After debating for a really long time with myself, I finally decided to join in with the hype, and purchase the Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kit! The thing that forced me to do it, was that my beloved Hoola bronzer had hit the pan, and I knew for sure that I was going to run out, and then after looking for a new contour shade to test out, my research prooved to me that the ABH contour palette was the way to go.
About the brand!
Obviously ABH is an American brand, and isn't very readily available in the UK, although a small selection of the brand is available on a website called beauty bay. I have ordered many things previously on beauty bay, including my Zoeva brushes and my Zoeva eye shadow palette, so I knew that the website was safe, and the delivery is fast AND free. Beauty bay sells a huge range of makeup, haircare and skincare, with a lot of American brands that can't be easily purchased over here. Also, they always have new promotions and deals and stuff so you definitely get more than what you pay for!
On a side note, I would like to fully apologise for my terrible nails because as you can see, its pretty obvious that I could not be bothered to do them before taking all these photos. So I would love for you to excuse the awfulness of them, and I'll make sure they are better next time!
The palette...
On to the actual palette now. This contour kit comes with six different contour/highlight shades, with 5 being matte shades, and 1 being a slightly shimmery highlight shade. When I ordered it, I wasn't aware that the shade was shimmery, but it was more than a pleasant surprise when I opened it up and swatched them all out!
Description & Swatches!
Going from left to right on the top row, I'll take you through what I use each shade for. Also, the lighting was a bit funny outside, so I'm sorry that the first three shades don't show up too well!
Top row
Vanilla - This pink undertoned powder is a perfect shade for setting under eye concealer IF you have pink-toned skin, so not me. However, I think this colour can be used for a setting powder for my eyelids, as it cancels out any discolouration, and makes my lids one solid colour, making applying shadow 10000X easier. This is also good to highlight the brow bone or really define your brows, because it is nice and light and has incredible staying power.
Banana - Banana was the only shade from this palette that I had heard hundreds of people talking about before I really searched in detail about this kit. This is the perfect setting powder for my highlight concealer, because it is yellow-toned and matches my skin really well. Again, I am constantly using this for setting my eye primer as well to make any patchiness, redness or discolouration disappear instantly. I am probably the billionth person that has ever said this, but it really is amazing.
Sand - This shade is such a gorgeous highlight shade! As I said, I wasn't expecting it, which made this buy an even more successful one. It isn't too shimmery so doesn't make you look like disco ball, but has just the right amount of shine to give you a perfect highlight on the top of the cheekbones, cupids bow and tip of the nose. It is really pigmented, as are all the shades, so a little bit goes a long way!
Now going from left to right on the bottom row.
Bottom row
Java - This is a gorgeous warm-toned bronzing shade that is great for warming up the face, and adding a bit of definition to the shadows on you face. I love to use this with a big fluffy brush to dust under the cheekbones and around my hairline because it makes any makeup look with warm colours in it, 10X more interesting. I also enjoy using this shade as a sculpting shade, so I will use a small amount on a pointed brush to really carve out the cheekbone and define my jawline to make it more prominent.
Fawn - This is probably my favourite colour in the palette for many different reasons. The first one being, that it is fairly similar to the Hoola shade, if not better and more pigmented. I also love this for really defining and sculpting my face. With my Zoeva 127 brush, this works effortlessly to give me much more prominent cheekbones and a much more defined jawline, which tends to be the look I go for. As this is more of a cool shade, with a slight grey under-tone to it, it works well to define the face and really shape it how you want.
Havana - This is the last shade in the palette, and also a much-loved one. I only really use this as a bronzing shade with a big fluffy brush, as it is quite similar to Java, just slightly lighter and easier to wear. This works really well on its own, although also pairs up nicely with fawn for a more full on contour, which is what we like!
As you can see in some of the pictures, the pans are removable which is unbelievably handy, because when you run out of one, you can just remove it and then buy the pan separately and put it straight in the palette!
Brushes
I thought it would be a good idea to tell you all the various brushes I use when doing my contour/highlight, as I vary which ones I use, depending on the mood I am in.
Firstly is the Zoeva 127 brush which I use mainly to apply fawn, and to sculpt out my face. I like how its angled, but not too thin so you can still really add definition and shadow to the cheekbone. This also works well for applying bronzer around the hairline and along the jawline.
Next is my one and only ecoTools brush, and this is the tapered blush brush which is a new addition to my collection. As this is tapered and quite thin, it pretty much works for everything. I mainly use it to apply banana under my eyes, use the tip and side to add my highlight (sand) and then the fluffy side is amazing for adding warmth to the face with havana or java. So as you can see, this is a very multi-purpose brush and I love it.
The next one is one I don't use as much, but still really like, and this is just as small fluffy brush by beauty stylist (I got it on a beauty corse so I don't think they are available to buy) and this is perfect for bronzer and the warmer shades, because it just warms up the face lightly, as the bristles aren't to dense.
The last ACTUAL contour brush is the ACTUAL 'contour brush' (wow) from the core collection by real techniques. This is great for defining the face and carving out those cheekbones! As it is small and sort of pointed, it just fits under the cheekbone really nicely and can be blended out to a gorgeous contour!
Now for another Zoeva brush, and this is the 102. This is actually a foundation brush, but as you probably well know, I only apply foundation with my miracle complexion sponge as I LOVE IT, so this works well for me as a blending brush, to blend out my contour when I go a bit full-on or over the top (which happens quite a lot). Its very dense so blends out amazingly with very little effort needed.
Last up is a brush that can't be purchased separately, because it is the small brush that comes with the Hoola bronzer. You know the one, you never think you will use it, but it actually turns out to be good? yes that one. I recently discovered that it works insanely well as a highlight brush! It's just the right shape for the top of you cheekbones and the bridge of your nose, so its really just perfect.
If you want to order this palette now, head over to
beauty bay and check out the different shades, or click
here for my one!
Sorry for the long wait, but schools back again and the work has taken over! I will still however try and upload as frequently as possible! See you next time!
