The 11 Best Contour Sticks for Soft, Sculpted Skin

Best Overall

Makeup by Mario Softsculpt Shaping Stick

$34 at Sephora $49 at Walmart $34 at Kohls.com

Shades: 7 | Size: 0.37 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

With a list of celeb clients, including Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian, makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic knows a thing or two about contouring. This contour stick is a staple in his eponymous makeup line, and it has a creamy, buildable formula with a matte finish. Tester and writer Amanda Rosenthal was impressed by its lineup of shades, each with varying depths and undertones. Plus, a built-in brush makes application easy.

Amanda Rosenthal, writer: “I am obsessed with the formulation and pigment of this contour stick. I have olive undertones, and I often struggle to find shades that don't appear orange on my skin. In this lineup, I found the perfect cool-toned hue that enhances the actual 'shadow color' of my cheekbones.”

Best Budget

NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Stick

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

Shades: 8 | Size: 0.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This dual-ended stick features a contour shade on one side and a precisely paired highlighter on the other to lift and sculpt your face. Both formulas are smooth and easy to blend, and we love that they set to a natural finish on the skin. It also comes in options for fair, medium, and dark skin. Best of all, you can get it at the drugstore, which is not always true of great contouring products. The payoff and wear are impressive for a fraction of the cost of other popular contouring sticks.

Ashley Rebecca, tester and makeup artist: “When I  first got this contour stick, I feared it might not be the right shade for my fair skin, but as soon as I blended it in, it worked like magic. The results were impressive for a budget-friendly contouring stick and exceeded my expectations.”

Best Splurge

Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick

$48 $26 at Sephora $26 at Nordstrom $48 at Credo Beauty

Shades: 3 | Size: 0.2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This stick is costly, but we think it’s worth every penny for a few reasons. First, it’s a makeup-skincare hybrid, given that the formula is packed with good-for-your-skin ingredients like hydrating jojoba oil and oil-absorbing kaolin clay. Second, it’s so creamy and workable; you have a minute or two to blend it before it sets. And finally, it plays nicely with any foundation or concealer you layer it on top of.. If you're in the market for a luxe option, this is the one we recommend for you.

Shannon Stubbs, writer:  “I love that this formula is so creamy and rich, and it’s easy to apply and blends out very smoothly. I didn’t love the shade, though, which I think was a bit too ashy/gray for my skin tone. If they had more variety in the shades available, I think I would love using it and would definitely add it to my daily makeup rotation.”

Best Shade Range

Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick

$32 at Sephora $32 at Ulta $25 at Walmart

Shades: 9 | Size: 0.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Leave it to Fenty Beauty to create an epic range of contour sticks. We love that the line features nine shades ranging from fair to dark and varying undertones. While the formula is pretty dry (meaning it takes a bit of time and effort to blend), this also helps it last on the skin—even on oily skin. Each stick is highly pigmented and buildable, offering a natural-looking definition or a more full-glam sculpt.

Lauren Pardee, senior editor: “I really don't think I'll ever come across a contour I love as much as this one. I’ve used it multiple times a week for over a year and still haven't had to buy a second. A little bit of this creamy formula goes a long way to deliver a gorgeous matte sculpt. The applicator is ideal, and the formula blends nicely without disappearing.”

Best Precise

Victoria Beckham Beauty Contour Stylus

View on Victoriabeckhambeauty.com $38 at Bluemercury.com $38 at Neiman Marcus

Shades: 4 | Size: 0.04 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Victoria Beckham might as well be the poster child for sculpted features—her cheekbones are easy to envy. So, it's no surprise that her eponymous brand released a refreshing take on traditional contour sticks that come in four shades. While the shade range isn't massive, we love that it ranges from fair to dark, and each shade is perfect for contouring—not too warm and not too gray or ashy on the skin. With a smaller and more precise tip, this product gives more precision than its competitors.

Amanda Rosenthal, writer: “This is the perfect contour pen for small, targeted shading. It was the ideal size and consistency to easily contour my nose and eyelids for subtle definition.”

Best Liquid

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand

$42 at Sephora $42 at Ulta View on Charlottetilbury.com

Shades: 2 | Size: 0.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Liquid formula fans will appreciate this pick. It’s super easy to dispense the product right out of the tube and then blend it into the skin using the built-in cushion applicator. Even though it’s a liquid, it still feels lightweight and dries down extremely fast without ever streaking or smudging. It makes it much easier to impart more sheer color than you’d get with a traditional cream formula.

Lauren Pardee, senior editor: “The radiance this contour delivers is unmatched. It truly imparts a sun-kissed glow. I love the applicator; it's straightforward to use, but I wish there was more formula per container as I'm going through it quickly.”

Best Multitasking

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick

$57 at Ulta View on Walmart $57 at Nordstrom

Shades: 43 | Size: 0.31 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Believe it, you can use a foundation as a contour color. The nice thing about that is that if you’re already using it as your base, you can stick within the line and easily find the color that’s two shades darker for the best contour tone. Whether you’re using it all over or just to sculpt your features, we’re fans of this classic. It’s creamy and hydrating, though it also contains light-diffusing powders to create the appearance of smoother skin and absorb excess oil (not to mention it's also water- and sweat-resistant on top of all of that). Plus, there’s an option for every skin tone.

Khera Alexander, tester and makeup artist: “This is the type of product I love: one that is hassle-free, melts into my skin, has a beautiful finish, and makes my makeup look like I spent a lot of time working on it even when I didn’t. My application looked smooth, and the buildable coverage allowed me to place more products in the areas I needed without my skin looking patchy or thick.”

Best Long-Lasting

Rare Beauty Bronzer Stick

$28 at Sephora $28 at Kohls.com View on Rarebeauty.com

Shades: 7 | Size: 0.25 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If your contour seems to disappear after a couple of hours, you'll love this formula from Rare Beauty. Its creamy consistency blends smoothly and seamlessly into the skin, and the warm finish lasts all day. It comes in seven shades that can flatter various skin tones and leave a dewy glow behind for a naturally luminous complexion. We love that it can be used as both a contour and bronzer product, so you can apply it to warm up the complexion or sculpt the face. Since the formula is so smooth, you can blend it easily with your fingers—no brush is needed.

Caitlyn Martyn, associate editor: “I love the consistency and feel of this bronzer. It goes on creamy, but the second you blend it out, it melts into the skin and leaves a powder-like finish that suits my oily skin. Both shades I tried (Bright Side and Power Boost) warmed my skin while leaving my cheeks and nose chiseled.”

Best Hydrating

LYS Beauty No Limits Bronzer Stick

$21 at Sephora View on Lysbeauty.com $21 at Kohls.com

Shades: 7 | Size: 0.25 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Dry skin types might find that applying contour on top of their foundation can cause their coverage to look patchy or emphasize dry spots on the skin, so you'll want to look for a formula with a buttery and nourishing feel. We recommend this pick from LYS Beauty, which includes ingredients to add hydration back to the skin like rosehip oil, sodium hyaluronate, and green tea. While buildable, it feels weightless on the skin and blends very easily. It's a great pick for those new to contouring, for the angular shape makes it easy to create precise lines on the complexion. Another plus is that you only need a little product to create a visible contour, so one tube should last a while.

Ashley Rebecca, tester and makeup artist: “This is one of the creamiest contour sticks I've tried to date; the texture is soft and very easy to apply to the skin. It took me a little getting used to it, as the first time I used it, I applied too much, but the shape of the stick allowed me to place it under my cheekbones, nose, and forehead easily. The creaminess allows for superior blending, which is one of the nicest callouts for this product. I also used this as an eyeshadow to add a little color to my lids when I felt like doing little makeup.”

Best Cream

Milk Makeup Sculpt Stick

$24 at Amazon $24 at Sephora $24 at Ulta

Shades: 4 | Size: 0.19 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Add some instant depth and dimension to your skin by blending this creamy contouring stick along your cheekbones and jawline for a sophisticated contour. It plays well with other products, and its smaller size is ideal for travel and touch-ups. With a matte finish and four shades that expand among many skin tones, this product wears all day and works with different foundation formulas, from matte to radiant finishes.

Shannon Stubbs, writer: “The small shape of this contour stick is perfect for beginners like me, making it super easy to create precise lines. It applies smoothly straight from the tube and blends easily without much effort. I love the rich undertone and silky finish, and it gives my complexion the perfect amount of dimension. The contour it creates isn’t super dramatic, so I think it would be great for daytime or even for a natural makeup look.”

Best Matte

NudeStix Nudies Bronzer Stick

$35 at Amazon $35 at Sephora $35 at Ulta

Shades: 8 | Size: 0.25 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re after multitasking products, this contouring stick is an excellent choice—it’s as versatile as it gets. A few swipes helps achieve a healthy glow and sculpted bone structure. Blend the contour out with the brush that’s attached to the opposite end and pair it with another shade to wear on the eyes and lips for a monochromatic makeup look.

Caitlyn Martyn, associate editor: “I like the creaminess of the formula and the fact that it comes with a built-in brush. However, the bronzer completely popped out of the tube the second I uncapped it. Thankfully, I caught it before it fell on the floor. It's buildable and blendable, and it has the most bold finish of all the ones I tried.”