Contouring – the art of using light and shade to strategically shift the angles of your face – is a technique birthed by the drag scene and brought into the mainstream by the likes of make-up artists Mario Dedivanovic and Patrick Ta (not to mention a certain Kardashian). Today, it seems no make-up bag is complete without the right contour kit – but cheekbone-carving products can be tricky to master.
Recent years might have finally brought a backlash over the paint-by-numbers nature of the hyper-manipulated Instagram Face, but there's still a way to contour that flatters (rather than alters) your individual features.
Jamie Genevieve, Make-up Artist and Founder of Vieve perfectly sums up why a good contour kit makes such a big difference: 'Contouring is all about shaping the face and adding definition where you want it, for example, on a rounder face you can enhance the bone structure in your cheek bones and jawline.'
However, it's not just designed for your cheekbones. According to Genevieve, you can contour your eyes to make them appear larger, your lips to make them appear fuller and your forehead to shorten it.
Her top tip is to find a shade that's darker and cooler than your usual bronzer. 'Don't be scared to go for something that almost looks a bit grey,' she advises, and make sure you apply it where the natural shadow falls under your cheekbone.
From creams to powders via pro-level palettes, there's a contour product in almost every make-up offering these days – but some are inevitably better than others. So, which are worth investing in? Let us fill you in...
We've rounded up the very best contour kits, so you can sculpt, chisel and shape to your heart's content.
The Best Contour Kits, Sticks and Palettes To Flatter Your Features
Patrick Ta's glowing portfolio of red carpet beauty looks is one we watch in great anticipation. From doll cheek blushes to monochromatic 90s lips, he's graced the faces of Gigi Hadid, Adriana Lima and Em Rata - so, it's safe to say that model cheekbones are an art he's well versed in.
This viral cream and powder duo offers the perfect cool toned textures to build (and cheat) a sculpted complexion.
Westman Atelier's Face Trace stick is clearly the chicest contouring product on the planet – but that's not the only reason to invest. It also looks impeccable once it's on your face: the creamy texture melds seamlessly with your foundation, and the shades are just cool enough to create a believable shadow.
For a subtle and pretty take on contouring that looks fresh for hours, take the plunge and invest in this.
Jamie Genevieve's bronzer palettes are perfect for warming up your complexion without delivering a one-dimensional result. The two tonal shades are designed to complement each other perfectly, creating light and shade just where you want it.
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You'll spot this contour kit inside more or less every celebrity make-up artist's beauty arsenal, and for good reason. The tonal shades all lean towards the warmer, bronzier end of the contouring spectrum, so the result is more sun-baked than severely sculpted.
The pigment payoff of each powder (especially the opalescent highlighter) makes it well worth the money – go in with a light hand to start with.
If you lack artistic precision when it comes to contouring and find powder products always seem to end up where you didn't mean to put them, we're here to sing the praises of balm contour. Buttery and beautifully seamless, this one melts into the skin and stays put, with a satisfyingly glowing finish to make your features pop and eight shades to cater for all undertones.
Legendary make-up artist Kevyn Aucoin was known for carving the cheekbones of the Supers, so it makes sense that his eponymous brand makes some of the very best contour products around.
This multi-functional palette contains a trio of contouring shades – all cool-toned and as soft as silk – alongside complementary highlighters and an ombre blush (which has cult appeal all of its own). For a truly sophisticated look, look no further.
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If we know two things about beauty entrepreneur and queen of contouring Huda Kattan, it's that a) she's always busy and b) her face always looks sculpted by the gods. It's not entirely surprising then that her cream-to-powder contour is super pigmented and comes with some serious staying power (seriously, it's sweatproof and waterproof).
You can't get a more precise contour application than with this Victoria Beckham stick-based cream product. It allows you to draw the finest of line while being easy to blend with a brush or fingers. Take your pick from four shades.
Trust Tom Ford to make contouring a wholly sophisticated proposition. Loved by industry insiders the world over (in fact, one ELLE editor has been wearing it daily for years), Shade & Illuminate is the perfect cream contour for those who like things light and luminous.
The pigmented cream is warm and light-reflecting, so never looks ashy or dry on skin. And the highlight shade? It's a glitter-free, skin-enhancing miracle worker. Don't deliberate, just try it.
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The contour palette that has graced an infinite number of Hollywood faces, Filmstar Bronze & Glow is one of the products responsible for making Charlotte Tilbury's line a stratospheric success.
Still a must-try today, this double act features a gleaming bronzer and light-reflecting highlight that work to bring cheekbones out, focusing on light instead of shadow. Think of it as a 'reverse' contour, and you're on the right lines.
If you don't subscribe to the Kardashian school of contouring, these natural, glow-y powders may just be the thing for you. Rather than sharply chiselled cheeks, you'll get luminous skin that looks gently defined, along with a pore-blurring finish. As powders last longer than creams, it's a great choice for long days and special occasions.
Katie Withington
Beauty Assistant
Katie Withington (she/her) is the Beauty Assistant, at ELLE UK and Harper’s Bazaar. Working alongside the ELLE UK Beauty Team, she covers all things beauty for both print and digital, from finding backstage make-up trends at London Fashion Week and investigating buzzy skincare ingredients, to unzipping the beauty bags of Julia Garner and Emily Ratajkowski. Prior to joining ELLE UK in 2022, Katie studied (BA) Fashion Journalism at London College of Fashion and has previously contributed to Red, Good Housekeeping and Prima.
