Contour Palette, £5
If there's one makeup look that's difficult to master, it's the contour. We all want sharp cheekbones and a defined jaw line, but learning how to fake them so they look natural is a skill that seems to be possessed only by the pros. Luckily, there are a few products around to try and make up jobs easy, and I've been testing a couple out that have allowed me to almost get the look down.
The Anastasia Contour Palette has been calling out to me since it was first released, but with a price tag of nearly £50, added to the fact that wherever I looked it seemed to be out of stock, it's safe to say that it was a pretty unattainable dream. Luckily, I found a replacement, this contour palette from BornPrettyStore, which has the perfect mix of gray toned browns - which make it really easy to fake a natural shadow - and two light highlight shades - perfect for dusting on the tops of your cheekbones. I tend to apply with the RT Contour Brush for precision, sweeping one of the dark shades (the darker of the two at the moment as I am tanned, but I'm sure I will switch to the lighter one in the winter) into the hollows of my cheeks and then blending out with small buffing motions. The result - supermodel cheekbones in a matter of seconds, magic!
Unfortunately, where the palette then lets itself down is the highlights. The two matte shades, in my opinion are far too light, almost true white, so once applied to the skin they look unnatural and a little chalky too. I also tend to like a little shimmer in my highlight shades, so it was a shame not to see it here, but hopefully over time I can find a way of making them work for me. The longevity, pigmentation and design of the palette in general is all top-notch, and for the super reasonable price I would definitely recommend it for anyone who wants to dabble and experiment with contour. It's not 100%, so the search for the perfect contour will definitely continue, but I'm getting closer.
Do you have any recommendations, do you like contouring your skin?