The brushes are handmade and are cruelty-free. These are designed for both powder and creams. They're unbelievably soft and layer product beautifully without disturbing what's underneath. There are certain uses for each one, but you can use each of them for almost anything: powder, blush, creams, highlight, etc. Brush 16 Large Eyeshadow Crease Brush Brush 17 Eye Shadow Crease Brush Brush 18 Eye Shadow Blending Brush Brush 19 Eye Shadow Precision Blending Brush Brush 20 Eye Shadow Smudging Brush 16 is a skinny tapered brush that you can use to sweep product all over the lids, it fluffs out a bit after you use it 17 is similar to 16, but 17 is shorter and a tiny bit smaller with less of a point, this is a good blending brush 18 is the widest that resembles the M*C217 in shape and size, the softness is something you have to touch to really understand, it's the perfect all over wash brush for me 19 is a slim tapered brush. It's great for precise blending and detail application 20 is a smaller version of 19 and the 20 is perfect for a soft smokey eye to line/smudge, it really doesn't seem like it would work for that because of the length, but it's just perfect