Contouring is difficult. Getting that nice natural look in your cheekbones and jawline can be an intense test of skill especially when you’re just starting out. The best we can hope to do is find the right products and tools that are up to the task at hand. Luckily, we’ve been able to sample many kits that promise to give you their own version of the best sculpting experience, to varying results. Here are some of the ones that, to us, really stood out.
Without further ado, here are eight of the best contouring kits out there for making Asian skin look sculpted, contoured, and snatched:
Price: $44.00
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So this isn’t technically a whole kit, but hear us out: this one’s worth at least an honorable mention on this list because it’s just so good. The Sculpting Contour Powder from Kevyn Aucoin Beauty serves just the right color to look like actual contour, which, in our opinion, can be a little difficult to pull off. So many “contour” powders out there look more like bronzers because there’s an imbalance in the warmth of the color, so we’re very happy that a product like this one exists to look like a natural contour color for everyone.
Price: $15.99
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While Sleek MakeUP isn’t the most instantly recognizable beauty brand out there as a whole, its Cream Contour Kit has garnered it plenty of attention on the internet. We generally really like how this contouring palette performs as a whole. There’s a good variety of choices in there so you can tailor the color of your contour perfectly to your skin, and all of the shades feel great to wear. Plus, the satiny finish makes it blend right into the natural texture of one’s skin so it ends up looking very authentic.
Price: $25.00
What we particularly like about the Highlight & Contour Pro Palette from NYX Cosmetics is that the shades within are both customizable and refillable. Since this is not a service that a lot of palettes provide, we thought this made this particular palette stand out. But in terms of the actual formula, we don’t really have any issues. Yes, it does feel a little heavy, and blending out takes a little extra time, but it’s generally solid all around.
Price: $45.00
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This unique complexion palette from Urban Decay definitely got our attention when we first laid our eyes on it. The packaging of the Naked Skin Shapeshifter is the first thing you notice about this product, and it sincerely looks great and feels very well-thought-out. Whereas plenty of palettes out there would opt to put their cream and powder products on one surface (which creates plenty of potential for powder to scatter into the cream products), this one opts to separate its two types of product with a nice, hefty double-sided mirror. But besides the smart (and travel-friendly) packaging, we also really like the way these products look upon application.
Price: $80.00
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This is one of the more expensive products on this list, but in the past, we have screamed our love for plenty of Charlotte Tilbury’s products because they just look absolutely gorgeous. The Filmstar Bronze & Glow Contour Palette is a duo set with a sculpting and highlighting powder. Besides the beautiful, luxurious Art Deco/Old Hollywood-inspired look and feel of the packaging, these just look really great. The sculpting powder has just the right balance of coolness and warmth to look like convincing contour, the highlighting powder gives a gorgeous lit-from-within kind of glow, and in general, the powders just feel absolutely amazing on the skin. Definitely a kit to try out if you’re looking for a nice high-end experience.
Price: $6.00
The only quad kit on this list, the Contour Palette from e.l.f. Cosmetics is definitely one of the most travel-friendly options on this list. This small but ultimately powerful palette did well upon several tests, especially in terms of blending. We’re a little concerned about the slight chalkiness of the powder textures, as well as the general wear time of this particular palette, but altogether, we’d say we really enjoyed the use of this particular palette.
Price: $12.00
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The Studio Pro Shade & Define Contour Palette is all about value for your money. For less than $15.00, you can have this full ten-shade palette from BH Cosmetics that contains all the contouring, bronzing, and highlighting shades you might need to create a fully-fleshed out, ultra-sculpted look for your face. And it’s not just all about quantity for this palette either. It’s impressive to see how smoothly these powders blend out, too. Overall, if you’re looking for value, this is the one you pick up.
Price: $35.00
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The Step-By-Step Contour Kit is Smashbox Cosmetics’ way of telling everyone that it’s time to learn to contour. See, contouring can be a little bit difficult when you’re starting out. What this product does is give you somewhere to start. With the three shades in this palette—a contouring, bronzing, and highlighting powder—you can learn the fundamentals of contouring without getting overwhelmed. It even has its own little specially-made contouring brush and a pamphlet guide that teaches you all the fundamentals you’ll need to master the art.
