The Best 12 Contour Sticks for a Defined, Sculpted Look

Unlike contour palettes or pigments, contour sticks take the guesswork out of achieving a sculpted makeup look. They add definition to the face with as little as a simple swipe or two of product along the jawline, hollows of the cheeks, or on the temples—all you have to do is blend. Here, we spoke with NYC-based makeup artist Jonet Williamson about what to look for when choosing a contour stick, plus the best 12 contour sticks to try, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or expert.co

Our top 12 contour sticks, at a glance:

• Best overall: Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Shaping Stick, $32
• Best for beginners: Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick, $26
• Best matte finish: Milk Makeup Sculpt Cream Contour Stick, $24
• Best for deep skin tones: Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick, $32
• Best budget: E.l.f. Beauty Halo Glow Contour Beauty Wand, $9
• Best blendable: MERIT Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer Stick, $30
• Best clean formula: LYS No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick, $20
• Best drugstore: NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Contour and Highlighter Stick, $14
• Best for sculpting: Em Cosmetics So Soft Bronze + Sculpt Stick, $30
• Best natural finish: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand, $42
• Best splurge: Westman Atelier Face Trace Cream Contour Stick, $48
• Best with SPF: Ciele Sculpt & Protect SPF 30+ Bronzing Contour Stick, $34

How to choose a contour stick

Williamson says there are a few factors to consider when shopping for a contour stick, and it all comes down to choosing the right shade and consistency. This will ensure that your contour doesn’t read too dark, too light, or too warm. Here’s what to look for:

The shade

Williamson recommends going two to three shades deeper than the typical foundation shade you’d use when adding contour. For a more natural look, she recommends underpainting: “Use what’s left in your foundation brush to go over the areas where you’ve contoured lightly,” she says.

For deep skin tones, Williamson recommends reinforcing the look of a shadow vs. just simply contouring with a darker shade. “Because deeper skin reflects more light, pairing your contour stick with a powder contour yields the best results,” she says. To do this, she recommends adding a matte contour powder on top after you’ve applied your cream contour stick for a more defined, shape-shifting effect.

The undertone

“When shopping for a contour stick, make sure that the undertone is cool or neutral,” Williamson says. She explains that if it’s more warm-toned, it will read like a cream bronzer, which won’t sculpt your look the way a contour product will and might read too orange or red.

The finish

Based on your skin type, you should opt for a contour stick that’s more matte if you have oily skin or more balmy if you have dry skin. Williamson also says that, generally, less is more when it comes to contouring. “Add contour gradually vs. applying a lot and having to blend it out—this can end up looking muddy,” she says.

How to use a contour stick

A contour stick makes it easy to map out exactly where you want to contour, making this format more appealing than a contour palette, which can sometimes render too much pigment or leave brush streaks behind.

As far as placement goes, Williamson recommends applying a swipe of the stick onto any areas where you’d like to create the illusion of a more chiseled face—like the hollows of the cheek, jawline, sides of the nose, or crease of the eye. “From there, you’ll want to use a tapered brush with a medium firmness to blend out your contour in tapping motions,” she says. Once blended in, you’ll be left with a more sculpted and defined finished face.

Shop the 12 best contour sticks