Only three colour options (but cover most skin tones). The coverage is quite light but excellent for teenagers and “no-makeup makeup”. Easy to apply, the only thing we will say is that they are suuuper pigmented - like, make sure you're ready to blend, blend, blend - and try not to go OTT. Popular places to contour include along your hairline, under your cheekbones, and along the sides of your nose. $38 for a single color contour is pretty pricey, especially since reviewers report that it doesn’t last long with regular use. A luxury highlight and contour palette for sculpting the face and adding gentle light. Most of us would love more defined cheekbones, a slimmer nose, or a more chiseled jaw; however, few people have the desire (or finances) to permanently alter their appearance. Splendid. Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette. The budget cream formula is a little oily and sheer, not ideal for professionals or those looking for flawless coverage. Reasonable considering the quality and luxe appeal. All you need is a small-medium soft brush with a tapered tip. Reasonably expensive for just one shade, but worth it if it’s your go-to definer. It's hard to believe that only a few years ago barely any of us contoured. The best bet is to choose a contour shade a bit darker than your foundation, and a shade that is similar to how you think shadow on your face would appear. For one solo product, the price is fair but not the cheapest on the market. After 16 hours of research evaluating 82 products, we picked Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit as our top choice. Additionally, you can mix and match your favorite shades from the 6-pan Shade + Light Contour Palette so that you’re never wasting product (and in turn wasting money). The shade range is pretty ideal, too, with 6 dual contour and highlight colours to play with. And, for the jaw line, apply contour underneath your law line to square off your chin, for an instantly sculpted look. The creams are quite thick (but not heavy) and provide great coverage. It prides itself in delivering the most undetectable finish - so everyone will assume that maybe you were born with it. For starters, a good contour product should be cool instead of warm toned. The cream-to-powder formula feels weightless on the skin and dries down to a natural matte finish. The sheer coverage means you have to work to build the product. The creaminess of this contour kit… whew! Use a fluffy brush to set the face with the matte highlight shades, and bronze with the warm-toned deeper shades. The lighter shade can be used to add light to the high points, while the orange tone cancels out blue circles. Beginner-friendly. The powders are prone to breaking so be careful when travelling. The most luxurious (and one of the best) contouring products on the market, Tom Ford’s Shade & Illuminate has been a staple in our contour kit for several years. $40 is pretty steep for one contour palette, but it includes both highlights and contours, requires little to no retouch on a daily basis, and a little goes a long way—even if you use this product daily (and we promise, you will) you can expect this palette to last you 3-4 months. Read on for the best contour … The stubby brush makes contouring simple. Skip to main content. Becca powders are creamy, soft, pigmented, and blendable. These powders glide on easily and never leave streaks or patches. Inspired by the Shade + Light Contour Palette, these mini duos allow you to take your favorite highlight and contour shades on the go. $22.99 $ 22. Over 20 million users and counting have trusted our rankings and product reviews. A creamy, full-coverage foundation stick with a natural matte finish. Of course, you will first want to apply foundation and bronzer, if desired, but then start with the deeper contouring shades to the areas you would like a bit of definition (brow bones, sides of the nose, hair, and jawline, for example) and blend with a brush or beauty blender. Contour kits are a staple in our makeup arsenal. Could be a little too thick for directly under the eyes but perfect for blemishes and contouring. For example, sticks are great for hard to reach areas like your nose, MAC's Studio Perfecting Stick is one of our faves because it's so slim. Combine different shades to find the perfect concealer shade to match your skin tone, and use the deeper shades to “carve-out” your features. A 4-pan powder palette with two highlight shades and two contour shades for customizable sculpting and defining. Powder allows you to get the grip of how the contouring technique works, so that you can gradually move to using cream-based products. Use this kit to create a natural daytime look or a dramatic sculpt that is sure to turn heads without worrying that you will need to retouch throughout the day/night. The formula is highly pigmented but the silky cream formula makes it easy to apply and blend out. There is a reason we have hit pan on this beauty. The tone and range of colours in the contour section are pretty impressive - we especially rate the second from the left. When it comes to contouring those tricky areas like your nose, a stick that's easy to blend is essential. The fluffy doe foot applicator delivers product evenly, making light work of seamlessly whipping your cheekbones into shape. Not cheap). A little pricey, but reasonable quantity in return. These satisfyingly magnetic sticks are fab for a pro contour. You can also use the shades to contour and define the eyes for a full-face monochrome look. Matte-lovers may find this a little hard to get used to (but the glow will win you over). Covergirl Full Spectrum Contour and Correct Expert Cream Palette, 15. Regardless, this contour stick is not the cheapest on our list, but reviewers advise that it will last you a LONG time. Buying guide for best contour palettes. Contouring has come a long way in recent years. Emollient and easy to blend into the skin (a synthetic buffing brush would work well). Or, you can scrape product off with a palette knife and transfer to a palette when using on clients. It’s available in three shade options – 001 Golden Sands, 002 Coral Glow, and 003 Golden Bronze. But if you’re on the market for a go to highlight and contour for every day, these duos will be your new best friend. All After applying, blend it out (upwards on your cheeks and temples and downwards on your nose and jaw) with a contour brush or beauty blender. With the Contour Kit, Anastasia Beverly Hills brings you a best-selling set of three powder highlights and three powder contours that come in removable and refillable pans, ranging from light to deep. Use the cooler, darker shades to contour the face. Could be an excellent bridal palette or go-to bronzer, contour, highlight, and eyeshadow palette. Layers well with liquid foundations and under powders. Contour shade could be too warm for cooler skin tones but could be used as a bronzer. If you want to get contouring right, check out my picks for the best contouring makeup! A pretty good value for a contour, bronzer, highlight, and contour brush all in one! NYX Professional Makeup Highlight & Contour Pro Palette, 22. Formula could be smoother, but for the price, it can’t be beat. For the nose, use the contour shade to apply a stroke down each side of your nose and blend for a slimming effect, as a finishing touch use the highlighting shade to accentuate by applying a thin line from the top of your nose and blend. A creamy formula that glides onto the skin. Kim Kardashian West and her makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic most famously made the “contour” a thing back in the day. A 10-pan palette with creamy concealer and contour shades for full-face sculpting and perfecting. Four blendable shades in one luxe palette. Best Contour Kit For Pale Skin If you’re looking for the ultimate contour kit, then this one’s for you. For dry skin types, a … One of the best contouring kits in the market, Aesthetica helps you achieve that coveted contoured look with their contouring palette. Super creamy and hydrating thanks to lychee extract and antioxidants, this melts into the skin with each swipe, leaving a line free contour. Soft, creamy powders that blend effortlessly and can be built to achieve more intense colour. Why contour makeup? At the very most, one or two shades darker than your skin is the darkest you should go, but also remember to lean in towards hues that have the appropriate undertone to them. Like we mentioned previously, the kit includes three contour shades and three highlights for sculpting and emphasizing cheekbones, nose, and jawline. At just under $20 this isn’t incredibly cheap, but, given that it is a highlight and contour in one and will last for an extended period of time, it is still a great value for what you get. Please don’t ever discontinue this Sleek, we love you. Unfortunately, the highlight shades are VERY light - seems great in theory, but IRL they're not that usable. For monochrome glam, use the deeper shades to contour the eye. When you use a single-toned BB cream or foundation and call it a day, it can result in a flat finish that doesn’t bring out the dimensions of your face. Use your finger to conceal and a small synthetic buffing brush to contour. Use a buffing brush to blend out. Forget the little brush it comes with and use a tapered brush to buff the contour into the hollows of the face. Cream Contour When it comes to contour makeup products, there are two main types. Add a stroke of blush right above the contour line to create a naturally flushed look. Well, first of all, with these duos you are getting everything you need to create the perfect contour, at a size and price anyone can get onboard with. Professional-grade powder highlight and contour shades blend seamlessly into the skin with an included brush. Suck in cheeks to find your natural cheekbones, apply a swipe of contour, and blend upwards with a contour brush or beauty blender. Shop the Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Stick Trio Only one colour option may be too dark for pale skin. Use the deeper shades to contour under the cheeks, down the nose, around the forehead, and under the jawline. If you're unfamiliar with the difference between contour and bronzer, allow us to explain. Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. A creamy formula that dries down to a matte finish. It comes with 8 shades that are great for most, if not all, skin tones. Finally, select a shade of highlight to apply over cheekbones, nose, and jawline for emphasis. The highlight shade is especially sheer so your fakery will go undetected. At under $10 for 6 pans, we’re calling “bargain”. It also has the broadest shade range: 10 colours to be precise. Youngfocus Cosmetics Cream Contour Best 8 Colors and Highlighting Makeup Kit - Contouring Foundation/Concealer Palette - Vegan, Cruelty Free & Hypoallergenic - Step-by-Step Instructions Included. The chic streamlined palette is easy to take anywhere, too. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. A high-end price not for the budget-conscious. A low-budget option for discerning contour fanatics. Reach for the contour product (or darker color of concealer) you chose and use it to accentuate specific areas on your face. Vote to enter our $100 Amazon Gift Card giveaway. The tape undertones mean you'll steer clear of an orange contour, too. Of course you can always contour without the highlight, but why not emphasize those gorgeous freshly chiseled features? A creamy powder with cocoa butter for easy blending. The downside? The cream turns to a velvet powder, so you don't need to layer with this one. Now, everyone appears to be doing it – including makeup brands.That’s right, if you walked into a Sephora 5 years ago there would be no signs of palettes and kits dedicated to marking up your face, but today that’s a whole other story. The Shade + Light Contour Palette by Kat Von D has gotten quite a bit of attention, but were currently crushing on the Kitten Mini Shade + Light Contour Duo. Easy to blend and build for beginner-proof sculpting. 30% pure matte pigments won't budge once they've set, so apply with caution. They offer the choice of sheer and subtle (ideal for day wear) or intense and high-glam (for evening). A compact palette perfect for traveling or makeup purists. Kat Von D's Shade & Light Face Contour Palette, Westman Atelier's Face Trace Contour Stick, This best-selling contour kit just got even better, 11 of our all-time favourite makeup brush sets, Of course people are now contouring with stilettos, See Kim Kardashian's Contour & Highlight Kits, This extreme contouring video has gone viral. Use the sponge at the end of the wand to apply a small squeeze to cheek hollows, nose, temples, and jawline. These are the best cheap and high-end contour palettes and kits from Sephora, Ulta, and drugstores, all easy for beginners. Use your fingers or the provided brush to buff the color into the face. The Contour Kit by Anastasia Beverly Hills is versatile and perfect for beginners and pros alike. Hi I'm Akesha, but you can call me Keeks. The kit features one contour, one bronzer, and one highlighter that make the perfect contour achievable for all skill levels. Simply swipe the stick onto the forehead, hollows of the cheeks, down the sides of the nose, and along the jawline. Beautiful shades designed for women of color. If you're a contour newbie, rest assured this little pot will propel you into a pro. For the cheeks, suck in your cheeks to help you determine exactly where shadow, and then using the contour shade apply along this line—blend upward to create the illusion of lifted, sculpted cheeks. 15 cream colours designed to conceal blemishes, correct redness, brighten sallow skin, and contour to create facial definition. To begin, select a contour shade for the cheekbones, nose, and jawline. Dust the matte highlight shade under the eyes and down the T-Zone. In terms of the order in which you want to apply your makeup, it might surprise you to hear that most beauty experts recommend to first apply a highlight over your cheekbones, blend your foundation, and then apply contour last. The beauty of this multi-shade set is that you can mix and match to create a truly customised contour. Westman Atelier's Face Trace Contour Stick and Morphe's Contour Stick are our faves. A shimmer fan brush is ideal for dusting the highlight into the high points of the face. Carve out the facial structure with the deeper shade, pop the center points with the brighter shade, and add glimmering light with the shimmer highlight. 99 ($22.99/Count) Get it as soon as Tue, Jan 5. Jenna is an Iowa native and former Chicago resident who is currently living her best life in the Tampa Bay area with her husband and fur baby. Easy for newbies and pros alike. The key is blending excessively and once dry, you can bet your bottom dollar it's going nowhere. Both palettes flatter a range of skins tones and complexions. A 3-pan compact for defining the facial structure, popping the cheeks, and highlighting the high points of the face. You can easily layer it over other cream products and set with powders. A glow-giving face palette that adds color, light, and depth. MAC have loads of shade to choose from (16 to be exact), so you're guaranteed to find a flattering hue. The contour and sculpt shades are matte and very pigmented (yet buildable for customizable intensity). Sure, we smothered our base in bronzer, but carefully sculpt and shade we did not. The formula is blendable and also comes in a variety of shade ranges from Light/Medium to Medium/Tan to Deep, which ensures you will achieve the best match for your complexion regardless of your skin tone. Contouring has come a long way in recent years. This is a powder-based formula with a palette of colors perfect for all complexions. The NYX Professional Makeup Highlight & Contour Pro Palette is our number one go-to contour kit. For oily complexions powders are paramount. Solid cream makes for spill-free, travel-friendly usage. Potentially too thick for oily skin, but can be blended out with a damp sponge. Bargain. Looks very natural and blends like a dream, Effortlessly sculpt, chisel, shape, and slenderize your features for enhanced definition, Available in three shade combos: Light, Medium, and Deep, Perfect size, fantastic formula, best shades, On the go contouring with this travel size compact, Flawless, satin finish that lasts all day, Palettes available in three separate shades. At $23, this is one of the cheapest contour products on our list. Small pan sizes, but a little goes a long way! A 6-pan palette with five matte shades and one shimmer highlight. You can also use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to contour and define the eye. The oily formula is better for normal-dry skin types and may need to be set with powder for staying power. Subscribe for more videos: https://bit.ly/2JFCtDrEasy Contouring video for Beginners. The coverage is buildable so you can achieve a flawless, even complexion. Warm enough to bronze the face but with enough coolness to contour and sculpt. A compact pen with a cream highlight and contour in light, medium, and dark shade options. As well as the standard light and deep shades, there's a yellow tone that neutralises redness and an apricot one to brighten. A little too oily and heavy for acne-prone skin-types, but fine for normal-to-dry skin. You can choose whatever you feel comfortable using. We especially love that you can create a full face with just one stick. For a chiseled nose, apply a swipe or two along each side and blend outward towards your cheeks. Hit SUBSCRIBE to join my family & stay updated with future tutorials. Then, apply your usual … Additionally, if you’re spending a lot of time contouring daily, the tube will not last very long. She has a BS in Political Science from the University of Iowa, as well a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law. 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