mbg Assistant Beauty Editor
mbg Assistant Beauty Editor
Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.
Image by Sergey Filimonov / Stocksy
February 2, 2023
You don’t have to slick your hair back in a tight ponytail to nail a faux-face lift. Makeup artists everywhere will tell you that there are plenty of ways to make your face look snatched, and most of the time it starts with one staple product: contour.
A recent TikTok fad has users testing out the “model contour” hack to achieve that slim, lifted, and ultra-chiseled look—luckily, it only takes a few seconds. Here’s a quick how-to.
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How to nail the “model contour” hack.
You’ll use this contouring method after applying your base makeup (foundation, concealer, tinted sunscreen, etc.) but before your blush and highlight. Follow along below for the full tutorial:
For this step, you’ll need some sort of contouring product. It’s easiest with a cream contour formula, either in a stick or palette and brush form. You can still achieve a similar effect with powder contouring products, but they may be a bit harder to blend.
You’ll also need a blending brush or sponge—which one you choose is entirely based on personal preference.
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This method focuses on contouring the cheeks in a way that complements and emphasizes your bone structure. For this reason, it’s important to play around with the approach and customize it how you see fit. However, the general direction goes like so:
- Start the contour from where your cheekbone meets the side of your face—right in front of the center of your ear for most people.
- Going slightly under your cheekbone, run the contour toward your mouth, stopping about an inch away from your lips.
- Then bring the line directly down to meet your jawline. This will help contour the buccal fat area of your cheeks.
- Finally, connect that line with your starting point by dragging the contour along your jawline and up to meet your initial spot.
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Using your buffing tool of choice, blend out the harsh line. You can opt for downward motions, tiny circles, or upward strokes—again, it’s all about personal preference here.
After that, finish up your makeup look with blush, bronzer, highlighter, or whatever else you want to add.
The takeaway.
Makeup is a wonderful tool to mimic tighter-looking skin, and this technique is just one way to do so. Remember to follow your own cheekbones and jawline to customize the hack to your face shape. Want to learn more about this makeup step? Check out our full guide to contouring here.
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