Hi friends!
April’s Brand Spotlight is on MAC Cosmetics, one of the first makeup brands I ever used and loved. In today’s post I’m taking you on a tour of my mini MAC brush collection! These are probably some of, if not, the oldest brushes in my possession. I’m talking over 15 years old or more (#truth). To catch up on the previous posts in this month’s feature, I’ve included links directly below for your convenience.
Read this: Introducing April’s Brand Spotlight on MAC
Read this: MAC Paint Pots – my most used product of all time
When I first started experimenting with makeup, I only focused on my eyes. Eyeshadow was so exciting and adventurous to me! So for that reason all of my MAC brushes are for the eyes. (I’ve never owned any face or lip brushes from them that I can recall.) About 40% of my collection is inherited from my mom who kindly aided me in my early introduction to makeup all those years ago. The rest were purchased by myself.
Left to right: 219, 239, 217 (new), 266, & 217 (older).
I think it’s a testament to the quality of MAC brushes that after so many years (and many cleanings) they’re still usable and effective at their purpose. So without further delay, let me take you through the brushes!
MAC 219 SYNTHETIC PENCIL BRUSH
Like a lot of small pencil brushes, the 219 is great for smudging shadows & liners out along the lash line. It could also be used in small areas on the eye for more concentrated blending. For instance, I use this brush a lot when I want to blend out darker colors along the outer corner of my eye. You get a greater concentration of color when you use a small brush like this.
However, I will warn that this brush definitely gets scratchy over time and it can stain a bit if you use bright shadows. I now use this gently on my eyelid only, as I find using it on my lower lash line a bit too irritating.
Shop this brush here.
MAC 239 SYNTHETIC EYE SHADER BRUSH
This is one of the original brushes in my MAC collection that dates back ages. I love this one dearly and still use it quite frequently. It’s great for packing eyeshadow onto your lid; if you don’t know what that is, it’s pushing shadow onto your lid as opposed to swiping it or buffing it on. This allows for a greater intensity of color or texture. It’s got a flat, paddle shape which makes it perfect for this purpose. So when you want to place color very specifically or get the most out of your bright or metallic shadows, use this baby.
Shop this brush here.
MAC 217 SYNTHETIC BLENDING BRUSH
This brush is hall-of-fame worthy. I’ve had a 217 in my collection since the very beginning, and I think a lot of people have. Both makeup lovers and makeup artists alike. It’s the ultimate eye blending brush, so when you want to blend your next smokey eye to perfection make sure you have one of these in your stash (or a dupe). It has a great tapered cut, so it fits snugly into the crease of your eye. I actually have two 217’s in my collection now; the older one is less fluffy than the newer one for obvious reasons but it’s still very usable. You can also use a brush like this for base products as well. I’ve seen many makeup artists use this to softly blend out their concealer under the eyes or around the face.
Shop this brush here.
MAC 266 SYNTHETIC SMALL ANGLE BRUSH
This brush is great for precision work along the lash line, since its angled cut makes it perfect to hug the contours of your eye. If you want to shade the lash line with powder, gel or liquid liner, this is very user-friendly. When I first learned to apply liner, I used this brush. I still use it to this day, and it’s what I used to create the wing in my winged eyeliner look during the Capsule Makeup Series back in March.
The only drawback I can think of is using it on the lower lash line; I struggle to make it work there and usually end up poking myself in the eye! So if you’re clumsy like me, just use it on your upper eyelid to create a nice definition.
Shop this brush here.
Read this: Winged Eyeliner Look | Capsule Makeup Series
I hope you’ve enjoyed this tour of my MAC brush collection! What are some of your favorite brushes, either from MAC or other brands? I’d love to know!
xo, Erica
PIN IT!
I am in desperate need of new brushes! I’m using my old Avon brushes and I really like them, but I’d rather not get my brushes from them any more. I used e.l.f. brushes for a while and I’m glad they’re cheap because the bristles come out easily.
I haven’t tried many e.l.f. brushes, but I always heard they were quite good for the price so that’s interesting. I’ve tried high-end brushes that shed, which is the sad truth! I really rate MAC brushes very well; they last forever and the quality is just so good. The prices are extremely fair in my opinion for what you’re getting.
I love MAC brushes. My daughter brought me the angled brush a number of years back and I am hooked. It’s perfect for the eye liner and creating that wing. I am so the same way that I cannot use it on the bottom so I just leave it. As always great review!!
Thanks Devinder! I love that little angled brush; so useful!