TikTok’s Rainbow Contour Hack Is So Good, I’m Ditching My Foundation

When it comes to TikTok makeup hacks, the more absurd they are, the more viral they tend to go. Recently, the app's beauty lovers were obsessed with the glasses concealer trend, which consists of drawing on a pair of glasses using concealer, then blending everything in for bright, lifted skin. While it works (I'm proof!), there are the more disappointing methods of perfecting your makeup. Take lipstick blush, for example, or the jade roller foundation trick.

This week, TikTok's makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts can't get enough of the rainbow contour. Popularised by the likes of @rikkisandhu and @serenalakkiss, the technique involves strategically drawing on thick stripes of cream blush, bronzer and concealer, and blending everything in with a makeup sponge. It isn't just cheeks, either, as the method is being used to contour the entire face, including the jawline, chin, nose and forehead. The result? Expertly applied makeup in moments, which accentuates bone structure and makes skin glow in all the right places.

Rainbow contouring is mesmerising to say the least, which is why Serena's video has amassed 40k views and Rikki's has gained 1.5 million pairs of eyes. The comments are a mixed bag, with some followers worried they might end up looking like a "clown" or that "it looks like ice cream" and others saying that they love how the blending process pulls the out-there look together. As plenty of other TikTokers jumped on the bandwagon, I couldn't avoid the hack. It had to be my next video.

Foundation and me go way back but applying it is time-consuming and a little boring so, like Rikki, I went straight in with my contouring products. Ditch powder versions for creams, which melt seamlessly into the skin and impart a lit-from-within gleam. I reached for the Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Dou Dou, $87.12, Face Trace Contour Stick in Biscuit, $87.12, and Laura Mercier's Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer, $46.

Though I love them, these products are a little on the expensive side. But following the boom for glow-giving cream makeup, there are lots of affordable alternatives, like the e.l.f. Monochromatic Multi-Stick, $12, in multiple blush shades, and Sleek Make Up's Face Form Sculpting Stick, $15. In my opinion, they're just as great.

I started with blush, swiping the product along my cheeks, following with bronzer underneath and concealer underneath that. My first mistake was missing my nose entirely, so I had to go back in and reapply. Once that was done, I moved on to my forehead and applied a rainbow shape of blush, then bronzer. I dressed my chin with two vertical slicks of bronzer and concealer, misted on some of Lumene's Invisible Illumination [Kaunis] Dewy Glow Setting Spray, $29.50, and got to blending using Huda Beauty's The Basic B Sponge, $17 (any damp sponge or blender will do).

I thought it would take ages to blend everything out but thanks to the warmth of my face, the veil of setting spray and the damp sponge, it was easy and took no longer than a minute — less than it takes to perfect my foundation usually. With everything melted into my skin, I had one regret: using blush on my forehead. Though Rikki and Serena both do this step, it made me look a little sunburned so I went over it with a touch of concealer to take the redness down. Other than that, I was pleasantly surprised. My skin looked radiant and my face appeared naturally sculpted rather than obviously so, as is often the case with powder contouring products. All three colours melted together so well, I didn't need foundation at all. My skin appeared pretty flawless without it, as all three products masked my blemishes and acne scars really well.

It's a little different from what I'm used to but I loved the easy, luminous vibe so finished things off with a touch of nude lipstick, black mascara and brushed up brows. You could dress this up, however, and even contour over foundation if you prefer more coverage. While the initial, unblended look is alarming to say the least, this cream contouring hack works a treat to sculpt and lift the face and impart a glow. It's safe to say I'm sold and it's convinced me to shelve my foundation for the foreseeable.