Finding the perfect contouring shade has been a challenge for me and something I talk about frequently around these parts. Products tend to be either too warm or too orange and I never usually notice until I get the product home and onto my cheeks. So naturally when Australis announced they were releasing an affordable highlight and contour kit I was over the moon as I'd been eyeing up the Anastasia Beverly Hills one for awhile.
To be perfectly honest, this is of a much higher quality than I expected. For $16.95 AUD I expected a good product and one I would use often, but definitely not a product of the quality that it is. The powders are so buttery to touch, lovely to apply and don't leave a powdery finish on the skin at all, which is something I definitely didn't expect. Don't get me wrong, they definitely mattify, but there isn't the presence of powder on the skin that can be occur when you're using different powder product.
My favourites of these shades have to be the centre of each category, the banana highlight shade and the cool-toned contour shade. The yellow powder makes such a noticeable difference when used to set the under eye, it brightens and almost provides a coverage without looking like you've added product. The cool-toned contour shade mimics the ashy tones of a shadow perfectly and therefore looks completely natural. Instead of looking like you have a brown stripe down your cheek at certain angles, this looks like a shadow no matter which way you tilt your face or what lighting you are in which is something that is really important to me as I love seamless, natural makeup.
As to whether this is a dupe for the Anastasia palette, I can't say for sure as I haven't had a chance to try it. I will say, however, that the colours presented in both are near identical and appear in the same order. As I cannot fault the quality nor the pigmentation of the Australis powders I would definitely recommend trying this product out first if you've been thinking about the Anastasia one and don't want to splurge just yet. I would be very interested to read a true comparison of the products to see how they weigh up!
Have you been able to find an affordable contour palette and if so, what is it?
