CONTOURING 101

17 Best Contour Palettes for Perfectly Contoured Skin

by Nada Abouarrage and Kristi Kellogg

best contour palettes

With endless shades and application techniques, complicated contour kits can be more confusing than helpful. But the very best contour palettes are simple, straightforward and take the guesswork out of sculpting and defining. From Chanel’s pearlescent pigments to NARS‘s lightweight powders, it’s easy to give skin a naturally luminous and healthy glow. And for those who prefer a more dewy finish, fake a summer tan with Giorgio Armani’s and Kevyn Aucoin’s creamy formulas for a flawless satin finish. Here, a guide to the 17 best contour kits.

1

Contour like a Kardashian with KKW Beauty’s signature cream contour kit, which is available in shades of light, medium, dark and deep dark. Each kit comes with two dual-ended cream sticks and a dual-ended brush, with bristles on one end and blender on the other.

Crème Contour & Highlight Kit, $48, kkwbeauty.com

2

This compact has a dual highlighter and bronzer to help blur imperfections and fine lines, while giving skin a subtle glow.

BY TERRY Terrybly Densiliss Contouring Compact, $95, spacenk.com{: rel=nofollow}

3

Effortlessly sculpt and define your best facial features with Dior’s contouring blush, which comes in two complimenting shades.

Diorblush Sculpt Contouring Powder Blush, $44, neimanmarcus.com{: rel=nofollow}

4

These three shades easily take your look from day to night.

Estée Lauder Dimension Shape + Sculpt Face Kit, $50, neimanmarcus.com{: rel=nofollow}

5

Giorgio Armani’s silky highlighting palette makes it easy to add soft highlights and depth to skin.

Giorgio Armani Sepia Highlighting Palette, $88, giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com{: rel=nofollow}

6

Formulated with revitalizing vitamins A, C, and E, Marc Jacob’s creamy formula gives skin the most natural sun-kissed glow.

Marc Jacobs Beauty #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder, $49, sephora.com{: rel=nofollow}

7

NARS’ powder formulas allow for lightweight, flawless coverage that looks natural in any light.

NARS Contour Blush, $42, sephora.com{: rel=nofollow}

8

Chanel’s pearlescent pigments allow for a flawless sheer finish for healthy, luminous skin.

Chanel Les Beiges Duo No. 1, $65, chanel.com{: rel=nofollow}

9

This contour palette was designed with brown, gray, and red pigments to give skin the most natural and radiant glow.

Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow, $28, sephora.com{: rel=nofollow}

10

Tom Ford’s sheer dual creamy bronzer and highlighter makes contouring easy. Use it to give skin an effortlessly fresh and radiant glow.

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate, $82, bergdorfgoodman.com{: rel=nofollow}

11

YSL’s creamy powder formula will deliver a natural matte finish to your skin.

Yves Saint Laurent Couture Contouring Palette, $47, nordstrom.com{: rel=nofollow}

12

This duo has two blendable creams that emphasize bone structure and de-emphasize jowls.

Stila Shape & Shade Custom Contour Duo, $40, stilacosmetics.com{: rel=nofollow}

13

This trio includes a dark shade for contouring, a paler one for highlighting, and a bronze to transition between the two.

Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Stick Trio, $40, sephora.com{: rel=nofollow}

14

This powder palette offers a gentle, sculpted finish: just sweep the powder across your brush and tap off the excess, then dust the pale shade on your cheeks and nose, and the matte bronze along your jawline.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Instamarc Filtering Contour Powder, $49, sephora.com{: rel=nofollow}

15

For an insta-eyelift, try this dual-ended pencil in velvety Mocha or rich Pewter. Each hue contains a pale nude at the other end of the eye pencil. When applied to the brow bone or the outer lower rim, the light hue will magically brighten the eye. Use the darker shade to contour the outer corner of the eye.

Studio 10 I-Lift Longwear Liner, $28, bglowing.com{: rel=nofollow}

16

This palette has three shades of matte brown and one bright, shimmery light shade to create a sculpted look on any skin tone.

Cocoa Contour Chiseled to Perfection Palette, $42, twofaced.com{: rel=nofollow}

17

Finally, one more of the best powder contour kits. The highlighter in this duo has a golden base that will flatter all skin tones.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow Face Sculpt & Highlight, $68, charlottetilbury.com{: rel=nofollow}