REVIEW: Etude House Contour Powder 02 (a reddit fave!)

Today’s makeup review is Etude House Contour Powder in 02 Inventor, a reddit favorite and a personal fave. I’ve been using this lovely and balanced contour powder for more than a year now and definitely deserves a permanent spot on my beauty/anything goes blog.

Price: 735PHP

Where to buy: Etude House Official

Hows life lately? Me, I’ve been procrastinating – on my blog. It’s been going on for more than a year now ever since I took a regular “day job”. My brain cells just get so depleted each day at work that there’s not enough left to get through my personal sites. But lo behold! Since Fridays are my usual days off, I decided to power through and write whatever I want. 

So without further ado, continue reading up until the end of this post for my full review, photos, and swatches of Etude House’s Contour Powder in 02 Inventor.

Review of Etude House Contour Powder in 02 Inventor

Product Description

Accentuate your facial features with this nifty palette consisting of two natural-looking shades for basic contouring and in-depth shading. Apply with a brush to your jawline, nose, or eyes for optimal effect. Comes in two versions targeting different skin tones: Inventor and Creator.

Benefits:

• Adds depth and dimension to the face.
• This dual-contour palette is perfect for effortless shading.
• Smooth formula adheres closely to the face without clumping.

Ingredients:

[Tone and tone]

TALC, MICA, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAETHYLHEXANOATE, NYLON-12, DIISOSTEARYL MALATE, MAGNESIUM STEARATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), IRON OXIDES (CI 77499), DIMETHICONE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, AMINOPROPYL DIMETHICONE, POLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, MANGANESE VIOLET (CI 77742), TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, ALUMINA, SILICA

[Chic on]

TALC, MICA, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAETHYLHEXANOATE, NYLON-12, DIISOSTEARYL MALATE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), MAGNESIUM STEARATE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77499), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), DIMETHICONE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, AMINOPROPYL DIMETHICONE, POLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, ALUMINA, SILICA

Photos & Swatches

Inside the box is a print-out guide on how to sculpt your face using the two powders and different brushes. Me? I just use my fingers for my nose contour, and a contour blush brush for the rest of my face.

Packaging is a simple compact with two powders separated. I’m slightly disappointed with its lack of a mirror and applicator. The brush is usually purchased separately except on occassional promos. This is basically just the powders.

Swatch

02 Inventor is supposed to be the “darker” shade of the two, but for my skintone, it’s just right. The 01 seems to be targetted to really fair-skinned women since this is a Korean brand. As a Filipina, I lean towards tan/morena and 02 shade is just right.

Color: It has two powder shades, Tone on tone (lighter) and Chic on (darker). You can use them separately or blend both depending on  your preference.

Texture: The texture of the powder is silky and the coverage sheer. If you need intense colour you would need several swipes for it to show. This is not a problem for me because the sheer coverage gives me more flexibility and makes it fool-proof. 

Performance: The color, once applied, looks close to the skin and natural. 

But fret not despite the sheerness of its coverage, dont mistake this for having lack of longevity.

This contour powder once set is very long-lasting and can withstand a layer of face mask. (if you’re reading this years after the pandemic, yes I wrote this during a time where we still wear face masks)

It can stay on a good 6 hours without retouch, even with oily skin and sweat. But to be safe, I always keep this in my makeup purse for re-application!

Photos once applied on face

Can you see how subtle but effective the changes are? Instant “surgery” as it sculpts my face. I prefer hollowing my cheek bones a-la faux buscial fat removal LOL.

Okay before you say anything else, I over-contoured my nose on purpose for it to really show up on photos. I also forgot to blend more hee-hee. But basically this is what I use to also do a faux nose lift surgery HAHAHAHA. I don’t have a flat nose perse but in some angles especially the front angle, I need more “lift” and this does the job. Great to look better on photos and videos too! 

Final Thoughts

So far I haven’t found a better replacement for this contour-bronzing powder. It does the job and does the job quite well that it makes up for its lack of a mirror and applicator.  Priced mid-range and the package and product is surprisingly sturdy enough to withstand several drops. 

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 4.5 out of 5 stars