A beginner’s guide to contouring on mature skin

NYX is a brand that's seen popularity due to its affordability, and these matte bronzers are one of the highest rated on Amazon. Covering shades from light to dark, warm to cool. While these bronzers are matte, they'll create some definition to your look. Achieve a natural and healthy glow without the shimmer.

This is an Amazon's Choice recommended product. The brand has over 13,930 reviews rating its products 4.4 out of 5. In particular, customers praise this bronzer for its pigmentation, giving a deep tan. Also, the makeup is great quality and good value for money.

This medium matte bronzer was also praised for giving a natural look, with buildable colour and no shimmer.

Do bear in mind that this bronzer is intended to give a distinctive tanned effect, and some reviews comment that they felt it was a bit orange on their skin.

Yet another contender for affordability, e.l.f's putty bronzer, is the best for value. It's creamy in consistency and has an easily blendable formula. There are a variety of pigmented shades available that can be built up for the desired effect. All e.l.f. products are vegan and cruelty-free.

Customers praise this putty bronzer for being a good match on pale skin with no orange tone. It's buildable and can be applied over foundation. However, a review comments that it doesn't last very long on oily skin.

For a cool-toned bronzer under £10, this is a great choice. Use it to create subtle shadows and blend for a contoured look.

There are four shades to select from Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Bronzer range, and while some are more pigmented than others, the medium shade has received positive reviews. Made from a matte and silky smooth formula, this shade gives a warm and healthy glow when contouring.

First of all, what's not to love about the gorgeous compact case and mirror? It exudes old Hollywood elegance. Customers praise the bronzer for giving pale skin a flattering and luxurious glow. It glides on beautifully and stays in place. Plus, this bronzer is packed with nourishing benefits, including hyaluronic acid for softer and smoother skin. Also, the bronzer contains soft-focusing silica and other light-diffusing powders to give skin the illusion of a silky soft-focus look.

Use a big brush to apply and build up the tone. It can be used with foundation to create a contoured effect. Customers are happy to pay a few extra pounds for a bronzer that gives a long-lasting glow.
To avoid any disappointment, it's worth finding your local Charlotte Tilbury cosmetics counter and testing the product on your skin. That way you know exactly which shade to go for.

The beauty of this Fenty Match Stix Contour Skinstick is it's super easy to apply with precision and blend for contouring. There are shades to complement a range of skin tones. The pigment can be blended with your fingers or a contouring brush.

Tried and Tested by Beauty, Fashion and Wellness Product Writer, Samantha Price:

"As someone who's pale, striking a balance with contour can be difficult. More often than not, contour can be too dark or too warm for my skin tone. That's when I tried the Fenty Match Stix Skinstick, in the lightest shade, Soft Amber. It has a creamy consistency, so it feels lovely and lightweight on the skin. It's easily blended for a more subtle, natural look – but is also buildable when you're wanting something a bit more dramatic. I'm such a big fan of this product, I have to say it's my favourite contour. So easy to apply, too. I would also recommend the shade Amber for pale cool toned skin."

This bestselling bronzer from benefit has been created with a soft and blendable formula that applies matte to the skin. Despite having four shades, this bronzer does apply warm, so probably best for those with warmer undertones to try. This bronzer will make you look like you've just got back from your holidays.

Customers love that the compact design of this bronzer makes it ideal for taking on holiday. It goes on skin without feeling at all cakey and creates a sun-kissed colour without being shiny. For a natural-looking colour that enhances already tanned or medium to dark-toned skin, Hoola is a top option.

The packaging changed to make it more eco-friendly and some customers felt it's a shame that it no longer comes with a makeup brush. However, its compact size makes it perfect for travel.

Cover blemishes, dark spots and uneven pigmentation with ICONIC London Radiant Concealer and Brightening Duo. Choose from 12 colours to perfectly complement your skin tone. Retouch and uplift with this compact and portable makeup stick.

Tried and Tested by Beauty, Fashion and Wellness Product Writer, Samantha Price:

"I had the pleasure of testing out the ICONIC London Radiant Concealer and Brightening Duo in the shade Cool Fair, and I am absolutely in love with this product. It comes in an easy-to-apply duo stick, with the concealer on one side and the highlighter on the other encased in a slimline gold tube. I have really sensitive skin, and so far, my skin is yet to react.

Hands down, this has to be my favourite concealer that I've ever tried. I was so pleased with how much coverage the concealer offers, covering redness and blemishes without looking too heavy. It blended so effortlessly into my skin, and the shade matched me perfectly while brightening my complexion. I always use a budget concealer and the difference between this and my normal concealer is very apparent.

The highlighter is a lovely cream consistency that applies so smoothly on the skin. It has a subtle, natural, dewy glow that doesn't look shimmery or glittery. It appears to have a cream undertone which is perfect for my shade, not too warm and not too cool looking. Overall, this is a new favourite of mine and I'm sure it'll become a new staple in my make-up bag! I absolutely love it."

Giving you a subtle glow that can be built up for something more intense, the Laura Mercier highlighting powder is a favourite at John Lewis, with thousands of positive reviews. There are different shades to choose from depending on whether you're looking for something more cool-toned or warm-toned. It also has great staying power for an all-day look.

Customers love this illuminating powder. It goes on skin silky smooth and is long-lasting. Get an uplifting glow that will attract compliments. A review comments that it highlights without being too over-the-top. It's a boost to skin and to one's self-confidence.

For natural-looking radiance and a luxurious makeup experience, this Laura Mercier highlighting powder comes highly recommended.

Technically, this is actually a concealer, but go two shades lighter than your foundation and you've got a fabulous highlight that'll look natural with your skin when it's blended in. Not to mention, it'll conceal any dark circles or redness while you're at it. A bestseller at John Lewis and one that's highly rated, definitely an essential for your makeup bag that you can take on the go.

Many reviews (and members of the Yours team) will testify to YSL Touche Éclat as a beauty product that they could not be without. It conceals uneven pigmentation, spots and dark circles, whilst uplifting. It's weightless and blends seamlessly onto skin and other makeup.

Reviews consistently say this is a repeat purchase and even when customers have tried other products, they return to this illuminating pen as their makeup staple.

From Bobbi Brown, this compact highlighting palette contains snapshots of mini highlighters that can be used as a blush, eyeshadow or to highlight when contouring. This is a great all-around palette, especially for mature skin. It creates a lovely natural finish and has brilliant staying power, lasting all day.

There are colours available, each with five complementary shades that can be applied lots of ways to create your perfect look. The shimmer powder glides onto skin and blends beautifully.

However, do note that reviews have commented that the compact is a bit fragile and not ideal for travel.

For beginners to contouring, the Wonder Stick from NYX is an amazing entry point into makeup. A must-have, the highly-rated product makes contouring so easy in two simple steps. There are a few shades to choose from, with shades to suit most skin tones. The cream consistency makes it easily blendable, so you can achieve a natural look. Apply the stick directly to skin and blend with a sponge or brush. For best results, apply on top of foundation for a long-lasting look.

Customers praise the product for being a creamy consistency that's easy to blend. In particular, they praise the contouring shade, whilst the highlighter is quite subtle.

Another highly rated product is the Rimmel Sculpting Highlighter Palette, and this highlight and contour duo also includes a blush. There are a few different palettes to choose from depending on the shades you think will suit you best. It has a powder consistency, so may be best for those who want something more subtle. It will give you a lovely shimmery glow.

Customers say they've used this highlighting palette for years and it's their go-to for blush, contour and highlighter. Some reviews comment that the palette is easily damaged, so do bear this in mind of you're travelling with it.

Similar to the Wonder Stick by NYX, Barry M's Chisel Cheeks is a good affordable option for beginners or those just starting out with makeup. The application couldn't be easier and with a creamy consistency, these products are easily blended on the skin. Barry M is a vegan-friendly brand known for its cruelty-free products, so for those who practice a vegan lifestyle, this highlighter and contour duo is a perfect choice.

This Amazon's Choice recommended product has 4,000 reviews rating it 4.3 out of 5. If you're new to contouring, this is a great option, as there are instructions to guide you on how to create a perfectly shaded and highlighted look.

Customers praise it for being a great set of colours, albeit you need a good quality brush to blend them well.

For beginners, this contouring palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills is a good choice because it contains undertones from cool to warm, so you can experiment and see what works best on your skin. One that's good for transitional seasons as you can go cooler or warmer with your makeup as you see fit. It's a product with great lasting power and fantastic buildable potential.

Customers praise the range of shades for their versatility, allowing you to define and sculpt your features with either a matte or shimmer finish. They say the powder is a lovely texture and the shades can create either a warm or cool tone to skin. However, some reviews comment that not all the shades in the palette get used.