Whoops—Swiped on This Contour Stick and I’m Suddenly Bella Hadid (2024)

Celebrity makeup artist Sean Harris says this contour stick is his all-time favorite because “of the vast shade range and the long-lasting formula.” If you struggle to find your shade, you’re covered here, bc this bb has 20 shades with neutral, cool, and warm undertones depending on your skin. Plus, Harris loves how the matte formula sticks in place, even if you sweat or get greasy throughout the day.

THE REVIEWS: “There is obviously a great shade range, which is to be expected with all Fenty products, and this contour color is stunning,” one tester writes. “It gives just that hint of shadow and depth. And the creamy formula is so easy to work with. Fingers, brush, sponge, whatever—it all works with this stick.”

I used to spend eons blending my jawline contour down my neck in the morning…until I met this bb. Its ultra-creamy formula seamlessly melts with my foundation or tinted moisturizer underneath. I just draw little dots wherever I want to sculpt (a lil goes a long way), then buff it out with the attached brush. Fyi, I also like to set this with a little translucent powder so it lasts all day.

THE REVIEWS: “The formula is lightweight and blendable, so it's easy to get a subtle shadow when you want it,” writes one reviewer. “That said, it's also very buildable in case you want a dramatic makeup look. I haven't had any issues with pilling or lifting my base, and the brush does a good job of blending.”

This liquid contour stick actually makes your dry skin look hydrated instead of patchy and cakey. It’s filled with moisturizing butters—see: shea butter and mango seed butter—so it looks ultra-smooth and dewy when you blend it into your skin. But don’t worry, the liquid consistency makes it feel hella lightweight too. Use the sponge-tip applicator to dot a few lines on your cheekbones and forehead (or wherever you contour), then buff it out with a makeup brush or sponge.

THE REVIEWS: “I'm so glad I bought this one,” one tester writes. “It melts into my CC cream beautifully for a very natural, sculpted look. I'll never go back to a powder contour. I've worn it a couple of times and gotten compliments every time I've worn it.”

This was the first contour stick I ever tried, because I, obviously, had limited funds as a wee high schooler. But despite its affordable price, it’s seriously good—so much so that even makeup artist Brandy Allen uses it. “This drugstore contour stick is perfect for me because it comes with a contour and highlighter, and it’s so small, it fits right in my makeup bag,” she says. I also swear by this contour stick for getting a precise line for my nose contour, thanks to the thin, pencil-like shape.

THE REVIEWS: “I've always been a prestige makeup fan, but NYX definitely wins with this contour and highlighter stick,” a tester writes. “Smooth and easily blends with finger, brush, and even a beauty blender.”

Makeup artist Britty Whitfield says this dual-ended contour stick is one of her holy grails because the highlighter and contour work together so well to create a glowy look. Draw the contour stick under your cheekbones, forehead, and under your jawline (or contour for your face shape), then dab the highlighter on the high points of your face, and melt it all together with a brush, says Whitfield. The final look? A soft, blended sculpt with a shimmery finish.

THE REVIEWS: “I use the shade white pearl, and it’s my go-to contour stick,” one reviewer notes. “It’s just beautiful overall: pigmented, SO easy to blend, and is the perfect gray tone for contouring. You can literally blend it with your fingers if you want, and once blended, it becomes one with the skin.”

If you’re new to contouring, this foundation stick will make the process so much easier, says makeup artist Britty Whitfield. “It blends seamlessly with your foundation underneath, especially if they’re the same texture,” she says. TBH, though, you could just get one stick in the shade of your skin and another two to three shades deeper to contour to make blending a breeze. These are also great if you have a hard time finding the right undertone for your skin tone, since there are 29 shades with warm, cool, neutral, and olive undertones depending on your skin.

THE REVIEWS: “In love with this product! I got it on sale at Ulta for $9 after taking a shot in the dark on my shade,” writes one reviewer. “It goes on smoothly, and the coverage is buildable. A little goes a long way!”

If you’re a ~jetsetter~, you need this cream contour kit. It comes with a mini warm-toned contour stick, highlighter, and blush, all of which have a lightweight feel and dewy finish that basically blend right into each other. Just draw them all on at the same time (like this TikTok tutorial), then blend with the same brush or your fingers to melt all of the creams into your foundation or skin tint underneath.

THE REVIEWS: “I really like the fact that each of these products is versatile. With only three products, you can have a complete look,” a reviewer writes. “I would definitely recommend this product for anyone who is on the go on a regular basis and wants a quick and easy look without having to bring an entire makeup bag!”

So many TikTokers have been raving about this bronzer for deep skin tones. It comes in four cool-tone shades, including an almost-black color for those with the deepest skin tones. Per tone-inclusivity creator, Golloria George, this contour stick is “giving inclusivity—it might be the deepest contour shade I’ve found.” Tip, tho: If you feel like the finish is too dewy but can’t find a powder contour shade that matches, just grab a deep-brown or black eyeshadow on a fluffy brush to set down the cream.

THE REVIEWS: “First off the packing is so cute and compact,” one tester notes. “It can fit in your pocket or purse. I got the shade “Sizzle” and the color is to die for! It has this chocolatey and creamy goodness as it glides on your skin. A perfect shade for darker skin tones. Also, it is so easy to blend that I just use my fingertips.”

My skin is so oily that most cream contour sticks tend to just slide right off after a few hours. But not these Rare Beauty contour sticks, which have a matte, velvet-y finish that doesn’t need to be set with setting powder or powder contour to stay on my skin (and embodies that whole “cloud skin” makeup trend). Yes, they’re technically called bronzer sticks, but they come in various cool-tone, buildable shades to help sculpt your cheekbones without looking chalky or ashy. FYI, though: I draw these on my face before foundation, like the underpainting technique, to keep the contour from lifting up my base.

THE REVIEWS: One tester writes, “This is the best bronzer I've ever used. The formula is so incredibly smooth and blendable. I was used to only ever using powder bronzer, but after trying this, I'll never go back. It melts right into your skin and looks so natural. LOVE IT.”

When you’ve got fair skin, a hella-pigmented contour stick is actually a bit frightening. Instead, try this sheer one from Anastasia Beverly Hills, which comes in three buildable shades to help create a natural-looking shadow on very-light to medium skin. Plus, it has a soft finish that makes it easy to blend into your cheeks to avoid the usual stark, muddy contour line you might get.

THE REVIEWS: “The color is exactly what I was looking for,” writes one reviewer. “It's so easy to apply and blend over my foundation and gives me a perfectly natural looking ‘shadow’. If you have fair or light skin you need to try these contour sticks!”

For some skin tones, a cool-toned contour stick might look v muddy on your skin. Instead, try these warm contour shades from LYS Beauty. Each shade has a subtle warm undertone that’ll sculpt your cheekbones, jawline, nose, wherever, without making you look ashy. And its formula is super creamy, which helps blend if you use the edge of the triangle-shaped stick to draw sharp af lines.

THE REVIEWS: “This is the first cream contour that has ever worked for me,” one tester notes. “ It blends beautifully! It works great with all of my skincare and makeup products! It gives perfect shading and dimension to my face!”

If you’ve legit ever scrolled through TikTok, you’ve seen this viral contour stick. But instead of a rich cream, this wand is actually filled with a pigmented, neutral-brown liquid, which has a much more lightweight feel on your skin. When you blend it out with a beauty sponge, it diffuses into a radiant, iridescent sheen with no visible shimmer or glitter—just sculpted, glowy cheeks.

THE REVIEWS: “This wand is designed so well, it makes a beginner like me look like a total pro when I’m using the wand,” one tester writes. “The cushion applicator to dispense product gives you total control where you want to apply the product. Because the formula is so blendable, someone very fair like me can use the product, and it blends into my makeup flawlessly.”

The difference between bronzer and contour is that bronzer warms up your face, while contour creates shadows. A bronzer is usually in a warm tone because you’re adding a luminous glow back into your face—think ~sun-kissed~ and glowy. Contour, however, is usually cool or neutral, depending on your undertone, because it’s meant to subtly mimic the natural shadows in your face. So, bronzers can sometimes be shimmery or have a sheen to give your skin a glow, while contour is usually matte and meant to blend seamlessly into your skin.

But (!) you can contour with a bronzer or bronze with a contour, but you might prefer a different tone for each, says makeup artist Britty Whitfield. “Bronzer can technically create dimension on your skin, but it might look too warm and orange-y, depending on your skin tone,” she says. Similarly, the neutral and cool undertones of a contour stick likely won’t add that bronze-y look to your skin, but can potentially warm up certain undertones (like very-pink skin).

Another key difference between a contour and bronzer is placement. Bronzer is typically placed at the highest point—where the sun hits you the most, like your temples, forehead, cheeks, and across your nose and chin. Meanwhile, contour goes just underneath that, in the hollows of your face where you’d naturally get a shadow: the sides of your nose, under your jawline and cheekbones, and top of your forehead.

Your contour stick should be a shade or two deeper than your skin tone, Harris says. A color that’s too deep might be difficult to blend out, while a shade that’s too light can just disappear into your skin.

Typically, you'll want your contour shade to have a cool, gray undertone if you have light-to-medium skin, or a neutral, warm-leaning undertone if your skin is very deep. Why is this important anyway? Well, If you choose the wrong undertone, you might end up with an orange or ashy streak across your face.

Don’t know your undertone? Allen recommends following this process: “The more fair someone's skin is, the cooler your contour should be,” she says. “The deeper your skin, the warmer you go.” FWIW, we noted above which brands offer good shade and undertone ranges to help you choose.

Consider the shade range

If you have cool, fair-to-medium skin, then a medium-brown contour shade will probably work for you and is fairly easy to find across the board. However, if you need an ultra-dark shade or a warm or neutral undertone, look for a contour stick with a wide shade range with varying depths. When in doubt, consider trying a foundation stick to contour, which usually comes in a ton of shades.

Determine the look you’re going for

What’s your contour ~vibe~? Do you want an ethereal, glowy look? Then, choose a sheer liquid or cream contour stick with a radiant finish. But if you want a sculpted, “my name is Bella Hadid” look, then opt for a matte, full-coverage contour stick that’ll have a lot of pigment and opacity.

• Brandy Allen is a makeup artist based in Los Angeles, CA. She’s worked with celebrities like Dominique Fishback, Issa Rae, and Sadie Sink.
• Britty Whitfield is a makeup artist, groomer, and licensed esthetician based in New York, NY. She’s worked on celebrities, red carpets, advertisem*nts, and editorial.
• Sean Harris is a makeup artist in Los Angeles, CA, whose clients include Beyonce, Ella Mai, Chloë Bailey, and more.