Why Clown Contouring Isn’t Actually That Funny

At first glance, these images may make you laugh. But the "clowns" we've been seeing all over Instagram have a completely different mission. Clown contouring — which is really just a mixture of makeup techniques we've seen before applied with a bit more artistic license — is taking the Internet by storm. Beauty junkies are painting their faces to show all the haters out there that makeup can be empowering, creative, and fun. It all started when YouTube and Instagram makeup artist Bella DeLune decided to stand up to all the makeup shamers who have called her a clown over the years by posting a before shot of her with clown-like makeup (poop emoji included) and an after shot of it blended into a beautifully contoured face. Although she never meant it be a makeup tutorial, it garnered so much attention that her followers encouraged her to do a video and many of them started posting clown contouring pics and YouTube videos of their own (see above). Bam! Now it's everywhere! "Even though you don’t need this amount of makeup to look or feel beautiful," DeLune says. "Let’s face it, makeup is fun and it is a way of expressing yourself. Personally, I can not tell you many times I have been called a clown, and many other names, and been hated on because of the the way I use this art form." She is certainly not alone. Some people have even painted the nasty words users have said to them on their faces before blending them away with the swirl of a brush or pat of a sponge. In recent years, YouTube and Instagram have become platforms for makeup enthusiasts to showcase their talent and share their love of beauty with an online community, but social media can be a double-edged sword. With every positive comment these beauty-lovers receive, a flood of makeup-shaming and negativity comes right along with it. Women (and men) all around the globe receive hundreds of comments every day criticizing them for wearing too much — or even too little. We have always believed that makeup is a form of self-expression — some people may paint on a canvas, others on a face — and clown contouring takes this idea to a whole new level. Check out BellaDeLune's clown contouring video below, or this story from Buzzfeed to see more.