It's taken me half a century to realise that those chiselled features you so often see in the pages of fashion magazines haven't come about by chance. Nope, it's not a gift from Mother Nature that makes nigh-on perfect faces - it's contouring products. And it is this realisation, coupled with the desire to fine tune my profile, that drove me to purchase the W7 Lift and Sculpt palette.
As far as contouring make-up products go, it's cheap. In fact, dirt cheap. I paid £4.50 for it and, having read mixed reviews, wasn't quite sure what to expect.
The clincher for me was a YouTube review that mentioned it in passing. The glowing reference piqued my interest. I was watching a demo for W7's best-selling Socialite eyeshadow palette at the time but was suddenly switched onto contouring instead.
Imagine if I could not just brighten my under-eye area and master bronzer but re-shape my entire face at the same time... Well, I just had to give it a go!
Contouring Palette
This palette is the size of two packs of cards, side by side, and is attractive. It also includes instructions, which is always a bonus - even if the print is very small. It has a mirror and boasts generous pan sizes. Note: This palette does not include an application brush.
My aspiration was to lift my face with these products to knock a few years off my appearance.
One of the things I was concerned about was not being able to fully blend the creams with my foundation. Several product reviewers have mentioned issues with this.
Undaunted, and still buoyed by that YouTube mention, I was not about to let a few doubters dampen my new-found enthusiasm to contour.
The video below offers a brief how-to guide on contouring. I found it useful.
Using W7 Lift and Sculpt
Before using any of the products in this palette, I fully prepped my skin and applied foundation. A few seconds ahead of getting started with W7 Lift and Sculpt, I sprayed my face with a hydrating mist.
I used small brushes to apply the contouring shades but, for the under-eye area, you could use a finger to pat the product into the skin.
Starting under the eye, I went for the lightest 'highlighter'. I brought the product down so that it was roughly parallel to the mid-way length of my nose. I also applied this shade down the length of my nose and to the middle section of my lower forehead as well as a small dab to the middle of my chin.
Using the same brush, I then applied the lighter shade of the two contours to my cheek bones. I started from the hairline at a high angle and brought down towards the apple of my cheeks.
I switched to a thinner brush to apply the same contour shade either side of my nose and to my nostrils. I also applied a small amount underneath my bottom lip - apparently this can make your lips look fuller.
Once all the product required was on my face, I used a blending brush to work the contouring shades into my skin. I started with the light shade and then moved onto the contour.
Did it blend? Yes. Was it easy? Yes.
It took me less than three minutes to do all of this. And I did it at 5.30am before going out for my morning walk!
The Result
The concealer/brightening shade made a huge difference to my under-eye area. Fine lines - gone. Just for this one effect, the palette is more than worth what I paid for it.
As for the contour... It gave my face a warm, sun-kissed glow. It did lift my cheeks, but I should have gone for the darkest shade as well as the medium one to achieve a more pronounced effect.
This palette is already a staple of my every-day make-up routine. The finish is much more natural than powdered products, which can further age mature skin.
Easy to use, attractive and at the right price point for anyone just wanting to try contouring, W7 Lift and Sculp gets a big thumbs up from me.
I am having lots of fun trying out different shade combinations and definitely feel, if not finely sculpted, much happier with my overall look.
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