Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder

I contour with bronzer then do this over the top and girl my cheekbones are for days! But I opened my travel bag and it’s smashed everywhere and it’s too expensive for a small powder

I've had this about a year now (yes it is long lasting) and it is ok for cheekbones but not for my nose. For some reason it goes on patchy and it is hard to blend. Either I have very obvious uneven contour lines on the sides of my nose, or there is nothing at all. It just completely disappears when I try to blend it. I've tried different brushes and powders underneath it and always end with the same result. I exfoliate my skin frequently so it is not that. I like the colour but don't think it is worth the hype.

I never used contour before, but I'm glad I started with this. This little powder compact works wonders.

I got medium, which is a bit dark for me, but I just use way less. It's very pigmented, so be careful to not use too much.

It definitely gives me that sharp cheekbones look. I like using bronzer with it. I'm definitely not the most precise when it comes to make up application, but this is super easy to use.

This is definitely something that's intended to be use on the edges of your face, and its brown color is definitely on the cool side (as opposed to "ashy"), which is great for contour, but will look like actual dirt if you rub it wherever else: don't mistake this for a bronzer, and don't use too much of it! If like me, you got too enthusiastic the first time around, use a blending sponge to absorb and blend any excess.

WOW soo finely milled you only need a touch of it! Blends very well and is a great cool brown (the medium shade). I was afraid it would be too warm given what it looks like on screen. I've been using NYX powder blush in Taupe but that has been discontinued. The quality of KA The sculpting powder is SO much better it isn't even funny. The NYX in comparison is hard packed, grey, and difficult to blend. My goodness this is worth it! I prefer powder for contouring rather than cream so this is fantastic!!
Update 3/2018: Causes blemishes on me! I was surprised but it has consistently caused this problem--I stop use and the blemishes along my contour go away. Start up and they return. I've gone back to NYX. Sigh.

I bought this in the old packaging for nearly 60 dollars a few years ago. It was and probably still is the most expensive single product in my collection. (I don't count palettes cause if you look at them as singular products the prices differ). It was, and still is, to this day, the best contour powder I have ever used.

I have nc40 skin tone, or NARS syracuse I believe, or Armani LS 6.5-7. I was worried it wouldn't show up but it still does. I don't know how deep your skin tone can go for this product but I was previously misled it was only good for light to medium skin tones.
It gives such a natural contour, and when I look at it, or use it again I still wonder why I wasted my money buying my other contour palettes when I already had this. I don't even use those anymore unless I'm using the shades for another purpose (there's a great bronzing shade in the ABH powder contour shade, I believe it's the medium palette).

Everytime I use this I don't get any comments from my overly critical sister about how I look muddy, or it looks like I have a streak of dirt on my face. It's great.

I would recommend to everyone, however with a small warning to try it out to see if it works for you in the store. Skin tones vary so much, not only by shade, but by undertones and what not so it's good to check.

I'm carrying a few extra pounds and I find it amazing what a little simple cheek contour can do do my face. TheBalm Bahama Mama has been my HG contour for years now. I despise warm contour. I want something shadowy and ashy.

KA beats Bahama Mama in terms of ashy and longevity. I do find KA has to be built up but I guess that's a good thing for contouring so you won't look too done.

I added a picture of both side by side.

The only problem I've had with KA is that the pan is very sensitive to any oil on cheeks/brush. More so than any other product I've used. I've had to repeatedly scrape off too layer from pan.

I bought the KA to go at Sephora which includes sculpting powder and the KA Hight light which is also AMAZING!!!

Edited to add: this review is for Medium color. I am N20

OMG, how did I live without this stuff?
I have extremely defined cheekbones, so I don't need to contour them, I use this on my nose only.
This is soo good! I picked up the medium color and it perfectly resembles a really tanned version of my skin, I get this color if I take a month of surfing.
I do not find it too ashy, though there are no yellow tones in it. I used to use Nars Zen for the same purpose, but Kevyn Aucoin is undeniably better. The shade, the longevity!
The color payoff is great, little goes a very long way, light hand and fluffy brush are must to use it correctly.
Absolute HG!

I bought it because it has rave reviews everywhere and I needed a natural-looking , shimmer-free contourer. The price is steep for the amount of product you get, but I was sure I would not regret buying this... You know, hundreds of reviewers can't be wrong, and the cult status of the brand...
The package is sleek, the shade looks rather light in the compact. To my disappointment, every time I put it on my cheeks it looks uneven, it's very hard to blend (it looks too dark and ashy on my skin, and once it's put, it stays put until you use a cleanser) and the worst part: the color looks like I have dirty or bruised cheeks. Awful. For reference, I'm Chanel B10, MAC NC15. I chose the shade Light which in my opinion isn't light at all.
MAC "Prism" or MAC "Baby Dont Go", or Burberry "Earthy" blushes are a better choice for my skintone if I want to emphasize my cheekbones. They're all much easier to apply than KA.
But as I didn't want to give up on this neatly packaged powder-shadow, I decided to try it as an eyeshadow. And it worked! I put it just above my crease and a little under my eyes to achieve a nude look. It looks like a perfect mix between Urban Decay's Naked and Buck. Try it this way!

Yep, this stuff is definitely my "holy grail" contouring powder. As many have remarked, it's an ashier brown, which is perfect for simulating an actual shadow on the face. I use the shade Medium (which works well on my extremely fair skin) to sculpt my nose, cheeks, and jawline and I am always impressed with the outcome. The package is a little small (almost like a large eyeshadow single) and the price is outrageous ($41 for said small package). That being said, I've had mine for 6 months and after wearing it 1-3x a week, every week, I haven't hit the pan yet, so I think it's worth it.

This is my favorite contouring powder. I found it blended well and was buildable, so I could go for a dramatically sharp cheek look, or just use a light hand and keep it more subtle. I've also used this powder to fill in brows when I don't want to use a pencil or gel. This is my favorite of Kevyn Aucoin's line, followed closely by the Celestial Powder. I reach for this contouring powder the most because it's one of the few cool toned powders I could find that was finely textured, blended well, and had staying power.