Makeup trends – just this year we’ve seen broccoli freckles, jelly makeup, boyfriend blush, sunset blush, sugar plum fairy, pearl skin, Strawberry girl makeup, and cold girl makeup – come and go. Though these viral looks are fun in their playfulness and all about our urge to splurge, they are no match for the ultra flattering results of a classic contour. With the proper interplay of highlight and shadow for high cheekbones, a sculpted jawline, and refined nose, we can all look polished whether opting for no-makeup makeup or an ultra glam look.
For any degree of sculpting, makeup mavens the world over owe a debt to the king of the modern contour – Kevyn Aucoin. With stellar fame as the hottest celebrity makeup artist in the 80s and industry accolades with the founding of Kevyn Aucoin Beauty in 2001, he pioneered the use of various shades of foundation and powders to find the natural beauty of every face by bringing out the cheek bones, showcasing arched brows and brilliant eyes, accentuating sculpted noses, and defining v-shaped chins.
Kevyn Aucoin Beauty beauty, under the direction of Head Makeup Artist Drita Paljevic has kept Kevyn’s legacy and philosophy alive with several recent launches including the latest – the palette of all palettes for a glowup that’s as snatched as it is natural and user-friendly. “The Sculpt and Define Contour Book Volume IV is designed to inspire everyone from contour novices to experts… our formulas make blending effortless and provide a versatile range of tones, perfectly suited for crafting personalized contour looks; whether you’re a professional makeup artist or a dedicated beauty enthusiast.”
After covering the dark under eye area, melasma, and blemish marks with the Face Forward Color Corrector, then prepping with Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Primer, and applying a custom-blended foundation to create a uniform base, I was so excited to play with this gorgeous palette to bring out my best features. When it comes to palettes, quality is key to a high-end finish and staying power. The quality of these pigments, finely milled for a true color pay-off, and fully pressed for zero fallout, as well as the vegan, silicone and talc-free in formulation remind why this collection is worthy of the Kevyn Aucoin Beauty label.
The Sculpt and Define Contour Book Volume IV palette is designed to harness the power of twos as a collection of duos: two translucent powders, two contour shades, two blushes, and two highlighters for singular use or custom mixing-and matching to create a variety of looks. For the work of deep sculpting under the cheeks, along the jaw, and down the side of the nose, the ultra-pigmented, buttery contour powders in Bare, a neutral to cool-toned brown, and Sepia, a warm reddish-brown, double perfectly as brow powders and smokey eye shadows. A little goes a long way, especially when blended and stippled with a dense, short synthetic brush, like the suggested Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Cream & Powder Contour Brush. Despite the intensity, after a few passes with sweeping and pressing motions, the deep shade blends seamlessly.
The bright, pink-toned blush in Azalea is my favorite pop of color for the cheek. For a bronzer-friendly wash of color, Dahlia is a buildable peach that calls out for a bright red lip or matching gloss. The most unique additions to the palette include the powders in Lace and Silk. Though in white and fair beige, the light and airy texture melts into the skin and sets color on the highest or lowest points of the face without any white cast. In the final step to bring any makeup look together, the highlighters in Star Gaze and Golden Haze finish with a warm champagne glimmer and a deeper gold-kissed shimmer, respectively. Given the velvety sheen, one could just use these showstoppers on eyes and cheeks to fashion a summer minimalist, no contour highlight that’s effortlessly glam and sweat-resistant.
Though I’m a beauty warrior/editor, I’m really atrocious at doing my own makeup. Equal parts being rushed and always feeling the impulse to be extra, I usually overdo it or overcorrect preemptively and apply too little in the spirit of caution. After a few days of playing with the palette and my other KAB products, I found my perfect contour with a light blend of Bare along the chin and a heavy pressing of Azalea for a bright, glamazon summer cheek, blended seamlessly once I got the knack of it. A perfect canvas was set for the Velvet Lip Paint in bright red Enchanting as the liner with the pink nude Fabulous dabbed in the center for my go-to summer lip.
Later that day, while waiting to cross a busy NYC avenue, a woman driving past stopped her car to yell “your makeup looks great.” That she noticed my cheeks from a half-black away was proof that my contour was not just professionally snatched, but Kevyn Aucoin sculpted and defined.
