6 Products That Will Make You Question If It’s a Face Lift or Just Good Contour

July 9 | 4 minute read

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Words by Christie Sinclair

Want chiselled cheekbones? You don’t need perfect bone structure or a face lift – just the right contour.

We owe (and thank!) influential New York City-based makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin for our love of sculpted cheekbones and softly defined features. Back in the ’90s, contouring was the LA-based makeup artist’s backstage secret (and invention!) to add dimension to the faces of supermodels and Hollywood icons like Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, Cher and Julia Roberts.

But he didn’t keep it behind the scenes for long – through his groundbreaking makeup book Making Faces and extensive work with A-listers (as well as those iconic original contour powders), he made the technique aspirational and accessible, something anyone could master at home.

Whether you’re looking for a subtle sculpting effect or a super snatched look, contouring is the transformative makeup technique that can totally reshape your face – or simply highlight your best features. Cream, powder, stick - meet the contour products that carve out cheekbones in seconds.

Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder

Founded by a true makeup master, it’s no wonder Kevyn Aucoin’s Sculpting Powder has found its way into the kits of professionals and beginners alike. Sheer, matte yet buildable, and with a shimmer-free, neutral undertone, it’s designed to mimic the natural shadows of the face to create an effortless and undetectable sculpted look. This formula is best applied with a brush; load your brush by dipping it into the powder, work the product into the bristles on the back of your hand (this is key to achieving a beautiful, smooth, blend), apply to the face by gently sweeping and buffing the product inward.

ISAMAYA Sculpting Stick

“I bought Kevyn Aucoin’s Making Faces when I was about seven years old, and that was really the bible for me,” British-born makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench told us. So it’s no wonder she’s created what might just be the perfect contour. Her Sculpting Stick features the perfect tapered tip for precise application and a formula that blends without any effort. Like all products in her line, it also treats skin to a hydrating and plumping blend of ceramide boosters and rice bran wax.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Melting Bronzing & Sculpting Stick

If you're intimidated by contouring, this is the stick that changes everything. It makes sculpting feel less like a pro-only technique thanks to its creamy, blendable texture that melts seamlessly into skin - we like to apply with fingertips and buff out gently with a brush. With its warm, sun-kissed tone, this is the contour stick to reach for when you’re chasing that bronzy, beach holiday type of glow.

RMS Beauty Buriti Bronzer

This isn’t your typical bronzer – and that’s exactly how founder and makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift designed it. Created to mimic the way skin naturally catches the light, this sheer, creamy formula melts in for a warm, believable glow with none of the usual orange or glitter. Infused with antioxidant-rich buriti oil, it nourishes as it sculpts, and while it’s technically a bronzer, it doubles as a soft, relaxed contour for days when you want just a little definition and warmth.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Light Wand

A-list cheekbones, here you come! Charlotte Tilbury’s TikTok-famous Contour Wand comes in a foolproof applicator tube, so you can dot or swipe your contour with precision worthy of Tilbury herself. And, the liquid formula blends seamlessly with either a fingers or brush for an expertly sculpted and bronzed look.

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MECCA MAX Off Duty Contour Stick

New to contour? You can’t mess this one up! This crayon-like definer is super smooth and blendable – just swipe on and pat with your fingers or buff out with a dense brush for beautifully chiselled cheeks. Use it over foundation or straight over bare skin for a ‘no-makeup makeup’ look with extra dimension.