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With the right products, you can create the same contouring effect that professional makeup artists swear by. We’ve found some of the best contour powders available so you can achieve picture perfect results every time.
What Is Contour Powder?
Contour powder can sculpt your face and make you feel more confident in your skin. It can help you define your features and hide your insecurities in just a matter of seconds. It can even help create the appearance of higher cheekbones, a smaller forehead, a softer jaw line, a slimmer chin, and a slimmer nose.
If you are just getting started with contouring, then it’s best to start with the lighter shades first, and then build up to deeper shades. Once you have applied the contour powder with a makeup brush, you can blend it in using a damp makeup sponge or makeup buffer.
Top 5 Contour Powders
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit
The Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit is the #1 selling contour kit and the #1 selling makeup palette on Amazon. Available in Light to Medium, Medium to Tan, and Tan to Deep shades, this premiere palette is ideal for both beginners and experts.
Whether it’s your first time contouring or you’re ready to take contouring to the next level, this palette is ideal for you. With six perfectly crafted contouring and highlighting shades to choose from, you can find everything you need to sculpt and define your features. The formula is ideal for all skin types, including oily and acne prone skin. The matte texture can hide bumps, blemishes, and uneven tones. The shades can even serve as eyeshadows in a pinch. The bestselling, easy-to-use palette contains top quality silky powders that can last all day and help you create the look you love.
This kit is adored by makeup gurus, professional makeup artists, beauty bloggers, and celebrities alike. Kim Kardashian is the queen of contouring and her makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, recommends this kit. It is also one of the top recommended contouring products by Refinery29 and InStyle. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Kit is also highly recommended online and is an Allure top pick, so if you prefer cream palettes, this is the one for you.
theBalm Bahama Mama
theBalm Bahama Mama is the perfect contour powder, matte bronzer, and matte brown eyeshadow in one, so it’s perfect for any makeup case or travel bag. It can create the appearance of beautifully tanned skin, with no orange undertones. You’ll look like you just stepped out of the Bahamas, with just one swipe. The matte appearance means there is no glow or shimmer, so it won’t leave you looking shiny.
It works for all skin shades and tones and can give you a sun-kissed appearance year round. theBalm is an award-winning line of makeup that makeup gurus, professional makeup artists, and beauty bloggers swear by, and this is one of their most popular items.
Benefit Cosmetics Hoola
Benefit Cosmetics Hoola is an award-winning soft bronze matte powder that can give you a natural looking tan year round. The matte bronzer has no sparkle or shine, so it’s perfect for all skin colors and tones. The included soft, natural-bristle cheek brush is actually a key component in applying this concealer and bronzer. You simply swipe the brush through the powder and place the brush directly on your face to blend back and forth.
The bronzer has rave reviews online and has won a number of awards over the years, including the NYLON Beauty Award in 2014. You can’t go wrong with Benefit Cosmetics. It is a favorite with makeup gurus, professional makeup artists, beauty bloggers, and celebrities alike. In fact, the Benefit 10 Bronzing and Highlighting Duo is also an award winner and top pick by InStyle.
City Color Contour Effects Palette & Dual-Ended Contour Brush Set
As Amazon’s #1 best seller in makeup sets, the City Color Contour Effects Palette & Dual-Ended Contour Brush Set includes the bestselling palette with a dual-ended contour brush made from high-quality, soft synthetic fibers. The affordable palette includes a contour, bronze, and highlight color, so you can achieve your ideal look with just these three powders. The brush has an angle-tipped brush on one end and a smaller, flat brush on the other end, which will allow you to achieve precise contouring, sculpting, and highlighting.
The Contour Effects Palette is Amazon’s #1 best seller in face bronzers and blush highlighters, but this set also includes the dual-ended contour brush, which makes it perfect for beginners. Once you purchase this set, you can continue to use the contour brush with any other contour powders you like. It also includes an easy-to-follow instruction guide to help you sculpt your face effortlessly and achieve the perfect look for any lighting.
Too Faced Cocoa Contour Chiseled to Perfection
Too Faced Cocoa Contour Chiseled to Perfection is more than your average contour powder. It is infused with an antioxidant rich cocoa complex, so it smells like chocolate. Every time you use it, you will smell chocolate, which is why Allure named this one of the best contouring kits for newbies and pros.
The kit includes two sculpting shades, a contouring shade, and a highlighter shade to help you chisel and define your face. The shades can be worn separately or blended together, so you can create the look that's right for you. It also includes a contour buki brush, which can make application a breeze. The small kabuki brush is specially designed to seamlessly sweep the color into the hollows of your cheeks and forehead. You won't find another brush quite like this one, which is what completes the kit. It also includes how-to contour glamour guides with three contour looks to help you get started.
And those are our recommendations for the best contour powders. As always, be sure to check Wise Bread's Buying Calendar to learn when and how to buy just about anything!
