When it comes to my beauty routine, I tend to keep things simple. Based on my personal preferences and skill level for applying makeup, I usually just stick to playing up my eyes with a few swipes of mascara and meticulously drawn-on eyeliner rather than try new things — like creating more defined cheekbones.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore the cheekbones-that-can-cut-glass look, but it's just too difficult to achieve. Every time I try contouring with a cream formula, I end up with harsh lines across my face that take way too long to blend in and irritated skin from furiously rubbing my cheeks in the hopes of getting a more natural appearance.
Unsurprisingly, my attempts at contouring ended as quickly as they started — until I found a game-changing product by KVD Beauty. I requested a sample of the brand's ModCon Liquid-Gel Contour from a PR contact in the hopes of finally getting the chiseled cheekbones of my dreams.
I'll be honest, this product has essentially cured all of my contouring woes.
KVD Beauty ModCon Liquid-Gel Contour
It's beginner-friendly
In my experience, prepping the skin before any makeup application is vital. First, I used a face primer to make sure the makeup would have a solid base to stick to. Then, I applied my go-to tinted moisturizer for natural-looking coverage. Once those dried down, I was ready to give the liquid-gel contour a try.
Right off the bat, I found the applicator brush incredibly easy to use. The tapered tip is small enough to contour areas like the nose but can still dispense a good amount of product to more prominent areas like the cheeks. One of the formula's key features is that it doesn’t instantly dry upon application, so you don’t have to rush to blend it in — and it won't smudge the foundation underneath once you do. Even better, it also contains daisy flower extract, which hydrates the skin without giving it an oily, shiny finish.
It adds depth and dimension
To start, I drew a line of the creamy formula onto the underside of my cheekbones, across my jawline and along the upper sides of my forehead. And although I used one of the lightest shades (Fair), I was initially afraid that I chose the wrong color (it looked so dark!). However, I told myself to trust the process. According to the brand, the ModCon Liquid-Gel Contour is designed to construct a faux shadow and create dimension around the face, so the intimidating darker shade was likely doing me a favor.
Once applied, the formula felt super silky and also a bit wet, which let me know that it would blend easily. I used a bronzer brush to work the product into the skin before it completely dried, however I would recommend using a smaller tool or just your fingertips. The brand says you can use either one to blend or build, but with my larger brush, I wasn't able to spread the product with as much precision as I would have liked.
Defined cheekbones, revealed!
Once my cheekbones were clearly sculpted, I lightly dusted my skin with setting powder and spritzed it with a setting spray to ensure my makeup would remain in place all day.
The result? A fully defined face — and not just my cheekbones. In fact, every angle of my face popped out pretty dramatically. While I still think the shade was a little too dark for me, I was impressed with the formula, which went on smooth and didn't dry down patchy (which typically happens along my naturally dry cheeks). So, not only did the finish look good, but the product’s hydration claims certainly held true, too.
The best part? After wearing the liquid-gel contour for a full eight hours, this makeup did not budge — even after I accidentally rubbed my cheek with the sleeve of my shirt. No transfer! I had to do a full double cleanse at the end of the night to make sure all the makeup had been removed from my skin. Worth it.
Final verdict: I'm officially a contour convert. I even plan to incorporate this step into my makeup routine. And since this product is so easy to use, I think I can still get away with calling it "simple."
For more beauty products we're loving, check out:
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- I tried the $6 camo concealer everyone's talking about — it didn't disappoint
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