13 contour kits to fake chiselled cheeks in a hot sec

Contour kits are a staple in our makeup arsenal. It's hard to believe that only a few years ago barely any of us contoured. Sure, we smothered our base in bronzer, but carefully sculpt and shade we did not.

If you're unfamiliar with the difference between contour and bronzer, allow us to explain. Bronzers are warm toned and designed to bring colour to your face. We use them when we want to fake that healthy just-back-from-my-hols glow. Technically, bronzers can be applied all over, but they're mostly saved for areas where the sun would naturally hit aka tan.

Despite contour products seeming similarity in terms of shade, use, ect, they really couldn't be more different. For starters, a good contour product should be cool instead of warm toned. This is because, rather than bringing warmth and colour to your complexion, they're meant to take it away. The role of a contour powder/cream/stick is to mimic natural shadow. FYI cooler toned browns are grey based.

You should apply your contour to the areas you'd like to detract. This could be down the sides of your nose to create the illusion of a slimmer bridge, beneath your cheeks (the most common place) for more prominent cheekbones and along the jaw for more definition.

Different products are better suited to different parts of the face. For example, sticks are great for hard to reach areas like your nose, MAC's Studio Perfecting Stick in NW45 is our faves because it's so slim.

After killer cheekbones? Take your pick of powder or cream - but consider your skin type first. For oily complexions powders are paramount. Kat Von D's Shade & Light Face Contour Palette comes with contour and highlight colours, so make room for it in your makeup bag.

For dry and ageing faces, a souped up cream packed with hydrating ingredients should sit at the top of your list. Westman Atelier's Face Trace Contour Stick and Morphe's Contour Stick are our faves.

If you're after a full throttle beat, your best bet is to layer. Start off with a cream or stick, we suggest Huda Beauty's Tantour Contour & Bronzer Cream, then set it in place with Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder. Keep in mind that you're doubling the density of the product so it will be a lot darker and opt for lighter shades to counteract it.

As always, we've covered all budgets, so whether you're watching your wallet or fancy treating you self - there's one for every price point.