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Must-Have MAC Makeup Brushes
Makeup brushes are crucial in achieving your prettiest face -- they'll help your makeup go on better, appear more natural, and will allow you to create a variety of looks, from day to night. Whenever we've gone backstage at fashion shows during New York Fashion Week, there's one constant in all the makeup artists' kits: MAC brushes. MAC is universally acknowledged to make some of the highest-quality, longest lasting, best performing brushes on the market, but it can be confusing figuring out which brush to use! Here, your guide to the must-haves.
MAC 239 Eye Shading Brush (offered at $24.95)
Excellent for distributing a lot of color on lids and making eyeshadow appear very vibrant, the 239 is the brush to use for smokey eyes, bright purples and in-your-face blues, greens and pinks. It's also key for neutral eyeshadow bases and for anchor colors like taupe and bronze. The 239 is a multi-tasking, do-anything-to-your-eyes brush!
MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush (offered at $28)
The 224 is a soft-bristled must-have for blending eyeshadow. The fluffy, feather-light bristles help shade and soften colors, are critical for blending a smokey-eye look, and make shadow appear more natural and less painted on. It will be a crucial tool in your makeup arsenal!
MAC 219 Pencil Brush (offered at $23)
Another versatile brush that will become an indispensable part of your makeup arsenal. The 219 can be used to smudge eyeliner, which creates a smokey look, and is also excellent for applying eyeliner, blending shadow and liner in the crease, and working liner into the top and bottom lashes.
MAC 227 Large Fluff Brush (offered at $30)
When you're in a rush and don't have time for complicated eyeshadow brushes and procedures, the 227 will be your go-to item. It deposits a lot of color and has a wider head than most eyeshadow brushes, so use it to swipe on a few swatches of flattering neutral color over the lid and eye, all the way up to brows. It also works well as a highlighter brush on the brow bone when adding a light shade for a pop of shimmer or iridescence.
MAC 129 Blush Brush (offered at $34)
This is the industry standard blush brush. It's fluffy and soft, with tapered bristles that pick up a lot of color and blend it well into cheeks. Because of the size, it helps blush appear to melt into cheeks--so you get a lit-from-within glow, not that stripey 80's Robert Palmer look.
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Britknee said 10-30-2009 @1:28AM
I love #224 My favorite. It gives an airbrushed look with eyeshadows! I recommend it to everyone!
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ida said 10-29-2009 @7:09PM
if i have small brown eyes , what can i do to make them appear bigger and brighter ? love and peace ida
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Britknee said 10-30-2009 @1:37AM
Well what color is your hair? I have brown hair and medium, tan-ish skin and brown eyes. I use an eyeshadow by MAC (the only two mac products I own, the brush and this eyeshadow) the color is called CLUB, it's my favorite, I cannot live without it. I use just a regular eyeshadow makeup sponge stick and just do my eye lid with the color. I then use the #224 brush and go up to my eyebrow with the same color. The benefit with the brush is that it doesn't apply heavily it just gives it a subtle airbrush look. And if your a fan of smokey eyes then use this. It really makes my eyes look bigger.
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Cantrell Family said 10-29-2009 @4:20PM
Just remember those who buy these are supporting murder of animals for their fur used in making some of these brushes. Shame on you AOL for encouraging this! MAC is so overrated crap anyways!
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nherent said 10-29-2009 @4:51PM
i support the murder of animals when I am hungry.
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Stephanie said 10-29-2009 @6:40PM
Dear Cantrell Family,
Shut up.
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. said 10-29-2009 @6:40PM
Way to show justice to your family name. If you don't care about the brushes, why did you view this article in the first place. Shame on you for being so annoying.
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PharmDGirl said 11-28-2009 @9:05PM
While I do not personally own any MAC brushes, I do know that they claim not to slaughter animals to produce them. They only use hairs that are trimmed and groomed from live animals to make their brushes. If you are going to criticize a company's business practices, then know what you are talking about.
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MaryLou said 10-29-2009 @5:19PM
MAC is made by Estee Lauder----so why is it so much nicer? Lover the make-up and the sales personnel.
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John F. C. Taylor said 10-29-2009 @6:14PM
If I had a need for makeup brushes, I would definitely avoid anything featured in this article even if I was a fervent fan of this brand. Why? Simply because of the words "must have." I like to make my own choices. Any time I see "must have", it just sends me in the opposite direction.
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Stephanie said 10-29-2009 @6:49PM
They're not "must haves" for status reasons, they're listed as such because they are the brushes that give you the best results with the least effort. I've been doing makeup for almost 20 years now, and they're correct in saying these 5 brushes are all the everyday person needs in their kit, or on their vanity. Would you rather them lie and tell you that you need EVERY brush MAC makes?
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donna said 10-29-2009 @6:09PM
it
replys too heavey of a make for me
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SANDY 10842 said 11-19-2009 @9:59AM
replyI have searched for make-up brushes that won't SHED!! HAVING LITTLE BRUSH HAIRS STUCK TO YOUR FACE IS GROSS AND CONSTANT WASHING THE BRUSH ...HASN'T HELPED EITHER ANYONE ELSE HAVING THIS PROBLEM?
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MAC makup brush said 10-18-2010 @8:07AM
Your article is very impressive. I also like MAC, it is fantastic, make me more charm.
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