It’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t contour our faces – the technique is truly a game-changer. Whether you are bringing out your best features or defining and sculpting, contouring is an art. 21st august 4th September
Allow us to explain the difference between a bronzer and a good contour. Bronzer is warm-toned and says ‘I’ve just come from the beach in the Maldives,’ it can be used all over your face but better suited to where the sun would naturally hit. A contour, on the other hand, is a cooler tone that is put in a specific placement on the face to replicate a shadow, unlike bronzer it is designed to take warmth away from the face.
So, here is our roundup of the best palettes which you can select to create your ideal look.
MAC Studio Fix Scult and Shape Contour Palette
Three seamless glow-getting highlighters and three contour powders mean this is the ultimate face-framing palette. Build as much as your heart desires, these highlighters will have a soft-focus finish and can even be used as a contour blush.
Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette
This palette has a range of warm and cool bronzer shades, meaning it’s ideal for a range of undertones. Bonus: all shades double up as an eye shadow it’ll fill your makeup bag with a lovely chocolate scent.
Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Book The Art Of Sculpting And Defining Volume 3
Kevin Aucoin had been practicing sculpting and defining with makeup ages before the launch of his eponymous line – which has become known for its natural array of contouring products. The Art of Sculpting contains two defining shades, two highlighters and a sun-kissed shade blusher. All of which have a creamy finish and buildable.
Smashbox The Cali Contour
Smashbox was one of the first brands to pioneer the contour palette, and they remain top of the charts. The Cali Contour Pallette is great for faking that LA glow with its range of beautiful shimmers and warm/cool-toned mattes.
Smashbox The Cali Contour
Charlotte Tilbury The Hollywood Contour Duo
These are what you need in your makeup arsenal to achieve a candlelit complexion and carve out drop-dead cheekbones. The Hollywood Contour Wand has a cushion applicator for a super blendable mega-watt finish and the Hollywood Beauty Light Wand is a rose gold highlighter for all skin tones.
Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Shaping Stick
What would this article be without mentioning King of Contour himself, Mario Dedivanovic? Makeup artist to the formidable Kim Kardashian West, they both have put contouring on the map and now subsequently have very successful beauty lines – especially these face shaping kits. We’d recommend his SoftSculpt collection which comes in 6 different shades which are amazingly blendable and leave no signs of cakiness.
