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You don’t need to be a professional makeup artist to contour, shade, and highlight your face. With a little effort, practice, and, most importantly, the correct makeup brushes, your contour game will be perfected in no time.
Below we are featuring some great contour brush options that come in both sets and singles depending on your needs. If you are in the market for a complete brush set, we have included a great 20 piece option that any makeup aficionado needs in their life.
We have also included an award-winning brush from everyone’s favorite drugstore brand and a couple of brush set options that focus solely on contouring and highlighting to ensure your essential makeup brush bases are thoroughly covered.
Our Favorite Contour Brush
DUcare Makeup Brush — Best Overall
This is a set of two double-ended makeup brushes that are multi-functional for a variety of makeup applications. Included is a rounded flat buffer with a pointed powder brush and a duo angle contour with a large powder brush that will both easily buff contour into the face. These brushes also work well with both liquid and powder foundations and they fit easily into the unique curves of the face and apply any powder products precisely in hard-to-carve areas.
Pros
- The gold handles make these brushes look luxe and fun to use
Cons
- There may be some initial shedding
BESTOPE Makeup Brush — Runner Up
This comprehensive set features 20 makeup brushes comprised of seven face, eight eyeshadow, and five additional brushes to meet all your daily makeup needs. Soft and dense, these brushes will not cause any irritation to the skin and make it easy to grab and blend your makeup for a flawless complexion.
Pros
- These brushes have a non-slip, conical-shaped handle making them easier to hold
Cons
- The brushes may have an initial smell due to the glue on the brush rod
e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush — Honorable Mention
This award-winning makeup brush may be your ultimate weapon for blending out your favorite contour or foundation. This brush has a large, dome-shaped head with densely packed bristles that will easily maneuver in and around the crevices and contours of your face for seamless, even coverage. Use this brush with all your favorite formulas including powder, liquid, or mousse, and it can also be used to spread foundation, bronzer, or blush.
Pros
- This brush is cruelty-free and vegan
Cons
- If you prefer a flat-top brush, another option might be better
Lamora Contour Brush — Also Consider
This is another great brush set that contains five of the most popular contour-style brushes. Included is a flat contour, tapered highlight, fan brush, precision angled, and round angled brush that can all work together or separately to give you your most perfect beat. These brushes also have ultra-soft, synthetic bristles and a thick, comfortable handle to make the application comfortable and easy.
Pros
- These brushes are 100% vegan and cruelty-free
Cons
- These may have a glue smell upon opening
Buying Guide: Contour Brush
Contouring allows you to highlight parts of your face to accentuate your cheekbones and give you a more refreshed appearance. If you are new to makeup or contouring, you may feel a little lost when it comes to knowing what products to purchase.
There are different aspects to contouring that require a different type of brush, all within the contouring umbrella. To help you decide which of the top contour brushes in 2024 will work best for you and your needs we will answer some frequently asked questions about contouring.
First, we will discuss the things you should consider before you purchase a contour brush. Continue reading to see what we recommend.
Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Contour Brush
Size
When choosing a contouring brush, you should consider its size. The size will differ depending on what you are using it for. Large brushes are used to blend makeup and contour the whole face, whereas smaller contour brushes allow you to add more details to areas like the nose.
Shape
- Oval
A small oval brush can not only be used to contour but can also blend concealer, highlighter, eyeshadow, and blush.
- Structured and short
Short and straight bristle contour brushes are great for applying color in a precise and controlled manner. This type of application is necessary for the best contouring before the blending stage.
- Flat
A flat contour brush is best used to apply powder or cream bronzer.
- Angled
Sharp slants provide more coverage than flat angled brushes. They allow you to achieve more symmetry and precision than a flat brush.
- Fan
Fan brushes are great for contouring your jawline, forehead, nose, and cheekbones.
Taper
The taper of a brush is how much the bristles reduce in thickness towards the end of the brush. A tapered brush is best for when you do not want to create definitive lines. It is often used to apply shading powders and highlighters to the face.
Fluffy
Fluffier brushes will help you blend your contour lines. Alternatively, you may prefer to use a sponge.
Double-ended
If you want to save space in your makeup bag, consider purchasing a double-ended contour brush. This usually consists of a different contour brush on each end of the handle.
Single brushes or brush set
If you are still unsure of what type of contour brush you need, you could purchase a makeup brush set. Depending on the size of the set, it may include several types of contouring brushes. You could purchase a set that contains brushes specifically for contouring, or a set containing a wider variety of brushes with multiple uses.
Singular brushes are often better quality than a set, but you could begin with a basic set and build upon it when your budget allows.
Type of brush
Synthetic brushes work better with liquid makeup because natural bristles will absorb some of the moisture. They are also more durable and can be cleaned regularly without becoming damaged. Unlike natural hair fibers, a synthetic brush will not dry out when it is sanitized using alcohol gel.
However, natural bristles are more porous and will work better with powder because they will pick up more powder. If you are purchasing makeup brushes for a vegan friend or family member, it is important to note that natural fiber brushes are not vegan.
Antimicrobial bristles
Some brushes have antimicrobial bristles which claim to prevent yeast, bacteria, and mold from growing on them.
Bristle density
Look for a contouring brush with a high bristle density when you want precision. This will pick up more makeup, and provide better coverage. A dense brush is a good sign of quality and that your brush will last for a long time.
However, when you want to blend your makeup, you should opt for a medium-density brush as this will blend the makeup without removing it.
Softness
The bristles should feel soft enough to use on your face daily without irritating your skin.
Handles
The brush handle should be ergonomic and comfortable to hold. It should also be waterproof and easy to clean.
Ferrule (attaches bristles to the handle)
The part of the brush that attaches the bristles to the handle is called the ferrule. This part of the brush should be durable and strong. It should be made from a corrosion and rust-resistant metal that will not become damaged when you wash your brush.
Retractable bristles
Some contour brushes come with a lid and retractable bristles. This is a great feature for anyone who loves to travel and wants to keep their brush intact.
Customer reviews
When choosing the best contour brush, read the customer reviews of the brush you are interested in. This will give you a better idea of the brush's durability.
Color
This is by no means the most important feature to consider, but you may want to look for a beautiful brush with a colorful or metallic handle that matches your style. Similarly, you could look for interesting colored bristles.
Eco-friendly
Some contour brushes are made from eco-friendly bamboo. You may also want to look for recyclable packaging.
How We Choose the Top Contour Brushes
To choose the best brushes we consider the following:
- Coverage
- Accuracy of application
- Softness
- Durability
- Style
- Customer reviews
- Cost
