Contouring
Expanded

Contouring Expanded: The practice of cosmetic contouring refers to the use of varying shades of makeup to shape facial features by mimicking shadows and highlights. Though its origins are onstage -- a technique used for decades everywhere from Broadway to the drag community -- it entered the mainstream consciousness by way of social media. It is now expanding beyond cosmetics as consumers have grown accustomed to this level of control in one aspect of their appearance, and want the same in others.

Though consumers enjoy the control cosmetic contouring grants them, they are less enthused by the effort and skill it requires to properly execute. This points to a conflict between the consumer desire to look conventionally attractive, and the desire to be authentic and "effortless." This points to a specific type of consumer who is holistically image-conscious; invested in enhancing their visual appearance, while also maintaining a non-illusory personal brand throughout the process.