11 Best Contour Brushes That You Must Buy In 2023
Get flawless makeup looks with these incredible, high-quality & affordable tools.
Expertise: Makeup & Fashion
Experience: 2 years
Shalini Roy has a Master's degree in English literature from Pondicherry University. She is an ambivert whose expressions have found their way in writing. She channels her passion for all things fashi... more
Image: StyleCraze Design Team
A contour brush is a specially designed artistry brush that is large and flat with densely packed bristles. They help to highlight cheekbones, jawline, and forehead. Contouring is an art, and thus, the best contour brush helps contour your face. You can mess up your makeup look if you don’t use a proper contour brush. Most of these contour brushes are angled in a way that helps you make precise strokes and blend the product seamlessly. In this article, we have curated a list of the 11 best contour brushes that highlight your features. Keep scrolling!
In This Article
11 Bestselling User-Friendly Contour Brushes
Best Soft Bristles:Real Techniques Sculpting Brush
The Real Techniques Sculpting Brush is a flat contouring tool with a wide, and angled head. Its soft and plush synthetic bristles make it an excellent choice for using cream, liquid, or powder-based contouring products. The unique shape of this sculpting brush blends the product flawlessly, giving a high-definition finish. Its bristles pick up just the right amount of product and deposit only where it needs to be, including the nose and eye areas.
Pros- Cruelty-free
- Easy to clean
- Soft bristles
- Ergonomic design
- Recommended for beginners
- Good coverage
Cons
- May shed bristles
Best Cruelty-Free: Finish BrushEcoTools Wonder Color
The EcoTools Wonder Color Finish brush is made with 60,000 bristles to ensure intense coverage. This brush deposits the optimum amount of product for a perfect contour. The angled and small bristles ensure precise application and can be used dry or wet. It is made of recycled aluminum and plastic with 20% cotton and 80% bamboo fibers. Its sturdy wooden handle is easy to grip and works seamlessly. This video takes you through this product’s details.
Pros
- Precise application
- Cruelty-free
- Easy to maintain
- Easy to use
- Vegan
- Dries quickly
Cons
- May shed bristles
Best Hypoallergenic:e.l.f. Cosmetics Contouring Brush
The e.l.f. Cosmetics Contouring Brush is designed for advanced sculpting to achieve professional results. The densely packed bristles are shaped at a perfect angle to give depth and dimension along the cheekbones, forehead, and jawline. This brush is perfect for targeted contouring with pressed or loose bronzer powder, liquids, and creams. Its wide head releases only a controlled amount of product to give a non-cakey, uniform coverage. This brush has ultra-fine fibers that are hand-assembled to perfection by artisans for a luxe experience. For a more detailed review of this product, here’s a video.
Pros
- Cruelty-free
- Soft bristles
- Easy to clean
Cons
- May shed bristles
Pro TipBest For Sensitive Skin:Beauty Junkees Pro Contour & Highlighting Makeup Brush Kit
The Beauty Junkees Pro Contour & Highlighting Makeup Brush Kit has everything you need to sculpt the beautiful features of your face. It includes a pro sculptor brush, pro duo fiber brush, pro highlighter brush, pro-detailer brush, and pro contour latex-free sponge. These brushes are made with high-quality, soft, and flexible bristles that run smoothly on all skin types. They are designed to perfectly place and blend the product pigment for a smooth finish. This kit also includes a black pouch to store your brushes and protect the bristles.
Pros- Soft head
- Easy to use
- Hypoallergenic
- Lightweight
- Travel-friendly
- Includes pouch
Cons
- Not long-lasting
Pro TipBest Ergonomic Design:Vertex Beauty Contour Brushes
The Vertex Beauty Contour Brushes are best suited for professional nose and cheekbone contouring. Each brush has fine, hand-cut, cruelty-free bristles densely packed at precise angles to help define your features. This set features high-quality brushes for nose, cheekbone, forehead, and brow bone contouring, which create a range of perfectly blended edges with matte, nude, and pigments products. The synthetic, non-bleached bristles have thin micro-edges that seamlessly fill minute lines and pores on your face. You can also use them to blend foundations, concealers, highlighters, bronzers, and liquid cream products.
Pros
- Hypoallergenic
- Suits sensitive skin
- Easy to use
- Lightweight
- Ergonomic grip
- Cruelty-free
- Latex-free
Cons
- Not long-lasting
Best Easy To Blend:Lamora Pro Face Contour Brush Set
The Lamora Pro Face Contour Brushes are designed for easy and natural-looking highlights and shadows. Their soft, synthetic bristles are cruelty-free and vegan. These non-porous bristles go on smoothly on your face and prevent excess product absorption. The matte wooden handle of the brush helps you hold it with optimum control and its pro copper ferrule design makes it extremely durable. These perfectly shaped brushes are suitable for both cream and powder contouring. They blend your makeup well. Make your cheekbones pop, create a more defined jawline, and even make your lips appear larger with these brushes.
Pros- Non-porous, soft bristles
- Easy to hold
- Easy to clean
- Value for money
- Durable
- Suitable for powder and cream contour
- Cruelty-free and vegan bristles
Cons
None
Best Shed-Free:LAURA GELLER NEW YORK Classic Bronzer Brush
The LAURA GELLER NEW YORK Classic Bronzer Brush is a must-have for adding a natural-looking bronzed glow to your face. This fluffy, soft brush is designed for expert blending and precision. It sculpts your facial hollows and creates an all-over flush of warm bronze. The brush effortlessly blends the bronzer on your face and imparts an airbrushed effect. It has a high-bristle count, that enables even product application. It has an angled design that hugs the contours of your face. Additionally, it is easy to clean.
Pros- Easy to use
- Angled design
- Shed-free
- Soft bristles
- Value for money
- Easy to clean
- Cruelty-free
- Vegan
Cons
- Not durable
Best Easy To Hold:wet n wild Essential Makeup Brush
The wet n wild Essential Makeup Brush is an ultra-plush contour brush that features synthetic polymax fibers that feel soft on your skin. The brush has a comfortable angled design that fits the contours of the face, helping you sculpt, shape, and contour easily. The curved bristles pick up the perfect amount of contour product and impart even application. This versatile brush is suitable for applying both mineral-pressed powder and cream contour products.
Pros- Soft bristles
- Value for money
- Sturdy
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
Cons
- Not suitable for liquid products
Best Antibacterial:Bdellium Tools Makeup Studio 945 Contour Brush
The Bdellium Tools Makeup Studio 945 Contour Brush features all-natural fiber bristles arranged in a softly rounded dome tip. This brush can apply, blend, and contour powder products on the nose, cheekbones, chin, and brow bone. Its perfectly angled tip ensures flawless application while giving you full control over the product. The fluffy and compact head is attached via an aluminum ferrule to a long, lacquered wooden handle with an ergonomic grip that allows you to apply firm or light pressure on the target area.
Pros
- Natural fibers
- Ergonomic handle
- Easy to use
- Easy to maintain
- Lightweight
Cons
- May shed bristles
Best Full Coverage:e.l.f Cosmetics Eye Contour Brush
The e.l.f Cosmetics Eye Contour Brush is soft and absorbent, perfect for wet and dry products. Its synthetic-haired head holds a good amount of product and deposits it uniformly in a single sweep. The bristles are densely arranged at a precise angle to define the eye and brow area. The anti-bacterial brush is easy to clean and does not shed.
Pros
- Soft bristles
- No product build-up
- Easy to wash
- Lightweight
- Full coverage
- Durable
Cons
None
Best Lightweight:MORPHE M460 Flat Contour Brush
The Morphe M460 Flat Contour Brush features a wide, flat-edged head with silky synthetic bristles. It effortlessly blends creams and lightly deposits powder contour products to create a streak-free sculpted look. This brush also gives you full coverage while defining the cheekbones, nose bridge, brow bone, chin, and forehead. It allows you to control the pressure on natural focal points of your face for highlighting and sculpting.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Smooth application
- Full coverage
- Easy to clean
- Durable
Cons
None
These 11 contour brushes are best-sellers for a good reason. Their precise design, ergonomic grip, and gentle brush heads ensure you have a professional contoured look. If you are a contouring rookie, we recommend using the 301 Flat Contour Brush by Real Techniques. It can be used with a range of contouring products and delivers an airbrushed poreless finish in just a few sweeps. So order your favorite contour brush from this list and get sculpting!
Why Trust StyleCraze?
The author of this article, Shalini Roy, is a makeup enthusiast. She has gone through the products in detail and checked many reviews to pick the best contour brushes. She believes that these brushes are a must-have for anyone who wants to enhance their beauty. They help create a full makeup look and help to highlight cheekbones and jawline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are contour brushes or sponges better?
Brushes absorb less product and help achieve the desired coverage more easily as compared to sponges that absorb a lot of product and offer a more diffused look.
Can I use a contour brush for the foundation?
No, contour brushes do not offer seamless coverage as foundation brushes do.
Can you use a contour brush for highlighting?
Yes, using a contour brush for highlighting offers a soft, glowing look.
How do you use a contour brush?
Dip your brush in a bronzer and blend the product lightly in small, circular motions to buff away harsh edges underneath your cheekbones and jawline.
How do you clean the contour brush?
Clean your brush every 7-10 days. Wet the bristles with lukewarm water and use a mild cleanser to clean the brush. Rinse under a water source and clean with a dry towel or air-dry the brush.
How long does a contour brush last?
A good-quality contour brush lasts for 1-3 years when maintained properly.
- Best Makeup Brushes – Reviews And Buyer’s Guide
- Best Foundation Brushes For A Seamless Application
- Best Fan Brushes To Add To Your Collection Right Now!
- Best Contouring Kits – Buying Guide
