[The Invisible Contour] Beyonce's Makeup Artist Demonstrates His Natural Contouring Technique

I have to admit, I've never really been a fan of this whole contouring craze.   While it can look amazing in pictures, I often dismissed it as not practical for everyday life.  But, in the same token, I know that contouring does add a little extra oomph to the finished look.

So how do we create the wonderful dimension that contouring gives without going overboard?

Beyonce's makeup artist, Sir John seems to have the answer.  And he's preaching the merits of his new technique - the invisible contour.

via Sir John's Instagram

Essentially, the invisible contour is a natural approach to the relatively new makeup trend.  With this technique, chiseled cheekbones are still the main focus but without seeming overly done.  Visible evidence of contouring is not a good look in the real world. And, thanks to Sir John, there's an alternative.

The secret to perfecting this technique is in the products used.  Instead of relying solely on heavy contour sticks, Sir John opts to utilize a blush -- more specifically, a taupe blush.  According to Sir John, this mimics the look of naturally contoured areas on the skin.  The result is a seamless contour nearly invisible to the naked eye.  No more harsh, visible contour lines. His color of choice is MAC's taupe blush. By the way, NYX has a dupe.  For brown-skinned beauties, Sir John first uses a chocolate contour stick, (darker than your skin tone) then he layers the taupe blush over the contour to soften the look, making it appear more natural.  The dark brown contour alone is what creates the obvious contrasts.

A video posted by S I R J O H N (@sirjohnofficial) on Sep 16, 2016 at 3:55pm PDT

Sir John wants us to focus on elevating the high points of the face, instead of placing all the attention on the "recessed areas."  Highlighter is what pulls the look together.  Sir John goes into detail as to which specific areas of the face to highlight. Marie Claire published an article describing the entire Invisible Contour process but I needed to see a visual demonstration with my own two eyes.  Luckily for us, Glamour Mag recorded a video tutorial of his entire contouring and highlighting process so we can see it in action.

Can't wait to pair this technique with his signature cat eye for a complete weekend look.