Review: Maybelline Master Sculpt Contour & Highlight

Hoola bronzer will always be bae when it comes to contour, but I had been meaning to scout out a more affordable contour product for a while. Maybelline always has deals on (buy one get one half price, hello) so when I saw this I was pretty intrigued. The contour shade looked so similar to Hoola that I clicked add to basket without a second thought: for £6.99, you can't really complain. Today I'm talking about the Maybelline Master Sculpt Contour & Highlight kit.

The packaging looks pretty nice, and gets pretty fun when you open it up. The pan itself lifts up to reveal a mirror and a space containing a thin contour brush. I think this is pretty neat but at the same time, a little deceiving: you don't actually get that much of the product itself. It also seems to suggest that 'contouring on the go' is a thing. Is it? If I'm contouring, I require a full sized mirror, natural light and a bit of time on my hands...not an on-the-go kind of situation. Who knows how the rest of the world goes about it eh? The packaging also seems to feel not so durable, and very plasticky to touch. I hope it holds up...

 (As you can see above, the texture of the contour section may have got a little funny... I hadn't dried my brush properly on my first use so it went a bit weird! It still works though!) 

For the product itself, I chose the Light/Medium option seeing as I'm currently very pale. The other option, Medium/Dark, doesn't actually appear to be much darker though, simply a different tone.

I tried the brush provided for my first trial with this product, but found it to be scratchy and unpleasant. There goes the purpose for the cool(ish) under-pan section. Switching it up for my trusty Real Techniques contour brush, I found the product applies beautifully. It's got an almost satin finish, which glides on smoothly and doesn't cake up. I am super happy with the tone of this contour product- not too orange and cool enough to look perfect against my skin. I'm currently obsessed with the shade Buff in the Revlon Colorstay range: if anyone uses this foundation, this contour colour compliments it perfectly.

Happy with my contour, I had a play around with the highlighter. Usually with kits like this, reviewers shun the highlighter (never tried it, but the Bourjous Délice de Poudre contour/highlight palette seems to have had unanimously crappy highlighter reviews). This is amazing! It's a beautiful gold toned shade but still extremely suitable for paler skin tones. It also isn't like lots of drugstore highlighters I've tried, in that it doesn't leave you with a streak of warpaint-esque shimmer. Instead, it's subtle but buildable, making it perfect for everyday use.

The packaging gets a thumbs down from me, but I love this product. I think it's good value and a great choice for paler people looking to get their contour on without fear of orangeness/streaky sparkly cheekbones.

Have you tried this? Let me know! xo