The best makeup brushes to update your makeup routine

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The foundation sponge for a flawless finish

The EcoTools Foam Applicator is your liquid foundation's new best friend. Dampen the brush with water, then dip it into in your foundation (getting the brush damp first prevents the brush from sucking up too much foundation). Use the curved end to apply all over your face, the slanted edge to stipple over problem areas, and the pointed tip to get the hard to reach spots -- like around your nose.

Clean the brush after every use. (Yes, every time.) Squirt a tiny bit of mild face soap in the palm of your hand and dot the brush in the soap. Squeeze the brush, rinse with water, and lay flat to dry.

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Nothing says "I'm wearing foundation" louder than a streaky application, and we know those flat foundation brushes are often the culprit. Say hello to the vibrating foundation applicator. This battery-powered sponge from POP Beauty was designed to be used with the brand's CC Cream, but you can use it to buff on your favorite liquid, cream or powder foundation. And, although it's too soon to see these results from our testing, the makers claim the sponge is anti-bacterial and the good vibrations also de-puff and improve circulation. To clean, you can remove the sponge top and wash it with soap and water. And, bonus, it comes with a backup sponge so you're not left without while it dries.

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Yep, this is The Brush That Changed Everything for me. The bristles on this Sephora Collection Pro Airbrush Concealer brush are the perfect length for buffing out concealer under eyes -- just dot (or smear) concealer to your under eye and blend using small, circular motions. It's even small enough to blend out concealer around blemishes for natural-looking coverage. I'll never use a flat concealer brush again. Period.

This is a do-it-all kind of brush. In a pinch, it can be used to blend eye shadow. I've also used this little wonder to apply cream, liquid and powder highlighter to cheeks, in the inner corner of eyes, and under the brow bone. I've even used it to apply a matte bronzer around my nose for Kim K-style contouring.

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Kabuki brushes are a staple in most makeup bags, but the slanted shape of this brush from The Body Shop takes contouring to another level. The slant may look a little intimidating, but it's super easy to use. Just place it on your cheeks (with the point facing your ear) and use circular (not straight) motions to sweep on bronzer for a contoured look. The large size and slanted shape make this kabuki a great tool for swiping shimmer and bronzer onto legs and décolletage for extra glow and contouring.

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If you're still using a powder brush to apply your blush (I was guilty of this until a couple years ago), consider taking an angled blush brush (like this one from Sephora) for a spin. The angled shape sweeps along the contours of your face and makes blush pop. Swirl the brush in your blush of choice, tap off excess, and apply it in short strokes along your cheekbone. The dense, shorter hairs on this brush mean more control over the placement of your blush and the amount of color that goes on your cheeks.

Here's the ugly truth about makeup for most of us: you can spend a fortune on the best products, but if you're using the wrong tools to apply it, your makeup will never have the flawless look you expect from a $75 foundation. I had this epiphany recently. I was wandering through Sephora (because it's my happy place) and there it was: the giant display of makeup brushes. The one that takes up an entire row; the one I usually walk right past. But I've had profound doubts about my makeup lately, so I stopped to browse. What, exactly, does a Brush #57 do? Is that funny egg-shaped sponge worth a few bucks?

I'm not prone to hyperbole, so I won't say the teeny concealer blending brush (a.k.a. #57) I bought changed my life, but I will say the blending and coverage it offers is 10 times better than anything I've ever done with my fingers or the little flat brush I used before, and I was using the same exact concealer I've always used. Little 'ol #57 changed my entire view on makeup brushes and kick-started this foray into discovering the other brushes I've been missing out on. If you're looking to update your makeup brush set, see how one or two new brushes and can make over your makeup routine.

You Really Need (OK, Want) These Makeup Brushes

See how one or two new brushes can completely make over your makeup routine

The foundation sponge for a flawless finish

Seriously, a vibrating foundation brush

The fluffy concealer brush

The chubby kabuki for sculpting

The blush brush for serious cheekbones

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