admin While contouring your face can seem intimidating, using the right products can make all the difference. According to New York makeup artist Suzy Gerstein, contour sticks are “a quick and effective way to really enhance facial contouring.” Contour sticks are easier to work with because their creamy formula is easy to blend, which is key to achieving a natural look. According to Gerstein, “any product that is too pigmented or too dry in texture requires more effort and precision.”
Here, we’re going to give you a quick lesson in contouring 101. While bronzing powders lean toward warmer tones and usually add a touch of glow to the skin at the highest points of the face, contouring products lean toward matte and cooler tones, preferably one shade darker than bronzer, to mimic the natural shade of the face.
Now, let’s look at the good stuff, the contour stick. You have two options when it comes to how to use it. For subtle touch-ups, you can warm up the product on the back of your hand before applying it with a makeup brush or beauty sponge. Alternatively, Los Angeles-based makeup artist Shadi Malek recommends applying the product “directly to where you want it to be most concentrated and then spreading it outward.” Whichever method you choose to contour, remember that “less is more.” To me, contouring is all about subtly outlining your natural features,” says Persico.” When contouring, make it almost imperceptible.
Additionally, when choosing the best contour stick, makeup artist Alexa Persico recommends picking a cool-toned contour stick because “cool-toned contour sticks look most natural on all skin types.” Persico also suggests using a color two shades darker than your normal skin tone to create a subtle shadow effect.
Now that you know all there is to know about contouring, read on to learn about the best contouring sticks for your everyday look, including beloved Best of Beauty Award-winning products, underrated drugstore products, and makeup artist-approved products.
Our top picks
1. Overall Best: Milk Sculpting Stick, $24
2. Makeup Artist Favorite: Mario’s Soft Sculpting Contour Stick, $30
3. Best Shade Collection Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Lipstick, $32
4. Allure Award Winner Em Cosmetics So Soft Multi Faceplay, $30
5. Best for Beginners: Westman Atelier Face Trace Cream Contour Stick, $75
6. Best 2-in-1 Formula: Uoma Beauty Double Take Contour Stick, $40
7. Stolen Wet N Wild MegaGlo Concealer & Finish Stick, $4
We’re fans of Milk Makeup’s bronzing sticks (as are makeup artists), so it’s no surprise that we feel the same way about the brand’s long-wearing Sculpt Finishing Balms. These matte, cool-toned products are some of the best creamy formulas we’ve tried, giving us a seamless finish – thanks in part to skin-nourishing thyme extract and sunflower seed oil – without any of the silly caking, clouding, or streaking that we sometimes expect.
We’re fans of Milk Makeup’s bronzing sticks (as are makeup artists), so it’s no surprise that we feel the same way about the brand’s long-wearing Sculpt Finishing Balms. These matte, cool-toned products are some of the best creamy formulas we’ve tried, giving us a seamless finish – thanks in part to skin-nourishing thyme extract and sunflower seed oil – without any of the silly caking, clouding, or streaking that we sometimes expect.
We’re fans of Milk Makeup’s bronzing sticks (as are makeup artists), so it’s no surprise that we feel the same way about the brand’s long-wearing Sculpt Finishing Balms. These matte, cool-toned products are some of the best creamy formulas we’ve tried, giving us a seamless finish – thanks in part to skin-nourishing thyme extract and sunflower seed oil – without any of the silly caking, clouding, or streaking that we sometimes expect.
Tarte Sculpt Tape is just that kind of girl. This creamy formula applies seamlessly through a padded applicator with great precision (and no mess) – just dab it on the areas you want to sculpt and blend – for a perfected primer look. Those with dry skin may prefer this illuminating formula because of its added moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and porcelain flowers. Either way, you can never go wrong with a setting powder to make sure everything stays put.
An Allure editorial favorite, the Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick comes highly recommended by Persico, who raves about the product’s “long-lasting color payoff.” She also told Allure that the creamy powder formula “blends together like a dream and doesn’t clump or patch, which is a game-changer” and stays put even on naturally oily skin. Plus, with ten contour shades to choose from, it’s easy to find the perfect shade for your skin. (Thanks, Rihanna).
For chiseled cheekbones in just a few swipes, look no further than the Em Cosmetics So Soft Multi Faceplay Bronze + Sculpt, which comes in four shades. What’s more, this Best of Beauty Award winner is beloved for its buttery-smooth formula that’s infused with squalane, which is renowned for its emollient properties, and conditioning vitamin E.
For ultra-precise application in the hollows of your cheeks or on the sides of your nose, Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Contour Pen should be your go-to tool. This slim, retractable tip allows you to draw a natural, neutral-toned contour exactly where you want it, available in four shades (the sandstone color pictured is for medium to dark skin tones). Squalane provides moisture for a smooth finish, while Blue Lotus Wax ensures long-lasting adhesion and wear.
The NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Stick dual-ended makeup stick consists of a contour stick and a glow stick that creates the illusion of a well-defined face in (almost) an instant. Best of all, it’s cruelty-free, retails for less than $15, and is available in eight versatile shades.
The dual-ended NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Stick is one-part contour stick, one-part highlighter stick that creates the illusion of a sculpted, defined face in (almost) no time. Best of all, it’s cruelty-free, clocks in at under $15, and comes in eight versatile shades.
According to Gerstein, the Uoma Beauty Double Take Contour Stick comes in six shades “for every skin tone.” Its buildable formula – which also has lychee fruit extract for added moisturization – seems to blend into the skin. Once you’ve finished contouring, apply some highlighter to complete your look.
You may have heard of the Instagram-famous Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlight Stick, but don’t overlook the brand’s Conceal and Contour MegaGlo Makeup Stick, which features an easy-to-blend, velvety-smooth formula with added Jojoba Seed Oil to extra boosts moisturization. At less than $5 per stick, it’s definitely one of the best drugstore products on the market.
