Aside from catching up with old friends, gift-giving and avoiding traffic, Christmas is also about, it seems, gaining weight, with all the feasting we end up doing. Luckily, there is Spanx for the body, and for the face, the procedure called contouring.

 

The most beautiful women in Hollywood are always contoured when they face the camera. Jennifer Lopez, who looks like the spotlight is always on her, or Kim Kardashian—they always have a chiseled face even at the peak of pregnancy. All these, thanks to amazing makeup artists who contour their face.

 

What is contouring? It is creating the illusion of a thinner or more sculpted face by using three essential products: a concealer, a foundation two shades darker or a bronzer, and a blush—products you may already have in your makeup kit.

 

Here’s how you do it

 

Step 1. Highlight—Before going straight to the foundation, apply concealer on given points on your face. Your under eye, the application a bit extended to make a diamond shape; your

forehead between your eyebrows until the bridge of your nose, and below the lip until the middle of the chin. These are the areas where light will bounce, making for a highlighter.

 

Step 2. Contour—Dot on foundation/bronzer on the area without concealer and blend together. I like using a wedge sponge when doing this, or even my fingers. These areas will help make your face look narrow and your cheekbones pop.

 

Step 3. Blush—Smile, and on the apple of your cheeks apply your fave blush. The result is a sculpted, thinner face. I suggest you check the picture guide at first; I’m sure on second try, you won’t even need to look at it. Contouring can give the illusion that you actually dropped five pounds in 10 minutes!