Archived Post

YSL Golden Contouring Couture Contouring Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette
YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette

YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette ($47.00 for 0.24 oz.) contains two powders–one for contouring, one for highlighting–in a slim, gold-hued (plastic) palette. The contouring shade is slightly larger in size compared to the highlighting shade. I expect this to work best on light-medium and lighter skin tones; it is just barely noticeable on me as a more subtle contouring pick, and I am light-medium to medium in coloring. Though this is dubbed Golden, it is not overly warm and seems like suitable shades for neutral-to-warm skin tones. It’s a decent to good palette overall, though there are certainly a lot of options in this category across price points.

Golden Contouring Contour is a muted, mid-tone taupe-brown with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. The texture was slightly dusty, though soft, smooth, and finely-milled, that blended easily underneath the cheekbones and along the jaw line without leaving sharp lines. It had semi-opaque color payoff that was easy to apply with a lighter hand or build up with an additional layer for truer-to-pan color. On me, it wore well for just over seven and a half hours. Kevyn Aucoin Light (P, $44.00) is darker (90% similar). KVD Beauty Sombre (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (85% similar). Smashbox Contour (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar). Tarte Contour Soft (Tarteist) (LE, ) is warmer (85% similar). Make Up For Ever S112 (P, $23.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). LORAC Light Contour (P, ) is darker, warmer (85% similar). Kevyn Aucoin Medium (P, $44.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Golden Contouring Highlight is a light beige with warm, golden undertones and a satiny shimmer-sheen finish. The pigmentation was rich, while the texture was soft, finely-milled, and blendable without being dusty or powdery. It gave a very subtle luminance to the skin, where it seemed to emphasize the natural sheen of skin, but it wasn’t enough to show up well in photos (it is one of those products that is better suited for real life than photography). I also suspect it will do more for lighter skin tones than mine. This shade seemed to wear well for eight hours (it’s not really visible on my skin color, so that makes it harder to judge wear). Tarte Highlight (Tarteist) (LE, ) is more muted (95% similar). Chanel Jardin de Camelias (LE, $80.00) is less shimmery (95% similar). MAC Hot Sensation (LE, $22.00) is lighter, brighter (95% similar). YSL Rosy Contouring Highlight (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar). Cover FX Celestial (PiP, $34.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). NARS Paloma Highlight (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar). ColourPop Glazed (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar). YSL Lumiere Divine (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar). NARS Highlight (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Sephora Light Beam (02) (P, $14.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). Hourglass Incandescent Strobe Light (P, $40.00) is more shimmery (95% similar). NYX Soft Light (P, $5.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar). KVD Beauty Lucid (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (85% similar). Natasha Denona Light (PiP, ) is more shimmery (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

See more photos & swatches!

YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette
YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette

YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette
YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette

YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette
YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette

YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette
YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette

YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette
YSL Golden Contouring (1) Couture Contouring Palette

YSL Golden Contouring Contour
YSL Golden Contouring Contour

YSL Golden Contouring Contour
YSL Golden Contouring Contour

YSL Golden Contouring Contour
YSL Golden Contouring Contour & Highlight

YSL Golden Contouring Highlight
YSL Golden Contouring Highlight

YSL Golden Contouring Highlight
YSL Golden Contouring Highlight

YSL Golden Contouring Highlight
YSL Rosy Contouring (Your Left) | Golden Contouring (Your Right)

Makeup Look
On face:
  • Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Foundation
  • Guerlain Les Voilettes Loose Setting Powder
On eyes:
  • YSL Rosy Contouring Eyeshadow Palette
On lips:
  • Kat Von D Lolita Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

31 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Katherine T. Avatar

I like how the contour shade is matte and not orangey, but at $47, this looks kind of underwhelming. The market is so flooded with such great contour/highlight products that this has to really stand out to justify the price

kjh Avatar

You hit the nail on the head with this one. It’s quite neutral: the swatches are surprisingly cool-friendly. And it def seems best for light medium and paler. This is so subtle that it’s barely visible on you. Not strobey at all. Nice change of pace, but not very universal.

Christine Avatar

Hi Ebru,

I have only seen two, though I obviously only shop U.S. sites, but Nordstrom/Saks/Neiman Marcus only show two. Both versions sold in the U.S. would best suit lighter skin, one is warmer and one is cooler, but the two sold here are not segmented as light and medium or medium and dark but rather cooler and warmer.

Ebru Avatar

You are completely right! Thats such a shame!! They have missed a massive opportunity there especially if these are permanent!! P.s I know its a massively first world problem but I hate when brands limit products to geographic locations! Whyyyyy?? I can’t get my head around the logic! its infuriating!! XxX

Chacha Avatar

This not selling in France but i have find an issue to buy it and use it since 3 weeks now! I love it so much,i love the light part,its not really an highligter for me but its like a radiant powder who give you some light when you apply it! I have lot of powder and its the first time that i’m so impress…And i really want to know what is this? but nothing in the packaging say about the name of this powder,so i got to go in a store for see if its The Radiance Powder from Ysl or not? Because i really want a full size
This summer i love to use it,also the Sepia palette from Armani who are really impressive too!! 🙂

Chacha Avatar

Thanks Christine 😉 And you know what? I also received 2 weeks ago,a vice lipstick in Oblivion that an nice woman send me from US because of your blog…
You spread the love Temptalia! You spread the love!! 🙂

Gina D. Avatar

I was just heading out to buy this! I wasn’t sure so I came here to read your review. It looks very light for a contour powder for NC40 skin. Hmmm, maybe I’ll pass on this one. The highlight shade looks pretty though.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!