Contouring has become so popular recently that I almost shy away from it… if you’re not familiar with the term, it’s all about using light and shadow to change the appearance of your face shape - primarily to enhance cheekbones, but it can be much more complex than that. I think it’s a great tool in the right hands, but for your average person - ie non makeup artist - it’s best kept subtle. As my face is quite angular already, I have to be extra careful or I can look a bit concave - and not in a good way. A cool toned bronzer such as Soap & Glory Solar Powder usually does the job for day to day and I’ve touched on High Street contour kits such as Barry M Chisel Cheeks and Topshop Contour Cream.
Those of you who found these dauntingly dark may like to check out Maybelline Master Sculpt, a new launch which I think gives some higher end kits a run for their money.
Packed in a neat square compact, Maybelline Master Sculpt is 2/3 contour, 1/3 highlighter. The powder pan flips up to reveal a built-in mirror and brush that’s softer than most and good for on the go touch ups.
SWATCHES: Maybelline Master Sculpt - Medium/Dark
COLOUR I have the darkest of the two shades, Medium/ Dark (also available in Light/Medium) and the colour is perfect on me. I imagine it would work well on most light to medium skin tones, though may not show up if you’re darker than that. The first two swatches above are in natural light and the third in direct sunlight. As ever these are heavy swatches; I only actually use a whisper of this colour on my skin. The contour colour is a cool toned brown, but not so cool/grey based that it looks muddy on the skin. It looks warmer in the sunlit pic, but that’s just the light and it wouldn’t normally be applied this heavily. If you’re used to contouring with bronzer, you’ll probably find that you need a lot less product with this as it really is the perfect shadow colour - and unlike bronzing, contour is about creating shadow rather than adding colour.
TEXTURE The texture of this matte contour colour is smooth, soft and in my opinion, perfectly pigmented. A single touch or gentle swipe of my brush is all I need without danger of overload, though the colour is buildable. The highlight is very subtle on the skin - slightly powdery with a little sparkle, which some people will like. It’s only a slight shimmer, but worth mentioning as it doesn’t really show in the swatch. While it lightens the colour of my cheekbones slightly, it doesn’t really make them look like they’ve caught the light. The contour powder is the winner here for me and I do think the palette is worth buying for that alone.
I don’t contour every day, just when I’m in the mood or going out for the evening. When I do it’s a tiny bit of cheekbone definition, a little below my jawline (sadly not as sharp as it once was) and a little around my hairline and temples as I have the biggest forehead known to mankind.
Promised myself this would be a one paragraph blog post (why can’t I do that?!) but there you go - my thoughts in full, as per! In conclusion, I don’t think it’s necessary to spend lots of hard earned cash on pricey contour kits unless you’re a makeup artist/model/always on camera, which rules most of us out. If you do fancy a dabble, Maybelline Master Sculpt is the best contour kit on a budget that I’ve tried to date - and at £6.99, won’t break the bank. Oh and it works on eyes too, great for reducing the look of hooded lids.
PS The Medium/Dark shade is perfect on my pale skin - I wouldn’t personally go for the Light/Medium unless you’re feeling extra cautious.
Maybelline Master Sculpt Contouring, £6.99 is available now at Boots.com (on 3 for 2) or Superdrug.com
