Best Contour Palettes for Beginners (2024)

Contouring with makeup is when you define certain areas of the face, such as the nose, jaw, and the hollows of the cheeks, with a brown-toned powder or cream. Neutral, yellow, or white tones can also be used to brighten areas such as the bridge of the nose, the upper cheekbones, and the chin. The purpose is to enhance your features, and to even change the shape. Contouring seems to go in and out of style in the world of makeup, and I tend to reserve it for special occasions anymore, but I am getting back into it. As I come to appreciate contouring more and more, I want to make the concept attainable for everyone. So, I am going through my collection to discuss the best contour palettes for beginners, and really makeup enthusiasts of all skill levels. Most of these palettes are high-end, with a few drugstore selections to help you get your chisel on.

See Also

Cream Or Powder Contour, Which One Should You Pick? Follow This Guide

Best Contour Palettes for Beginners

tarte Tartest Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette

First for the best contour palettes for beginners is the tarte Tartest Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette. This palette contains four highlighters, one powder contour, and one cream contour. I have never used the cream shade, so I cannot speak for that. The powder contour is lovely and the right tone to get the job done. I have a deluxe sample of Stunner and it is an amazing highlighter that glows for miles without shimmer. The tone is perfect to match every makeup look, and I wore it in most of my outfit posts in 2020. Strobe is a more subtle highlight with a touch of shimmer. Lit and Fire are a bit too dark for me.

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Face Contouring and Highlighting Kit

Second is the Too Faced Cocoa Contour Face Contouring and Highlighting Kit. My kit is the old version of the palette, as it has since gotten a facelift and is completely different. This all-powder kit includes a medium and a deep contour, plus a matte highlight and an oh-so-slightly shimmery highlight. The brush is decent and you can definitely contour with it. Also, the cocoa smell is divine.

tarte Park Ave Princess Chisel Palette

Third is the tarte Park Ave Princess Chisel Palette, which is my latest makeup for contouring obsession. It features two matte highlights and four contour shades that range from light to deep, that can also do double duty as bronzer. When we think about best contour makeup, we love a double duty item! I love that this shade range completely avoids you looking orange. The powders are so soft and luxurious. A quick tip here- lately I have been applying contour to the hollows of my cheeks, and then following with bronzer. I always did it vice versa, but I am enjoying the new way.

Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette

Fourth is the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette. I have reviewed this palette so many times on the blog. This is my special occasion and travel contour palette of choice. The range of tones is exceptionally nice for my pale skin, as it includes three contour shades and three matte highlights. The matte highlights really give you options with the banana yellow, the light brightening shade, and the more neutral shade. You can build these colors up for the perfect sculpt.

Kat Von D Shade + Light Creme Contour Palette

Next in the best contour palettes for beginners is the Kat Von D Shade + Light Creme Contour Palette. This is the all-cream version of the powder palette, but the tones do pull darker than the powder. I admit that I need to get into this palette, and cream makeup in general, more. But, this is a great option for those who prefer cream over powder.

wet n wild megaglo Contouring Palette

Here is the wet n wild megaglo Contouring Palette. She’s old, but one worth having around for contouring for beginners. People always hit pan on the banana yellow matte highlight shade, but I am not really into banana powders. They do a good job of brightening the skin on medium skin tones. The contour shade is just perfect. I appreciate the simplicity of this palette as it completely avoids being overwhelming. It is also great for a quick contour if you are short on time. The formula is highly pigmented.

elf Contour Palette

Continuing on, this is the elf Cosmetics Contour Palette. This palette contains a light and medium contour, a matte highlight, and a gentle highlighter. It is tricky to see, but I have quite a dent in the matte highlight. This is another no-fuss palette like the wet n wild one above. It gets the job done quickly and effectively, but at a much lower price point. It has been around for a long time for a reason, because it is definitely a drugstore makeup hidden gem! The pigmentation is soft and buildable.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Kit

Here is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Kit. Being that this is another cream palette, I do need to get into this one more. People praise this kit for its lovely blendability and pigmentation, which is why it hits the mark as a best contour palette. I have used the deepest contour shade and it is so easy to work with. This kit includes three contour shades ranging from light, medium, and deep, as well as three matte highlighters, one of which is pure white.

Profusion Pro Contour

The last item in the best contour palettes for beginners is Profusion Pro Contour. You may notice how much this looks like the Kat Von D palette, and I compare the two in my cheap alternatives to high-end makeup post. You will honestly get the same look with this palette as the high-end version, and even the performance is there. This is a hard palette to actually find, but definitely scoop it up if you come across it.

Best Contour Kit For Beginners Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs:

I am ending with some frequently asked questions regarding the best contour kit for beginnners:

Is cream or powder contour best for beginners?

Powder contour is best for beginners, because it is easy to blend and to build along with your other makeup products. While powder is the most familiar, cream does have a learning curve.

How do I choose a contour palette?

You can choose a contour palette based on your needs, as well as skin tone and budget. A beginner may want to stick with powders that have buildable coverage. Creams typically come in darker hues for a more serious contour that is also great for deeper skin tones. There are drugstore and high-end options available.

Do you use contour before or after foundation?

If you are using powder contour, you should apply that after foundation. Cream contour can be used before foundation application, which is known as underpainting. Cream contour can also be used after foundation, but before powder.

Shop the Best Contour Makeup

Conclusion

In summary of the best contour palettes for beginners (and all skill levels), each of the kits reviewed here will effortlessly provide a chiseled look with a variety of tones to create depth. Whether you are a powder or cream fan (or both), I have you covered. Overall, the best contour kit in this post is Kat Von D’s, because the powder practically blends itself, which is what all beginners need. The colors are suitable to avoid an accidental harsh contour, all with a buildable formula that you can control. Until next time, continue to let your true beauty shine.

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