The 15 Best New Contouring Kits for Newbies and Pros

 

 

Whether you like a little shading under your cheekbones—or want to map out your face like you have a hit reality show on E!—contouring really comes down to great products (and even better blending). Here, 15 kits for every skill level.

EASY

Clinique Chubby Sticks in Curvy Contour and Hefty Highlight

Ignore the cheesy names: Just scribble the matte brown crayon right under your cheekbones and the pinky highlighter above them. Blend the color with a makeup sponge for the easiest, most subtle contour ever. 

 

 

EASY

Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Stick Trio

These three skinny sticks are perfect for contouring detail work: You can easily draw lines down your nose or around your mouth without getting your whole face involved. Plus, the formula is creamy, leaving behind no harsh lines. 

 

EASY

Lancôme Le Duo Contour & Highlighter Stick

This dual-ended stick, which comes in five shades, makes quick work of contouring. And the slight gray tinge makes shading look believable—not like orange paint. Just don't push them too hard against your face: The formula is so creamy (a good thing) that you can easily snap off the crayons (a bad thing). 

 

EASY

Dr. Jart+ BB Mate Contouring 1.2.3. Kit

If you have dry skin, meet your new contouring BFF. The creamy shades are supermoisturizing thanks to hyaluronic acid. Just dab them on over tinted moisturizer or clean skin for a soft, subtle, non-drying contour. 

 

INTERMEDIATE

Sephora Collection Contouring 101 Face Palette

That pretty pattern isn't just for decoration. The palette is mapped out like a face to eliminate any guesswork (highlighter on forehead and cheeks, contour on cheekbones and chin). Dip your brush into whatever brown shade is a touch darker than your skin tone (there are three to choose from). Repeat with a clean brush for the highlighter. And blend, blend, blend. 

 

INTERMEDIATE

BareMinerals California Bronze Multi Effect Bronzing Trio

If you're the kind of girl who contours her face before going to the beach (no judgment), this is the palette for you. There are two matte contour shades and a shimmery golden highlighter. It makes for a pretty—albeit sparkly—glow when swept on with a fluffy foundation brush.

 

INTERMEDIATE

Marc Jacobs Beauty #Instamarc Light-Filtering Contour Powder

Even if you're not typically a fan of powder, you have to give this palette a chance. The dual powders are so soft and silky that it's impossible to make them look cakey; they give definition without settling into fine lines. 

 

INTERMEDIATE

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Chiseled to Perfection

Let's start with the most important thing: This palette smells like chocolate. Seriously. But what we love more than the smell or variety of shades is the tiny Kabuki brush that's included in the kit. It's the perfect size to sweep the color into the hollows of your cheeks and along your forehead. 

 

INTERMEDIATE

Stila Shape & Shade Custom Contour Duo

This matte cream contouring duo has absolutely no shimmer, yet leaves your skin looking dewy. Freaky, right? It's because the cream blends right into skin and enhances your natural glow (so those cheekbones look like they really could be yours). 

 

NTERMEDIATE

Tarte Park Ave Princess Contour Palette

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when contouring is forgetting to apply blush. (Hello, Skeletor.) That's why this palette is great: It nestles a matte bronzer and highlighter next to a peachy-pink blush so you'll always remember the most important step. 

 

INTERMEDIATE

Laura Mercier Flawless Contouring Palette

The contour shades in this palette have the perfect amount of gray and brown undertones, so they look like real shading but don't look muddy or dull. The three contour shades and two highlighters (a matte cream color and a shimmery bronze) cover a range of skin tones. 

 

INTERMEDIATE / ADVANCED

Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Book The Art of Sculpting + Defining

If you're a die-hard fan of contouring, you probably own a few of the products in this palette already. It's full of some of Aucoin's best hits (he was the king of contouring, after all). Even better, it includes a step-by-step book with detailed instructions on exactly how to use each product. The pots are small but pigmented, so a little goes a long way. 

 

ADVANCED

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Kit

If you love the Anastasia powder kit, wait until you try her new cream version. These six shades sink right into skin but can be layered for a more dramatic effect. The undertones differ in each of the three palettes (for example: the light palette's shades skew a little pink) for the most flattering and believable contouring. 

 

ADVANCED

Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette

There are six shades in this palette—three highlighters and three contour powders— and they're all matte (great if shimmer isn't your thing). Plus, we love that it comes with a massive mirror so you can check your shading work in all lighting. 

 

ADVANCED

NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette

"Pro" is in the name. Don't ignore it, because you kind of need to be one to handle this palette. There are eight—count 'em, eight—powder highlighting and contouring shades. The powders are soft and majorly blendable and pigmented, so dust them on with a light touch. And the pots are refillable, so you can pop in a fresh one should you gravitate toward one shade more than others. (You know you always do.)
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