13 best contour brushes for seamless, blended makeup
Whether you love a multi-step routine or a simple soft sculpt, contour brushes are your best bet for nailing your liquid, powder or cream contour – and the key to a seamless makeup base. With A-Listers like Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber taking the technique to new heights, more defined cheekbones, jaws and noses are on everyone’s wishlists – and it turns out that using the right brush could be the difference between a clean contour and that dreaded muddy finish.
“Denser brushes that are packed with bristles help to thinly layer product on to the skin and are particularly good with cream formulas,” explains makeup artist Rose Gallagher. Prefer something more natural? “Go for a fluffier brush, because every sweep gives only a soft wash of colour.”
As someone who has often swayed towards more natural-looking makeup, I found myself a little nervous at the prospect of contouring – but once I picked up my makeup brushes and gave it a go, there was no turning back. Especially because it’s now easier than ever to look sculpted and snatched, thanks to a whole host of expertly-designed contour brushes that have both full glam girlies and those that tend to keep things a little more low-key covered.
Originally, contour brushes were made of animal hair – because the natural texture helped with a more flawless application, especially when it came to powders. But these days you’ll find that most are cruelty-free, and are instead made from synthetic bristles. Makeup artist Monika Blunder explains: “They’re vegan and are usually easier to clean and faster to dry compared to natural fibres. They’ve come a long way in the last few years so sometimes you can’t even tell the difference between natural and synthetic bristles.”
To help you find your pick, we've put together a carefully-curated list of the best contour brushes on the market, including MUA-created favourites (looking at you, Mario Dedivanovic), cult brands and brushes that won’t break the bank. We’ve also taken the time to scour through thousands of customer reviews and test the options below first-hand. Below, we've included everything you need to know about contour brushes, with expert-led info and your burning FAQs answered. So, buckle up and get scrolling…
Best contour brushes at a glance – our top picks:
- Best contour brush overall: Kevyn Aucoin The Duet Contour Brush, £42, Space NK
- Best affordable contour brush: e.l.f. Contouring Brush, £6.50, Amazon
- Best contour brush for sculpting: Morphe R3 Precision Pointed Contour Brush, £15, Morphe
- Best contour brush for nose contour: Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Concealer Brush, £17, Sephora
What is a contour brush? Which one should I use?
Contour brushes come in a few different shapes and sizes, with each one giving specific results. “You can find some brushes that are extremely dense with a flat top, which tends to create a sharper contour line. These are usually designed for cream contours,” says celebrity and royal makeup artist Hannah Martin. Contour brushes like these can often be named foundation brushes and are useful across your base makeup as well as for sculpting. “Pointed brushes are great for focusing product in the hollows of the cheekbone, whereas the most common angled contour brush can come either tightly or loosely bound and in a range of sizes to get into the nooks and crannies of the face,” Hannah says. These can sometimes look more like an angled blush brush, except the bristles are often more densely packed together.
When it comes to choosing which contour brush to use, you’ll need to consider a couple of things: am I using a powder, cream or liquid formula – and which part of the face am I contouring? If you’re using a cream and contouring the cheekbones and jawline, Monika suggests choosing a “slightly larger brush, on the denser side” like a large angled contour brush, whereas if you prefer powder formulas you’ll be best off going for something that looks more like a powder brush – fluffier and softer than your more traditional sculpting brush.
For nose contour, it’s all about precision. According to makeup artist Ruby Hammer MBE: “a small, precise brush is best for controlled, defined, chiselled areas like the nose and eyes.”
Scroll to view our edit of all the best contour brushes available now…
Kevyn Aucoin The Duet Contour Brush
Why we love it: Kevyn Aucoin was the iconic make-up artist who brought contouring to the mainstream in the 90s on the faces of supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, so it’s no real surprise that his eponymous brand has made our winning brush. Dual-ended, it has tightly-packed synthetic bristles which seamlessly blend out powder, cream and liquid formulas with precision. Blend and buff to sculpt your cheekbones, jawline, forehead and nose to your heart’s content – without needing to fumble around in your makeup bag for a second brush.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Space NK discount codes.
Why we love it: Another synthetic bristled beauty, e.l.f is not only known for being really affordable (this brush is £6.50!), but also cruelty-free. This product has a large dome-shaped head and tightly packed bristles, making it ideal for cream formulas. Because it’s got quite a large surface area, lightly dab onto the forehead, hollows of the cheeks and jawline to seamlessly blend and define without muddying the makeup.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Amazon discount codes.
Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush
Why we love it: Most makeup brushes have synthetic bristles nowadays, but not all are created equal. Hourglass has always been a trailblazer when it comes to cruelty-free beauty so, unsurprisingly, these synthetic bristles are soft and natural, mimicking (and bettering) a natural fingertip application. The angled head helps to really get into the hollows of the cheekbones and control the contour around the forehead. Simply use a gentle stippling motion to press in your cream or liquid contour.
NYX Professional Makeup Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation Brush
Why we love it: Like liquid is to eyeliner, angled is to contour brush – a classic. To nail your contour makeup, grab this one from NYX. Not only is it genuinely affordable, it’s a useful medium size with bristles that are packed tightly together, making it easy to control regardless of whether you’re a contouring newbie or a sculpting pro. Although it’s touted as a foundation brush, ignore the label and get contouring using your favourite cream formula.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Cult Beauty discount codes.
Ruby Hammer 01 Magnetic Brush Set
Why we love it: This brush set may not immediately scream ‘contour must-have’, but hear us out – this Ruby Hammer brush set is genius. A bestseller, this handy trio of eyebrow, eyeliner and lipstick brushes that stack magnetically on top of each other has been designed to work with powder formulas, cream formulas and liquid formulas. Plus, it's a dream for nose contour, especially when you use both a highlighter and a bronzer to create a defined, sculpted finish. The perfect way to travel light without compromising on quality.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Cult Beauty discount codes.
Why we love it: Obsessed with the clean girl aesthetic and want your contour to look just like Sophia Richie’s? Jess Hunt’s Refy has you covered with this Duo Brush. One end is more like a bronzing brush, which makes gently swiping seamless, while the other end is firmer and more compact for creamier textures. Combine the two for a seriously natural-yet-defined finish. We particularly love this brush for beginners, thanks to its flexibility.
Why we love it: The man behind Kim K’s famous makeup looks, Mario Dedivanovic knows how to do a full beat without things looking heavy. This slightly-fluffy, slightly-angled sculpting brush has a larger end for the less precise areas of the face and a smaller end that looks like an eyeshadow brush for nose, eye and lip contour. Particularly good with cream and liquid formulas, the synthetic bristles are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free while still giving the effect of natural hair.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Sephora discount codes.
IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7
Why we love it: If cooler contour isn’t for you, or you’re not ready to go fully into the world of contour just yet, then try a contour brush that will work well with the bronzer you already have. This dual-ended IT Cosmetics brush has a large dome head on one end that will easily press in creams or could even buff in a powder bronzer, and a smaller, slightly fluffier brush on the other end, which is particularly good for contouring the eyes.
Dior Backstage Contour Brush No 15
Why we love it: This contour brush from Dior is dense and flat – perfect for pushing cream and liquid products into the skin and creating looks good enough for the catwalk (literally). But, like a gentle giant, this brush is less severe than it looks – with soft synthetic bristles that help to build up definition without streaking. Particularly designed to add structure to the cheekbones, the sharp, angled head sits in the hollows of the cheeks, creating a precise shadow for ultimate sculpting.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Selfridges discount codes.
Morphe R3 Precision Pointed Contour Brush
Why we love it: Precision is what this contour brush is all about. Using the rounder sides of the brush head, get to work blending in the hollows of the cheeks, around the top of the forehead and under the jawline all the way down the neck. Then, without needing to switch brushes, take some product on the pointed tip and precisely define the nose and eyes.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Morphe discount codes.
19/99 Soft-Focus Blending Brush
Why we love it: Built on the mantra that its products can be used by anyone from 19 to 99 years old, this blending brush from 19/99 is a match made in cream contour heaven. It has an angled head for cheekbone definition and a long, sturdy handle for maximum control and a light touch. Simply tap your cream contour products into the skin and allow the brush to work its magic, blending softly to create a natural finish.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Space NK discount codes.
Why we love it: This one’s for all the powder lovers, because Chanel’s contour brush has been specially designed to flawlessly apply powder formulas. The fluffiness of the tapered brush is perfect for slowly building up shadow, starting with the lightest of touches across the cheekbones, jawline and forehead. You’ll get the best results by either gently sweeping or carefully buffing in circular motions. To avoid blotchiness or patches, make sure your skincare prep is on point by hydrating the skin, to avoid the powder contour from catching on any dry areas.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Harvey Nichols discount codes.
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Concealer Brush
Why we love it: In Selena Gomez we trust, especially after the marvel that is the Rare Beauty Liquid Blush. To get a defined, sculpted nose, precision is key – and this concealer brush hits all the right notes. The angled design means it can easily get into the harder to reach areas like the inner eye socket and under the lip, and the vegan bristles work beautifully with cream, liquid and powder formulas.
Save big when shopping for contour brushes using these Sephora discount codes.
