When it comes to achieving chiseled cheekbones and a sculpted jawline, contouring is the holy grail of makeup techniques. While contour powders have long been the go-to option, contour sticks have emerged as a game-changing alternative. Not only do they offer unmatched precision, but thanks to their creamy texture, the best contour sticks effortlessly glide along the skin, allowing you to sculpt and define with ease. Plus, they provide a natural, skin-like finish, making them ideal for everyday wear.
To take contour sticks a step further than traditional options, many brands infuse their formulas with nourishing ingredients like antioxidants and hydrators, ensuring your skin stays healthy and radiant. Some even include built-in highlighters or dual-ended designs, providing all-in-one solutions for your contouring needs. Below, we’ve rounded up the best contour sticks on the market for achieving a sculpted look.
01
01
Uoma Beauty Double Take Sculpt & Strobe Stick
Achieve a professional-level glow with this dynamic duo. The strobe end, which contains lychee extract, is perfect for achieving a radiant and hydrated look. The other side is a creamy contour that seamlessly blends into the skin upon contact.
02
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick
This lightweight, long-wearing cream-to-powder formula lets you layer and blend effortlessly, leaving no room for creases or cakey disasters. Plus, each shade has been obsessively fine-tuned to slay on every skin tone.
04
LYS Beauty No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick
Think of this as a magic wand that effortlessly sculpts, warms and defines your complexion–all while minimizing imperfections. As a bonus it’s teeming with good for you skincare ingredient like rosehip oil, so it’s suitable dry and mature skin.
With its cool-toned, matte formula, this cream contour stick creates natural shadows for instant depth and dimension. Whether you want a subtle touch or an intense chisel, you can snatch your face to the gods.
If you’ve ever been to ESSENCE Hollywood House, you know it’s more than just a series of panels—it’s a gathering of visionaries. A space where Black creatives and leaders come together to share stories, strategies, and solutions. This year’s conversation, Let’s Talk About LA: Preserving Our City, presented by AT&T, was no different.
The discussion brought together three voices, each deeply invested in shaping LA’s future: D. Smoke, the Grammy-nominated rapper and educator; Olympia Auset, founder of SÜPRMRKT, a grocery service tackling food apartheid in LA; and DJ HED, a radio personality and advocate for independent artists. Though their paths differed, their mission was the same—creating opportunities, protecting culture, and ensuring Black spaces in LA don’t just survive but thrive.
For Olympia Ausset, the work she’s doing with SÜPRMRKT goes far beyond providing fresh groceries—it’s about laying the foundation for a stronger, healthier community. “The LA we love, the cultural beacon it’s known as today, was built by people who worked hard to create their own spaces,” she shared. “The reason I do what I do is because it’s essential. We can’t achieve any of the changes I want for my community without being in good health and having access to affordable, organic food. Without places where we can gather, heal, and support each other, none of the other goals will be possible. It starts with taking care of ourselves and building those spaces together.”
From Olympia’s focus on wellness and accessibility to DJ HED’s belief in the power of self-worth, the discussion explored what it means to dream beyond individual success and invest in collective progress. “I see a lot of people who aren’t proud of where they come from, what they look like, or where they’re at in life,” he said. “I had to learn to give myself grace, to grow. I grew up in Inglewood, raised by a single mom. We lived in a car, we were on welfare, but I knew I wanted to be bigger than my circumstances. That’s what dreaming in Black is—believing in something greater and nurturing it until it grows.”
DJ Smoke also touched on this, emphasizing the importance of intention and fulfillment. “You don’t want to climb that ladder and realize you went real high in the wrong direction,” he warned. “A lot of people in LA are ambitious, but if you don’t understand your ‘why,’ you can get to the top and still feel empty. The goal isn’t just to make it—it’s to make it mean something.
Sometimes, as Black creatives, we only dream as far as the next gig or the next check, but dreaming in Black means going beyond that. “It means thinking bigger than what’s right in front of you,” said host Donye Taylor.
This conversation was a call to action – a reminder that preserving LA’s Black culture means investing in community, honoring our history, and building a legacy that lasts.
