One of the best makeup brush stories starts with calligraphy. According to CNN, the town of Kumano in Hiroshima Prefecture makes about 15 million brushes a year, roughly 80 percent of all brushes made in Japan. Brush making there goes back to the 19th century, and demand for calligraphy brushes grew once calligraphy became part of compulsory schooling. When that demand fell, many Kumano workshops turned to high-end makeup brushes, and the town still holds a brush festival every September.

You do not need a handmade brush to do good makeup, but the Kumano story explains what to look for in any makeup brush set: dense, soft bristles that pick up product evenly and do not shed, and heads shaped for one job. Most sets now use synthetic fibers, which work with liquids, creams and powders and wash easily.

The common mistake is buying a set for its size. Ten brushes you never use are clutter. Four or five good ones, a foundation or buffing brush, a powder brush, a cheek brush, a blending brush and a small detail brush, cover almost everything.

The first grid is face-and-eye sets, from a starter kit to handmade minis. The second is smaller and single-purpose sets, plus a cleaner. My tip: wash face brushes once a week with gentle soap, squeeze, reshape and dry them flat or bristles down, never upright, so water does not loosen the glue.

Real Techniques Everyday Essentials is the starter I would give anyone, and it has the most reviews in this grid. It has four brushes, for base, crease, blush and setting, plus a complexion sponge, all with soft synthetic bristles.

Sephora Collection has five sets here. The Starter Brush Set has six face and eye brushes for beginners. The Total Brush Set has eight brushes for a full face and eyes, for liquids, creams and powders. The 8 Piece PRO set has five vegan face brushes and three eye brushes in a clutch-style pouch, and the 5 Piece set comes in a burgundy pouch. Both are limited editions. Pillow Dream has three brushes and a blurring applicator in a soft, extra-large pouch, which makes it the easiest to travel with.

Natasha Denona HY-GLAM Cosmetic Brush Kit has six shed-free brushes with silky coated fibers, in a case you can pack.

Kraum Micro Brush Set is the special one. Industry veteran Annie Kreighbaum designed five brushes with unusually small heads, for pinpoint concealer, fine liner and single brow hairs, and each one is handmade in Kumano.

What I would skip: the biggest set if you mostly do a five-minute face. Pick Everyday Essentials or the Starter set and add one detail brush later, once you know which step you want to do better.

This grid is for when you already own the basics and want to fill a gap or travel light.

Sephora Collection The Face Brush Set has five synthetic brushes for a full-face routine, and The Eye Brush Set has four for shadow and liner. The Mini Face and Eye Brush Set is three small brushes in a travel bag. Real Techniques Kelli Anne Everything Eye set has five eye brushes made with makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell, including a dual-sided blending brush for cream and powder, and it has the best rating in this grid. Real Techniques Full Beat has four multi-use brushes for concealing, blending, setting and highlighting.

Makeup by Mario Face and Eye Trio is three dual-ended brushes with matte black handles in a nylon case. Laura Geller Face It All is two pieces, a retractable kabuki and a dual-ended blush and bronzer brush.

Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner Pro Starter Kit is the one to buy with any set. It removes dried-on makeup without water and comes with a tin for dipping, so you can switch colors on the same brush right away.

What I would skip: washing every brush every day. Weekly is enough for face brushes, and a quick swirl in a cleaner handles color changes in between.

I think a makeup brush set makes sense only if you use most of the brushes in it. Start with five: one for base, one for powder, one for cheeks, one for blending shadow and one small detail brush. Add a travel pouch if you move around, and a cleaner either way. If you want one beautiful tool, look at the Kumano-made minis. Brushes that are washed weekly and dried flat keep their shape for years, and a well-kept five-piece set will do more for your makeup than a new twelve-piece one.