When Bobbi Brown, the legendary makeup artist and founder of her namesake brand, speaks, the beauty world listens. In an interview with the New York Post, she didn’t hold back. She shared that there’s “more than one reason she’s not into contouring,” and her honesty has reignited a conversation many of us have been quietly having.

For Bobbi, the issue starts with the results. She believes contouring often looks harsh or muddy when done by non‑professionals.
“When I see contouring on people’s faces, it looks like dirt,” she said, a statement that made the beauty industry sit up straight.

But her deeper concern goes beyond technique. It’s about intention.

As a lifelong advocate for individual beauty, Bobbi argues that contouring sends the message that something is wrong with our natural features.
“The contouring trend is so wrong because it tells women there’s something wrong with their face. There’s beauty in a full face, so I don’t like to paint in a cheekbone that doesn’t exist.”

Instead of chiselling and carving, she champions a softer, more authentic approach: a pop of blush to lift the cheeks, glowy skincare to enhance radiance, and makeup that celebrates, not disguises, who we are.

Bobbi feels so strongly about this that her company launched an anti‑contouring campaign, pushing back against a trend made mainstream by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and the rise of social‑media beauty culture.

And now, your magazine wants to know:
Where do you stand?

Should we return to the classic comfort of concealer and foundation, the timeless duo that enhances rather than transforms?
Or should makeup lovers be free to sculpt, shade and spotlight their features to their heart’s content?

Is contouring a creative tool?
A confidence booster?
A mask?
A moment?
Or a movement that’s run its course?

Whatever your stance, one thing is clear: the conversation around beauty is evolving. And perhaps the real question isn’t whether contouring is right or wrong — but whether our beauty routines reflect who we truly are.

By Bridget Addow