Contouring is a trend that has been part of the beauty world for quite some time now. However, since the age of the Kardashian, it has become a beauty world must. When contouring first hit the main stream, we were just using darker & lighter shades of creams and powers we already had. But, that was way harder than having a palette already setup up for contouring purposes. Just like the very popular eye-shadow palettes, contour palettes have exploded onto the market. This beauty technique has drug store and high end brands alike trying their hand at making a quality contour palette.
The first time I saw the AEsthetica Contour Kits, I think I was searching around on Amazon. They caught my eye since they look almost identical to the Anastasia Beverly hills contour palettes. But, Anastasia retails for $40 and the AEsthetica Contour Kits are only around $30 on Amazon. I have even noticed them on Haute look a few times as well as Groupon. In fact, they are on Groupon as we speak for only $25 as a gift set that includes a brush as well. I have the cream and powder contour kits. I have been contouring with creams and powders for years now without kits/palettes, so, I was definitely excited to see how a palette would change my contouring process.
Each palette comes with 6 different shades – 3 highlights and 3 contours. Not everyone will use all 6 on their face like I choose to do. But, that is why there are so many; everyone will find the right shades for their skin tones. These colors can also be purchased alone which is perfect for someone who already knows which shades work best for them. Or, if you are like me and use all of them, you may need a complete refill!
The power kits highlights are matte vanilla shade, pale yellow, and another vanilla with a little shimmer. The bottom contour colors include a warm brown, cool tone brown, and a terracotta shade with a bit of shimmer. Personally, I only use the last shade on days I am not contouring and just want to bronze up the face. For my skin tone, that particular shade just doesn’t work for a contour. I use the first two shades together to set my under eye highlight/concealer. The shimmery vanilla shade highlights my cheek, nose, and brow bone. For contour, I start with the center cool tone brown to carve out my lines, and then I blend that out with the warmer shade on the bottom right. I really love these powders, they are light and airy, which makes them easy to blend well.
The cream kit is not something I use everyday. So, when it comes to cream contouring, I normally save this for days when I have something to do besides run to Target. I cream contour mostly on days I am having photos taken or going out on the town. Or…if I am just feelin myself that day and want to get my Kim K on. Some of the same shades appear in the cream palette. It starts with a pink under tone vanilla, pale yellow, and then a more orange shade. If you are unfamiliar with this type of makeup, you might be wondering why the heck there are yellow and orangish shades. The orange is what I lay down first to combat the blue dark circles. After that, I mix the yellow shade and my concealer together to highlight my eyes. The yellow is the perfect shade to bring light to the areas you need. The cream contour shades are a tad warmer than the powders. I will use the first shade when I have more tan to combat the under eye blue color; it’s very similar to the third shade in this palette with just a little more depth of color. The middle contour shade is a true terracotta, it’s super warm but beautiful. The last shade is the one I reach for the most. I hit all the points on my face with this one and blend out with a bit of the terracotta.
When I cream contour I always, always, set those creams with the powders. This babe is far too oily not to! I was really impressed with how well these creams and powders lasted. Normally, since I am oily, I have an issue with face products breaking up on me throughout the day. I haven’t experienced that with these AEsthetica Contour Kits. Overall, I was really impressed. The products have great lasting power, they blend easily, and the price is definitely right. If you decide to purchase one or both, I would check Groupon, Hautelook and then head to Amazon if you can’t find them. Or check out their website at http://aesthetica.me/. They have more products to love!
Do you use contour kits?
PR Samples- All opinions are my own.