If you’re a contouring newbie, you’ve definitely come to the right place. It isn’t always easy to learn, especially if you aren’t totally sure what your face shape is or what areas to sculpt and define. But, I do have good news. Makeup artists tout this specific kind of contour product as *the* makeup for beginners. They swear by it to create serious shape and dimension without being overly difficult to use. Okay, I’ll just tell you. I’m talking about using a good cream contour palette.
According to celebrity makeup artist Judi Gabbay, “Using a cream contour can be more forgiving for beginners as it melts into the skin and blends easier than a powder would.” Founder of her own self-titled cosmetics line, Alexa Persico, totally agrees. “With a cream contour, it’s a lot easier to blend out if you make a mistake. From the start, the strategy is to apply more than you’d need, then diffuse it with your preferred blending tool,” she says. I can also personally attest to this as I started out by using a cream contour and loved how easily it blended. Persico and Gabbay were kind enough to share some recs along with celebrity makeup artists Hailey Hoff and Dakota Alexandra. Read on for all their favorite cream contour palettes.
“The cream can be stamped into the contours of the face for an all-day snatch— while the powder side bronzes and really warms the skin.” —Gabbay
“Another favorite contour and highlight palette of mine would be the Filmstar Bronze & Glow palette by Charlotte Tilbury. A little goes a long way in creating a natural shadow for the cheekbones and jawline.” —Gabbay
Although this is a stick, this cream formula is still worth calling out, according to Hoff. “My favorite cream contour is the Makeup by Mario stick which is super creamy!” —Hoff
“The RCMA palette is my favorite. It has many tones to choose from and mix. The formula is also really rich and high quality.” —Alexandra
“Another great palette is the Graftobian cream palette. It’s so buildable with a bunch of shades and has a wide range of undertones!” —Alexandra
“Starting off with the price tag, this palette is ultra-affordable which makes it even better! The four-pan quad comes with plenty of options for all skin tones. There are three contouring shades in different bronze tones, allowing you to mix and match to find the best one for you. The added highlighter shade adds a wonderful pop to contrast.” —Perisco
“This is an Amazon find you want to add to your cart. It contains six blendable, silky creams that are designed to sculpt, define, and highlight your face. What I love most is that it puts everything you need to achieve the coveted contour look in one palette. Each kit includes easy to follow, step-by-step instructions, face shape diagrams, and contour mapping guide so you can contour like a pro.” —Persico
“This is a makeup artist hidden classic. While this says it is a conceal and correct palette, what most don’t know is this makes for an incredible contour palette when purchasing the “Medium Deep” color quad. This is a professional MUA palette of four concealers and two corrector shades. It is enriched with antioxidants and suited for all skin types. It can also be used individually or combined to match any skin tone. The emollient-based formula delivers medium to full buildable coverage in a natural finish and will last you 24 hours.” —Perisco
To be perfectly honest, I had no idea CoverGirl made a cream contour palette, but here we are. Not only is it budget-friendly, it also has great reviews and a shade to highlight, contour, and bronze. The creamy formula also makes it very forgiving and great for beginners.
This handy palette features six colors to correct, contour, and conceal. Each shade has been expertly selected to work together and create a seamless finish on the skin. Oh, and the $10 price tag doesn’t hurt either.
Although the shades featured in this palette have more of a powder consistency, they’re just as fantastic and buttery as a cream palette. It’s been a favorite of mine for years and still worked well for me when I was a beginner at contouring.
This palette offers eight diverse shades from peachy pink to mocha brown. Although it’s mostly suited to lighter skin tones, it also comes with a few highlighter shades to really make your contour pop.
I love this palette from Black Radiance because it’s specifically geared toward those with Black and Brown skin. The buttery sculpt and contour shades help create major definition while the illuminate shade adds a gorgeous golden bronze pop of color to the cheeks.
