15 Best Contour Sticks For A Defined Look In 2023

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A prominent bone structure can make one’s face look more defined and sculpted. However, not everyone is blessed with a sharp jawline or cheekbones. Thus, the best contour sticks listed here can help you achieve the look without hassle. These sticks are easy to use and suitable for beginners who may find contouring complex and intimidating. Moreover, the sticks are well-pigmented, creamy, and blendable to give you a natural, smooth finish that lasts throughout the day. We have listed and reviewed some popular options to help you make an informed decision.

How Should One Use A Contour Stick?

Follow these simple steps to use a contour stick.

1. Once you have applied your foundation, take the darker shade of your contour stick and apply it where your bone structure forms shadows, such as under your cheekbones, along the temples and jawline, and on the sides of your nose.
2. Take the lighter shade to highlight the center of your face where the light hits the skin. Apply it on the Cupid’s bow, forehead, the tip of the nose, cheekbones, chin, under the eyes, and more.
3. Use a blending brush, a damp sponge, or your fingers to blend the products seamlessly into your skin for a smooth, even finish. First, blend the dark shade and follow up with the light shade. Build up the coverage as required and ensure there are no creases, smudges, or lines.

15 Best Contour Sticks

1.Best 2-In-1:Nyx Professional Makeup Wonder Stick

Nyx’s Wonder Stick is one of the best contour sticks with the dual benefits of a highlighter and a contour.Its creamy formula is easy to blend, giving you a smooth, even finish. The highlighter gives you aglowy shimmerto emphasize the highest points of your face and is suitable for daily makeup. Available in multiple shades, you can choose one that suits your complexion for the right look. Check out thisvideoto learn more about the wonder stick.

Pros

• Ideal for beginners
• 不做动物实验
• Non-sticky
• Long-lasting
• Easy to remove

Cons

• May not be suitable for oily skin

2.Best Multipurpose:Wet N Wild MegaGlo Makeup Stick Conceal And Contour

The drugstore contour stick from Wet n Wild works as a contour, concealer, highlighter, and blush to help you do your makeup on the go. It is easy to blend and gives a natural, warm finish. The stick offers optimal control for easy application, and its compact size makes it handy and portable. Moreover, thecream-to-powder formulafeels soft and light on the skin, preventing your makeup from being cakey and patchy. You may take a look at thisvideoto learn more about this contour stick.

Pros

• Long-lasting
• 不做动物实验
• Offers full coverage
• Available in multiple shades

Cons

• May not be suitable for fairer skin tones

3.Best Non-Toxic:Onlyoily Double-End Contour Highlighter Stick

Onlyoily’s highlighter contouring product is non-toxic and made of natural ingredients to prevent irritation, making it suitable for sensitive skin and one of the best cream contour sticks. Its cream-to-powder formula blends easily to offer a smooth, sculpted finish and works well for quick touch-ups. Moreover, thisversatile makeup producthelps create a 3D effect to accentuate your abs or clavicle.

Pros

• Waterproof
• Long-lasting
• Easy to remove
• Easy to use
• Available in multiple shades

Cons

• May not offer adequate coverage

4.Best Blendable:Maybelline New York Makeup Facestudio Master Contour Duo Stick

Maybelline’s affordable contour stick comes in three versatile shades to suit your skin tone and offers a natural, warm finish. This two-in-one V-shaped stick is easy to use and helps youcontour and highlight你的脸在两个简单的步骤。该产品是德西gned to give your face structure and lift for a sculpted appearance. Moreover, its creamy matte texture is easy to blend and offers a smooth finish. Learn more about this product in thisvideo.

Pros

• 不做动物实验
• Smudge-proof
• Non-drying
• Compact

Cons

• Stick might get uneven with use

5.Best Waterproof:Focallure Mineral Cream Contour Stick

Focallure’s two-piece makeup product makes your skin look radiant, luminous, and fresh throughout the day. With multiple shades to cater to your needs, the contour stick helps give your skin a natural warmth from within.Its waterproof formula stays for long without smudging or caking, giving you a smooth and clean finish. Further, it is one of the best cheap contour sticks you can use to create a 3D makeup effect.

Pros

• Does not clog pores
• Non-greasy
• Offers adequate coverage
• Blendable

Cons

• May have an unpleasant smell

6.Best For K-Beauty Lovers:Etude House Play 101 Stick Contour Duo

Etude House’s best contour stick for fair skin has a creamy consistency that blends easily on the skin for a seamless finish. The 24-degree diagonal cut is unique and makes it easy to apply on the curved surface of the face. It offers a natural, subtle makeup look and helps create depth on your face to highlight your best features. Moreover, its powdery finish can make your skin look smooth, soft, and non-greasy.

Pros

• Long-lasting
• Suitable for all skin types
• Beginner-friendly
• Available in three shades

Cons

• Highlighter may not be shimmery enough

7.Best Easy-To-Use:HKH Double-Headed Highlight Stick

Available in two shades, this is one of the best drugstore cream contour sticks for adding oomph to your makeup look. Its automatic rotating tube design allows you to do your makeup quickly and on the go without hassle. The product is easy to use and offers good control during application. You can also use this stick contour as an eyeshadow and create depth and highlight the required areas. Its soft texture glides well on the skin to give you a smooth, even finish.

Pros

• Ideal for quick touch-ups
• Beginner-friendly
• Portable
• Blendable
• Suitable for all skin types

Cons

• May not offer adequate coverage

8.Best For Daily Use:Meifen 2-In-1 Contouring Stick

Meifen’s best contour stick is a two-in-one product that helps you contour and highlight easily. The creamy formula spreads evenly on the skin to give you a subtle, natural look and is comfortable for all-day wear.This lightweight formula is also suitable for daily wearand comes in multiple cool and warm shades to help you achieve a three-dimensional makeup look.

Pros

• Beginner-friendly
• Long-lasting coverage
• Waterproof
• Suitable for all skin tones

Cons

• May not be suitable for professional makeup artists

9.Best Lightweight:Kyda Highlight Concealer Contour Stick

The drugstore contour stick by Kyda offers dual-headed contour and highlight options for an easy makeup application. The formula is long-lasting and suitable for daily wear. Its paste texture is easy to apply and blends well to give you a soft, seamless look. Moreover, the stick works like a pen and offers sufficient control for applying in tricky areas.

Pros

• Adequate coverage
• Waterproof
• Multipurpose
• Non-clumping and lightweight formula
• Comes in a gift-ready box

Cons

• Darker colors may have an orange tone

10.Best Matte Finish:Fenty Beauty By Rihanna Match Stix Matte Skinstick

Fenty Beauty’s contour stick comes in several shades to suit different skin tones and is touted for its effective results. It is long-lasting, andits stick design is suitable for targeted applications on the go. The shades have been fine-tuned to offer seamless coverage without caking or smudging, and its cream-to-powder formula gives a weightless finish.

Pros

• 不做动物实验
• Buildable formula
• Easy to blend
• Multipurpose

Cons

• Quantity may not be sufficient

11.Best Non-Greasy:Bonnie Choice Highlight Contour Stick

Bonnie Choice’shighlighter and contour stick helps give your face a three-dimensional structure by defining the highest points. Thecreamy textureblends easily for a seamless finish and offers long-lasting performance, making it one of the best cheap contour sticks. This makeup stick is suitable for beginners and professionals and is easy to apply on the go. Moreover, it is non-greasy and has moisturizing properties.

Pros

• Waterproof
• Portable
• Water-resistant
• Lightweight

Cons

• May not be suitable for darker skin tones

12.Best Oil-Free:Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour

With an oil-free formulation, this is one of the best contour sticks for daily use. Its rich, creamy texture blends smoothly without caking or creasing. Use this to highlight your face, create an illusion of depth, and get a sculpted, sharp look. The stick’s design makes it easy to use and suitable for quick touch-ups before meetings or parties. Further, the sculpting contour stick is highly travel-friendly.

Pros

• Long-lasting
• Adequate coverage
• Well-pigmented
• Buildable

Cons

• Limited shade options

13.Best Moisturizing:Yeweian Multi Sticks Set

Yeweian’s contour stick has a paste texture that can blend better than powdery formulas, making it one of the best contour sticks for dry skin.多用途的产品可以用作脸颊有限公司lor, contour, highlighter, lipstick, cuticle cream, and more, making it suitable for traveling. These sticks offer a natural, sheer finish that can make you glow from within and blend into the skin well without smudging or creasing.

Pros

• Easy to carry
• Waterproof
• Sweatproof
• Long-lasting

Cons

• May require more product for the color to show

14.Best With Sharpener:Meicoly Highlight Contour Stick

With a shimmery yet matte finish, Meicoly’s contour stick helps create a 3D effect to accentuate your facial features. It helps your face look slim and defined. The stick comes with a pencil sharpener for easy application and to help you get smooth, precise lines. The creamy formula blends well on the skin without lines, creases, or smudges. You can also use these versatile sticks to get defined eyebrows.

Pros

• Ample coverage
• No caking or creasing
• Multipurpose
• Long-lasting

Cons

• 可能会觉得粗糙on the skin

15.Best For Natural Finish:Somgkin Highlight Contour Stick

Here’s an affordable contour stick by Somgkin that has a lightweight paste formulation and spreads evenly on the skin without clumping. Its double-ended design makes it easy to use and handy for quick touch-ups. The stick works like a pen, and you need to spin out the required amount of paste for application.It offers a light, natural coverage and helps give your skin a warm glow.

Pros

• Waterproof
• Long-lasting
• Blendable
• 不做动物实验

Cons

• May not work with a beauty blender

How To Choose The Right Contour Stick?

Here are some factors to consider when choosing the best contour stick.

1. Skin type:Consider your skin type before choosing the product. If you have oily skin, you may use powder-based products for a non-greasy finish. Cream or paste-based contour sticks work well for normal to dry skin.
2. Skin tone:Ensure the contour shade matches your skin tone to get the desired results. The contour shade should be three times darker than your actual complexion and match your undertone. If you choose shades lighter than required, they might not show on your skin.
3. Application:Choose a stick that is easy to apply and travel-friendly. Sticks with dual ends can be a good option as they offer both contouring and highlighting benefits for a complete makeup look.
4. Sweat-proof:Ensure the product is waterproof and sweat-proof for all-day, long-lasting performance. The makeup should offer a smooth finish and be sweat-proof or waterproof.
5. Ingredients:Choose a product free of harmful chemicals and toxins to prevent breakouts and irritation.

Georgia Smith, a cosmetic chemist and the founder of Skin Sister, says,“When using a contour stick, draw a line that starts from your hairline and extends to the end of your cheekbones by dragging the stick downward. Further, use the product on your jawline and then blend it either using your fingers or a contour brush.”

Why Trust MomJunction?

Poulami Nag is a makeup, skincare, and beauty product enthusiast who understands her readers’ needs and researches products accordingly. In this article, she has considered the formulation, ease of application, finish, and shade options to create a list of the best contour sticks and provided a detailed description of each product, along with the pros and cons. The products have been chosen after considering various user reviews across e-commerce websites. She has also included a helpful buying guide for your convenience.