Hello lovely ladies,
Today’s brush review is on the most iconic brushes of its time – the MAC 217. Everybody who is into makeup has either owned a MAC 217 at some point in their life or are lemming for it. It is MAC’s most-raved eye makeup brush. So, what really makes this brush so special. Let us find out.
Product Description:
For shading or blending of colour or creamy products. This brush has fine, densely packed fibers that are arranged in an oval shape. MAC professional brushes are hand-sculpted and assembled using the finest quality materials. They feature wood handles and nickel-plated brass ferrules.
Price:
INR 2000
My Experience with MAC 217 Blending Brush:
Packaging: MAC brushes come packed in a regular transparent BOPP sheath, without much fanfare.
Design: The brush is 17cm long has a black wooden handle and a nickel-plated brass ferrule.
Hair: Un-dyed goat hair
Hair Color: White.
To be used with: Can be used for powder or cream products.
Shape: The brush has a dense head which is pinched to create a fluffy, oval shape, which tapers at the top. The shape is that of a typical blending brush, something which can lay down colour as well as blend it and also work the crease.
Purpose: As the name suggests, essentially, it is a blending brush. The hair which are dense at the base and fluffy as it flairs out allow you to blend a product effectively. However, in use, It’s a jack-of-all-trades type of brush.
Application: As I said earlier – this is an iconic brush because you can pretty much do a whole eye look with just this brush. Hence, it is a HG brush for a lot of people. The brush shape gives you variety of edges which can effectively used to perform different tasks. The flatter (though fluffy) sides allow you to pick up product and lay it, which it does effectively for most good-quality shadows. It can pick up and lay down most matte and shimmer shades well on your eyelid. If it is one of those finicky shimmer shades which need to be used wet or need more work, you would be better off using a flat pony hair or synthetic brush instead.
The tip of the brush allows you to gently build colour – if that is what you are aiming at – when trying to build colour in the crease or in the outer V or your lower lash line. You can use the tip of the brush to also smudge and/or blend a cream product effectively, making it very popular tool in creating a MAC smokey eye look. The brush can be used to work the crease, build it or blend a transition shade – effectively replacing a crease brush. It can also be used to apply and simultaneously blend the colour on the brow bone. If required – it can also be used to set powder under the eye In a cinch, it can also be used to apply your highlighter.
In effect, it is a “Jack-of-all-trades” brush. It cuts down the need to have a crease brush, a brush to lay the eyeshadow on the lid and even for a detailed brush (to an extent). It is quite a workhorse.
While I am not averse to using this brush in dire circumstances – “dire” circumstances meaning my first preferred set and my second preferred set is not available (read “dirty); this is not the brush I reach for instinctively. For one, I find the bristles too scratchy. The goat hair bristles are not the finest grade, so you do feel the poke from time to time. Also, the brush splays a little due to its fluffiness, which results in them further poking. Apart from this, I find the brush a tad bit too fluffy for my taste. The fact that it isn’t less dense and more pinched at the ferrule makes it so fluffy. This results in the brush applying products in a more wider area than I intend. Hence, my preference for crease brushes of varying taper than using this for the crease. Lastly, for shimmer shades – while this may work for most shimmers, it won’t make them pop on the lid coz the brush is not stiff enough to pick sufficient product. So, a lot depends on your style of application.
Pros of MAC 217 Blending Brush:
- Well made, balanced brush.
- Natural goat hair.
- Medium softness of hair.
- Effective for its identified job.
- Does not shed hair on washing.
- Picks up, deposits, builds up and blends both matte and shimmer shades.
- Will last a long time if taken care of.
Cons of MAC 217 Blending Brush:
- The goat hair is not of the highest quality and that’s why tends to splay a little and can feel scratchy.
IMBB Rating:
4.5/5
So, while it may not be my preferred brush, here are some people who would appreciate MAC 217: MAC 217 will work excellently for you if your skin isn’t too sensitive or you haven’t tried ultra soft Japanese Fude. If you have been using Vega or Morphe or something, this is a huge step up. If you do not want to invest in a lot of brushes – let’s face it, they are expensive commodity (at least the well-made ones are!) – a multi-functional brush like MAC 217 comes to your rescue because it can multi-task. It is excellent for blending. If your style of makeup needs a lot of blending – keep one handy. You love your smoked liner look. Keep MAC 217 in your stash. It makes quick meal out of blending your gel/cream liner.
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