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Updated on February 5, 2024
How do you love your contours? Depending on how well you have mastered the contouring technique, you may like it subtle, simple, classic, or overly crazy. With the best drugstore contour kit, you can achieve the effect and face beat you desire without emptying your wallet.
A contour kit entails a blush, highlighter and a bronzer neatly packed in a pallet. It helps you enhance your face by giving it a shape that looks more defined. You need to use the right shades and do your contouring properly to get the most benefits.
If you desire to have a prominent cheekbone, a narrow nose, a thin face shape, and a more defined jawline and enhance or hide some facial features the right contour kit will help you create your desired look. Here is a review of the best products that will give you the contoured look of your dreams.
Contents
- Editor’s Choices
- 10 Best Drugstore Contour Kits Reviews for Effortless Sculpting
- 1. NYX Cosmetics Highlight & Contour Pro Palette (Best Cruelty Free)
- 2. Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette (Best Effortless Blending)
- 3. Tarteist PRO Glow Highlight Contour Palette (Best Perfect Glow)
- 4. Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Highlight & Contour Palette (Best Healty Beauty)
- 5. e.l.f. Cosmetics Contour Palette Light Or Medium (Best Customizable)
- 6. Lagure Minerals Powder Contour Kit (Best Highlighting)
- 7. Sleek Make Up Face Contour Kit (Best Illuminating Face)
- 8. Maybelline Master Contour Face Contouring Kit (Best Face Forward)
- 9. COVERGIRL Trublend Contour Palette Light (Best Ultra Blend)
- 10. L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Contour Palette (Best Clair Color)
- What Is A Contour Kit?
- How To Choose A Good Drugstore Contour Kit?
- How Do You Use Drugstore Contour Makeup To Contour Your Face?
- Is Cream Or Powder Contour Better?
- Conclusion
Editor’s Choices
10 Best Drugstore Contour Kits Reviews for Effortless Sculpting
1. NYX Cosmetics Highlight & Contour Pro Palette (Best Cruelty Free)
NYX Cosmetics Highlight & Contour Pro Palette is a powder-based palette with 8 different shades to contour and highlight. You can define your contours like a pro with this palette that contains a generous amount of pigmentation. Its formulation is incredibly soft with a smooth texture that leaves your skin with a glorious finish. The variety of shades can be blended to create a shade that best suits your needs and works for different skin tones. The palette has removable pans that can be refilled with your favorite highlighting and contouring shades.
Key Features
- Super pigmented
- Removable pan for refilling
- Customizable palette
- 8 refillable color shades
- Cruelty-free
- An excellent option for oily skin
- Ideal for daily use
Benefits
- Good mix of shades for all skin tones
- Color correction and coverage
- Cruelty-free
- Vegan Formula
- Blends like a dream
- Looks very natural
Negatives
- Subtle fallout with certain shades
2. Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette (Best Effortless Blending)
The Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette has a generous packing with 8 different shades that provide high-end results at an affordable price. The palette powders are perfect for sculpting and contouring your face with four lighter tones for highlighting and four darker for contouring. The varieties give you options for experimenting with different shades for your desired effect. The palette is large enough to fit a mirror in the lid. This makes it perfect for traveling as it comes in handy when you want to do makeup and you don’t have a full-sized mirror.
Key Features
- The palette has 8 shades
- Large palette with a mirror
- 4 highlighter colors
- 4 darker contouring shades
Benefits
- Highlighters & contour shades
- Illuminating
- Adds definition & sculpts features
- Natural finish
- Long-lasting
- Good color selection
Negatives
- Depending on the brush you use
3. Tarteist PRO Glow Highlight Contour Palette (Best Perfect Glow)
Tarteist PRO glow highlight contour palette is a versatile palette that comes with 6 pigmented powder and cream shades making it ideal for every skin tone. Among the six shades, 4 are for highlighting while two are for contouring. The contouring shades come in both cream and powder form. The cream is best for shading while powder is good for sculpting. The versatility helps you create a more defined face. Also, the palette is suitable for people with sensitive skin since it does not contain any ingredients that will irritate or damage your skin.
Key Features
- Cream and powder contouring shades
- 6 shades for highlighting and contouring
- Ideal for every skin tone
- 4 highlighting shades
- Creates perfect glow
Benefits
- Perfect glow and chisel look
- Ideal for every skin tone
- Six pigmented shades
- Lightweight
- Easy to use
- Highlighter
Negatives
- None
4. Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Highlight & Contour Palette (Best Healty Beauty)
If you are looking for a palette that will make your skin look and feel better, then you should try the Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Highlight & Contour Palette. It is a trio palette with three gorgeous matte finishes with a highlighter, an angled contour blush for perfect application, and a bronzer for defining your features. The formulae are infused with glow activators such as antioxidants, vitamins, and moisturizers. It not only makes you look better but leaves your skin in a healthy state. Since it is hypoallergic, it is good for people with sensitive skin since it will not irritate your eyes and skin thus suitable for daily use.
Key Features
- Hypoallergenic
- Oil and fragrance-free
- Blended and buildable contouring shades
- Suitable for all skin tones
Benefits
- Matte sculpting
- Fragrance-free
- Hypoallergenic
- Paraben and gluten-free
- Dermatologist tested
- Safe for sensitive skin
Negatives
- Small pans
5. e.l.f. Cosmetics Contour Palette Light Or Medium (Best Customizable)
e.l.f brand produces some of the best drugstore contour palettes. This cosmetics contour palette consists of four powder shades with great pigmentation that are designed to work for different skin tones. Their formulas blend easily with a soft and smooth texture for a flawless face. The contours are infused with vitamin E to nourish your skin and give you a gorgeous complexion. The pans can be removed and you can replace them with customized shades to match your skin tone and suit your needs. Their products are free from harmful chemicals like parabens, phthalates, triclosan, and triclocarban. With 3 sculpting bronzers, it is easy to find your perfect contour shade.
Key Features
- Infused with Vitamin E
- Travel-friendly packaging
- Blends easily
- 4 different shades
- Vegan friendly
- Cruelty-free
Benefits
- Colors blend well
- Travel-friendly packaging
- Soft and smooth texture
- Great pigmentation
- Ideal for mature skin
- Easy to use
Negatives
- Can be greasy
6. Lagure Minerals Powder Contour Kit (Best Highlighting)
Contouring is not for professionals only because even starters can now show off their beautiful facelift features with the Lagure Minerals Powder Contour Kit. The palette comes with a step-by-step guide on how to help you contour like a pro perfect for beginners. With a total of six shades, three darker for contouring, and three lighter shades for highlighting this versatile kit is designed for all skin tones. At the top of the palette is a mirror that helps to do your makeup anywhere at any time. Its magnetic cover is also travel-friendly since it stays in place rather than falling open and helps you do your makeup conveniently.
Key Features
- Six pigmented matte shades
- A step-by-step guide to follow
- Cruelty-free palette
- Instants facelift
- Safe for all skin types
Benefits
- Flawless face definition
- Light to a deep brown shade
- Cruelty-free
- Suitable for every skin
- Broaden cheekbones
- Easy to use
Negatives
- None
7. Sleek Make Up Face Contour Kit (Best Illuminating Face)
If you are a beginner and you are looking for a simple contour palette, the Sleek Make Up Face Contour Kit is your ideal palette. It is a simple duo compact with a strong pigmentation contouring powder and a shimmering highlighter.
With its reasonable price, it offers high-quality performance with its skin-matching pigmentation. It is a good choice for beginners since it blends easily and enhances a basic contoured appearance. For best results, the manufacturers suggest that you apply the contour over a base like a foundation for a smooth finish.
Key Features
- Ideal for everyday use
- Simple palette with two shades
- Cruelty-free
- Lasts all-day
Benefits
- Illuminating your face
- Perfect flawless finish
- For best results
- Perfect for all skin
- Ideal for everyday use
- Lasts all through the day
Negatives
- Contour has an orange shade
8. Maybelline Master Contour Face Contouring Kit (Best Face Forward)
Maybelline Master Contour Face Contouring Kit is easy to use a palette with three blendable and buildable shades that will help you customize your look. The palette comes with two shades a light medium and a medium-dark. The shades are soft textured powders with a matte finish. The palette has a blush, highlighter, bronzer and contour that lasts up to 7 hours on your face. The angled contour blush ensures that you get contoured in no time. The powder is easy to blend, which makes it perfect for most skin types. It is also safe for sensitive skin since the formula will not irritate your eyes and skin.
Key Features
- Simple to use
- Available in two shades options
- Clear instructions on how to contour
- Safe for sensitive skin
Benefits
- Buildable shades help shape
- Create a perfect canvas
- Perfect for everyday wear
- 3-in-1 compact kit
- Suitable for most skin tones
- Easy to use
Negatives
- Average pigmentation
9. COVERGIRL Trublend Contour Palette Light (Best Ultra Blend)
Celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath designed a unique formula something meant for everyone. The COVERGIRL Trublend Contour Palette Light is available in two shade options suitable for light skin, medium skin, and deep skin tones. It is simply one palette with multiple tones. The easily blendable formula can highlight, contour, and bronze your face for a flawless complexion. Contouring and face sculpting is now easy with these palettes as you can easily highlight and define your features with the three creamy ultra-blendable formulas. The palette is available in two shades options good for different skin tones.
Key Features
- Oil and fragrance-free
- 2 shade options
- Natural-looking finish
- How-to guide
- One palette of multiple looks
- Blends beautifully
Benefits
- Contouring palette designed
- Ultra blend-able formulas
- Designed for light skin tones
- Fragrance and oil-free
- Lightweight
- Natural-looking
Negatives
- Average staying power
10. L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Contour Palette (Best Clair Color)
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Contour Palette is a quality contour kit from the L’Oréal Paris brand that is easy to use and you can achieve your professional finish in just 30 seconds. The palette has a single pan that is divided diagonally into two. The upper part has a highlighting color while the lower has a darker contouring color. The nicely pigmented shades leave your skin with a natural finish since the highlighter and the contour easily blend. The palette comes with a unique brush to perfectly sculpt your contours in no time.
Key Features
- Cool-toned color powder
- Quick contouring guide
- Long-lasting up to 7 hours
- Cool blending powder
Benefits
- Highlights and enhances
- Unique pro-contour brush
- Pigment-rich
- Good staying power
- Quick to apply
- Perfect matte finish
Negatives
- Looks orange on lighter skin
What Is A Contour Kit?
A contour kit is a set of makeup products designed to help sculpt and define the face. The kit typically includes a variety of shades of contour powder or cream, as well as highlighting powder or cream. The contour shades are used to create the illusion of depth and structure on the face, while the highlighting shades are used to bring out the natural highlights and add a subtle glow to the skin.
Contour kits are a popular tool among makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts, as they can enhance or change the shape of the face. For example, contouring can create the illusion of a slimmer nose, sharper cheekbones, or a more defined jawline. Highlighting can be used to accentuate the natural features of the face, such as the brow bone, cheekbones, and Cupid’s bow.
Contour kits come in various formulas, including powders, creams, and liquids, and they can be applied with various tools, such as brushes, sponges, and beauty blenders. There are also contour kits available in different shades to cater to various skin tones. In addition to contouring, these kits can also be used for other purposes, such as to create the illusion of a more symmetrical face or to add depth and dimension to the eyes.
How To Choose A Good Drugstore Contour Kit?
Are you a beginner and you are looking for a flawless contour? Best drugstore contour kits can help you achieve your desired face-beat look. However, with the many brands in the market, choosing the best contour kit in a drugstore may be confusing.
For successful contouring, you need to pick your contouring shades carefully so that you can make it as natural as possible. For contouring, always choose contouring products that are just one shade darker than your skin tone.
This will help the contour to emulate a real-life shadow rather than enhancing a murky look. For highlighting, choose a shade that is lighter than your foundation shade.
Contours come in either cream or powder form. Cream formulas are better for beginners because they blend in easily without leaving harsh contour lines.
Also, with a cream contour palette, it’s easier to find the right shade by doing several tests quickly. On the other hand, powder formulas leave a more natural matte effect.
If your skin has a medium tone, choose a bronze shade. If your skin is dark, look for a deep shade with some red undertone. For those with sensitive skin, always go for experts’ opinions before trying a contouring product.
How Do You Use Drugstore Contour Makeup To Contour Your Face?
Once you have your contouring products and tools ready, it’s time to get started. Follow this simple guide for a chiseled look:
Always Apply Your Foundation First
Contours work best when applied over a foundation. So, your number one step is to apply your foundation.
Map Your Face
Get a shade or two darker than your foundation and use it to map the areas you want to accentuate. If you have a large forehead and you want it to appear smaller, apply your contour shade along your hairline until it is blended seamlessly to minimize it.
Bringing the contouring powder or cream down toward your temples has a slimming effect on your face. To define your cheekbones, suck in your cheeks and place your fingers on the hollow parts on both sides of your cheeks.
Now, just above that is where you put your contouring pigment using an angled brush. Brush your contouring shade along the edges of the length of your jawline and the areas around your chin to chisel your cheeks.
This will help you define your jawline and slim your neck. If you love your nose you can leave it. To make it narrower, brush the tip of your nose. If it is small and you want it to appear longer or wider, brush your contour from your nose moving it to the brow.
Blend It
Once you have applied your contour in all the areas you want to enhance, blend it in using a sponge or a damp beauty blender. Tap over the areas with contour color with small circular motions until it blends in completely and there are no harsh lines left.
Highlight
Use your lighter shades underneath your eyes, the center of your forehead, the top of your cheekbones, the chin, and the bridge of the nose to highlight your face.
Dust It
Use a fluffy brush with a setting powder to dust off your face and use a setting spray to blend everything and make your makeup last for hours.
Is Cream Or Powder Contour Better?
Since contours come in cream or powder form, which one is better? The truth is, both are better and they achieve the same result, that is chiseling your face to perfection. The only difference is the tools used, base, and application technique.
With a cream contour, you can apply and blend it using your fingers. This makes it convenient and easy to use. For the powder contour, you need to have a fluffy brush more so an angled one for easier application.
Cream contours are much quicker to work with and have a more natural-like finish. If you want a more chiseled and defined look, powder contours will do you well.
Powder contours are also great for events and photoshoots because you can wear them for long hours and give you that photogenic effect you desire. They are also good for oily skin because powder naturally absorbs oil.
Conclusion
An easy way to look gorgeous is by contouring your face to highlight your best features. By using the best drugstore contour kits, you have plenty of options to accentuate your look to the desired complexion. With many contouring products available in the market, finding one that suits you can be tricky. From our review, we highly recommend the NYX Cosmetics Highlight & Contour Pro Palette for its versatility. We love it because it comes with 8 refillable shades that give you plenty of options on how to chisel your face. It is also high quality, super pigmented, and ideal for everyday use.
References:
1. The Best Contour Palettes for the Ultimate Chiseled Complexion – https://www.allure.com/story/best-contour-palettes
2. 15 best contour makeup products for a more chiselled look – https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/best-contour-kit-contouring-products-uk
