If you hoped that 2023 would be the year we took a break from contouring trends, then I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. That doesn’t look like it’s going to happen as long as the Internet has something to do with it. In 2022, we saw countless contouring variations, including tontouring, strobing, clown contouring, baking, colorless contouring, and, most recently, Christmas contouring. And that is not even including the trends for hair and body. Now, the new year has brought us tape contouring.
Yup, you’ll need more than your makeup brushes and contour kits for this one—you’ll need to go to your desk drawer and pull out a roll of Scotch Tape, for real. Mark this one down as another life-changing beauty hack that involves tape. The idea for using tape to contour comes courtesy of Dubai-based beauty blogger Huda Kattan, according to Cosmopolitan UK. Huda claims that it is the easiest way to contour your face.
So how exactly does it work? You are meant to use the tape to guide the areas where you will apply your darker contouring color. Once you have applied the color, peel off the tape, then add your lighter contouring color or highlighter.
You can use the tape as a guide on your cheekbones, nose, forehead, and pretty much any other facial feature you want to chisel. Then you can use the leftover tape to create a flawless winged eyeliner look. Check out the tutorial here.
Are you dubious about it working? You’re probably wondering what happens when you peel off the tape. Won’t there be a sticky residue, and won’t the tape have removed your base foundation? Huda suggests that you apply the tape to your arm a couple of times to make it less sticky before you apply it to your face. Plus, you can get easy-to-peel-off tapes that leave no residue.
This also isn’t something you will want to be trying every day. Huda warns that you can feel the tape removing the moisture from your skin. That is one of the last things that you want in winter. If you take 20 minutes to perfect your contouring, imagine how much moisture the tape will have sucked up. You can use the tape for fancy occasions when you want Kardashian-esque contouring in a flash.
Who would have thought a non-makeup item would be the secret to creating a contouring finish? Forget our makeup bags. We must often look in our desk drawers for things that could double as beauty tools. And while we are at it, we should also check out our kitchen cupboards. You know that there could very well be a spatula contouring trend in the near future.
(Photo: Instagram/julianedamm)
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at Blufashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2018. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
