I’m learning how to highlight and contour, or HACing.

Yes, this is a beauty technique that make-up artists have been applying for years, but as a beauty novice, I’m just getting to grips with it. I have an upside down egg-shaped face, which means I lack strong bone structure, apart from my cheekbones.

Make-up artists have highlighted me like a pro, but I never thought that I could emulate the look myself.

However, I’ve recently been looking at highlighting and contouring tutorials, and it’s actually a lot simpler and quicker than I thought. The tools you need are: Bronzer (or a brown-tan blusher).

Highlighter (I’ve used Vie at Home Duo highlighter’s golden shade).

Blusher – in a slightly muted rosy tone.

BB or CC cream .

An angled blusher brush.

A round blusher brush.

Notice something great about this product list – no foundation or moisturiser required!

The process is simple. Start by applying a BB or CC cream as a base. Then use your slanted blusher brush to apply the bronzer on the areas you want to shade – under your cheekbones, either side of your nose, and around the hairline.

To highlight, I mix the CC cream with the highlighter. But be sparing with the latter or you could end up looking too shimmery and glittery. Typically it’s your cheekbones, under your eyes, along the centre of your nose, the centre of your chin, on your brow bone and just above your lip, on the cupids bow that you brighten. The last thing to apply is blusher, sparingly, to the apples of the cheeks. Keep this colour soft to stop it looking too harsh. HACing takes a bit of practice, and I am still most definitely learning. The key is blending so you don’t end up with swatches of colour on your face! Perfect HACing should be seamless blends of light and shade. What I really like about HACing is the fact you look made up without being heavily made up. It’s amazing to achieve this look without foundation or even moisturiser. Because you’re wearing less product, it lasts longer, so you’re left with a picture perfect look for the whole day.

Give it a try, and do share your results.