Best Overall

MAC Cosmetics Contour Palette

$42 at NordstromView on Maccosmetics.comView on Onebioshop.com

Shade Options: 2 | Pans Per Kit: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Earning our number one spot, MAC’s Studio Fix powder contour kit checked all the boxes. Each palette comes with six pans, including three darker matte shades for contouring and three slightly shimmery highlighters. Our tester, Vanessa, found it incredibly easy to mix the shades to get the perfect color to complement her skin tone. The texture is super smooth, and a little goes a long way. It blended effortlessly and layered well over liquid and cream makeup.

The finished results were long-lasting and not cakey whatsoever. Also nice: The color continued to look the same after sitting on her skin for a while—which we can’t say for all contour makeup. The matte finish is great for oily skin, though people with dry complexions may prefer a cream formula. We’d love it if this contour kit had a light-reflecting color to tap onto our cheekbones and nose, but in the end, it’s still an excellent product.

Vanessa, tester with oily skin: “The texture of the product was smooth, easy to brush, and left a matte finish on my face, which I love because I have oily skin. My face looks naturally sculpted.”

Best Budget

e.l.f. Cosmetics Cream Contour Palette

$10

$10 at Amazon$10 at Ulta$10 at Target

Shade Options: 1 | Pans Per Kit: 4 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This contour palette impressed our tester, Tiffany, especially considering the wallet-friendly price tag. She found the formula light yet buildable and a breeze to blend. Unlike some powdered products, it delivered a dewy, hydrated finish. With the flexibility of three contour shades and one highlighter, this product is ideal for everyday use, as well as glam looks for special occasions. Another bonus? The kit didn’t sink into pores, either, but instead helped hide them, and the finished look was smooth and natural. The contour colors are buildable; however, since only one shade option is available, those with deeper skin tones might want a more pigmented formula.

Tiffany, tester with combination skin: “The texture was soft and light. I was nervous about the cream because I didn’t want it to create any lines when applied under the eyes, but it was basically invisible on the skin.”

Best for Beginners

KVD Beauty Shade + Light Powder Face Contour Palette

$53 at Sephora$53 at Ulta$53 at Kohls.com

Shade Options: 1 | Pans Per Kit: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

New to contouring? The KVD Shade + Light Palette was exceptionally easy to use, according to our tester, Amy. A highlighter is paired with each contour color, taking the guesswork out of which tones work best together. As you get more comfortable, you can mix colors or use lighter or darker shades for different areas of your face. It didn’t cling to any dry patches or look cakey. This contour had a saturated pigmentation that wasn’t too intense, but Amy recommends starting with just a little to avoid overdoing it and building the color if needed. She was also pleased with the subtle, natural-looking results, but noted that the formula dries down fast, so you may need to blend it quickly.

Amy, tester with dry skin: “Although this is a powder, it applied like a cream, so there was no excess on the sponge. After wearing the product the entire testing time, it stayed the same color, and I was still pleased with how it looked 30 minutes post-application.”

Best for Full Glam

Smashbox Contour Face Palette

$46

$44 at AmazonView on Sephora$46 at Ulta

Shade Options: 2 | Pans Per Kit: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

With richly pigmented, vibrant shades, our tester, Stephanie, reaches for this Smashbox contour kit when going for a bold glam look. The matte contour colors and pearlescent highlighters were noticeable on her skin, both in person and on camera, and she loved how the darker shades were more cool-toned, so they didn’t look muddy or orangey. You might need to add a few layers to get the desired effect, but it’s easily buildable with a brush. The ultrasmooth powder has a lightweight, almost feathery texture that glides on effortlessly when blended over liquid foundation. It didn’t cling to any dry patches, get sucked up by oily zones, or sink into fine lines but heads up: The powder may appear cakey, depending on how many layers you add.

Stephanie, tester with combination skin: “The contour panel is matte, and the highlights are both matte and shimmery, which I’m really into. I feared the highlights wouldn’t be noticeable, but it looks fabulous.”

Best Radiant

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

View on Amazon$75 at Sephora$75 at Ulta

Shade Options: 3 | Pans Per Kit: 3 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Our tester, Senior Editor Lauren Pardee, thought this Hourglass palette’s shimmery, bronzy shades and golden undertones provided the perfect amount of pigment to create a natural-looking glow.However, she also appreciated the versatile contour kit, which can be used for light everyday makeup, a beachy sun-kissed effect, or a noticeably chiseled, full-glam look. The soft-focus powder also offered anice blurring effect as well. The rich colors allowed her to be intentional about where she applied them and what areas she wanted to carve out or illuminate. And they blended out beautifully with a brush. Moreover, the powder went on evenly over the foundation and didn’t cling to dry patches, sink into pores, or cake onto breakouts. There’s nothing she’d change about it except the price—it would offer more value if it came with an applicator or blending brush.

Lauren Pardee, senior editor with combination skin and an oily T-zone: “The blendability didn’t disappoint! At first use, the pigmentation was strong, which made me a bit nervous, but then it blended out so nicely without completely disappearing. And in general, I didn’t find the product to be patchy.”

Best Cream

Make Up For Ever Cream Contour and Highlight Palette

$89 at SephoraView on Makeupforever.com$89 at Macy’s

Shade Options: 1 | Pans Per Kit: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Our tester, Trisha, loved this six-pan palette’s creamy formula. It sticks where you put it and holds up well when combined with other makeup products, but doesn’t feel heavy, even when you apply multiple layers. She thought the contour shades blended out perfectly into a soft, semi-matte finish and liked that the kit came with lighter hues to illuminate high points and create a customized look. The colors added noticeable depth and definition and seemed to resist fadingwith continued wear. Although she would use this contour kit when applying a full face of makeup for special occasions or when photographs are involved, it may not be the right choice if you’re going for a natural look.

Trisha, tester with combination skin: “The variety of pigments lets you customize and play with your look, but the product is meant to be built up for a more dramatic finish.”

Best Powder

Anastasia Beverly Hills Powder Contour Kit

$40

$36 at Amazon$40 at SephoraView on Ulta

Shade Options: 1 | Pans Per Kit: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This finely milled, pressed powder didn’t look like powder on the skin—or create a mountain of transfer on the face, according to our tester, Andria. It had a lightweight feel and a smooth finish, even after she applied multiple layers over uneven texture and post-acne scars. The buildable formula worked well over a liquid foundation and didn’t sink into pores or fine lines, either.

The shades also blended nicely and looked seamless once buffed out with a brush. She found the kit beginner-friendly, even with six colors, because the tones weren’t overpowering. Her finished makeup was natural-looking with a subtle glow, thanks to the slightly shimmery highlighter shades. If she could change anything about this product, she’d make it more pigmented so fewer layers were needed to get a good color payoff.

Andria, tester with combination skin: “The product was buildable—although it took a while to get there—and I got the desired shade for my face. The contour was very matte, and the highlighter gave a subtle glow, even if it looks shimmery in the pan.”

Best Cream & Powder Duo

Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Creme Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo

$42 at SephoraView on Patrickta.com$42 at Kohls.com

Shade Options: 5 | Pans Per Kit: 2 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Offering the best of both worlds, this two-pan kit comes with a matte cream for defining your features and a bronzing powder for warming and illuminating. Our tester, Skye, found the contour buttery-smooth and appreciated that it didn’t look cakey or oily. Combining the cream and powder left her with sculpted cheekbones and a healthy-looking glow. Note: You might need to spend some extra time buffing it into the skin with a damp makeup sponge to avoid a muddy look. And although it doesn’t come with a highlighter component, the bronzer helps you achieve a multidimensional effect.

Skye, tester with oily skin: “My skin looked soft and smooth after use. The product felt lightweight on the areas I applied it to, and I appeared to have a natural glow.”

Best Stick

NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Stick

$14

$14 at Amazon$14 at Ulta$14 at Target

Shade Options: 8 | Colors Per Stick: 2 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Minimalists will favor the compact design and simplicity of this dual-ended stick. The contour side offers a bronzing effect with a semi-matte finish, and the highlighter end illuminates the high points of the face. It’s straightforward to apply, and the cream formula has a smooth texture that glides on effortlessly. Our tester, Lynne, is a minimalist; she was most impressed by how well the product stacked up against the more robust contour kits she’s tried. Keep in mind that while the cream formula didn’t feel greasy, it seemed to sink into her pores a bit, so it might not be ideal for oily complexions or those battling blackheads.

Lynne, tester with dry skin: “A little pigment seems to go a long way. I used ‘Universal Light’ which seemed perfect for my coloring—not muddy or orange, but the right shadow color.”

Best Shades

Danessa Myricks Beauty Groundwork: Defining Neutrals Palette

View on SephoraView on Danessamyricksbeauty.comView on Beautybay.com

Shade Options: 1 | Pans Per Kit: 10 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Each of the 10 shades comes in a creamy pomade and a silky, semi-matte powder, giving you lots of flexibility to contour, highlight, create a bold eye look, define your brows, bronze your cheeks, and play around with nude lip colors. Our tester, Nikki, found the shades adequately pigmented, easy to mix, and buildable. Best of all: The color stayed true to the initial application without changing or oxidizing. We just wish the pans were larger so the palette would last longer, but we realize this would be tricky with 10 shades.

Nikki, tester with combination skin: “The contour color complemented my skin tone and was warm without appearing muddy or orange. It easily intensified with additional swipes of color without being too bold.”