Cream or Powder???
For me it comes down to A. Personal preference and B. what type of skin you have.
I am oily so i always choose the powder option. If you have dry skin I would try your hand at cream highlighting and contouring.
Face Shape
What do you want to create/hide with your darker contour colour. Then what to you want to emphasize with your highlight. Knowing your face shape is so important and where are the best spots to apply your darker and lighter shades.
There is a lot on the market at the moment so i thought i would do some drugstore options and some more high end options.
The BYS Contour kits are great for beginners and for those who don't want to splash the cash on a Higher-end product. They come with three shades and are labelled for easy use. Highlight, Contour, and Blush. You can't got wrong. They are so easy to use and great as a starting point.
The Highlight powder is not shimmery. Its just a flat highlight powder which looks very natural. I usually highlight under my eyes and t zone with a concealer that is 2 shades lighter than my complexion. I then use the BYS Highlighting powder over the top to set it.
The Australis AC on Tour kit comes with three highlighting shades and three contouring shades. They are highly pigmented so a little goes a long way, especially for the darker contour shades. Try not to apply to much product to the brush as it will make it harder to blend. I absolutely love the highlighting shade from this palette, it just makes your cheek bones glow!
I love all the colours in this palette. They are so easy to work with. They have good pigment too but a are a lot easier to build and also blend.
I must say i do prefer the Kat Von D, as its a lot more buildable and the colour blends a lot easier than the Australis. I'm sure with a bit of practice the Australis one would work just as well. Just remember a little goes a long way!
If you don't want to shell out on a full kit you could just get a normal face powder that is a couple shades lighter than your skin tone and then one that is a couple shades darker.
I like the LA Girl Pressed powders. They have good pigment but blend so easily!
For cream i tend to go for concealers and i just cant go past the LA Girl Pro HD Concealers. It has a wide colour selection and they blend effortlessly. If you find the texture to be a little too thick, pop it in a bowl of hot water.
Tools
For contour i like to use a small angled blush brush. This way you have more contol as to where your colours go. You could also go with a crease brush with a domed head to really get a sharp line to your contour.
The for cream I would go with a flat top kabuki brush or foundation brush and then to blend with a beauty blender. Make sure your brushes are synthetic so the brush doesn't absorb all of your product.
Quick How To
The most import step of all BLEND!!! If you re unsure... Blend again. There is nothing worse than the tell tale signs of a botched highlight and contour (believe me I've been there before!)
Below is a great little starting point if you are new to the art of highlighting and contouring. If you want something a bit more in depth or dramatic Youtube is your best friend!
Whatever technique or products you decide to use don't give up as after a bit of practice the benefits are amazing! I know it has changed they way I apply my face in the morning!
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