“The biggest misconception about brushes is that you need a hundred of them,” says the makeup artist Diane Kendal, who’s also the creative director of Rabanne Beauty. “Unless you’re a pro, it’s better to have only a handful and wash them regularly.” The New York-based makeup artist Linda Gradin estimates that most people need just three to seven brushes for everyday use — to even out the skin, add some color to the cheeks and create simple, well-defined eye looks. The best ones can also do double duty; you can apply lipstick with a small, angled eyeliner brush, for example. And while putting on makeup with your fingers can be great — skin-to-skin contact warms formulas, helping them to blend easily — you need brushes if you’re looking for polish and precision. Here’s a breakdown of the essential styles to have on hand, and how to clean them.

Foundation

If you prefer powder foundation, a medium-size brush with loose bristles, such as Real Techniques’ Ultra Plush Powder Makeup Brush, can evenly distribute the product for a matte, but not caky, finish. Tightly packed options like Westman Atelier’s Clean Foundation Brush are the most effective at moving liquid and cream formulas across the skin, without absorbing too much product or causing it to streak. And a note that while beauty sponges work well for creating a high-coverage, airbrushed finish, they also hold on to more bacteria and dead skin than brushes; save them for the occasional, formal event.

Concealer

When covering up tiny blemishes or hyperpigmentation, many people “go wrong [by] putting too much product on,” says the makeup artist Lauren Parsons, which can cause caking and bring more attention to the area. Instead, conceal precisely by using a small-tipped brush, such as Westman Atelier’s Spot Check Brush.

To cover up slightly larger areas like under-eye circles, or to contour intricate places like your nose, try a bigger brush with a doe-foot tip, such as Rare Beauty’s Liquid Touch Concealer Brush. That type of applicator blends well and can even help “sheer out product into a tinted moisturizer texture,” Parsons says.

Cheeks

A good blush and bronzer brush should help you build different levels of color intensity, from a diffused look to a bold flush. Artis’s large, rounded Elite Oval 7 is shaped like the apples of the cheeks, allowing you to add a layer of pigment in one swipe — and it works with cream, liquid and powder formulas. If you’re only dabbing on cream or liquid, then Hourglass’s No. 15 Blush Brush will get the job done. Alternatively, Patrick Ta’s Dual-Ended Blush Brush has both a powder side, with loose bristles and a rounded shape, and a cream or liquid side that’s dense and a little flatter at the top.

Eyes

You can create a variety of eye makeup looks with just four basic brush types.

• A broad, tapered brush such as Surratt Beauty’s Large Classic Shadow Brush is a good choice for sweeping a single shade over the entire lid or blending a dark color into the outer edges to add definition. The tapered end creates some resistance against the skin, Gradin says, making it easier to direct eye shadow.

• A small, fluffy brush like Hourglass’s No. 4 Crease Brush is best for adding dimension to the creases with dark, neutral colors or creating a smoky eye.

• For precise application of shadow or gel liner, a “skinny edge can get into small areas like the lower lash line,” Kendal says. Try a slanted brush such as MAC’s 263 Synthetic Small Angle Brush, which can also be used for filling in your eyebrows.

• “The biggest thing that can change a face with minimal effort is just brushing your eyebrows up,” says Parsons. Use a spoolie like MAC’s 204 Lash Brush to lift and shape them.

How Do I Clean My Brushes?

“Most people don’t clean their brushes anywhere near enough,” says Kendal. But product buildup can hinder their performance and cause inflammation and breakouts, says Parsons. She and Gradin both recommend cleaning brushes every other week. Here’s a simple and effective routine:

• Pour a nickel-size amount of a mild, nonperfumed soap such as Johnson’s Head-to-Toe Baby Wash into your palm.

• Run the brush’s bristles under water and “wash the brush softly [against your palm],” says Gradin, with back-and-forth or circular motions. Repeat until the brush rinses clear.

• Squeeze and lightly shape the bristles with your hands to remove as much water as you can.

• Leave the brush to dry completely on a paper towel or cloth. “It should be laid flat so that water doesn’t drain into the ferrule” — the metal ring below the bristles — “and loosen the adhesive” says Kendal.

Use an antibacterial spray, like Sephora’s Daily Brush Cleaner, between washes and store your brushes in a separate case from the rest of your makeup so the bristles don’t get damaged by other tools, says Gradin. A good option is Kevyn Aucoin’s convertible Beauty Pochette. “But it could just be a regular pen case,” she adds.

Makeup by Linda Gradin at L’Atelier. Model: Alexis Brookins at Supreme. Video edit by Bobby Davidson. Photo assistant: Timothy Mulcare