The hottest new ‘clean-girl’ makeup trend, Paula Dsouza elaborates on how to make tantouring work for you.
The no-makeup makeup look, the clean makeup look, clean-girl makeup… whichever way you may have heard of it, in whatever manner you may know of it, it all comes down to the same thing – less is truly more. Of late, beauty gurus and makeup artistes have started to celebrate the natural being of the skin, aiming to enhance what already exists. In doing so, a variety of trends have been taking the world of beauty by storm; for instance, the soap brow or the monochromatic look to name a few. One such makeup trend which has supposedly originated in the UK is called ‘Tantouring’.
So what is Tantoruing?
Well, it isn’t something very different from what we all know to be ‘contouring’. However, it simply makes use of a different product to achieve the much-loved chiselled finish.
The well-known process of contouring typically involves using a bronzer or a concealer which is a few shades darker than your skin tone. The pigment is then applied and blended out with (depending on your preference) a brush, a beauty blender or even your fingers. This product is often applied to the contours of your face to enhance its depth and dimension.
Tantouring is essentially contouring put together with self-tanning. Therefore, the resulting word that is created is ‘Tantour’- Tan + Contour. Self-tanner is a kind of lotion or mousse which due to its ingredients (specifically dihydroxyacetone, also called DHA) when applied on the skin, reacts in a way to mimic the effects of a regular suntan. Thus, tantouring leaves the face with a semi-permanent chiselled bronze glow.
People have been using self-tanner on their bodies to achieve that sun-kissed glow for quite a while now. Recently, however, a trend that involves putting this very lotion or mousse on one’s face has broken the internet. Many makeup artistes have rather quickly hopped onto this trend which leaves the face naturally bronzed, chiselled and ready for the day! But how does one go about ‘tantouring’ as we now call it?
Tips to Tantouring
The first and most important step is priming your skin. Just as you would do before putting on any makeup to ensure its longevity, priming prior to self-tanning can help better the finish and make the tint last longer.
The self-tanner should ideally be applied on clean and evened-out skin; hence, exfoliating prior to tanning is an absolute must. The exfoliator scrubs off any dead skin cells and dry skin. In doing so, the chances of a softer, more natural finish exponentially increases. Once you have a clean base post exfoliation, you can use a toner to thoroughly cleanse your face and finally proceed with the self-tanner.
Secondly, you have to pick your tools. You can use a beauty blender, or your fingers if that is your preference. However, most often tantour is applied with an angled contour brush. It is also suggested that you keep tissues nearby to clean up any unforeseen messes or mistakes.
Now comes the part where you actually apply the product. To start off, apply a small amount of the tanner to the whole face and neck area till the patches disappear and it looks completely even. This will serve as the base layer of the contour. The next step is applying a second layer of the self-tanner to areas you wish to contour. This would be your cheekbones, jawline, top of the forehead and the sides of your nose. Some people prefer to do brushstrokes in the shape of three (3) from the forehead to the cheekbones to the jawline. A good angled brush comes to great use during this step because it helps maintain precision whilst hugging the natural contours of your face.
Lastly, another very important step is to blend it out. Always blend upwards in a swooping-like motion following the contours of the face. You can add a little moisturiser to aid the process of blending. This helps ensure that there are no sharp lines on the face, and that it all blends together seamlessly to provide a natural bronzed finish. Let the tanner set for about 2-3 hours, rinse your face with a gentle cleanser and you are chiselled and ready to go!
Avoid these bloopers!
Steer clear of any skincare products which contain acids or exfoliants and face oils/cleansers in order to improve the longevity of the tan. This is because these products can often break down the top layer of your skin, removing the tan.
Even though tantouring may seem very appealing, it does tend to wash off in about 3 days and would need to be reapplied, which could be quite time-consuming a task. The less cold months seem the most ideal time to make use of this hack since it wouldn’t require you to put any contour, adding to the lightweightness of your makeup.
Even though it does look great for a few days, trends are trends for a reason. So, to sum up, what is most important is to always keep a watch on the products you use on your face no matter what the trend!