Ulta Contour Kit Review
When the Anastasia Contour Kits first came out tons of people were all over social media raving about them as if they were the best thing since sliced bread. Eventually, I got sucked into the hype and picked up the powder Contour Kit in Tan to Deep only to discover that it was more of a bronzing palette than a contour kit that wasn’t all that spectacular for the $40 price tag. On the flip side, I’ve heard some really good things about the Ulta Contour Kit from some of my favorite makeup buddies on Instagram so I decided to finally grab it when Ulta was giving out those amazing makeup bags filled with Ulta Beauty Collection goodies as a free gift. Who doesn’t like free gifts and contour kits?
The Ulta Contour Kit is one of the more affordable kits on the market featuring 4 bronzers and 2 shimmering highlights in a powder formula. The cardboard packaging does feel a little cheap but the pans are huge and there’s a nice variety of color so the Ulta Contour Kit is a really great value for the price. For under $20, you can highlight and contour like the pros without feeling like you’re breaking the bank.
The Ulta Contour Kit is rather inclusive of all skin tones with a little something for everybody. The Contour Kit has 2 shimmering highlighters: Radiance Highlighter and Lustre Highlight. Radiance Highlighter is a cool rose toned highlight with fine silver shimmer while the Lustre Highlight is more warm toned with a yellow gold base and fine pale gold shimmer. When swatched, both highlighters look sheer, powdery and lackluster. Once applied, however, they completely blew me away with their great pigmentation and intensity of glow. With just the lightest touch of a fan brush, Radiance Highlighter and Lustre Highlight delivers a killer glow that looks beautiful and lit from within. You just have to be very careful to use a light hand if you like a more natural highlight because if you swirl your brush around your cheeks will be dancing in the light for days. I just love it though! Radiance Highlighter is really pretty for a cooler more silvery glow that best flatters lighter complexions with cooler undertones. Lustre Highlighter, on the other hand, is life for deeper complexions or anyone with a warm undertone because it has a strong yellow gold sheen that looks like your cheeks are infused with 24 karat gold.
Besides the insane glow factor, I was really impressed with the formula of the highlighters. Both Radiance and Lustre Highlighter have a soft slightly powdery consistency that adheres to the skin well and blends rather easily. Radiance and Lustre also last all day long. I can come home after a 8-12 hour day to still see my cheeks dazzling and glowing just as they were before I left home. I have to give it to Ulta. The Highlighters are amazing!
The bronzers aren’t too shabby either. There’s 4 bronzers including:
- Warmth Bronzer light cool tan
- Golden Bronzer medium cool bronze
- Bombshell Bronzer warm caramel tan
- Goddess Bronzer deep neutral brown
Naturally, all 4 bronzers won’t work for everyone but what I love about contour kits is that you can mix and match them to custom create your own contour which I find myself doing a lot. Warmth Bronzer and Bombshell Bronzer are, of course, better suited for light to medium complexions but they also work well to help soften and blend the deeper bronzers if you got a little too heavy handed or contour happy. Which doesn’t happen often for me because although the bronzers are pigmented they aren’t mega pigmented like the Highlighters so it’s easier to build as you go without picking up too much pigment.
As you probably guessed, my favorite bronzers are Golden Bronzer and Goddess Bronzer because they work best for my brown skin and create a lovely contour that aren’t too warm or too cool. When I want a more natural, subtle contour that’s great for everyday or light makeup days I reach for Golden Bronzer as it adds light definition without looking overdone or requiring much effort and blending. On the days I want to kick it up a notch and really carve out some cheekbones I go for Goddess Bronzer as it adds more of a shadow and really defines my cheeks for a sharper contour that really slims and shapes my round, chubby cheeks. Most days I find myself mixing the two for a natural contour that still defines and shades my face without the need for a full on highlighting and contouring routine which I often don’t have time for these days. Like the Highlighters, I also find that the Bronzers are also great quality with a more dense texture that still feels soft while adhering to the skin well and blending with ease. The Bronzers also last me all day long with a solid 10 hour wear (or more) with very slight signs of fading.
Overall, I think Ulta did a knockout job with the Contour Kit and I actually like it a hell of a lot better than the Anastasia Contour Kit. It’s not as warm or orangey and the quality is just as good for literally half the price. Or even cheaper if you use your $3.50 coupon. My only complaint is that the Ulta Contour Kit only comes in one option instead of a variety of palettes for different skin tones. However, I’ve been noticing some really great new products in the Ulta Beauty Collection that leads me to believe that just maybe they’ll whip up some other Contour Kits in the future. Fingers crossed!
Radiane Highlighter, Lustre Highlighter, Warmth Bronzer, Golden Bronzer, Bombshell Bronzer and Goddess Bronzer
Rocking Lustre Highlight with a mix of Golden Bronzer and Goddess Bronzer