Best Drugstore Contour (2025)

FAQs

Which brand has the best contour? ›

Powder vs. Cream: "If you're a beginner, I would suggest you go for powder formula, as it's easier to use," says Ali. Creams tend to be a little more blendable, and they work well for those with dry skin. However, many powder formulas are notably silky and smooth, as they're designed to be both blendable and buildable.

Formulation: Cream contour products often contain ingredients to make them more blendable and suitable for creating a more seamless, natural-looking contour.

Allure Daily Beauty Blast

Kardashian begins her contour process by brushing a matte bronzer down the sides of her nose using Smashbox Sunkissed Matte Bronzer. "Take a light powder down the bridge of your nose to highlight," says Kardashian. Her powder of choice is Sephora Bright Set Finishing Powder.

'A cream contour is better for someone with a normal to dry complexion and a powder contour is better for someone with a normal to oily complexion,' says Findlay. What's more, a cream contour stick will generally be easier to apply and blend, so is a good idea for any nervous newcomers.

Those with oily skin may find that a matte powder contour lasts longest on their skin. Cream and liquid contour products are great choices for those with dry skin as they won't look cakey. Creams, in particular, are also easy to work with, making them the ideal contouring makeup for beginners.

It makes most sense to apply your cream contour after your foundation. If you do your contour first, you will disrupt and smudge it when you apply your base over the top. As both products are cream based, they can also blend together, making the overall shade of your base much darker.

Nostalgic Makeup

We're starting to gravitate towards the 2010s now too. In 2023, we saw the resurgence of heavy contour, matte foundation, and latte makeup (which was another one of Google's top trending searches). We're expecting these styles to maintain popularity in 2024, and we're anticipating some new resurgences.

Conclusion: For someone who is new to the contouring game should consider picking the cream formula. On the other hand, if you are good at contouring and prefer more of defined makeup look, then powder formulas should be your go to option. We hope this guide has helped you choose the perfect contour for yourself.

Whether you're dealing with adult acne or gracefully aging skin, cream products are your best bet. They help create a blurring effect, smoothing out any imperfections. In contrast, powder makeup tends to emphasize texture, whether it's acne, wrinkles, or dry patches.

How do I choose contour for my face? ›

To find the right contour colours for your skin tone, take help from your foundation shade. While picking a contour shade, keep in mind that the colour should be at least two shades darker than your foundation to create the necessary shadows. But be wary of going too dark as it will end up looking harsh and patchy.

When contouring, we want to choose shades that imitate the realistic shadows of your face. Select a contour shade 2-3 shades darker to sculpt your features with a similar undertone as your skin. The easiest way to find out whether it is cool, warm, or neutral, is to look at your wrist veins under natural light.

Foundation covers all the imperfections like acne, pigmentation, redness, dark spots etc. giving the face an even tone. A contour stick gives you amazing cheekbones, jawline and hairline, pointed nose by darkening the areas of the face where a shadow would naturally fall.

Apply foundation before you contour your face. Foundation gives you the base you need to apply smooth contour make-up. Applying foundation after the rest of your make-up can wipe out all your contouring and highlighting work.