Try This, Not That: A Paraben-Free Contour Option for Light Skin

 "NYX Taupe blush [right], meet your replacement, Milani powder in Deep Amber [left]"

Hey hey! I have a new paraben-free product I've discovered: Milani's The Multitasker powder in 09 Deep Amber. It's now serving as a replacement to my favorite contour powder, NYX's blush in Taupe.


So many bloggers and YouTubers recommend the NYX blush Taupe as the most realistic contour product out there for light skin. The reason? Taupe is so much better for contouring than regular bronzer because it's an almost greyish-purple taupe brown. This cooler color makes the contour on the face look like actual shadows and so much more realistic. I've spent the last few months thinking Taupe was my Holy Grail contour!

But.. a few weeks ago, as I was starting my paraben-free mission, I went to look at Taupe's ingredients and I noticed that this and all the other NYX blushes contain parabens. NO!!!

A few days later, I was at CVS and checked out the Milani section. I'm not too familiar with Milani (I do use the Brow Kit in Light), so I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I was pretty sure this Multitasker powder had good reviews on Makeup Alley. I saw the shade Deep Amber and knew it would be a great dupe to Taupe, and quickly checked the ingredients — no parabens! Yes!

Deep Amber obviously would only work as a contour for lighter skintones, but I highly recommend! It's so so similar.

Here's the breakdown!

NYX blush in Taupe

Price: $5

Amount of Product:  .14 oz/4 g

Price per oz: $35.71

Milani The Multitasker powder in Deep Amber

Price: $6.99

Amount of Product: .37 oz/10.5 g

Price per oz: $18.89

PLUS no parabens :)

Here are heavy swatches on my arm so you can see the up-close difference

NYX Taupe is below Milani Deep Amber (Deep Amber is still much warmer)

As you can see from the swatch, they're not exact dupes, 

but when you apply on the face, they're much more similar

 Here I am with a pretty heavy application of Milani Deep Amber as contour 

as well as the usual blush and highlighter

 (not blended very well, so you can better see the contour color on the skin)

Another look at me wearing Milani Deep Amber

 

Final Verdict: NYX's Taupe is still the best contour product I have ever owned because of its shadow-like cool color, but you cannot go wrong with Milani for the paraben-free drugstore alternative :) Please let me know if there's another option out there!

Hope that was helpful!
xo, Anaïs 

Both the products I mention I have purchased myself with my own money 

or they have been gifts from family and friends.