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Contouring is the art of strategically applying a makeup product that is usually a shade darker than your natural skin tone to define, enhance, and sculpt the face and any other body parts you wish to modify. While it is definitely not a new technique, it has been left mostly up to professional makeup artists and beauty bloggers to manipulate and create the face we may not have been naturally born with.
However, if you are not a professional artist fear not. Below are some amazing cream contouring palettes that were made to make the process easy and almost foolproof. These palettes come with a generous combination of contour and highlighting shades that can be mixed together to create your ideal color.
They are also all compact enough to make travel easy, yet come with a wide range of colors so you can have everything you need right at your fingertips. Some of these palettes provide step by step instructions and diagrams on how to contour/highlight and when you are done with your concealing and correcting, one of our options even includes a variety of blush colors that will help pull the look altogether.
Our Favorite Cream Contour Palette Worth Considering in 2024
Youngfocus Cosmetics Cream Contour Palette — Best Overall
The Cream Contour Palette by Youngfocus is an all-in-one face palette that features eight removable and refillable creamy formulas ideal for sculpting and defining features. Suitable for all ages and skin types, this palette will allow you to expertly shade and define your face with four darker contouring shades while the lighter shades are perfect for sculpting and enhancing features. Create the illusion of higher cheekbones, a softer jawline, a smaller, more prominent nose and many other creative illusions your imagination can create. This product is also hypoallergenic, non-irritating, and made from 100% natural ingredients.
Pros
- A detailed guide is included to help anyone quickly grasp how to contour and highlight
Cons
- If you have an oilier skin type, it is important to set the cream with a powder
Aesthetica Cosmetics Contour Series Cream Kit — Runner Up
The Cream Contour Kit by Aesthetica comes with everything you need in one travel-friendly, mirrored palette to quickly and easily sculpt, define and highlight your face. It comes complete with six blendable, silky and highly pigmented formulas that can be gradually built-up to your desired look to ultimately create a flawless, airbrushed effect. This kit also contains removable and refillable pans and includes three cream foundation/concealer shades for contouring and three illuminating creams for highlighting. All six shades can also be mixed and matched to create a look that will work for almost any skin tone.
Pros
- This kit contains step-by-step instructions, face shape diagrams, and a contour mapping guide to help you contour and highlight like a pro in no time
Cons
- There is no brush included with this palette
Coastal Scents Camouflage Concealer Palette — Honorable Mention
For a no-nonsense palette that is easy to use and easy on the wallet, the Coastal Scents Camouflage Concealer Palette is a great option. With ten creamy shades to choose from, you get a wide range of full-coverage options that can be easily mixed and matched to create a perfect blend that will work with many different skin tones. While this is called a concealer palette, you can easily use the darker shades to contour and the lighter shades to highlight under the eyes and any other areas you choose to bring forward.
Pros
- For its pricepoint, it’s an effective option and has been specially formulated for smooth, even applications
Cons
- This product may have to be warmed up with your fingers prior to use
NYX Professional Makeup Conceal, Correct, Contour — Contender
The NYX Conceal, Correct and Contour Palette contains six concealer and corrector shades with undertones that are ideal for mixing and matching to suit every skin tone. Available in light, medium and deep options, you can use these blendable shades to cover up problem areas, even out imperfections and accentuate your best features, fast. These shades provide medium coverage that is buildable without creasing or caking and can be easily blended out with your fingers or favorite brush.
Pros
- A little product goes a long way
Cons
- If you prefer a thinner consistency formula, another option might be better
e.l.f. Cream Contour Palette — Also Consider
e.l.f.’s Cream Contour Palette is a customizable cream palette that has four shades for bronzing, highlighting and contouring. Easy to use, simply create your customized contouring shade by mixing and matching colors on the back of your hand and apply to your face with your specific brush of choice. Apply the darker (contour) shades over the hairline, temples, sides of the nose, hollows of cheeks and jawline and apply the highlighting shade(s) over the brow bone, cheekbones, down the center of the nose and over the cupids bow to create the illusion of perfectly sculpted features.
Pros
- e.l.f. Cosmetics is 100% cruelty-free, vegan, and free from phthalates and parabens
Cons
- The four shades may not be enough for deeper or extra-light complexions
Shany Cosmetics Mini Masterpiece Makeup Set — Editor's Pick
The Mini Makeup Set by Shany Cosmetics is a six-layer, all-in-one contour and highlighting kit with removable and interchangeable layers of face palettes. The first layer comes with six pans of cream foundation, contour, and highlighting shades, the second layer holds 11 concealer colors including four-color correctors, next are six powder contour colors including bronzer and highlighting shades, and lastly, six pans of powder blush, in both warm and cool tones. This impressive set is all held together in a sturdy box that you can arrange and store as you desire, comes with a ton of highly pigmented shades and is ideal for all skin tones and skill levels.
Pros
- Refill palettes are available for this set to replace any layer when needed
Cons
- This palette comes with three blush palettes which you may not need
Buying Guide: Cream Contour Palettes
Full-face makeup looks are incomplete without contouring, as it is an excellent way to bring out the features of your face. It is a popular makeup technique that can highlight the essential parts of your face and uplift your facial expressions. From adding shadow on your forehead to making your jawline look sharp, contouring has covered it all.
From Our Celebrity Expert, Olivia Elgart:
I honestly cannot recommend using a cream contour palette enough if you're looking for a JLo-esque natural-looking contour. With a little practice, you'll be able to achieve a beautiful, sculpted look that'll last all day. Best part is, you won't even need to break the bank for palettes that deliver professional results!
Why Should You Contour?
Contouring is famous all over social media, but some people wonder why it is necessary. While you may view it as an extra step while doing makeup, you will observe that it completely changes your whole look. Many people love contouring as it shapes their jawline, defines their cheekbones, or changes the shape of their nose. If you are one of those few lucky people who have a naturally well-defined face shape, you may omit the step of contouring, or you can opt for natural contouring palettes that add depth to your natural shape.
Why Cream Contour Palettes?
As you search through online beauty stores, the first thing you will have to consider will be the form of contour kits. Should it be cream or powder? If you are buying a contouring palette for the first time, let us help you draw a difference between the two forms.
Most experts suggest that you opt for cream contour palettes because they are easily blendable. Blending your makeup is the most important thing, and the more good you are at blending, the more professional your makeup will look. Hence, beginners should always choose a more blendable product like cream contour. Secondly, if you have dry skin, you should go for cream contouring as it is silkier and smoother than powders, covering a little of your dryness.
On the other hand, powder contour palettes are used at multiple salons because experts can easily handle them. Sometimes, makeup artists prefer to use both forms of contouring as it balances the creaminess and powdery texture to give the perfect result. You can begin by applying the cream contour, blending it, and topping it off with powder contour for a beautiful finish.
Shade Range
While it may be tempting to choose a contour palette with the most shades, it will be a waste of money. Most top-notch contour kits have multiple shades in them, but you need to master the art of contouring to use the combination of these shades for best results. Many salons and beauticians prefer to buy a contour palette with the most shades. It helps them accommodate customers with various skin tones, and they can blend two or more shades for customizing the contouring results.
In most cases, contour kits have at least five shades in them, but if you are a beginner, you can go for even less than that. Experts recommend that beginners should not play with more than two shades. Once you get your hands on the contouring and blending, you can shift to more shade and explore different techniques.
Highlighters Are the Best
Contouring and highlighting usually go side by side, so when you are looking for the best cream contour palettes, it can be a bonus to get a highlighter along in the kit. Some manufacturers understand the pairing of highlighting and contouring, so they make kits that have both makeup necessities in one.
In simple terms, experts suggest that you go for a product that has a suitable amount of contouring shades accompanied by the right amount of highlighting shades. It will prove to be handy when traveling because managing two kits can be tough. Another bonus that you can get in your contouring palette can be a color corrector as it completes all your beauty requirements. Please note that the highlighter can be in both matte and shimmery form.
How to Choose the Right Cream Contour Palette?
According to research, almost 40% of the buyers buy a product after seeing its review from a blogger or influencer. However, we suggest that you look into the details of the product yourself because makeup will be the closest to your skin, so you should choose it carefully.
The perfect shade
There are plenty of contour palettes out there that are suited for various skin types and tones, from pale to dark to fair, so you need to choose the one that suits your skin type. Ensure that your contouring shade is almost two shades darker than your natural skin tone. Furthermore, you should match the shade with your undertone which can be cool, warm, or neutral.
If the contour shade is lighter than your skin tone, it will not show even on your face. On the other hand, a darker contour tone can lead to your makeup turning into a mess. Getting the right contour shade that perfectly matches your skin tone is a real challenge, so it is better to consult the sales representative before purchasing.
Ingredients
Makeup products should always have a minimum number of ingredients in them. You can also look for brands that offer cruelty-free, vegan, or vegetarian products. If you have sensitive skin, you should carefully look at the ingredients in the palette.
