Always one to save money where possible, I decided to look into similar products at different price points to see whether there was actually any difference in quality! The funny thing is that a lot of these products will be produced in the same factories but the more expensive brands will increase the price due to better packaging and also the brand name.
The whole culture of contouring has alluded me if I’m being completely honest. I think my problem is that I’ve seen so many people who have clearly attempted to look like Kim Kardashian, but in reality look like they have a dirty face! The thing with contouring is that you have to use a lot of make up to achieve the look but you’re not meant to see it; it’s all meant to look completely natural even though you’ve used a lot of product. That’s how so many people can get it wrong. But, I will say that contouring is featured on 99% of make up tutorials nowadays so I feel I can’t put it off much longer and need to finally try it for myself.
I decided to go for cream contour palettes; in my head creams blend a lot better than powders making them a lot easier to work with. Anything that will make this whole process less hassle for me please! I decided for my “high end” purchase to go for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Palette in “Fair” which cost me £39. I have heard so many people talk about her contour palettes so I had high hopes for this one. The cheaper palette I got was from the Sleek Cream Contour Kit in “Light” which cost me £10.99. I have talked about my love of Sleek make up in previous posts so was excited to try this one.
Both palettes have 6 colours, and the pans are similar sizes, however with the ABH pans being square, you do get slightly more product than the circular Sleek pans. I decided to get the lightest palettes available from both brands as I am on the pale spectrum and the next options would have definitely been too dark for me.
First of all the colour selections are quite different. Bearing in mind the sleek palette is the lightest option, the colours are very yellow toned so I’m not sure if they would be suitable for someone who is very pale or with pink undertones. I was also under the impression that contour colours were better being cool toned and ashy as it looks more like a shadow, whereas the darker colours from the Sleek palette look like they would be better suited for bronzing as they’re a lot warmer. Anyway, I wanted to give both palettes a fair shot and see how they looked on my skin.
As I did the swatches I noticed that the textures were a little bit different. The ABH creams were more pigmented and very smooth. The Sleek ones were also smooth but a bit lighter in texture, not as creamy and not so pigmented; that being said, for a contouring rookie like me it’s not a bad thing that the colour isn’t as strong. It makes it a lot easier not to go overboard and get that muddy look and instead start off with subtle colour and intensify to your preferred depth. However a more seasoned pro may prefer the pay off with the ABH palette.
Contouring with Anastasia Beverly Hills Palette
When applying both products to the face, I found they both applied and blended really well and the finish looked really natural. I used a beauty blender for both products for a fair result and I’ve got to say I was really happy with how they both looked. Neither products felt at all heavy or cakey on the skin. Unfortunately my camera didn’t pick up the colour fully but, as you can see from the pictures, there’s hardly a difference between the two.
Contouring with Sleek Palette
Honestly I think both palettes are great. I’m really chuffed the Sleek palette worked so well and for such a low price point you can’t really go wrong. It would be handy if they released a colour selection for people paler than me. I do still rate the Anastasia Beverly Hills palette and if you are happy to pay the price then definitely go for it. Just remember, sometimes it's not necessary to spend so much to get a great result!
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