Latest MACquisitions: #239 Eye Shading Brush -- spending over $20 on a brush DOES make a HUGE difference

Hello loves! Another MAC post today. I am on a roll! So, thanks to the Mister, I now own my first MAC brush! Now, I actually have MANY eyeshadow brushes... but nothing expensive and I don't really use them because I find sponge-tip applicators so much easier for packing on the color. When I try with brushes, it just didn't work for me. But I've always had the nagging desire to nab myself a MAC brush since I've heard so many good things about them.

So, I am finally convinced that spending a ridiculous amount on a single brush can be worth it. VERY worth it, in fact. Here is the MAC #239 Eye Shading Brush, $24.50:

Super luxuriously soft white goat hairs.

Flat, slightly domed shape.


Side width:

MAC says:

"Soft and dense to shade or blend eye shadow or emollient-based products. This brush has a tapered, rounded edge with smooth, firm, fine fibres. It can be used to build intense colour on the eyelid. M·A·C professional brushes are hand-sculpted and assembled using the finest quality materials. They feature wood handles and nickel-plated brass ferrules. 17 cm."

This brush is a godsend.

It is a do-it-all brush and has currently replaced my need for sponge-tip applicators and almost all other brushes I've currently been using to do my eye makeup.

I can do my everyday eye look using this single brush:

The MAC #239 Eye Shading brush can...

• Lay down the eyeshadow like no other... easily builds pigmentation
• Picks up even powdery, shimmery shadows and pats them down with no trouble
• Apply a highlight below the brow
• Pack on color right where you want it
• Soften hard edges
• Blend, blend, blend!

So, while using sponge-tip applicators and drugstore brushes is a whole lot cheaper, I think it's a good idea to invest in at least one MAC eyeshadow brush in your lifetime... and this seems to be an excellent brush to start with! It is so multi-purpose and really eliminates the need for my to use other brushes.

The bristles are SO soft, but dense. The brush easily picks up eyeshadow... so far I've been using it with even powdery drugstore brand eyeshadow and it still picks up the shadow and packs it on with intense pigmentation -- something my other eyeshadow brushes can't do.

I can also use this brush to apply my highlight below the brow, and for softening harsh edges and blending shades together perfectly. I normally use my EcoTools eyeshadow brush for highlighting and one of my Kirkland brushes for blending, but the 239 can do it all -- no need for me to switch brushes! I can also pick up eyeshadow on the tip of the brush and it precisely packs on the shadow just where I want it -- something I normally need to do with sponge-tip applicators.

This brush is also a great size for my eyes. I have smaller eyelids, so most of my other flat eyeshadow brushes are too large and I find the application is too messy when I try to use them. This brush is on the smaller side, so I think it would be great for asian eyes!

So overall, I love this brush and I think it's worth the hefty price tag because it can do so much. Definitely worth investing in!