Weird and wonderful makeups attract me like a moth to a flame so naturally, I was very intrigued by Chanel Notorious. Dubbed as a facial contour powder meet eyeshadow, it has gained a somewhat notorious buzz among makeup connoisseurs (bad joke? had to be done).

How does it compare to other contour powders? Will it work for you? Why is it grey? Let’s begin.

As always, swatch comparisons first and review at the finale. The contenders…

Left to right:
Rouge Bunny Rouge At Netherway Cove Bronzer (for reference)
NYX Taupe Blush
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium
Rouge Bunny Rouge Chestnut-Napped Apalis (actually an eyeshadow)
Chanel Notorious

And comparison swatches…

Left to right:
Rouge Bunny Rouge At Netherway Cove
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium
Chanel Notorious
NYX Taupe Blush
Rouge Bunny Rouge Chestnut-Napped Apalis

Shade descriptions:

Rouge Bunny Rouge At Netherway Cove: Peachy undertone. Very warm against the others- undoubtedly a bronzer. Medium pigmentation. Ideal for most skintones (fairer beauties could use this sparingly and achieve a natural result).

Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting: Warmer than Notorious, may make cooler ladies and gents look less contoured and more ‘bronze’. High pigmentation paired with a super soft texture. Ideal for medium-fair to medium, warm skintones.

Chanel Notorious: Review and details below

NYX Taupe Blush: Leans pink. Least pigmented of the contenders. Ideal for cool and pale skintones. A wonderful, affordable contour option.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Chestnut Napped Apalis: An eyeshadow, but it fits, dontcha think? Warmer than Notorious but cooler than KA Sculpting. Pretty high pigment, since it’s an eyeshadow! Could be used as a contour for most skintones except particularly deep colourings.

Chanel Notorious- My Review:

Notorious can be described as a super cool shade, grey leaning taupe with a hint of purple. Unlike the other contenders, it has a satin finish but I couldn’t really detect any shimmer on my medium toned face. Just a warning, fair skins may be able to decipher a fine shimmer once applied.
I define the pigmentation as medium, not a downfall because you’re less likely to over-apply. The product in pan is quite ‘hard’ in comparison to the others.
In practice, the shade mimics the natural shadows of the face very well, due to it’s ashy tone. To address my initial musings at the introduction of this post, the powder is greyish because natural contours of the face rarely appear warm- that’s where a bronzer comes in! Ideal contour powders are frequently cooler than your colouring.
I found the best method to apply this product is a small contour brush (like the Hakuhodo 212, pictured here), placing the product directly into the hollows of the cheekbone. Refrain from excessive blending upwards as to avoid an overall ashy complexion- precise application is key, in my experience.
I didn’t particularly like this powder as an eye contour, it wasn’t pigmented enough to provide depth to the socket, resulting in an undefined greyish haze. The included brush is pretty useless, unless you are geared towards convenience.
Overall, Chanel Notorious and Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting powder come out on top of this contest. I prefer the exquisite texture of the Kevyn Aucoin powder but instances where I’m yearning catwalk-esque cheekbones, Notorious fits the bill.

What’s your verdict on this bizarre looking grey powder?

xxkarima