We Tried Catrice’s New ‘Leg Contouring’ Cream And Here’s What Happened

This week, budget brand Catrice launched a new #INSTASHAPE range of body contouring products for the summer and unwittingly (or perhaps wittingly?) caused a bit of a controversy.

One product in particular is drawing people’s ire: The Slim Legs Body Contour Roller (€9), which as you might have guessed is made specifically for leg contouring. Yes, leg contouring. According to the press release, the product will ‘ensure a defined beach body’. *grimace emoji*

A Facebook post about the Body Contour Roller by Yazmine of Glitter Mama Wishes Blog lead to a big debate earlier in the week. “I’ve been in shorts this summer with my non-contoured knees, stretch marks and *non defined* legs. I mean, how not on trend of me,” she wrote.

Seriously though, this is ridiculous and I hope no girl or woman believes this is normal. You are allowed be happy with the way your body is in its natural state, knobbly or chunky knees and all! This has to stop!

Now, I can’t say I disagree with her, but when the roller made its way on to my desk this morning I just had to give it a go.

The act of rolling the product on to your skin is very enjoyable – I used it to draw on a new, pointier knee (are pointy knees attractive now? IDK) and the calves and thighs of an Olympic cyclist, then blended it in.

I looked down at my new legs, expecting to see them transformed into Meghan Markle’s slim pins… but alas, I’m just back from a week’s holiday in the sun, and the Light shade is now simply too light for my tanned self (I know, SUCH a coup for an Irish person).

There is also a Dark shade, in fairness, so maybe that would be more in my line. I’ll show you the results anyway – to the left, an un-contoured leg. To the right, a contoured leg.

No difference there. I turned to my paler colleague, Jen, to see if we could carve out a new leg for her.

Unfortunately, even with some dedicated blending and swiping, it just looks like I spread dirt all over poor Jen’s knee. I’m so sorry Jen.

Could we make leg contouring work for ourselves? No, but it’s true that we didn’t try awfully hard. If you have lots of time and a proper blending sponge, and genuinely care about contouring yourself a leg? Maybe you could.

Or else you could just head out, parading your naturally round and fleshy knees in front of the world. Shocking, I know.

• Contouring