HIT OR MISS: Australis ACOnTour Contour & Highlighting Kit + Swatches

I finally got my hands on the palette that seems to be on everyones's wish lists but never on the shelves - the Australis ACOnTour Contour and Highlighting Kit!

I don't know how many months I've been waiting for this to come back in stock, so as soon as I spotted it at my local Priceline, I grabbed it straightaway!

This palette has been getting SO MUCH hype in the beauty world for being a dupe for the iconic (yet expensive) Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit so of course I wanted to spare the dollars and see if this Australis version is actually worth all the praise that it gets.

The kit itself includes six powder shades: three highlighting shades and three brown contouring shades. I'm especially excited to try the yellow powder, which I've heard is great for setting under eye concealer and nullifying the purple tones in dark circles.

Shade 1 is a matte cream colour with a slight pink undertone. I love that it's completely matte - shimmery highlighters tend to look a bit too obvious when used on the bridge of the nose and along the brow arch, so this would be a great shade to use to bring out those areas.

Shade 2 is the famous 'banana' powder, which really is the exact colour as the lolly bananas you can get from the milk bar! As I mentioned earlier, this is great for applying anywhere you have purple undertones in the skin, such as the under eye area. I'd be light handed with it too - it's pretty pigmented!

Shade 3 is the only shimmery shade in the palette, and is a creamy metallic warm gold. I absolutely love this colour and I think it would look incredible used to highlight the cheekbones as your skin would glow every time it catches the light! The only thing with this one is that it tends to have some fall out, so you just need to be a little extra mindful when applying it.

Shade 4 is a dark milk chocolate brown colour, which is perfect for using as a bronzer to warm up the complexion. It's a bit too warm to use as a straight contour shade that looks natural, so I'd stick to applying this as bronzer only.

Shade 5 is the only colour I actually think would work as a strict contour shade from this palette. It's a dark brown with a grey undertone, so it's almost leaning towards being a taupe shade. When choosing a contour shade, you're essentially looking for a colour that looks like a 'shadow', and a grey-ish one like this is your best bet! Apply with a dense angled contour brush like the Artiste Manicare Professional Contour Brush for the best effects.

Shade 6 is a very warm-toned, almost russet coloured brown. This one leans a little too orange for me to use, but if you fake tan your face, this would definitely be dark enough to help you achieve a noticeable contour while rocking your tan.

The shades themselves are not super opaque - slightly on the powdery, dusty side - but they're easy to build which is exactly what you want from contouring powders. 

All of the powders are very creamy to the touch and blend well, and for RRP $16.95 at Priceline, it's a great way to practice creating a contour. It's so affordable and for what you get, I can definitely see why this beauty is almost always sold out!

Verdict...

While there are some shades that I won't be able to use, it's still a hit for me! The powders are creamy, the palette makes contouring very convenient and you're getting good quality products for a very affordable price. If you're lucky enough to see it in store, take the plunge and give it a go!

Have you tried the Australis ACOnTour palette? Let me know in the comments if it was a hit or miss for you!