10 Best Contour Kits – Sculpt & Shape Effortlessly

Nowadays it’s hard to imagine a makeup bag without a contour kit. Gone are the days of simply using bronzer. Now, we want to sculpt, shade, and accentuate our cheekbones.

When looking for the perfect contour kit for you, you should make sure the tones are cool, as opposed to warm. You want your contour powder to mimic the effects of natural shadow on your face.

A common mistake when choosing a bronzer is to pick the wrong shade, so it’s important to find the right shade for your complexion if you want the best results. 

Another tip to get the best restyle is to take a good look at your face, and its angles. Then apply the contour where shadows naturally fall, which will be below the cheekbones.

Why not check out our reviews for the Best Lighted Makeup & Vanity Mirrors many of them also offer magnification to aid that smooth flawless finish to your makeup.

Best Contour Kits

When contouring, there are different products that are more suitable for specific parts of the face. From powders to creams and sticks, there’s something for everyone. To help you discover the perfect product for you, we’ve created this list of the 10 best contour kits.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

This contour kit by Charlotte Tilbury is Instagram famous for a reason.

Using Light Flex technology, this duo kit works to illuminate your complexion whilst shaping and giving structure to your face. 

To use, apply the bronzer into the hollows of your cheeks, and up the side of your nose. Then add the highlighter on the brow bone, the center of your nose, and the top of your cheekbones.

Once applied, blend everything thoroughly.

Smashbox The Cali Contour ShapeBronzeGlow Pallet

Smashbox was one of the originators of the contour palette. And despite the influx of new palettes, this one has maintained its status as one of the best.

This contour kit is perfect for achieving a bronzed glow, whilst emphasizing your cheekbones. This kit contains both matte and shimmery shades, and even a blush shade to create a stunning flushed look.

This contour kit by Smashbox is also cruelty-free and made without any parabens, phthalates, and fragrance, making it a perfect choice if you have sensitive skin.

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour

The iconic Clinique Chubby Stick is a fantastic option if you’re new to the world of contouring.

Use this oil-free product to create the illusion of depth and natural-looking cheekbones with just one single product. 

This product is incredibly creamy, making it super easy to blend with your foundation or base.

The formula is also slightly translucent which eliminates the risk of streaky application. It’s so easy to blend you can even use your finger to apply and blend it out. Simply apply it across your cheekbones and blend.

Kevyn Aucoin Contour Book: The Art of Sculpting & Defining Vol III

Kevyn Aucoin is famous for creating the sharpest cheekbones for celebs. No wonder contour kits from this brand are some of the best on the market.

This contour kit contains three cool-toned contouring shades and highlight shades that perfectly complement the contour shades. It also features an ombre blush. 

This buttery smooth contour kit contains everything you need in one place to create a glamorous, sculpted look.

This palette has been designed to provide the perfect shades for any complexion and you can even use some of the shades to create a smoky eye look.

NYX Professional Makeup Highlight & Contour Pro Palette

NYX Professional Makeup is one of the most highly regarded drugstore makeup brands, thanks to their luxury level formulas, at affordable and accessible prices. 

This contour kit is great for those who are just starting out with contouring, and who want a high-quality product that’s easy to apply without breaking the bank.

This contour kit is also super versatile, as you can use these powders as matte eyeshadows for a more glamorous look. 

Fenty Beauty Match Stix Contour Skinstick

The Fenty Beauty Match Stix is one of the most inclusive contour kits available.

They come in a huge variety of cool-toned shades, so there’s one for every single complexion. 

These products create a super convincing, natural shadow on the face thanks to the matte formula.

This is a great option if you have a darker skin tone, as none of them look too ashy or leave a grey cast. 

Sleek Makeup Contour and Highlighting Makeup Kit

Although the packaging of this contour kit by Sleek is not the most fancy, this is another great product that provides a lot of bang for your buck.

Even though the price tag is affordable, the quality of this contour kit is matched by the most luxurious of products.

The formula of the cream shades is gorgeously smooth and silky. They can be easily blended and layered to contour all areas of your face from your cheekbones, jaw, and even nose.

There are also three shades to suit a wide range of complexions. 

Smashbox Step by Step Contour Kit

At first glance, this contour kit may seem basic but in fact, it has everything you need to create a sophisticated and snatched makeup look.

It’s designed to be used in three steps which are perfect for beginners to makeup or those who are not experts in contouring just yet.

This contour kit contains a cool-tone shade to sculpt your face, a warm shade to bronze and add radiance to your complexion, and a highlighter to accentuate your cheekbones and brighten up your face.

It also comes with a high-quality angled brush which is perfectly designed to create sharp cheekbones.

Illamasqua Gel Sculpt

Illamasqua’s Gel Sculpt stick is an iconic product that shook the beauty world up when it was first released.

It still remains one of the best contour kits you can buy to this day.

The unique gel formula creates a sheer wash of pigment which makes it super easy to blend and means your cheeks are not oversaturated with color, avoiding the dreaded “clown” makeup look.

The sheerness of this product means you can create the most natural-looking shadows possible.

e.l.f. Cream Contour Palette

This is an excellent product if you’re a fan of vegan and cruelty-free products.

This affordable contour kit is so easy to blend, you can even use your fingers to blend this velvety formula into your skin and still get a get result. 

This product works to lift, sculpt, and highlight your face to accentuate the natural beauty of your facial features without leaving any harsh edges.