We're always mesmerized watching makeup artists pull the seemingly hundreds of brushes out of their beauty bag of tricks. But while we find their massive brush collections to be fascinating, the majority of us will never need (or use) all the brushes the average makeup artist might have on hand. For the sake of counter space and our bank accounts, we'll just stick with the essentials. And we'll let you in on a little secret ... You can do plenty with these four face makeup brushes and four eye makeup brushes.

Face

Foundation Brush: A synthetic brush with flexible bristles and tapered edges to reach all contours of the face. Use it to apply liquid or cream foundations. It can also be used to apply and blend cream blushes or cheek stains.

Blusher: A soft, medium-full round brush. Use it to apply loose or pressed powder blush. Or use just the very tip to apply a light highlight color.

Bronzing Brush: A big, fluffy brush with loosely packed bristles. Use it with loose or pressed bronzing powders to bring warmth to the face. A brush this size can also be used for powder foundations and setting powders.

Concealer/Lip Brush: A synthetic brush with bristles that come to a soft point. In the interest of efficiency, use this brush for concealer and lip color - just be sure to clean it in between uses.

Eyes

Eye Shadow Brush: A tapered, flat brush. Use it to apply eye shadow to eyelid and crease.

Eye Shadow Blender: A small, fluffy brush with a rounded tip. Use it to diffuse and blend shadow.

Smudger: A small, flat brush with densely packed bristles. Use it to smudge out eyeliner.

Slanted Brush: An angled brush with slightly rounded edges. It's more narrow than the eye shadow brush for more controlled application.

What are your essential brushes? Did one of your staples not make the list? Tell us below!