Any artist will you tell you if you want pro-level results, you have to use the right tools. In the case of mastering makeup, no toolkit is complete without makeup brushes. Now, you might not need every brush out there, but depending on what look you hope to achieve or how much coverage you like, knowing which brushes are best for what function is going to make it easier to stock your makeup bag with the right tools for your artistry. Here’s a quick and easy breakdown:

Face Brushes

No matter what your complexion goal, from the no-makeup makeup look to full no-pore-left-behind coverage, there is a face brush to help you get it. The most common ones are a foundation brush, concealer brush and powder brush while more specialized brushes that perform more specific tasks include contouring and highlighting brushes, as well as stippling and kabuki brushes:

Foundation brushes typically have more flexible bristles and tapered edges to make it easier to blend cream and liquid foundation formulas.
Concealer brushes are flat rounded to get around the contours of the face and spot-treat targeted areas.
Powder brushes are those big fluffy ones with the loosely packed bristles that are great for evenly applying loose or pressed powder foundation, or for setting foundation and concealer with a finishing powder.
Contouring brushes are much more stiff with densely packed bristles and an angled tip to allow for more control when sculpting the forehead, cheeks, nose and jawline.
Highlighting brushes are generally small, soft and tapered to lightly dust highlight powder over the highpoints of the face.
Stippling brushes are a large, blunt brush used to dot on foundation for a smooth, airbrushed finish.
Kabuki brushes are a versatile brush with a large, rounded and fluffy head that makes it easy to apply a range of products (foundations, powders, creams) evenly to large areas of the face.

Cheek Brushes

This is your blush brush. Similar to the powder brush, but with a more tapered shape for precise application (but not too precise), it’s used to sweep blush or bronzer from the apples of the cheeks toward the hairline with quick, short and light strokes.

Eye Brushes

The primary, most essential eye brushes that all professional makeup kits have are eyeshadow brushes, a blending brush, an eyeliner brush and an eyebrow brush:

Eyeshadow brushes are usually small, flat and slightly more dense to allow for easy colour layering.
Blending brushes are soft and fluffy to really buff eyeshadow into the lid or crease and diffuse colour. Use sharp eyeliner brushes with gel formulas to get the most precise line possible.
Eyebrow brushes are usually float and angled to give you more control when lining, defining and filling in enviable brows.

Lip Brushes

Lips brushes come to a super-fine tip to help give you a perfectly shaped pout without feathering or smudging. Use it after your lip liner, then fill in the lipstick colour with the lip brush for ultra-precise application.

We hope that helped clear up any confusion about makeup brushes! And rest assured, every brush mentioned (plus makeup brush sets) is available at Sephora. So shop online with confidence and find all the makeup tools you need.