How to highlight and contour dark skin

Professional make up artists have been contouring for decades. But it wasn't until Kim Kardashian brought contouring to the attention of the Internet that the wider world caught on. Since then, contouring has become a beauty craze, with thousands of Youtube video tutorials advising on how to use various shades of concealer and powder to sculpt and add glow to the face. Very few of these videos offer much advice for us dark skinned girls, though, when so many contouring products create a grey, ashy effect. Here's how I do it.

Step 1

Cover your face with moisturiser and primer – this is a full-coverage look, so your skin needs prepping. Apply your foundation – use a stippling brush for precision – and blend with a beauty blender sponge to give a flawless finish. I like natural, dewy foundations such as Make Up For Ever Ultra HD in the shade Y505.

Step 2

Apply concealer to the areas of your face that you would like to emphasise. Depending on your face shape, this might be underneath your eyes in an upside-down triangle, above your lips, in between your eyebrows and the middle of your forehead, down the middle of your nose, on your chin or underneath your cheekbones connecting down to the corners of your mouth. My advice is to go a few shades lighter than your skin tone and to choose one with a warmer, yellow undertone. I like to use the Nars creamy concealer in the shade Amande.

Step 3

Blend the concealer and set it with translucent powder or banana powder: a yellow-tinged theatrical powder that really gives brightness; try Ben Nye.

Step 4

To add warmth back into your complexion, brush off the excess powder using a powder brush loaded with pressed powder in your skin shade. Then lightly apply a darker bronzer to contour. I use this under my cheekbones, on the sides of my nose, under my jawline and on the corners of my forehead. Finding the right shade can be tricky for those with a deeper complexion; you need to find a deep, rich brown.

Step 5

Add a touch of colour with blusher applied directly above the contour. For my skin, Fashion Fair Beauty Blush in Earth Red is perfect.

Step 6

Add a shimmery golden bronze to the highest points of your cheekbone, the middle of your nose and your cupids bow. Silvery-toned highlights can look a little dull and grey; I used the Makeup Revolution highlighter in the colour Golden Lights.

And that's it! But play around and see what works for you, because we can't all highlight and contour the same.