NEW! $10 Dupe for the Marc Jacobs #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder

I was lucky enough to snag up the Marc Jacobs #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder in Mirage Filter the second it hit stands at my local Sephora. I say this because this particular shade seems to fly off the shelves faster than hotcakes and for good reason. It contains that much sought after banana-colored powder and a beautiful cool-toned contour shade for those of you that are intent on contouring the "proper" way. Well if you still haven't managed to get your hands on it because your Sephora hasn't stocked it or you're looking for a more budget friendly alternative, you've come to the right place!

The moment that I spotted the brand new Wet n Wild Contouring Palettes at my Walgreens, I immediately made the connection. They look so similar to the #Instamarc Contour Powders as they are also a highlight and contour duo sort of product. And, at the affordable price tag of $4.99 each, it wouldn't hurt my pockets nearly as bad to test out this hunch.

Q&A's

♥ What are the Wet n Wild Megaglo Contouring Palettes? ♥

The Wet n Wild Megaglo Contouring Palettes are affordable drugstore palettes that contain two matte shades -- a highlighting shade and a contouring shade. They come in two different colors, Dulce de Leche (for lighter complexions) and Caramel Toffee (for medium to tan complexions), and can be found wherever Wet n Wild is sold, such as Walgreens, Rite Aid, or Target for $4.99.

♥ How do they compare to the Marc Jacobs #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powders? ♥

As I mentioned earlier, visually these palettes remind me a lot of the Marc Jacobs product because of how they are half highlight and half contour. In terms of packaging, however, that is where the comparison ends. The Wet n Wild packaging is a much cheaper plastic, has a clear lid, and does not contain a mirror. That being said, it is the product inside that counts, right? But before I get to that, I think it's a nice added touch that Wet n Wild included a diagram on the back of where to place the highlight and contour shades on the face in case you happen to be a newbie to this trend.

As for the product inside, the texture of the powders are very similar. The Marc Jacobs is just a tad bit smoother and finely milled, but for the price you really can't beat the quality of these Wet n Wild powders. Also worth noting, the Marc Jacobs palette comes with 18 grams of product for $49, whereas the Wet n Wild version comes with 12.5 grams for $4.99. So while the Wet n Wild has less product, you're still getting a ton more value for your money.

♥ How do you apply the Wet n Wild Palettes? ♥

I mentioned above that Wet n Wild has included a diagram of where to place both shades on the face. As most of you probably already know from the millions of videos floating around on this subject, you highlight the high points of your face or the places you want to bring more attention to and you contour the places that you want to recede or give more structure to. As the texture of my skin has become a lot drier throughout the Winter, I don't really utilize the highlighting powder on the places I would normally when I'm oilier. So at the moment I'm only focusing that powder underneath my eyes to set my concealer and to bake underneath my contour.

Nevertheless, because the texture of the powder is both smooth and pigmented, I think it will be helpful to mention the couple of different ways I was able to actually apply these powders. When I do my concealer, I like to set using the baking method and the lighter powders in the palettes work surprisingly well for that. All you have to do is swipe your dampened beauty blender across the powder and then dab it on the face. The best part is that the powders don't go hard pan or get that weird film over them when you use the dampened sponge either. For contouring, I use them in the traditional way--with a brush like a fluffier angled one or something more straight and sculpting. These powders are extremely pigmented so you only need a tiny bit (tap off those brushes, girl). You won't need to dig your brush in them at all because these babies kick up a lot of product. If you do find that you've put on entirely too much though, don't worry yourself as these powders have a nice blendability to them.

♥ How do they wear? ♥

If a product doesn't wear well on me, I'll first start to notice it around the nostril area. I'll get that weird caking up look or, even worse, the product will go patchy and magically disappear. That was one of my biggest problems with the highlighting shade in the Marc Jacobs Palette, but I have to say, I didn't experience that at all with the Wet n Wild ones. They set and locked in my concealer so perfectly and I would really love to see how it performs as the weather begins to get warm again. As for the darker side of the palette, I noticed that it could go a bit patchy if you have drier skin. However, I remedied that the next time I tried out the powders by moisturizing my skin more heavily. To be fair, that's not really the powder's fault. I haven't quite adjusted to the change my skin has made over the past month.

♥ Are they a dupe? ♥

If you're a bit extra like me and purchase both of the Wet n Wild Palettes, mixing the two highlight shades in the palettes creates the exact same shade as the one in the Marc Jacobs Mirage Filter Palette. While that might seem too high-maintenance for some, you really can't beat that at a $10 price tag. I do have to say, however, that the "contouring" powders in the Wet n Wild duos are entirely too warm in comparison and are much more like bronzers. So in that respect, it's not a perfect dupe, but for those with warmer undertones you can use these to contour. I would also like to point out the fact that I prefer these more affordable Wet n Wild Palettes for setting my concealer as the flawless look seems to last a lot longer. Do be aware that if you're on either end of the skintone spectrum--pale or deep dark complexions--you will find that these palettes won't work for you, which is really unfortunate, but common within the drugstore. Hopefully, if these Contouring Palettes are received well by the entire beauty community, Wet n Wild will feel the need to expand their range.


Honorable Mention

I thought I would throw in this last tidbit for those of you who aren't on as much of a budget or are really hell-bent on having a cool-tone contour. At a whopping $12.99, the L'Oreal Pro Contour Palettes are on the more expensive end of drugstore alternatives. However, the contour shade in the Light Contour Palette in particular is the closest to the Marc Jacobs Mirage Filter Contour that I've ever come across. In fact, the L'Oreal contour is even more cooler toned. Not to mention, the packaging also provides a pretty awesome brush. On the other hand, the L'Oreal Pro Contour Palettes only contain 7 grams of product, meaning that the contour shade is only 3.5 grams. Also, the L'Oreal powders, while pigmented, are pressed into the pan much harder, so you may have to dig your brush into the product or at least dip into it a bit more. I don't know about you, but that sounds like it will be a product you will have to purchase more often depending on how much of your face you deem necessary to contour. I still like this product, especially since it offers a shimmery highlight as opposed to a matte one like the other palettes, but I would definitely suggest getting it when it's on a BOGO sale at the very least.


XO♥