Part two of my favourite brushes segment. This post will detail my favourite eye brushes that I use daily.

Im still looking for the perfect crease brush- smaller and more precise/domed than the MAC 217 for intricate crease work. It sounds like MAC 226 is exactly this, but MAC enjoys my anguish so this was limited edition. If anyone has any suggestions on a brush that is of the above description, please let me know and I will be your friend forever

.Onto my favourite eye brushes!

ANDDDD a closeup of the brush heads

Left to right:
MAC 219
MAC 239
MAC 217
Bare Escentuals ‘Wet and Dry Eyeshadow’ brush
Illamasqua Angled eyeliner brush
TheMakeupStore 112 (smudge brush)
Stila #9 brush.

Why those brushes?

MAC 219- I have no idea what the intended purpose of this brush actually is. I bought it to smudge eyeliner on my upper and lower lash and found it awfully scratchy- I almost swapped it away on MakeupAlley. Thankfully I didn’t, because I discovered that it is great for intricate crease work and placing dark colours in the outer V. Even for this purpose it feels a little scratchy, but I can handle it.
Normally, I would use this brush *first* with a very dark colour (sometimes black) and place a little in the crease, then going over the crease with a 217 dabbed in a lighter colour to blend.
Overall, it does the job but I am looking for a better crease brush (like the one I described at the beginning of the post).

MAC 239- Overall, this is a good, flat eyeshadow brush that ‘packs on’ pigment. I don’t think it is gush-worthy, but it’s decent. I usually use this brush to apply pigments that I have mixed with Illamasqua sealing gel (to create a foiled effect). For this purpose it blends the wet pigment well and I get a dense layer of colour.
I like this better than some of my other flat brushes because it is softer- but most flat brushes will fit the bill (I’ve even seen makeup artists use flat concealer brushes for packing on pigment!).

MAC 217- Ahh…what to say about the mac 217. It’s the perfect blending brush. If I’m doing a dark purple smokey eye, I put a little light purple on a 217 and blend around the edges of the smokey eye to create the perfect gradient. For blending, it is second to none and I probably own about 5. Do I use it to place colour in the crease? Not really. I don’t find that it is small or domed enough for that purpose, although I will use it to build colour and blend around the crease.
Does that make sense? No? Go and buy a 217, it’s a great brush.

Bare Escentuals ‘Wet and Dry Eyeshadow’ brush- I’ll preface this by establishing that I do not like Bare Escentuals and I have given away every other BE product that I own. Besides this brush. It resembles the 239 because it is small and flat, but the hairs are much stiffer and darker in colour.
This is the *only* brush I’ve ever used that picks up fyrinnae pigment and packs it onto the lid. The MAC 239 was just too soft for this purpose and ate up all the fyrinnae pigment, whereas the BE brush does not. This brush is a little stiff and scratchy but softer brushes just don’t perform like this one does. I have no idea if they still sell this, but it’s definitely a winner for loose, sparkly shadows <3

Illamasqua angled liner brush- what I wanted the 266 to be. I use this to apply gel eyeliner- it is an angled liner brush that is smooth and tapered at the end (with no fraying) so that it can deliver the perfect, clean line. It is stiffer and more sturdy than the MAC 266, which looks flimsy in comparison.
My pictures aren’t great (couldnt get a good angle) but there are some pictures on google images if you want a closer look. This is synthetic, as are all illamasqua brushes.

TheMakeupStore 112 Smudge brush- pretty much the exact dupe of the NARS smudge brush. This is great for smudging eyeshadow on the lower lashline, for smudging eyeliner to create a softer look or for smudging black shadow into the base of the lashes (in place of liner). It is *super* soft and never scratchy, while depositing a good amount of shadow. It is tapered, so great for precise lashline work.
A really top quality brush, I use it daily and recommend that everyone own it (or the NARS smudge brush- there are other dupes out there but I cant comment on their softness or quality).

Stila #9- I believe this is similar to a MAC 224. It is soft and fluffy and perfect for setting undereye concealer. I apply YSL Touche Eclat (yeah, hate on, it’s a good product) on the undereye area, pat with a finger to blend and then take my Stila #9 (dabbed into Laura Mercier Secret brightening powder) and dust over. This is the perfect combo to deflect from any shadows and makes me look wide awake- I should mention that I do not suffer from undereye circles and this might not work as well for people who do.
I also find that setting undereye concealer with the LM powder also stops any eyemakup from migrating around the eyes- my eye makeup lasts all day and I never have fallout during the day, either.
Back to the brush- it is perfect for setting undereye concealer but I probably wouldn’t use it for blending eyeshadow- it’s too large and fluffy and you’ll probably end up with an overblended mess.

If anyone has questions about anything above, comment below or email me at karima_tebe_voli@hotmail.com

xxkarima