The Makeup Brush That You Need In Your Collection To Pull Off A Perfectly Contoured Look

Contouring your beautiful face involves reaching for several products to create shadows for a sculpted appearance. Then, a highlighter is added to reflect light off the high points of your face for a balanced look. If you are a newbie, you may find it tricky to use contour correctly, and you may worry about your complexion appearing muddy as a result. However, by using the right tools, anyone can pull off this technique, though it may seem intimidating at first. More specifically, adding a sculpting or angled brush to your collection can help make all your contour dreams come true!

Though contour has become more popular in recent years, the technique has actually been around since the 1500s, according to LiveGlam. Back then, contouring was used by performers for their stage makeup. They didn't have the designated products that we do now, so they opted for kohl (which is toxic!) and crushed pearls to add shadows and highlights to their complexion. Today though, contouring is often a step in many people's everyday makeup routines.

When adding contour to your makeup routine, you can choose between two types of brushes. The first is a sculpting brush, which is unique because its bristles are trimmed into an "s" shape. As a result, each individual brush hair will hug your features where they naturally contour for a final look that is perfectly suited for your face. A sculpting brush will help perfectly apply the contour product to the hollows of your cheekbones and along your jawline and hairline.

Your second option for a flawless contour is an angled brush. It has densely packed bristles cut on a diagonal as its name suggests, so it is great for bold makeup looks. Its bristles can hold and blend a large amount of product without making your skin look cakey. Angled brushes come in a variety of sizes, so you can also pick up a smaller version for your collection when you want to add precise contour to smaller areas like your nose.

Now that you have the right brush, contouring should be more of a breeze! When working contour into your makeup routine, it is always wise to start with foundation and concealer. Then, add your contour and highlighter, and finish with a blush. If you prefer doing your eye makeup first, you can still do that or leave it for after your base is done.

Where you apply your contour largely depends on your face shape, according to Iconic London. Adding shadows will define your features, so you can always tweak your contour technique if you don't love how these recommendations look on your individual face shape. But for starters, heart-shaped faces tend to look best by swiping contour on the sides of their forehead, temples, and lower chin. Oval face shapes should position shadows on the edge of the face by the ears, to the middle of the cheekbones, and along the hairline. Round- and square-shaped faces use the same type of contour technique as oval-shaped faces, but they should continue down to the jawline. Although those with square-shaped faces should go past the jawline, they can also benefit from adding shadows on the sides of the forehead.

Happy contouring!