The Smashbox contour kit is a solid choice to meet your contouring needs. Whether you're a pro or a complete stranger to contouring, this kit supplies everything you need to apply simple and effective contours. Read on for everything you need to know about this impressive kit.





What's In the Box
The Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit, $45, comes with three matte shades: a highlight, contour, and bronzer. There's also an angled contour brush. You get a fair amount of product in each pan, making this kit a good deal right off the bat. The compact is thin and includes a mirror, so it's a great choice to add to your travel makeup bag. You'll also find a contour chart and tutorial inside, which is wonderful if you're not sure where to start with contouring.

What You Need to Know
Each of the shades in the Smashbox contour kit is highly pigmented. Better pigmentation means you'll need less product to achieve your look, so your kit will last longer. Be careful that you don't apply too much product because the high pigmentation can make mistakes difficult to fix. However, the powder formula is smooth and blendable, so it shouldn't look patchy.

Review From Ulta: "I love this contour palette of all the ones I have, which are many, because it is quick and simple yet does its job wonderfully."

Contour Shade
The contour shade in the Smashbox contour kit is cool-toned as all contour shades should be. Warm contours can look too orange to be shadows. Using cool tones in your contour areas will accentuate the natural shadows of your face, helping your entire look appear more three-dimensional.

Review From Sephora: "I really like that the contour shade has more of a gray undertone so that it mimics real shadows on the face."

Highlight Shade
The highlight shade in this kit is mostly matte, but its finish may appear slightly on the satin side. It's perfect for use under the eyes, on the center of the chin and forehead, and anywhere else you want your face to pop. It's even pigmented enough to help cover dark under-eye circles.

Bronzer Shade
The bronzer shade in the kit is fairly warm-toned but not too orange. It's flexible enough to be used in place of a blush, which can achieve a more natural look. It can also be lightly dusted all over the face to add back some of the color that is lost when you apply foundation.

The Brush
The brush that comes in this kit is angled, so it's great for placing your contour shade. You'll use it on your jawline, in the hollows of your cheekbones, or on the sides of your nose. Its small size makes it great for those areas. To blend the kit's shades with your foundation, you may need a large, fluffy brush. To pack on more color, you'll want to use a brush with denser hairs.

Shade Selection
The Smashbox contour kit comes in two shade selections. The classic contour kit is best for light to mid-toned skin while the shades in the deep kit are perfect for darker skin tones. No matter your skin tone, the shades are versatile and can each be used in several different ways.