Ah, contouring, the art of exaggerating areas of light and dark on the face to make your features pop, slim certain things (cough your nose cough), and overall make you look more Kardashian-esque. With no end in sight to the trend, it seems every makeup company on earth has come out with a contouring product or 12. So which ones are worth it? The ones below will get you on the road to sculpted perfection.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit ($40, ulta.com). This palette has everything you need to exaggerate shadows, play up cheekbones and sculpt a jawline all in one place, which has quickly made it a makeup-artist favorite. The mix of shades lets you get just the right about of darkness and lightness for any situation, so you can go very contoured for night or with just a hint of the technique for daytime.
Clinique Sculpting Contour Chubby Stick ($21, clinique.com). The most easy-to-blend foolproof little contouring wonder on the block. Melts into skin seamlessly so the hallows of your cheeks get an assist that no one will be able to detect.
Sephora Collection Contouring 101 Face Palette ($18, sephora.com) For anyone new to contouring this little compact is your new best friend. The pattern is guide for where to put each color on your face—meaning you put the light colors across your forehead and cheekbones, the darker under your cheeks, and the darkest on your chin. Doesn't get more user-friendly than that.
Kevin Aucoin The Contour Book The Art of Sculpting + Defining. ($59, sephora.com). Consider this the holy grail of contouring products—the shades are exactly what you need to create realistic-looking but dramatic shadows. One warning: The stark difference in shades make for major contour work, but they also require a lot of blending. Like, blend, blend, blend, and then blend again, that kind of blending.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Contour Palette ($6, eyeslipsface.com). The perfect introduction for someone looking to get their feet wet in the contour game without spending a lot of cash. But don't think you're cheaping out here—the pigments in these four shades are punch way above their weight class and are surprisingly easy to work with.
Estée Lauder New Dimension Shape + Sculpt Face Kit, ($50, esteelauder.com). These matte creams have a velvety finish that makes for the smoothest looking skin ever—all while sharpening the lines of your face in the best way possible.
