This Strange-Looking Tool Contours Your Face, No Makeup Required

While our fascination with contouring may have waned—due to its over-saturation by various celebrities and YouTube tutorials, not to mention our overall boredom—our interest in razor-sharp cheekbones is still going strong. Unless you’re born with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s bone structure, though, it was seemingly impossible to contour your face without tons of expertly layered makeup. That is, until now.

I was first introduced to the Dr. Jart+ Liftra collection during fashion week, when the brand was backstage at DKNY’s F/W 16 show prepping each model’s skin before sending them to the makeup chair. The collection comes complete with three products: the Contour Cream, Contour Shaper, and Contour Fixer, and boasts a lofty claim.

“The collection offers an immediate boost in the appearance of volume and elasticity and a long-lasting contouring effect,” the press release states.

Dr. Jart+ Liftra 3-Step Contour Set ($130)

But could it really work? I asked Dr. Rachel Nazarian, my go-to for dermatology questions. She answered, “Facial circulation and lymphatic drainage helps to decrease puffiness and stimulate muscles. The Contour Cream contains several antioxidants and oils that help to hydrate the face while the Contour Fixer contains anti-redness niacinamide and oils,” she told me. So yes, Nazarian agrees. “Facial massage is always helpful and stimulation of lymphatic flow helps decrease puffiness in general. Enhanced circulation is seen immediately after massage—similar to the decrease in the look of cellulite when you vigorously massage your thighs—but the results are short-lived. For continued results, you should use it daily.”

Okay, so that’s enough to get me to try it. It yields instant results, and those results can be prolonged by continued use. It’s not magic, but it is pretty darn great.

I started with the Contour Cream, per the kit’s instructions.

Dr. Jart+ Liftra Contour Cream ($60)

This is a highly concentrated, sticky cream with a fine thread texture. It has a dense elastic feeling, so it firmly clings to your skin—which is instrumental in providing a contoured and defined appearance. It’s super rich in nutrients (courtesy of a peptide complex and bio-water) and the formula works to collect and attract moisture while it immediately (and more drastically over time) creates tighter, contoured, and more lifted-looking skin. Hint: A little goes a long way. Add sparingly and smooth onto your skin.

Dr. Jart+ Liftra Contour Fixer ($50)

This is a simple mist, but applied after the Contour Cream to help enhance and prolong the contouring effects. It’s light, quickly absorbed, and provides a moisturized finish without stickiness (it has hyaluronic acid, which is my fave). It genuinely made my skin feel prepped, refreshed, and lifted. Plus, I decided to give myself a sprtiz throughout the day to refresh my skin and make sure everything’s looking right and tight. Spray on a generous amount after using the Contour Cream.

Dr. Jart+ Liftra Contour Shaper ($80)

It looks vaguely like a bizarre torture device, but I was so excited as I moved it along my chin to my earlobes and from my cheekbones to my temples and back again. Much like a facial massage, the Shaper is designed to boost facial elasticity but sculpt and contour skin in the process. It’s made with a 150-degree angle to fit all sorts of different facial shapes comfortably, and when done on a regular basis, helps lift droopy facial lines. By massaging your facial muscles with the hand roller, it relaxes and stimulates the muscles, supports natural blood circulation, strengthens elasticity, and provides visible lifting and sculpting results. Plus, it’ll also reduce swelling if you’re nursing a gnarly hangover.

All in all, I did notice a difference after my first night trying the collection. My skin looks better than ever—tighter, healthy, and moisturized. I’m not rivaling Kim Kardashian’s cheekbones just yet, but with continued use… watch out.

Now that you’ve learned how to massage and contour your face, find out the exact skincare routine you need, based on your skin type.