Last week, I posted a review on the Pony Effect Conceptual Eyes Quad (HERE) which I absolutely loved! The eyeshadows were so pigmented and velvety smooth that I knew right away Pony wasn't playing any games when she released her Pony Effect Essentials Collection. I feel like Pony just keeps on improving with each new release, and there's absolutely no stopping her.
Today, I'm excited to be reviewing the Pony Effect Contouring Master Palette
! :D I'm a huge fan of contouring and haven't seen many Korean makeup brands create contouring palettes or contouring powders, so there's definitely a high bar set by Western brands! The only problem with Western contouring products is that it's difficult to find shades that perfectly go with my skin tone. Some powders are too dark, too grey, too orange, or just not the right fit! I had high hopes for the Contouring Master Palette because who better to understand Asian skin tones than Pony?!
! :D I'm a huge fan of contouring and haven't seen many Korean makeup brands create contouring palettes or contouring powders, so there's definitely a high bar set by Western brands! The only problem with Western contouring products is that it's difficult to find shades that perfectly go with my skin tone. Some powders are too dark, too grey, too orange, or just not the right fit! I had high hopes for the Contouring Master Palette because who better to understand Asian skin tones than Pony?!
So without further ado, lets get on to the review! :D
PONY EFFECT CONTOURING MASTER PALETTE
Bring out your best assets with Pony Effect Contouring Master Palette. This luxurious powder has a silky soft texture that blends effortlessly to give your skin that soft-focus, photogenic finish.
First of all, I want to mention the beauty that is this packaging. How gorgeous is this palette?! It's a classy dark navy-black and rose-gold compact that's identical to the Conceptual Eyes Quad. The only difference is that it's much wider since the pans are double the size! The Contouring Master Palette has 12g of product, so that's 3g per pan. And just like the quads, this contouring palette comes with a very decently sized mirror! :D I'm a sucker for beautiful packaging and Pony definitely knows what she's doing. The only problem I've found with the packaging is that it attracts finger prints like crazy!
Like the Conceptual Eyes Quad, the Contouring Master Palette has the little Pony Effect lightning bolt logo on the opening edge!
Both of these palettes come equipped with a brightener powder, a highlighter powder, a blush, and a contouring powder. Almost all of the shades are different in each palette, however they both contain the same contouring powder, #Behind Story.
I received the Contouring Master Palette in #Fabulous which comes with a brightener powder in the shade Super Magic, a highlighter in Dreamcatcher, a powdered blush in On My Own, and a shading/contouring powder in Behind Story.
Super Magic - Super Magic is a white-based cream colored brightening powder. I initially thought that this had a matte finish, but was surprised to find that it has more of a satin finish! There's no obvious glitters in this brightening powder, but it does give a nice and subtle sheen/glow wherever it's applied. It's the lightest shade in the kit and is perfect for setting under-eye concealer while simultaneously brightening up the under-eye area. It looks really natural and can also be used to brighten up other areas of the face such as the browbone, the bridge of the nose, the chin, and etc. The brightening powder feels so smooth to the touch and blends beautifully into the skin! It applies very evenly and lasts all day for me (8+ hours) without looking powdery or cake-y. My concealer stays intact and doesn't crease at all throughout the day.
Dreamcatcher - Dreamcatcher is a soft, shimmery peach champagne highlighting powder with super fine pink and gold microglitters. I think this shade is absolutely beautiful and compliments all skin tones! It's the only shade in the Contouring Master Palette that has a shimmery finish and is my go-to powder for adding a subtle but luminous glow. I want to emphasize that it adds a very subtle glow, so it's not strong enough to beam signals to space if that's the kind of highlighter you're look for LOL.
Dreamcatch isn't nearly as silky to the touch as the other shades in the palette, but it's definitely not gritty by any means. It still applies very evenly onto the skin and there's absolutely no patchiness or chalkiness, but the texture feels a little different than the rest. It also blends out really nicely and there's no obvious glitters, but it's still a nice shimmer on the skin. Plus, it's a highlighting powder that looks very natural, but still adds a beautiful glow to the cheekbones, browbones, nose, chin, or etc.!
Dreamcatch isn't nearly as silky to the touch as the other shades in the palette, but it's definitely not gritty by any means. It still applies very evenly onto the skin and there's absolutely no patchiness or chalkiness, but the texture feels a little different than the rest. It also blends out really nicely and there's no obvious glitters, but it's still a nice shimmer on the skin. Plus, it's a highlighting powder that looks very natural, but still adds a beautiful glow to the cheekbones, browbones, nose, chin, or etc.!
On My Own - On My Own is a powdered blush in a vibrant matte coral shade that's also universally flattering. It reminds me a lot of Benefit Cosmetics' Coralista and the color could possibly be a dupe but the quality isn't as up to par! Sadly, it's not as pigmented as I hoped it would but, BUT thankfully, it IS buildable! I like to apply the blush with a heavy-hand and build it up to an intensity that I like. You have to layer on a lot though for this blush to show, which can be time-consuming. What I do like about this blush is that it seems like you can never accidentally apply too much! Nevertheless, it blends into the skin easily and applies very evenly! Plus, it's long-lasting and wears all day for me, which is over ~8-9 hours!
Behind Story - Behind Story is described as a cool-toned sand beige for fair to light skin. I love this contouring powder because it's not too orange or brown; it's slightly gray and adds the illusion of a real shadow! It's just dark enough to work on my medium skin tone while also looking very natural. I prefer a more subtle contour and this is perfect because it's not too obvious or harsh on my skin. However, this contouring powder would probably be best for those with fair to light skin tones. I had to use a somewhat heavy-hand to get it to show up to my liking, but then again I do prefer subtle contours. The contouring powder itself is just as silky as the rest of the matte/satin powders in this palette. It's very smooth to the touch and blends out seamlessly onto the skin. It's great for emphasizing shadows or shading in areas to give more definition. I like to apply this shading powder into the hollows of my cheeks, the edges of my forehead, along the sides of my nose, and along my jaw! Behind Story is the perfect neutral shade to give subtle definition!
As I mentioned above, most of the powders are decently pigmented, and all of the powders are buildable and long-wearing! I was so pleasantly surprised to see that the powders were very finely milled, with the highlighter, Dreamcatcher, as an exception. Dreamcatcher was just not as silky as the rest, but still blended out very nicely onto the skin! Most of these powders require a somewhat heavy-hand when applying like the blush and contouring powder. Thankfully, they're all buildable and can be built up to an intensity that you prefer. They last all day for me, which is about ~8 hours, and I don't notice much fading at all. All of the powders applied very evenly onto the skin, with zero patchiness. When blended, they blend out effortlessly creating a very soft focus on my skin without emphasizing my pores, dry patches, or flakey skin!
FINAL THOUGHTS?
Overall, I think the Contouring Master Palette is a MUST-HAVE for those of you who have fair to light-medium skin and prefer very natural makeup looks. If you're into strong contours, bold blushes, and highlights that sends signals to space, this palette isn't for you. I personally think it's such a wonderful palette because I tend to go for more natural looks on a daily basis.I don't really have any complaints about the product itself, except that I wish it came in more shades and that the highlighter could be a bit smoother, but that doesn't affect how it applies onto the skin! I have a medium skin tone and all of the shades worked well for me, but the contouring shade would work best for lighter skin tones. Unfortunately, a lot of Korean beauty products can be very limiting when it comes to shade selections. Nevertheless, all of the powders included in this face palette had streak-free application and gave my face a very soft focus. I like using this palette for day-to-day natural makeup looks and it works wonderfully for that. All in all, I give this two thumbs up!
WHERE TO BUY?
The Pony Effect Contouring Master Palette retails for $35 and is available HERE!
Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes. All reviews are my own 100% honest opinions. Post also contains affiliate links.
Love the shades of this palette and I'm again impressed by the products from the Pony Collection...so beautiful!
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