How to Contour and Apply Blush to Dark Skin | Michelle Obama Style

While everyone was ogling Mrs Michelle Obama's bangs for the inauguration, I was looking at her makeup. She maintained a strong look with her perfectly contoured face, gentle dark eye and  and soft, neutral lips to balance it all out. It isn't hard to recreate her look with the right contouring, highlighting and blush application tips.

Applied properly, contouring can look very natural and effortlessly beautiful. So, what will you need to contour?

Tips on Tools & Products for Contouring & Blush
You can contour with both cream foundation and powders. I prefer powders because I can have more control over the outcome. Use a powder a shade lighter than your skin tone for highlighting and one two shades darker for contouring. You'll get more bang for your buck since most contouring palette will give you less product at a higher cost. IF you prefer a contour kit, you could try one from Smashbox (pictured below).

Smashbox Step by Step Contour Kit

Dark girls, don't let the lighter girls have all the fun with blush. I recently got a heavenly blush set by way of my budget-friendly Bh Cosmetics 26 Shadow Blush Combo Palette (pictured below). You can not only get a neutral to smokey eye with these colours but you will get very brown-girl-friendly blushes. I love to mix the colours together with my ELF Studio Blush Brush to give my skin a gorgeous rosy glow.

Bh Cosmetics 26 Shadow Blush Combo Palette

Watch the video below for the best tips for highlighting, contouring and adding blush to dark skin.

Get Michelle's Lips – Line your lips with a dark reddish brown colour, add a nude lipstick with a pink undertone to the lip or apply a similar blush and blend the liner into the lip colour. Add gloss for extra drama. 

Contouring the Nose

Now I'm not a big fan of contouring the nose. Why? Because contouring the nose is not creating a chiselled face or makeup look. To me, you're changing the shape of your face and trying to respond to  a stereotypical idea of beauty.  Your nose is your nose and makeup is only made to enhance. However, I have dabbled in contouring of the nose and it can definitely help to give you that stereotypical look of beauty that many people desire. If you want to, contour away. The video below shows how it can be done.