Makeup by Mario Soft Sculpt Shaping Stick vs NYX Professional Makeup Contour Stick
contour
Original
Makeup by Mario Soft Sculpt Shaping Stick
$38
Cream contour and bronzer stick with a natural, skin-melting finish.
Dupe
NYX Professional Makeup Contour Stick
$10
Save $28 (Save 74%)
"A solid budget contour stick that gets you 85% of the Mario Soft Sculpt experience for a quarter of the price."
My verdict
NYX Contour Stick delivers an impressively close match to the Makeup by Mario Soft Sculpt Shaping Stick for everyday contouring. The core appeal of Mario's stick is its fool-proof blendability — the cream formula melts into skin so seamlessly that harsh lines are nearly impossible. NYX achieves about 85% of this experience. The formula is slightly waxier, which means it sets a touch faster and gives you less blending time. But for anyone with basic blending skills (blend within 30 seconds of application), the end result is very similar: natural, diffused sculpting that looks like facial shadow rather than applied product. The shade range differs — Mario offers more nuanced cool-to-warm options, while NYX leans slightly warmer. For true cool contour, check the NYX shade range carefully. The $28 price difference is the real story: for daily use, the NYX Contour Stick is an excellent value that sacrifices minimal quality for major savings.