A kabuki brush - sometimes called a mushroom brush - has dense bristles and a short stem. The head is usually rounded, but some are flat. It can be made with both natural and synthetic bristles. It is used to apply loose powder makeup, especially to larger areas. Use it with powder foundations, blush and face powder. It is a popular brush, because it can replace the powder brush, foundation brush, mineral powder brush and blush brush. If you have a limited amount of space or money to purchase materials, this is a brush you should choose for your collection. A Powder brush is a must have in your beauty supplies. Make sure to get a medium size. Some Powder brushes are dual purpose, as a blush brush and a powder brush. You can use it for bronzers, powders and blush. Use the flat part of the brush to apply the products and the tip of the brush for the creases at the eyes. The best way to use the Angled Blush brush, is to use it with the flat side of the brush and the angled tip, closest to the temple or the ear. Use brush strokes towards the cheek. When using a bronzer, work outwards. Do it in sweeping motions that are light around the facial perimeters. This brush is perfect for contouring and sculpting with precision. To create the contour, run it along both sides of the nose from the brow towards the tip of the nose. Starting near the back and moving towards the centre, lay the brush on the cheeks in the hollow. The skin underneath the eye is thin and most people have dark circles under their eyes, because of the way the eyes are set in the head. Therefore, concealer is important for under the eyes and to cover up blemishes. The concealer brush is useful for applying concealer. Put a small amount of concealer on the back of your hand. Dot the concealer with the brush. Dot the concealer, with the brush, onto the surrounding parts of the eyes. Pull the concealer into the nose and then back out again. Dot the concealer until it blends in. Then swipe it under the dark circle. Go from the outside of the eye, under the dark circle area and then inside. This will reduce the look of "racoon eyes". Concealer can be applied before or after the foundation, but you need to make sure that you blend it in. Stroke back and forth or dot, but do not pull or rub, because it will damage the skin. Angled eyeshadow brushes are great for taking care of spotty and sparse eyebrows. They can be used to fill them in and make them look defined. Swipe the brush across the eyeshadow and dot it along the brow. Use a medium or dark brown eyeshadow for brunettes. Taupe looks great for red or blond hair. Charcoal or silver is good for grey hair. Brush in the direction of the brow. Extend to the edge of the eye, then brush on the eyeshadow. Use a tissue to pat the eyebrow, to remove any excess eyeshadow. Blending your makeup gives you a flawless and natural looking finish. Blending brushes have soft, synthetic bristles that are packed densely. The top is rounded, so that it can blend gently. They come in various sizes for different parts of the face. Use a smaller blending brush - about the size of a pinkie nail - for a smoky crease. Dip the tip of the brush into an eyeshadow with a matte finish and then tap off the excess colour. This will allow you to blend the colour into the crease. Start at the crease and then sweep it along the crease. Go towards the centre of the eye, like a windshield wiper. You can use a smaller brush to sweep over the complete eyelid, so that you can soften the various colours. Take a clean and dry brush and sweep it over the eyelid in a circular motion, to soften the hard lines. You can also use a small blending brush to blend in a dark cream eyeliner, from the lash to the line, in an upward motion. This will give a smoky gradient colour. Larger blending brushes are used to soften and smooth. They have soft bristles and a rounded top. These larger brushes are around an inch wide and have a dome shape with the bristles packed tightly together. This is a perfect size for blending the areas under the eyes, or where you want to soften the makeup on the face. Dot on a liquid or cream concealer, using the tip of a dry and clean blending brush. Buff the area with the brush, using short dash strokes, to put it in place. Now sweep from the middle of the face, towards the outside. Make sure that it is even and then blend it, using gentle and circular motions. The large blending brush works towards softening the makeup and the blush, along the jaw and hair line. After finishing applying the makeup, twirl a large, clean blending brush along the cheeks, nose, hair line and jaw line. This will help to soften sharp edges. If you are after a matte finish, dip it in a loose-setting lightweight powder, which will help keep it all day. The Smudge brush works well for smudging dense colour bursts and can blend the kohl liner or an extremely pigmented shadow. It is a great way to apply colour, without having to worry about a mess. The bristles are dense and round in shape. Therefore, it is great for applying eyeliner or shadow. Smudge or blend the makeup, so that the lines are not harsh. This will give it a softer look. Brush over the line several times, until it is blended and has the desired look. You should purchase a set of Smudge brushes, to have a large array of brushes. Some sets come in nice carrying cases. Disgard the ones you don’t use or like. You can purchase brushes individually or in a set. Natural brushes work best with dry products and synthetic brushes work best for cream and liquid products. Make sure that you have a foundation or powder brush, a flat concealer brush, a blush brush with loose bristles, a flat highlighter brush, an angled brow brush and an eyebrow brush. From there, you can keep adding to your collection. However, it is hard to start without these essential brushes. Throw a pack a Q-tips into your order of brushes and you will have everything you really need.