If you read the recent article on TCC about Lebanese Instagram Clichés, (if you haven’t, please stop everything and read it!), you would have seen (and laughed at) the 11th clichés “FYI, #nofilter really means no filter. We can tell when the picture has no filter, especially on your face. Skin smoother apps are no longer a secret.”
Well, I have a secret to tell you. You can fake it and use non-filter filters. Real life ones. Makeup companies are now creating palettes that will filter light and help you get the perfect #Selfies.
I personally think it is a Marketing stratagem. Yes. Many makeup brands have created such palettes years and years ago. The only difference is that they were not called Selfie Powders-Probably because Instagram did not exist back then. They were simply called “Contour and Highlight” Palettes.
The better understand what “Contour and Highlight”means, just think of the very sharp makeup lines that Kim Kardashian has. She used this technique and made it very popular.
In this article I will tell you about the most popular Selfie/Light Filtering powders and then give you alternatives!
Selfie/Light Filtering Powders
1-Marc Jacobs
#InstaMarc, light filtering contour powder
Marc the genius. He surely has a lot of creative and artistic talents. But he will not stop to impress us with his great marketing ideas. He recently released a kit composed of a light-yellowy powder that will capture light to illuminate and brighten your skin. You will have to apply it on your cheek bones. The kit contains also a bronzed powder that will strengthen the shadows of your faces (e.g. to be applied below the cheek bones, and in the contour of your nose) that will help define your features.
2-Too Faced
#TFNOFILTER
Too Faced is a high end makeup brand very popular in the USA and in Europe. They have created a kit of powders that are designed to improve your selfies without having to add filters. According to them, it’s “the honest way to #nofilter”.
The kit is composed of (i) a yellow powder to highlight your cheek bones and forehead, (ii) a brown powder to bronze the contour of your face and enhance your natural traits and (iii) a purple-ish powder to counteract the dullness of your face. You can also mix the 3 powders for a glowy skin effect.
High End Alternatives
Many high end kits are available (Make Up Forever, Mac, Kat Von D). Here are the best ones in my opinion.
1-Smashbox
Step By Step Contour Kit
2-Nars
Contour Blush, a great option in my opinion
3-Charlotte Tilbury
Filmstar Bronze & Glow.
High Street Alternatives
You won’t find as many alternatives from the High Street. However, just keep in mind that you can use any dark powder/cream for contour and a light one for the highlight. Rimmel is, according to me, a very good High street Alternative.
A good kit would be the Bourjois Délice de Poudre bronzing powder & highlighter.
Written by Marilyn Der Nigoghossian