When we want to intensify the definition of our jawline and cheekbones (without clearly looking drawn on), we whip out the best contour kits. Unlike warmer-toned bronzers, contour kits contain cooler-toned pigments to mimic the natural shading on your face, creating a more sculpted, lifted appearance. These makeup bag staples do come in singles, but the beauty of grabbing a kit is that they come with varying colors (and, sometimes, finishes) for shading different areas of the face to create a more realistic effect. Our editors did the heavy lifting (testing) for you, so all you have to do is read through our all-time favorite contouring palettes and duos.
Our Top Picks
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: Danessa Myricks Groundwork: Defining Neutrals Palette
Why it’s worth it: The versatility of the Danessa Myricks Groundwork Palette: Defining Neutrals palette is what makes this contouring palette our top pick. This stacked set includes 10 cream-based shades (alongside their matching mini pressed powders) for endless chiseled looks. Each matte-finish shade, whether you decide to use its cream or powder variations (or both layered together for all the drama), can be used not only for contouring but as an eye shadow, brow powder or pomade, and lip color—it’s truly the Swiss army knife of makeup palettes. To keep mid-day greasiness at bay, each velvety shade is infused with upsalite, an oil-absorbing powder that provides mattifying relief for oily skin types.
Tester feedback: “No matter what look I’m going for with my makeup routine, I’m always whipping out the Danessa Myricks Groundwork Palette: Defining Neutrals,” says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. “It literally covers my contouring bases with its buildable matte shades that blend effortlessly for a natural-looking finish. Even if I’m not wearing contour, I’ll always use the cool-toned brown shade, Chiseled, as a subtle base for my eye shadow looks.”
Shade options: 1 | Shades per compact: 20 (10 cream, 10 powder) | Finish: matte
Best Duo: Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Crème Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo
Why it’s worth it: We’ve been swiping on Patrick Ta’s Best of Beauty-winning Major Sculpt Creme Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo from the moment it launched because its buttery, cool-toned shades act as both bronze and contour (which are two different things!). “A lot of bronzers on the market are very orange or warm-toned, so I wanted to create products that gave that sculpting effect without looking too gray or orange,” Ta says of the Major Sculpt duos. He certainly bridged the gap between contouring and bronzing with five colorways, each featuring a blendable, matte cream contour alongside a luminous, shimmer-speckled powder bronzer.
Tester feedback: “I’m always weary about contour palettes because there’s always one or two shades in it that don’t work for my skin tone,” says market editor Angela Trakoshis. “With the Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Crème Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo, I don’t run into that problem because it’s only one shade but two very different formulas (a cream and a powder.) For application, I use shade She’s Sculpted and start with the cream and set it into place with the powder in all the places I want to look, well, sculpted.”
Shade options: 5 | Shades per compact: 2 | Finish: matte (cream), luminous (powder)
Best for Travel: Rodin Shading Too Cool for School ArtClass
Why it’s worth it: Rodin Shading’s Too Cool for School ArtClass is a K-beauty phenomenon that features three powder contour shades in one travel-friendly compact, but that’s not the only reason our editors love it. Available in two colorways, this true-matte contour compact presents three powder-based shades to target different areas but you can blend or layer the shades together to create a more dramatic effect. The subtle powder shades are way more forgiving than creamy options, making this a great pick for contouring beginners.
Tester feedback: “My contouring skills are not totally refined yet but I’m a sucker for some facial sculpting. I usually stick to contour sticks but Too Cool For School’s powder trio is impossible to miss if you’re into K-beauty—it’s everywhere, including many a Korean influencer,” says Allure commerce editor Sarah Han. “I chose the lighter palette, Modern, because I had a feeling the powders would be pigmented—and I was right. The middle and deeper shades look low-key but you want to start off with a light touch and build up to your desired finish. It gives my cheekbones natural definition, adds color back to my pale winter complexion, and feels like nothing on the skin, which is exactly what I’m looking for in a contour.”
