Ever since Social Media got a hold of the concept called Highlighting and Contouring everybody, and their mama has been trying to create flawless skin with dimension. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t watched a couple of youtube videos and watched tutorials to see how these girls were doing it, but honestly they were always overwhelming. I just couldn’t see myself spending all that time piling on different shades of concealer. Then applying a powder only to go back and apply more concealer on top of what I’ve already applied to create a “flawless look”. Usually, when I highlight and contour it’s pretty simple. I use powder products, and I thought my finished face looked quite nice. When I saw BlackUp Cosmetics announces their new dual ended contour stick, I got super excited because I already love everything about their foundation. The company so graciously sent me two of the BlackUp Cosmetics Contouring Sticks to try out. No. 2 and No.4. This post is a review of Contour Stick No 2. as No 4 prove to be a bit too dark for my skin.
The BlackUp Cosmetics Contouring Sticks retail for $41 each and take the guessing game out of contouring and highlighting. Normally you’d choose a highlight color that is two shades lighter than your complexion, and you’d choose a contour that is two shades deeper than your normal complexion. The dual end stick is perfect because you have both your highlight and contour on one stick and can easily redefine and reshape your face to perfection. No need to search around for several products, and it also saves tons of space in your makeup bag.
The product is super creamy and very buildable and can be applied with either a brush, fingers, straight from the stick or even a sponge. As like most of their products, a little goes a very very long way, so you don’t have to pile it on in order to achieve your desired look. The products dry down to a powdery finish though; I did find the need to do a light blotting after blending the product in with a beauty blender. As I found that even when I used a small amount I still tended to use way too much.
Okay, so this picture is nothing new, we’ve all seen what areas you’re supposed to highlight and contour before and I follow that same trend. Notice how the colors are two shades lighter and darker than my normal skin tone. Again, I blended everything out with a beauty blender being sure to blend areas of demarcation. I then set my face with different powders. For my contour area, I used Makeup For Ever Velvet Finish Powder in No 20. For my Highlight, I used the BlackUp Paris Sublime Powder in PS03 and then lightly dusted the area with MAC Cosmetics Global glow to create a light iridescent highlight.
This product wears very well. At the end of the day, my face is still flawless. Since I’ve been using this product, I’ve been receiving so many compliments on the way my makeup looks. For $41 the BlackUp Cosmetics Contouring Stick is a bit pricy, but I honestly can’t see myself not using it for the days when I really want to look put together. Since you don’t need a lot, the stick could last you a good two-three months depending on how often you wear makeup. All in all, I think it’s a great investment.
What do you usually use to highlight and contour your face?
I’ve always wanted to try a contouring stick! They seem like they work very well.