The Ladybug Can’t Believe She’s Keeping Up with the Kardashian: Contouring Makeup Tips

Love her or hate her, we must say that every new trend that comes from Kim Kardashian makes a lot of noise on the web. I usually don’t give much attention to her new trends, which seem to come daily, but I couldn’t help doing some research on her beauty trend about contouring. Well, I found out she didn’t invent anything new with her make up, but she has unveiled one of the best kept beauty secrets among celebrities for years!

When I started my own research online I found tons of tutorials and articles on how to contour based on your face shape and colors… what products to use and which pencils. There was a lot of information about how to make it natural for a daily use or dramatic for a night out. I was really surprised, and believed I might not (based on a couple trys) be able to do something similar on my own, until I decided to try at a Marc by Marc Jacobs make-up event at Sephora in Milan. I was pretty skeptical at the beginning and I asked a lot of questions, but then I started to train myself and now I am quite addicted to it and I can share with you what I learned so far.

First of all, I learned that contouring isn’t an easy job: I made many mistakes and tries before getting a good result. So if you are a starter, like me, use a small quantity of products. I prefer powder products to creamy ones- which is better to use after some time and exercise. Sephora and Marc Jacobs have specific pencils for contouring, so I suggest to use one of those.

Also, I prefer a more natural effect instead of a dramatic contouring, so forget the Kim Kardashian effect and try to get a natural contouring that takes less time to master and do than you think.

If you go online you can find tons of tutorials based on your face. But here I’ve tried to put together some pictures that I found on the web to make it easier for you to understand how it works and how to obtain the correct “game” of light on your face to highlight your beauty angles… and maybe correct some little things that we don’t like.

I also suggest not to use products containing glitter or with pearl effects as they will ruin the natural effect. I picked up the Marc by Marc Jacobs contouring palette Mirage Filter. My Sicilian range of color depending on the season is vast so the universal color palette works great for me.  But if you have darker skin, you can also use the Mac contouring kit or the creamy single contouring products coming in different colors based on your skin tone (I’ve tried them too, but I think that I need more practice before!). It is very important to find the right color for your skin, so don’t be afraid to ask to a beauty consultant in your beauty store to find the right color for your skin tone. Nothing is worse than wearing a mask when it’s not Halloween, right?

After fixing the foundation with some powder, I apply, in the areas indicated in the pictures for oblong faces like mine, the contouring powders before applying some blush: it takes just a few minutes and it gives you a completely different effect that keeps your everyday makeup natural and fresh.

Let me know if you tried it and if it became or it is part of your beauty routine. Tell me how you feel about it; I’m curious to hear your comments!

The Ladybug’s Creative Play Date: MI-NY are Called, but Few are Chosen for Fashion Blogger Day in Como

Some Sundays are simply epic. Take fashion, creativity, cosmetics, food, friends, bloggers, sun and fun- mix them well and you will have the first Fashion Blogger Day in Como organized by Sara Biondi of Newseventi Como. The event was produced in collaboration with the Accademia di Belle Arti Aldo Galli and MI-NY Cosmetics. It was quite an exciting affair as I had the chance to be a delighted guest with my fellow bloggers from Lombardia and Veneto. Food, fashion, vintage, beauty… we were all there and ready to enjoy the day!

We spent the morning in a Factory… yes, like Andy Warhol’s famous studio: a place where creativity and talent are developed and fed; where fashion, textile and design meet together and are free to express in the name of creativity. This is the Factory of the Accademia Galli where we met the students, the President Salvatore Amura and the class coordinator Marina Nelli who answered our questions and gave us not only the possibility to know more about what they do, but also to take pictures and fully enjoy the place. As if it wasn’t enough to have our creativity fed, we were offered an amazing brunch – a brunch I would call, “creative cuisine!” – prepared by the students of the Centro Studi Casnati.

It was enough to make my day, but the surprises didn’t end there.

In the afternoon we all moved to the beautiful Piazza San Fedele in Como to visit the MI-NY shop, where we acted like kids in a candy store with all those colored and scented nail polishes and makeup!

My fellow blogger and make-up artist, Erica Makeup Dolls, gave us great tips on how to use makeup and we also modeled for her. She created a beautiful makeup based on the movie Cast Away on me. She said that I made her think of sea, travels and passion… maybe it was my Sicilian origin or my passion for travel or maybe it was just my turban… either way, the result was amazing!

Of course, I also did some shopping… I love my new MI-NY white Miss Marilyn nail polish… great quality-price relation and so “on trend!” MI-NY was a great discovery for me and I am now a regular client of their shop in Milan on corso Buenos Aires!

I will tell you more about my funny outfit of the day in my next post!