REVIEW/DEMO: Australis AC On Tour Contouring and Highlighting Kit
03:51I recently picked this very popular contouring kit by Australis up from Priceline in their 40% off sale and I've been enjoying it quit...
03:51
The powders are a very fine, velvety consistency with great pigmentation. The highlight shades include (L-R) a pinky salmon highlight, a warm lemon highlight, and a shimmery pink shade. The three contour shades include a chocolatey deeper shade, a blue/cool tone brown, and a brassy terracotta which is the lightest of the three.
I really like the kit because it has all you need in one. The formula of the powders is very good and the price is affordable. I would have liked to have a mirror in the palette but at this price it's hard to beat. Overall very easy to use and value for money, but maybe more suitable to medium/tan skin types. The contour shades are a little dark for us pale gals. This is a great starter kit for contouring and I have found it super useful.
You can create a fast contour look or refine it using the six shades as I will illustrate below.
You can create a fast contour look or refine it using the six shades as I will illustrate below.
To begin with, ensure you've covered your bases (haha get it?) with your face makeup. I prefer liquid foundation but it does leave the surface of the skin a little tackier than powders tend to do. Set liquid foundations with a powder- it makes blending out contour powders so much easier!
I prefer doing the highlight before the contour as I feel like it is much more forgiving and easier to control. My contouring skills are basic so it's easier for me to start with the less offensive step.
Before you do anything though, establish what effect you want to achieve with contour. Highlighting and contouring creates the illusion of dimension. It's good to experiment how you apply this type of makeup in the way that best suits your face as everyone is unique and my guide might not necessarily suit yours. (:
My highlighting efforts will be focused on my forehead and T-Zone. My face is weighted more towards the bottom (my chin and mouth point more forward than the top of my head) so I want to balance my face shape by creating more dimension on my head and nose bridge.
I'm using the pink toned shade and dusting it over the areas below with a Real Techniques eye brush. As a noob in contouring, I've come to rely on smaller brushes for the subtle precision application of product. Smaller brushes are much easier to control because I'm concentrating my shades in small surface areas.
Because the colour is closer to my skin tone than the contouring shades I will be using, applying the highlight more liberally is less offensive than vice versa. The powder will also be useful to blend the contour around the nose bridge. The Australis AC ONTOUR formula is very fine and doesn't look cakey.
The extra step in highlighting that I like to include is Point highlighting. The shimmering shade in the kit is perfect for this extra step as it has the dimensional shimmer particles but the shade itself isn't too extremely sparkly. As I mentioned before, my focus in a wearable contour look is the highlight because it is more subtle, which is why I am going to apply product in the areas of my face that would naturally sit higher than the rest (or that I want to appear to protrude higher than they are). This includes my browbone, nose bridge, tip and cupid's bow.
Using a tapered brush for extra precision and blendability- gently pat the product into a concentrated area. Great extra step for added dimension.
With contouring, keep in mind that less is more! Especially for a wearable look. I really try to be careful because although contouring looks amazing in pictures, I can't get silly in my real life that we know as the 3D world. I don't want to look like a crazy wax figurine when I'm going to the supermarket, it's easier than you think to get heavy handed! I try to make sure I'm assessing my makeup from several angles and different lighting if I can.
Now moving onto the contour! I like to follow up my highlighting routine with the point contouring which is primarily around my nose bridge and tip. I'm using the teracotta/light shade from the palette an and angled eye brush from Ecotools. I really like all the Australis contour shades because they are all wearable; I use them interchangeably!
Gently sweep the product in your preferred area. I like to separate my nose bridge and tip when contouring to avoid painting a 'line' down either side of my nose. Definitely more wearable.
There you have it! My easy contouring routine. You'll notice the effect isn't crazy dramatic, but it does give a dynamic glow to your face look. I think that focusing on features to contour and doing it lightly is effective and definitely suitable for everyday makeup. Hope you enjoyed reading!
