neck up.
So if you re thinking about contouring, use. T. Schilling's cover look, which adds a little bit of edge and angles to her normally soft face, as a guide. And remember these three things.
1. Balance
Her makeup look has an almost monochromatic feel, since her eye shadow and cheekbones have a similar coral effect. It feels so balanced.
2. Pick One Feature To Focus On
No, she didn't skip eye makeup, but it's not competing with her bronzer. The color and buffed out smokiness complement 'dem cheekbones.
3. The Hair Factor
This isn't as obvious, but Schilling's hair also plays up those cheekbones, due to the texture and length. Consider the length and shape of your hair when contouring. You don't want to add too much bulk, via cosmetic products or hair volume, around the cheekbones, so remember that when balancing your look.
Schilling's contoured cover makes the technique seem accessible, right?Oh, and here's that E. Watson cover I had mentioned earlier. So similar, but I dig.
