I love my MAC blush in Harmony for contouring, but these days I am looking for something a little more softer for everyday. MAC Harmony is awesome but it can be difficult to work with if you're hurrying since it's quite pigmented - I end up spending longer blending out the edges.

That's why I wanted to get the NARS Laguna Bronzer. I went to the NARS store in Rustans to check it out but I hesitated because of the P1,750 price tag. I knew it was worth it since the two NARS products I own happen to be the best I have, but I don't know, I haven't mentally prepared myself to spend P1,750 that day! So I decided to sleep on it.

Good thing I saw this in a blog sale. I immediately snapped it up!

What I love about the product 

• Smooth, fine-milled and pigmented, but it manages to melt on skin instead of just sitting on top looking like makeup
• Incredibly long lasting. It stays on all day with minimal fading (at least on my combination skin)

I won't mince words with you: the Revlon Beyond Naturals Blush & Bronzer isn't a stellar product. I'd say it's so-so. Its only wow factor is how beautiful this blush looks on me! Unfortunately I don't have a picture to prove it so you'd have to go on my word, haha.

What I love about this product

• Looks natural on my face. The plum blush looks like my actual flush while the bronzer is a subtle shade close to my skin that makes it perfect for contouring.
• I get that "glowing-from-within" cheeks.
• Covenient. It saves me time blending and picking up two different products for contouring/blushing.
• Generous amount of product in the big compact. 

What I don't like about the product

• The powder is hard, so you may have to scrape with your brush.
• Texture is a bit coarse.

Contouring is a neat trick to have up your sleeves. You can easily loose a couple of pounds off your face, lift it up, and just generally make you look different. Prettier too, if done right!

Now the thing about contouring is that it's quite easy. You just need to remember three things: find the right angle, use the right brush and contouring color, and then blend like mad.

Just a small note: this is a tutorial for basic, everyday contouring on the cheeks. It's not the whole deal for the face, because that's a little more complex and time-consuming.

Step 1: Finding the right angle to darken

The easiest way to do this is to just suck your cheeks in and then apply the color where the hollows are. A slightly harder (but better and more natural) way to do it is this: go under direct light, then observe where the shadows fall on your face. To illustrate -