As a self taught makeup artist and makeup enthusiast, there are many tricks I've learned from trial and error. The most important tip I learned is that you're nothing without good tools. You could have years of experience, but if your brushes aren't up to par you won't be able to execute the look you want.

There are brushes for everything. Foundation, concealer, blush, contour, eye shadow, eye liner, brows, mascara, highlight, and so on. On top of types of brushes, there are hundred of brands out there that people rave about. I've found that expensive doesn't always mean the best. While expensive brands can almost always guarantee a good product, there are inexpensive brands that I'll share that have just as beautiful brushes are the expensive brands.

I think where most people get confused are what brushes do they use for what. Honestly, you can use a brush for whatever you want but starting with their intended purpose can push you in the right direction.

1. Foundation Brushes
There so many different styles of foundation brushes. There's the classic over sized concealer brush, like the Morphe B85. This brush allows you to easily brush your foundation on, this is a good style for beginners. There's also the kabuki style brush, like the coveted Sigma F80, Morphe M439, or the Makeup Geek Face Buffer Brush. These are ideal for buffing the foundation in, this gives your foundation a more airbrushed appearance. Finally, there's the duo fiber style, like the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. This doens't offer as much coverage, but if you don't like full coverage foundation or want to sheer a foundation out this is the brush for you.

2. Concealer Brushes
For concealer, there's pretty much only one style of brush that most people use. Some options include the Sigma F75, the Mac 195, and the Morphe M224. Concealer brushes are thin and small so they can fit under the eyes and around small parts of the face. They're also used for cream eye shadows, and carving out the brows.

3. Powder Brushes
A powder brush is on of the most universal brushes one can own. They can be used for powder, whether it's pressed or loose, blush, bronzer, or anything else your heart desires. Some basic pwoder brushes are the Real Techniques Powder Brush, the Sigma F30, or the Sonia Kashuk No. 1 Brush.

4. Blush/Bronzer Brushes
Blush and bronzer are very similar in terms of brushes. They both need to be rather fluffy so they blend product out easily. They need to be big enough to cover areas like the cheeks or forehead but not too big like a powder brush. Some ideal brushes would be an angled brush like the Morphe B4, a rounded fluffy brush like the Mac 129, or a more tapered brush like the Sigma F25. Like I said previously, any brush could work for this if you believe in yourself.

5. Highlight/Contour Brushes
Now highlighting and contouring can seem intimidating to some, and while it's a more advanced technique it's not out of reach for anyone if you have the right brushes. For contour, there are a few different styles of brushes. First, there's the angled brush like the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush or the Sigma F23. This brush would be more dense than the angled brush used for blush. Second, there's the rounded top brushes like the Morphe M437 or the Mac 109 Brush. These offer a more soft contour because the brush is less dense and more tapered than the angled brush. Now for highlight there's two main types I've noticed. First, the fan brush. Virtually every brand makes a fan brush, often times there's different sizes as well. Some basic ones include the Sigma F41, the Morphe M601, or the Mac 184. Second, there's the very fluffy tapered brush like the coveted Morphe M509 or the Sigma F03. This shape offers a more subtle highlight than the fan brush does because of it's tapered edge and how fluffy it is.

Now the brands I listed above are brands I've personally used and enjoyed. I know for a fact there are copious amounts of other brands offering the same style of brushes and the same quality. You can find other recommendations in youtube videos or other makeup forums like instagram. While these are the styles I've used or have seen other people use for these certain makeup products, that doesn't necessarily mean they can only be used for that. Makeup is an art and can bent to your will. Go to Ulta, Sephora, or your local drug store and browse the brushes there. I promise you'll find the perfect brush for you. Happy hunting!