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15 Best Contour Products For Sky-High Cheekbones

From swipe-on sticks to cool-toned powders, these are the contouring products we really rate.

By and Louise Whitbread
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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, Makeup 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

1

Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick

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Face Trace Contour Stick
1

Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick

Now 25% Off
£33 at Cult Beauty

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.

2

Vieve Modern Bronzer

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Modern Bronzer
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Vieve Modern Bronzer

Now 20% Off

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.

3

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

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 Contour Kit
3

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

Now 20% Off

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.

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4

Danessa Myricks Beauty Beauty Balm Contour

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Beauty Balm Contour
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Danessa Myricks Beauty Beauty Balm Contour

Now 25% Off

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.

5

Kevyn Aucoin The Art of Sculpting & Defining Vol III

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The Art of Sculpting & Defining Vol III
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Kevyn Aucoin The Art of Sculpting & Defining Vol III

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.

6

Fenty Beauty Match Stix Contour Skinstick

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Match Stix Contour Skinstick
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Fenty Beauty Match Stix Contour Skinstick

Now 25% Off

If there's one person who knows about cheekbones, it's Rihanna. Lucky for us, her famous Match Stix now come in a collection of cool-toned contour shades, and there's one for every single skin tone (of course).

Each one is matte – which makes for a convincing shadow – and none veer too ashy on darker skins. Even better, you can try the lot on using the clever AI feature on the brand's site. Another Fenty triumph.

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7

By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder Palette

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Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder Palette
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By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder Palette

Now 30% Off

The most subtle contour we've tried, By Terry's sculpting palette contains four translucent powders that'll set your base while adding just a touch of depth, making cheekbones look subtly defined, rather than razor-sharp. Minimalists, head here.

8

Huda Beauty Tantour Contour & Bronzer Cream

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Tantour Contour & Bronzer Cream
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Huda Beauty Tantour Contour & Bronzer Cream

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).

9

UOMA Beauty High Life Highlighter + Contour Face Palette - Medium to Deep

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High Life Highlighter + Contour Face Palette - Medium to Deep
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UOMA Beauty High Life Highlighter + Contour Face Palette - Medium to Deep

Uoma Beauty founder Sharon Chuter knows exactly how to make darker skin tones shine. This powder palette contains a deep, neutral contour alongside two blinding highlighters, but it's the dusky rose blush that really makes it a must try: the saturated yet soft shade really pulls a face together.

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10

Victoria Beckham Beauty Contour Stylus

Contour Stylus
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Victoria Beckham Beauty Contour Stylus

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.

11
Best cream contour

Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate Contour Duo

Shade & Illuminate Contour Duo
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Best cream contour

Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate Contour Duo

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.

12

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour

Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour
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Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour

If you're new to contouring, start with a single shade in a scribble-on stick format. Clinique's is the most fail-safe option: it's creamy enough to meld seamlessly with your foundation, and slightly translucent to negate the risk of streaky lines. Sweep it with a light hand along your cheekbones and blend with a light, fluffy brush or even your fingers.

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13

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

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Filmstar Bronze & Glow
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Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

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.

14

Sleek Makeup Cream Contour Kit

Cream Contour Kit
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Sleek Makeup Cream Contour Kit

Look past the modest packaging and humble price tag, because Sleek's contour kit is good enough to rival even the most luxe buy. The cream shades are silky, not sticky, and can be layered and blended to soften or enhance everything from your jawline to your nose and cheekbones. Take your pick from three shade ranges to suit all manner of skin tones.

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