Contouring has been all the rage in the beauty world for the last year, because at the end of the day, who doesn’t want sculpted cheekbones just like Angelina Jolie? As Maleficent, Jolie definitely has some prosthetics on her cheeks but that doesn’t mean the actress doesn’t have some perfectly sculpted cheekbones.

Of course Jolie’s cheekbones were accentuated by prosthetics in Maleficent and she naturally has amazing bone structure, but her makeup artist on the set of the Disney movie and personally for nine years, Toni G from MAC Cosmetics who spilled the beans to T Magazine last week on how you can create the look at home.

Toni G on how to contour for perfect cheekbones

Break it down before you begin.
“I would start out with a base, and then I would add my highlights and then I would add the contour.”

Identify and highlight the under-the-eye triangle.
“If you took a pencil from your nose to your upper cheekbone, you would just take that ‘V’ from the corner of your eye to the nose and highlight that whole area under your eye. That would help enhance your cheekbones – and with a light contour. I like to work more with highlights than doing too much contour.”

Fill in the hollows.
“For the contour, you feel where your cheekbone is, and you kind of go right under that – and don’t take it too far to your mouth. I would keep it, you know, just halfway from your ear to the midpart of your cheekbone. Just don’t take it too far down; then it becomes obvious.”

Blend the contouring color up and away.
“If you’re using a cream, you blend it out with your sponge until there’s no hard lines — and then same with the powder, except you would use a brush. From where you put it, blend it up.”

Don’t forget the eyes.
“The thing with cheekbones is – I would say the more defined your eyes are, that the focus will be taken away.”

What product do you need to create this look?

The latest craze in beauty are all-in-one highlighting and contouring compacts designed with two kinds of powder or creams: a darker one, which creates depth when brushed into the hollows of the cheeks, and a lighter, shimmery one, which makes the cheekbones rise and pop.

Pictured clockwise from left:

Tom Ford ‘Shade & Illuminate’ Highlighter & Shader Duet

If you love a cream, this product is the one for you. The Shade and Illuminate highlighter and shader duet allows you to easily blend the highlight and shading creams with your fingers to make sculpting and contouring your face easy.

L’Oreal Paris Glam Bronze Duo Powder

Formulated with tan boosting ingredients, Beta-Carotene and Vitamin E, this bronzer/highlighter duo creates a beautiful sun kissed look without looking over done. The compact pack also includes a brush and mirror for on-the-go touch ups.

Urban Decay Naked Flushed

Trust Urban Decay to create this perfect trio of cheek perfecting powders with this compact. Containing a bronzer, highlighter and a blush it also features Urban Decay’s micronized, jet-milled formula which has a luxe, featherlight texture that feels amazing on your skin and provides a flawless finish. A great handbag and travel companion.

NARS Contour Blush also available from Mecca Cosmetica

Known for their cult favourite Bronzer in Laguna, Nars have upped their offering with this duo of contouring shades to sculpt the face. The powder formula blends seamlessly and easily with a combination of spherical silica beads, jojoba, and an ultrasilky polymer that provide a creamy texture and a lightweight finish.

Clarins Bronzing Duo Mineral Powder Compact SPF 15

We love a compact which offers bit of sun protection, and this  Clarins Bronzing Duo Mineral Powder Compact has a SPF15 thanks to its mineral sunscreen. Claiming to guard against pollution with White Tea Extract, it also fights free radicals with Crowberry and vitamin E.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow from Net-A-Porter

What happens what an A-list makeup artist like Charlotte Tilbury creates a makeup line? It instantly hits the must-buy list for many beauty addicts. A firm believer that shading and highlighting can “re-sculpt and re-define your face”, Tilbury’s range uses Light Flex Technology to duo illuminate and contour your face. Plus it’s housed in a gold compact inspired by 1920s cigarette cases.

Too Faced Sun Bunny Natural Bronzer from Mecca Cosmetica

Too Faced most popular, dual-toned bronzer is a silky combination of a rich, golden bronze and a classic bronze with a touch of pink undertone to achieveyear round bronzed perfection that mimics a natural tan without any ofthe orangey ick!

Also…

Check out the MAC Cosmetics Maleficent collection for a fantastic contouring compact and other makeup inspired by the movie.

Contouring by Face Shape: The Face Charts

We love these mock ups by Sephora with tips on how to contour by face shape.