3-D Tanning Is the Latest Kardashian-Approved Contouring Secret

Another day, another contouring technique taking the Internet (and the Kardashians' faces) by storm. Joyce Bonelli, one of the Kardashians' most trusted makeup artists, told The Daily Mail all about the contouring method she's been using to sculpt the family members' faces. Get ready for a surprise because it doesn't involve any makeup at all.

Bonelli calls the new technique "3-D tanning," a process that involves the strategic application of self-tanning products, body oils, and lots of time. She starts by using a special mitt to apply tanning mousse all over, and then she waits: an hour for a light glow, two hours for a bronzed look, and three hours for a deep tan. After a quick rinse to remove any residue from the mousse, Bonelli applies a bronzing gel to the face with a foundation brush, focusing on the nose, the forehead, and the sides of the cheeks. "This will give the face a very natural, sun-kissed look," says Bonelli. She also runs the gel down the neck, arms, and legs to create an optical illusion of slimness, though she's keeping her exact body-contouring method under wraps for the moment. Finally, Bonelli finishes off the look with highlights of shimmery dry body oil on the cheekbones, temples, collarbones, and down the middle of the arms to add glow.

Using tanning products to contour isn't necessarily new. Bonelli said she learned about the method through Marissa Carter, the founder of Cocoa Brown tanning products and the "inventor" of 3-D tanning, a.k.a. tantouring. Revolutionary or not, we can see the appeal of the makeup-free process: It may take forever, but your painstaking contour job will last way longer than the usual bronzing powder—a definite plus in the sweaty summer months. Would you trade in your trusty contouring makeup products for self-tanner?

Women get makeup transformations through crazy contouring: