Quick Review: NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette in Deep

I was all excited about contour kits last year (or was that 2014?) because if there’s any makeup trend that really has been around for ages for me to be all on board for, it’s contouring. I’ve explained why I highlight and contour every time I do my makeup here and you can see my most updated foundation routine here.

See more contouring reviews and posts here

But I do have to say I have a love/hate thing with contour kits. I LOVED the Cover FX Contour Kit but then I wound up realizing that it made more sense for me to have two Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundations (one to highlight and one to contour) because I loved highlighting and contouring so much that I was going through the kits pretty fast.

See my updated foundation routine post and video here

Also some of these contour kits are better suited for makeup artists because many of them seem to have at least two shades you probably won’t use. Then some of them don’t have the right undertones for you or the highlight is right but the contour is wrong (or vice versa). Sometimes you’re better off having a separate highlight product and a separate contour product if you can’t find a kit that does it all for you. And that’s cool—nothing is ever really one size fits all when it comes to makeup.

See my Anastasia Cream Contour Kit review here

I recently picked up the NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette in Deep on an Ulta run. It features a deep dark brown with slight warm undertones, a sienna-y brown with golden undertones, and a creamy golden shimmery highlighter. The contour is deep enough for my skin tone (see which foundation shades I wear here) and although the highlight is not as bright as I’d normally wear my highlight, it could work for a more subtle look. I suspect this NYX contour palette could work on those a little lighter than me, my shade, and a little darker than me depending on the degree of highlight and contour you prefer.

Rule of thumb when highlighting is to use a shade 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone but if you want something more dramatic you might go closer to 2 shades lighter. And with contour you go 1-2 shades darker than your skin tone but if you want something more dramatic you might go closer to 2 shades.

This NYX contour palette performs well (though the cream isn’t as easily blendable as other creams I’ve tried but it’s still workable) and thankfully has a deep enough contour to actually work on those of us with deeper skin but this won’t be a one size fits all for all of us because of what I explained above about highlight/contour preferences.

I could use the highlight shade under my brow bone or as undereye concealer to slightly brighten under my eyes or if I wanted a more subtle highlight/contour.

You can see the NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette plus some other new makeup I used for the first time in my Youtube video below—make sure you SUBSCRIBE to my channel!

See my review on the NYX 3C Conceal Correct Contour Palette here

Bottom line: If the NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette has the undertones and shades you prefer for your highlight/contour routine and you’re on a makeup budget, I say give it a whirl. It’s not the creamiest product I’ve tried but it’s still workable. Otherwise I say look at another contour kit (see my contour reviews and posts here) OR consider just having a separate highlight and a separate contour product since kits can’t be one “size” fits all.

Price and where to buy: $14.99 at Ulta (plus 4% cash back when you use eBates)