TO: My fair beauts
SUBJECT: I found a highlighter that shows up on us!
Allow me to introduce you to the MAC All The Right Angles Contour Palettes.
Now let’s get acquainted! ✨
There are four of them, which are like little trios, ranging in shade family from Light to Dark, and each one comes with a cream color base, a shaping powder, and a sculpting powder. The cream product is on the lower part of the compact, and the powder tray slides snugly over it so you don’t have to worry about ruining your day by getting schmutz in the cream color base. And they also come with a mirror.
What I’m getting at here is that these little black boxes are great for traveling!
In the photo above, I’m not wearing any blush or bronzer, just All The Right Angles in Light to showcase its full effect uninterrupted.
Right off the bat, the shade of the sculpting powder (called Bone Beige) seemed off to me. MAC describes the sculpting shade in this kit as a warm brown, but compared to my beloved Too Faced Milk Chocolate Bronzer, Bone Beige is a couple shades darker and less warm.
On my skin (my undertone is usually pretty neutral), it appears more…fleshy. It doesn’t look off at all, and I don’t feel the need to wear blush when I’m wearing Bone Beige. It just threw me off upon first glance because it wasn’t what I generally expect from a lighter contour shade… I usually expect a corpse grey.
The cream colour base in Luna is aptly named. It’s white and sparkly (not glittery), so your cheekbones can shine like a crescent moon in the night sky. The shaping powder shade is called Emphasize (accurately named, though not as cute), which is a nice subtle glow — great for daytime or no-makeup makeup. I like wearing it in my inner corners on light makeup days. It’s subtle but effective in brightening up the area and making me look like I actually slept last night.
My faaavorite way to wear Emphasize is on top of Luna, which is how I’m wearing it today! Every time I pass by a mirror and catch a glimpse, I stop, do a double-take, and then go “damn girl, you’re glowing.” I’m not sparkling; I’m glowing. It’s not very often that I find a highlighter that can actually highlight my skin tone, so I am very impressed.
Not only am I satisfied with my angelic glow, I really dig how simple the palette is to use, and every time I use it, I’m so happy with my base makeup. This palette doesn’t just photograph well; it looks phenomenal IRL on skin.
The powders aren’t chalky, either — not even Emphasize, which is pretty close to white! I think Bone Beige also works well because it isn’t too cool or too warm, but it’s a happy medium that doesn’t translate to “Instagram contouring” and instead looks natural.
All The Right Angles enables me to create some really beautiful dimension with minimal effort. I mean, what more could you ask for?
These puppies are $40 each ($10.53/5g for 2 powders and $18.95/4.5g cream base). A single cream colour base at MAC is $22 for 3.2g, and the shaping and sculpting powders are $17 for 6g. So with the MAC All The Right Angles palette, you save $2.67/g on the cream colour base and $2.83/g on the powder products. You also get them in a clean, sturdy little black box.
So, what are your favorite products to sculpt and highlight with? Do you prefer cream or powder?
Katie says
Eek! I am so excited for the fair one. I am very very fair and can never find a good highlighter. Lightscapade is ok but just not 100% right. When do these come out?
Thanks for the review!
Nicole Fraser-Herron says
They’re out now! And they’re permanent.
Kwmechelle says
Stupid question: are the bases like concealer? I’m new to these so I’m not sure how to use them. I assume the sculpting powder is for contouring & the shaping powder is for highlighting? Btw- you take phenomenal photos 🙂
Nicole Fraser-Herron says
Not a stupid question! They’re basically just cream highlighters, so you would put them on top of your liquid foundation or cream concealer, just on the high points of the face, like the cheekbones. You’re spot on with the powder purposes, though.
Erin says
I’m a big lover of Becca’s SSP liquid in pearl. I find it’s just right all the time.
Nicole Fraser-Herron says
Ah, Becca. I’ve heard nothing but great things about Pearl in all its forms, but its just too sparkly for me. I can’t do it.
Alison M says
You look incredible in that first photo!!! Sooooo gorgeous!
Nicole Fraser-Herron says
Thank you!
Rachel R. says
The light version of this seems promising! The contour doesn’t look too warm or orange, which is where I always have problems with contour powders.
I prefer powders, because I have oily skin. My favorite contours for very fair skin is Sephora Blush in Tranquil and Notoriously Morbid contour powder in Necromancy. I like a lot of highlighters. My favorite matte highlighter is Laura Geller French Vanilla. I usually wear shimmer highlighters, though. Standouts are The Balm’s Mary Lou-Manizer, Too Faced Candlelight, City Color Cosmetics Intense Exposure Highlighting Powder, Notoriously Morbid Divinations Blush in Osteomancy, Looxi Beauty highlighters, e.l.f. Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearl, and e.l.f. Blush in Gotta Glow.
Nicole Fraser-Herron says
I love a good matte highlighter, especially if it’s light enough. I’ll have to check out Laura Geller’s French Vanilla!
Carly says
Ooooh! Me gusta! I love me a good hidden product packaging.
Nicole Fraser-Herron says
Same. Makes me feel like a treasure-hunting master.
Chris25 says
These look lovely!
Kiss & Make-up says
I don’t often sculpt and highlight but when I do I like cream products for highlighting and powders for contouring!
Nicole Fraser-Herron says
I love a good cream highlight. You should try cream sculpting under your foundation! I find that it looks more dimensional that way, especially if you follow through with a light powder sculpt too.
Silke says
This post is godsend! Since summer is coming up I was looking around for a bronzer, but to no avail. I have the same haircolour/skintone as you so the search is over 🙂 May I ask what lipcolour you’re wearing in the picture btw? It looks absolutely stunning!
Nicole Fraser-Herron says
Hallelujah! I also like the Too Faced Milk Chocolate bronzer, but it can pull a bit too orange on me sometimes. I wouldn’t use the sculpting shade in the All The Right Angles palette for contouring alone, but it works well as a do-it all kind of sculpt. It’s not ashy enough to use solely as a contour shade.
The lipstick I’m wearing is a liquid lipstick by Velvet 59 called Kai-Lea:
https://velvet59.com/collections/matte-to-the-max-liquid-lipsticks/products/matte-liquid-lipstick
Stephanie says
What lipstick are you wearing? It’s gorgeous!
Nicole Fraser-Herron says
Thank you! It’s a liquid lipstick by Velvet 59 called Kai-Lea:
https://velvet59.com/collections/matte-to-the-max-liquid-lipsticks/products/matte-liquid-lipstick
Adia says
These look amazing! I’ve been debating between the darker 2 options but need to swatch in person before I decide. Love how convenient these are!