As a lover of subtle and low-maintenance makeup, contouring and all the blending it entails has never really appealed to me. Sculpted-looking cheekbones, on the other hand, have. So, after years of avoiding the technique, I finally caved and added the famed Westman Atelier Face Trace stick to my arsenal.
When it comes to my makeup routine, I like to keep things subtle and natural-looking as I find anything too heavy - like a very 'done' smokey eye, winged liner or bold lipstick - can quickly overwhelm my features and (ghostly) pale complexion. Glowing skin, by way of radiance-boosting primers and the best foundations is, therefore, my beauty bread and butter. So, you can probably understand why I found contouring so daunting. It always seemed very complicated, and the thought of accidentally leaving the house with any unblended lines was enough to make me shudder.
Thus, when I tried Westman Atelier's Face Trace stick on a whim, I never thought it would be compatible with my routine, let alone be something I enjoyed doing. Boy, how wrong I was.
How Westman Atelier's Face Trace stick made me a contour convert
To give you a little context, I typically apply a glowy primer, followed by foundation, sometimes concealer, mascara, brow gel and finally, a healthy covering of one of the best cream blushes and highlighter. I've only recently rotated in my best bronzer (the Chanel makeup best-seller Les Beige one), but apart from that, any kind of defining and sculpting wasn't my forte.
My face is oval, so oval in fact that were I to forgo my blush, bronzer or highlighter, I run the risk of looking fairly egg-like. So, I like to keep things simple, yes, but not so simple that I could chuck on a skin tint and mascara and call it a day. When you combine all of this beauty-related exposition, you find me caught in quite the conundrum: I want to beat any egg allegations but at the same time, am afraid of the one, popular technique that could allow me to do just that. Or I was, before trying a certain social media-loved contour stick.
RRP: £44 (£23 for the petite size) | Infused with antioxidant-rich jojoba oil, this contour stick delivers creamy and buildable pigment to your skin that blends out effortlessly - and can be layered with both cream and powder products. Its blend of china clay and raspberry-derived berryflux vita extract absorbs excess oil while also intensely hydrating the skin - affording natural-looking definition, minus patchiness or piling.
This contour stick is perfect for those who want definition without the need for excessive blending or being too precise. It's forgiving and does well to mimic the look of natural shadows - as opposed to appearing muddy or harsh. But how exactly did it turn me, a known contour avoider, into a daily user? Well, I'll tell and show you - yes, before and after pictures are coming.
My verdict on Westman Atelier's Face Trace stick
As mentioned, for the longest time, I thought contouring wouldn't suit my pale complexion and oval face - because how can you create natural-looking definition when there barely is any? After watching countless makeup videos - all featuring very effective and subtle contouring - and feeling a bit underwhelmed and bored with my routine, I thought perhaps it was high time I gave it a whirl.
I'm no contouring pro, as we've covered, so for my first use of the Face Trace stick, I kept things simple and applied a little line under my cheekbone (using the Real Technique Soft Sculpting brush in an upward motion to create lift). I was delighted to find that the shade Biscuit - which is a soft, warm taupe - did look very natural on me, once blended. This gave me the confidence to then expand my coverage as the days went on, and I began drawing a few more lines on my nose bridge - to add more structure - my forehead and finally, my jawline.
Of course, just talking about my placement and method isn't enough, so I took step-by-step pictures to demonstrate the effect they gave.
I might be a tad biased (being my face and all), but I do think the before and after photos speak for themselves. The differences are subtle but very much there. My cheekbones look sharper, and overall, there's more shape to my face, but once my blush and highlighter are applied, the discernable lines and strange smudges I always feared are nowhere to be seen. It does look like a natural shadow - a feat I never thought possible on my skin.
All in all, I would say it's the perfect product for beginners or those who just want to zhush up their routine (like I did). Its formula is so easy to blend, and while it is a tad pricey - with the full-size costing £44 - a little goes a long way.
One strike against this product is its shade range. There are only three options, which is far from impressive, though if you're quite pale and struggle to find a contouring product that looks natural on you, Biscuit is, in my experience, a perfect muted taupe.
