Lisa Eldridge is one of the most experienced and respected makeup artists in the biz. She’s held creative directorships, ambassadorial and product developmental roles for leading brands like Chanel, Shiseido and Boots No7 as well as worked across the fashion and beauty circuit. In 2015, Lisa Eldridge published her New York Times bestseller, Face Paint: The Story of Makeup, (a book covering years of research into the history of makeup) and became the Global Creative Director of Lancôme – a position she still holds today.
Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge. Image via lisaeldridge.com.
And while she’s busy overseeing Lancôme’s ad campaigns, product development and digital strategies Lisa’s also bouncing between celebrity photo shoots and growing her own brand of lipsticks (True Velvet Lipsticks). The Lisa Eldridge brand also includes running her own YouTube channel that accumulates around £100 000 in advertising revenue, which since 2016 has all been donated to charities that focus on female education and health. Can you tell I have a bit of a crush on this superwoman?
As if Lisa Eldridge wasn’t doing enough she’s also got the very best tutorial on bronzer vs contour, shedding light – and shade – to all the right places. The video below is pretty lengthy due to all the knowledge Lisa Eldridge has to give, so we’ve broken down some highlights for you on the difference between bronzer and contour but also how to apply both. Definitely watch the video right through though, it’s practically a masterclass!
Contouring:
- What: Contouring is all about shading and shaping the face. By ‘receding’ an area of the face using the shadowing effect of contour you extend the dimensions of the face, in a way making your face appear almost more 3D than it is. This gives your features more structure creating a desired shape.
- Picking Your Shade: Lisa Eldridge spends lots of time explaining this for a range of skin tones which made me realize just how little time I spend picking my shades! As contour is all about shadowing you need to pick your shade according to how shadow would naturally look on your skin. Lisa shows a great way of how to look at this in the video. Remember to not just think of your shade in terms of skin tone but undertone too (do you have a neutral undertone, something a bit more olive, warm or cool?). And choose a matt product!
- Where: Cheekbones, jawline, temples and nose.
- Lisa Eldridge’s Top Contouring Tips: Use a slightly pointy, stiffer brush for contouring so you place the shadows precisely. Once you’ve got the shadow down then blend, blend, blend! You want to keep contour lines soft.
Bronzing:
- What: Bronzer is used to create a tropical vacation glow even if it’s winter and you’ve been hiding out in dark, wet Europe. Lisa Elridge says it is made to mimic the sun’s natural tanning effect on your skin and is a great way to give your face a healthy sunkissed radiance.
- Picking Your Shade: As you’re trying to get a natural sunkissed look you’ll go for bronzer with rosier, warm tones. You can go for something with a little shimmer here if you like. Again, think of your skin under tones! If you’re going out to buy a product in store don’t be afraid to ask for help, you might need it to get the correct shade.
- Where: Cheeks, nose, forehead, eyelids and neck keeping above the contouring areas.
- Lisa Eldridge’s Top Bronzing Tips: Use a bigger, softer brush for bronzer. Lisa reminds you to keep this look natural so build the colour up by putting very little bronzer on to start. She also adds just the tiniest bit of blush on the cheeks for that fresh, just walked out of the sun look.
Watch Lisa Eldridge’s full Bronzer vs Contour video below:
Also see: Lisa Eldridge’s Facial Massage Routine
