Instant Cheekbones: Illamasqua Sculpting Powder Duo

There are certain trends or crazes that really seem to explode in the beauty community. One of these is the extremely highlighted/contoured look made famous by Kim K. You know, the one where you look like you've got war paint on. I have nothing against this look for a special occasion but for the everyday girl who just wants to emphasize her cheekbones a bit, it can get a bit excessive! I've been on the hunt for a contour powder that wouldn't leave me looking muddy because I'd used a matte bronzer for this purpose previously and it could look somewhat orange if I wasn't careful.

Well, I found the one! I stumbled across an Illamasqua counter, which was super exciting because I'd never seen their products in person, and of course the makeup artist tried the Sculpting Powder Duo on me and I had to go back and grab it! This gorgeous compact comes with a shimmering, champagne highlighter in Lumos, and a neutral matte contour powder in Helipolis. First off, I love that they come together in one compact. Since this isn't a step I was completely comfortable with, it's nice to know I don't have to buy two separate products to get my desired look. Plus, with a $36 price tag, there's not much to cry over! 
What really sold me was how natural of a shadow this contour shade created. It was nothing overly severe or muddy looking, because the colour is perfectly ashy. I take this on my Real Techniques Contour Brush and suck in my cheeks, then I apply it from the hair line going towards the corner of my mouth. I don't extend it too far in but mostly concentrate it on the outer portion of my cheekbones. Definitely love how natural the shadow looks! One downside to this might be that the shade is too light for people a few shades darker than me, but a good alternative I've seen people loving is the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium! I might have to give that one a whirl once I get darker, but I'll keep you updated.

I'm not a huge highlighter girl so I was thrilled to finally have a powder highlighter in my collection. Whenever I'm in the mood to do have a dewy, illuminated look, I'd grab the mini sample of Benefit's Watts Up! I got for my birthday last year at Sephora but this is perfect because it's a powder formula. Since my skin is on the oiler side, I find this powder gives my skin a really pretty glow on the tops of my cheekbones without going overboard. It looks really shimmery in the pan but on the skin it leaves more of a sheen. I think this shade will work on a lot of people because it's not too pink, and I think that's something that often makes highlighting powders look really fake when applied. 

I'm seriously loving this little palette and I see myself making the effort to contour and highlight a lot more now that I have this beaut! The shades are pigmented so you don't need a ton on your brush and it is super convenient to have both steps together. Definitely a good introduction to Illamasqua - which reminds me - I'm going to a master class held by Illamasqua this week and I might have a few more goodies from the brand to share, so keep your eyes out for that!
Any Illamasqua products you'd recommend?