Battle of the Brushes: Drugstore Contour Brushes

Contouring is all the rage right now, and I have been on the hunt for an affordable contour brush that is easy to use, blends well and creates a natural contour for everyday. I found two "contour" brushes that are each under $10! Yipppeee!

Here is a closer look at the two:

ELF recently came out with a few new brushes, and the contour brush is one of them that I ordered online. This brush is a duo fiber, synthetic flat top and is surprisingly soft for how short and dense it is. It creates a sharp contour and can really pack on the pigment if you aren't careful. It's small enough where you can get it right in the hallows of your cheeks.

However, since it's densely packed it doesn't blend as well as I would like it to. I had to kinda work at blending my contour powder and used another brush to help buff it out. It's a little too harsh for me for everyday, and a little to much work to get the look I want with it because at 5:00 AM, ain't nobody got time for that.

But It's nice to have for creating more dramatic, going out make up looks.

The Real Techniques Sculpting Brush is similar in that it is also duo fiber, synthetic, and has dense, soft bristles. The brush shape though differs in that it has a subtle slant and is not as short. The brush handle is bulky though, and is kind of awkward but I hardly notice it when using it. This also gets right under those cheekbones well and blends out nicely. It's also nice to contour around the temples and jaw line without worrying about harsh lines.

For everyday use, the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush answers my contouring prayers and I prefer it over the ELF one. It makes contouring easy because it blends much better and creates a more natural, subtle contour that I like. I'm no make up artist, and I'm still trying to get the hang of it without looking like I've painted stripes on my face.

I work in a preschool, the kids would definitely say something if I attempted something dramatic and I can count on them to be brutally honest. Even if I don't know what it means. A 4 year old boy in my class asked me the other day why my chin looked like toast...

Wat.

Anyways, both are good quality, affordable options and it really depends on your preferences. If you are a contouring pro who likes a precise, sharp contour then the ELF Contour Brush is a good option while the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush is great for beginners who want to incorporate contouring on a daily basis.

You can buy the ELF one online at eyeslipsface.com and the Real Techniques one is available at Ulta.com and in stores wherever Real Techniques is sold (i.e Target, Walmart, Fred Meyer, etc)

By the way, I buy everything with my own monies. Just sayin'.

Found your holy grail contour brush? Tell me about it in the comments!