Call me crazy, but for some reason contouring makes me think of classical sculpture.
Trust me, I know I’m a little weird, but there’s something oddly sculptural about watching makeup artists apply deep shades in the hollows of the face and brightening hues on the high points to blend and create a contoured face. And honestly, although I love watching how everything comes together extensive contouring just isn’t for me on a day-to-day basis.
Make Up For Ever has created a range of products ideal for the expert and the contour novice alike: the Pro Sculpting Collection. Each easy-to-blend, easy-to-use product has been made with convenience in mind to subtly accentuate without overdoing it.
The stars of the collection are the Pro Sculpting Face Palettes ($45 each) available in four color combos fully thought out in terms of depth for varying skin tones.
From left to right, each palette offers a matte highlighting shade, a matte contouring shade, an iridescent highlighting shade and a pop of color for the apples of the cheeks. Rather than opting for a challenging powdery formula, each of Make Up For Ever’s four shades are creamy and buildable, meaning that the user is able to control their own destiny. The contour shade buffs to add natural shadows, while the others are equally subtle on the skin. Ideal for fresh-faced fans of light contouring, the Pro Sculpting Palettes give you everything you need in one place.
Make Up For Ever has also included rather untraditional sculpting products in the collection to offer subtle shaping for both lips and brows.
The Pro Sculpting Lip pencils ($27 each) are one part satiny lipstick, one part pearly cream-to-powder highlighter, and are meant to add volume to specific areas of your lips.
Although the combination may seem like a one-trick pony, the highlighter can be applied either over, or under, the lipstick, which creates a different effect, and allows for buildable intensity based on your own preference. And more on that later.
Make Up For Ever has also cleverly paired a brow pencil with a similarly light highlighting powder (and a spoolie!) to create sculpted brows in one three-in-one tool. As far as I’m concerned, the Pro Sculpting Brow pencils ($27 each) are incredibly travel and on-the-go friendly, as everything you need to create the perfect arch is at your fingertips in a single compact tube.
I have one quibble, and one quibble alone, with the design of the felt tip applicator. Although it’s not problematic as a component of the Pro Sculpting Brow products, when applied to the center of the lips after using the lipstick, the felt tip gets stained with the lipstick, and then it rubs against the highlighter in the packaging. It makes it harder to get a good payoff with the highlighter on future applications, and as you can see from some of the swatches below, if you forget and apply it to your cupid’s bow after the center of your lower lip to create a voluminous pout like I did (oops!), you end up with a smudge of the lip color above your lips…
Granted, this is user error, but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to apply the highlighter to my cupid’s bow in the future because of the remaining product that cannot be removed from the felt applicator.
Where do you stand on contouring? Do you prefer a heavy look, or do the subtle contouring products in Make Up For Ever’s Pro Sculpting collection appeal to your softer side?
Indya says
I JUST purchased the contouring palette. Can’t wait to receive it!
Angela Sultanian says
Those sculpting lippies look neat – I’m particularly enamored of #10, or at least the way it works with your natural lip color, if that makes sense? But I totally see the problem with the concept/ packaging. Good call/ warning 😉
Jessica Revitte says
I laughed when I looked in the mirror after I’d swatched. Once you’ve touched this to the center of your lips directly it’s impossible to get the color off which is disappointing as the highlight is lovely!
Jessica
Denise S says
I like to do a light contour and creams are easiest to use. I use the Sonia Kashuk dark cream bronzer. Not sure if I would like the highlighters in this palette but I’m going to check them at store. I love most things by Make Up for Ever! Not a big fan of lip pencils for some reason when I buy them I don’t use them . Nice Post!!
Jessica Revitte says
Hi Denise, these products are super creamy and emollient and a little bit sheer. If you like a light contour these are for you. 🙂
Jessica
Paol Trenny says
I have not mastered contouring so it’s hard for me to say, however, I leaned toward the subtle and softer side of contouring.
sarahc says
I like these and I like contouring. I know it has a bad rep but I still like it, but not extreme contouring.
Erin says
I wish the palest palette was more taupey!
Kiss & Make-up says
I like to keep it subtle, definitely! The swatches all look lovely.
Amy says
I love that you’re back, Jessica!
Jessica Revitte says
Thank you, Amy! It’s so nice to flex my blogging muscles again. I’ve really missed it.
LindaLibraLoca says
Just like you I admire the full on contour some people do, but for my personal makeup keep it very subtle.
Fran says
Interesting! I’ll have to check these out. I love MUFE’s eyeshadows and their cream-to-powder blushes.
Jessica Revitte says
These are a little more creamy than their cream to powder formula, Fran, but I think you’ll like them because they’re very subtle and easy to work with.
Mackenzie says
I was interested in the contour palette but the contour shade is way too orange! Why do they always do this???
CrystalCandy says
I love the Pro Sculpting Brow Pens, I just wish there was a darker shade than #50!