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Makeup artist Britty Whitfield says this dual-ended contour stick is one of her holy grails because the highlighter and contour work together so well to create a glowy look. Just one swipe of each product offered medium coverage, but we could build the color up pretty easily. And since the formula didn’t dry down too quickly, our tester was able to blend before it set. Neither clung to dry spots or accentuated texture; instead, the featherweight contour and highlight complemented her foundation.
Are contour sticks better than powder?
For magical tips, tricks and expert advice on how to sculpt and highlight for killer cheekbones, book your FREE virtual consultation with Team Tilbury now! Today, WWD’s breaking news and trend coverage continues to be a trustworthy resource for both fashion insiders and consumers alike. Our shopping editors continue to uphold WWD’s editorial standards and values with quality, expert-backed product selections. It contains shea butter which gently boosts moisture and soothes the skin,” she adds.
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Part of the reason why this stick makes contour look so natural is its satin finish, which gives skin a filtered effect. We do wish the shade range was more expansive so more people could experience the stick for themselves, but we’re hopeful that Rare Beauty will add more soon. We updated this article in March 2023 to add new contour sticks the internet won't stop talking about, delete outdated oldies, and check in with new experts for the latest in contour sticks, just for you. Highlight is not a substitute for concealer, just an extra step to add dimension to your face.
13 Best Cream Contour Formulas For A Sculpted Look 2023 - GLAMOUR UK
13 Best Cream Contour Formulas For A Sculpted Look 2023.
Posted: Thu, 27 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Best Foundation Stick for Contouring
The airy and whipped formula comes in four hues and is enhanced with emollients like squalene and vitamin E to strengthen and hydrate the skin. These hydrating ingredients don’t just make skin feel great, they also prevent the contour from becoming patchy throughout the day. Honestly, it was difficult to find a downside for this product because it performs beautifully, but we do wish it was more widely available — it’s currently only sold on the brand’s website. Black considers the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Palette the OG for super a super glowy contour and highlight.
Previously the Editorial Assistant at Prevention, she graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with a bachelor's degree in English. If she’s not reading or writing, you can probably find her frequenting the skincare and makeup forums on Reddit or hogging the squat rack at the gym. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love.

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Beginners and those with very fair skin tend to favor the painting method for the cautious, buildable application it offers. Instead of applying the contour onto your face, you paint it onto a sponge or brush, and then stipple the color onto skin for more control. If you’re wanting a snatched jawline, this formula may not be the best for you. Unfortunately, these sticks are not on the cheap side either — each one costs $58.
Alyssa Brascia is a staff shopping writer at PEOPLE, covering beauty, fashion, home, and lifestyle. She has previously written for InStyle, Shape, Southern Living, and Real Simple. Our tester liked that their combination skin looked radiant without appearing greasy, and the color kept its shade even after hours of wear, settling into the skin without oxidizing or accentuating uneven texture. Contouring and playing with light and shadow can help reshape, resize, enhance and define the look of your facial framework. In theory, anywhere you apply a lighter, brighter product will stand out and appear more prominent, and anywhere you apply a shadow or darker shade of contour will give you more depth and definition.
According to Spate, the search term “contour stick” experiences an average of 52,000 monthly searches. If you weren’t born with a chiseled cheekbones or a jawline that could break glass, store-bought is just fine. It’s true; the best contour sticks can work to give you the illusion of a more sculpted face while adding a bit of color to your complexion. The goal of contouring, of course, is not to change your face altogether but to enhance and accentuate your natural features, according to celebrity makeup artist Carolina Dali.
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Make sure you apply a makeup primer and setting spray when using this pick. Another thing to consider is that this product only comes in three shades, so finding your perfect match might be difficult. With a luxurious formula and fancy packaging comes a high price tag — at $48 per stick, the Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick is not cheap. What we love about this splurge is that it’s super creamy, blends into the skin perfectly, and has a clean formula that won’t irritate your skin. The formula is free of sulfates, phthalates, and parabens, and melts into the skin really beautifully.
It even has skin-nourishing ingredients in the formula like jojoba seed oil, and oil-absorbing kaolin clay, which helps the pigment stay in place. Oftentimes, powder products will produce a matte finish, meaning that your skin will look smoother, more poreless, and shine-controlled. However, some powder palettes, like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, include luminous highlighting powders that leave behind a glowy wash. Our favorite cream palette is this compact from Make Up For Ever with 12 blendable, customizable shades, including earthy mattes and golden shimmers.

Ingredients like olive oil, beeswax, jojoba seed oil, and coconut oil work to glide across the skin smoothly and add a bit of plumpness and sheen to the complexion, too. We love how easily these sticks blend out using a blender brush, and we like that they are buildable and really easy to apply. Plus, Harris loves how the matte formula sticks in place, even if you sweat or get greasy throughout the day. Gone are the days of 2016 when I covered my skin in full-coverage foundation, bright-ass under-eye concealer, and matte setting powder—all before sculpting my cheekbones with a chalky contour kit.
“This drugstore contour stick is perfect for me because it comes with a contour and highlighter, and it’s so small, it fits right in my makeup bag,” she says. I also swear by this contour stick for getting a precise line for my nose contour, thanks to the thin, pencil-like shape. The Charlotte Tilbury Contour Wand’s easy cushion applicator makes creating gorgeous, sculpted cheekbones easy. It has treated pigments with good adherence and color uniformity, creating shadows and defining features for a natural finish. The formula has a lightweight and dry feel upon application for easy blending. We like that this product is available in five different depths to provide buildable options for all skin tones.
Similar to the one above, the NYX Professional Makeup Highlight & Contour Pro Face Palette has eight pressed powders designed for both highlighting and contouring. Coming in at $25, this is a great and affordable drugstore pick — given how much product you get. Just a little bit gave a good punch of pigment, and the non-cakey formula didn’t crease throughout the day. It did sink into pores a bit, but that’s to be expected with a drugstore product. For more dramatic sculpts, Greenwood and OCool both recommend using a dense brush to buff the contour into the skin in upward strokes. This creates a more targeted effect and allows you to easily build up intensity.