Maybelline keeps surprising us by releasing the products that used to be available only by high-end brands. So the product I’m going to make a review of is Maybelline Master Sculpt Powder. Is it a really affordable swap for the high-end sculpting products?
What is contouring? I know that there are a lot of people who know perfectly well what contouring is. But believe it or not, there are still those who are completely unaware.
So let's get started. After you apply a foundation product on your face, it becomes flat and with no relief left. And here is where contouring helps us out and makes our best features pop and the undesirable less visible. Contouring is a make-up technique of sculpting your features by applying a darker shade powder to mimic natural shadows of your face and highlighting all the high points of your face to make them defined and harmonious. With the help of contouring you can easily define your cheekbones and even make your nose seem smaller.
There are two options in contouring: a “heavy” contouring which is usually done with the help of creamy textured products; and “subtle” contouring that is created with powder textures. Maybelline decided to treat us with subtle contouring, as "heavy" looks are too much in daily life and looks good only on cameras and during photoshoots.
Honestly, there’s no need for me to use “heavy” contouring on my face. Before Maybelline released this product, I’ve never even tried contouring before. All in all, let’s try this product out.
Shade:
Mine is Light/Medium, there’s also a Medium/Dark option. I read the reviews where they used to repeat that the Light/Medium is useless and is difficult to make out on the face. But I haven’t faced such a problem. The product is very noticeable, moreover I can easily overdo it.
It retails for $22 in my city. But I know that online you can find a better bargain.
Swatches:
Product details:
Maybelline New York's first 2-in-1 contouring palette means contouring your face has never been easier. Coming in two expertly coordinated shades - just use the contour side to sculpt below the cheeks, corners of the forehead and jawline, and use the highlighter side to enhance cheekbones, bridge of the nose, lips and chin.
How to use:
Shape your most sculpted face in just 2 easy steps.
Contour: Below cheeks, corners of forehead and jawline.
Highlight: Cheekbones, bridge of nose, lips and chin.
Made in Italy
List of ingredients:
G3482 TALC, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, MAGNESIUMSTEARATE, ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE, NYLON-12 ALUMINA, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, CALCIUM SODIUM BOROSILICATE, CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE, SILICA, MAGNESIUM SILICATE, TIN OXIDE [+/- MAY CONTAIN: MICA, CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 /IRON OXIDES, CI 75470 / CARMINE, CI 15850 / RED 7, CI 45410 / RED 27, CI 45410 / RED 28 LAKE, CI77163 / BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE, CI 77288 / CHROMIUM OXIDE GREENS, CI 77742/MANGANESE VIOLET, CI 77400 / BRONZE POWDER, CI 77400 / COPPER POWDER, CI 77000 / ALUMINUM POWDER, CI 77007 / ULTRAMARINES, CI 16035 / RED 40 LAKE, CI 19140 / YELLOW 5 LAKE, CI 42090 / BLUE 1 LAKE, CI 73360 / RED 30 LAKE, CI 77510 / FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE, CI 77510 / FERRIC FERROCYANIDE]. F. I. L. D170619/1.
Packaging:
A small compact is simply designed but looks beautiful. There are two sections: one for the product and another is for a provided brush and a mirror. The mirror isn’t stable but I don’t find it a problem. The product is good for touch-ups on the go.
Contour Powder
I want to say a few words about the color. As I took it right, Maybelline were trying to create a product that combines contour and bronzer together. A bronzing powder is good for enhancing your tan, that’s why it should be of warm undertones, while contour is great to mimic the natural shadows on the face and it should be of cool undertones. As for the Maybelline product, I can’t say whether it’s cool or warm. It’s something in between. Maybe a tad cooler rather than warmer. By the way, on me it looks exactly the same as on the pages of a magazine or in a commercial.
Since I don’t have any other sculpting powder, I have nothing to compare it with. But I think that I’ll take some eyeshadows that resemble cool undertoned contour and we’ll see. So 1- Maybelline contour; 2- my eyeshadows.
The Maybelline contour isn’t dusty. It looks even and harmonious on my face and doesn’t fade too soon. So, if you overdo it, don’t bother, a few moments later this mishap won’t be visible any more.
Highlighter
An unpleasant surprise here. I don’t understand how that could have happened. There are too many badly milled shimmer particles to it. Shimmer! It’s 2017 now! This annoying shimmer makes the highlighted impossible to be used. My question is: “Why?” In the commercial, a make-up artist tells us that this highlighter can be applied on the cheekbones and on the bridge of the nose. I can’t imagine this shimmer all over my face, sorry.
To make a photo with visible shimmer I had to try hard. But in life it’s visible all the time. Since it’s rather good tone-wise, I use it like eyeshadows. Actually, even on my eyelids it still doesn’t look good. The highlighter is very dusty and is less long-lasting. I’m so glad that it takes less than a third of the compact.
Brush
It isn’t as soft as they promised. It scratches my face like there’s no tomorrow. It also takes up too much of the product which automatically makes for high spending. But in general this brush is okay when you’re out and have to touch-up. It’s well-shaped which I find easy to contour my face with. All in all it’s too small to expect something great from it.
My make-up look with MAYBELLINE Master Sculpt
And I added a little bit of blusher.
My impressions of contouring:
I liked the way my cheekbones looked when I defined them. It was easy and I think I did it well. But contouring my nose turned out to be a disaster. I couldn't make it seem smaller, I even think that it started to look bigger. All in all I failed to create an Instagram-looking small and snub nose. But I think that the problem lies in my skills rather than in the product. I’ll keep learning and watching YouTube videos about contouring. 
I’m always afraid to overdo with this product. I’m afraid that I'll end up looking like a clown. But in general my impressions of use are positive and I don’t regret buying it.
I recommend Maybelline Master Sculpt to those who want to treat themselves, and that’s all. I think this product is too warm for a contour powder. And of course the highlighter upset me very much.
