Review: MAC 217 Brush
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Thu May 15, 2008 4:06 pm

I initially bought this brush for eye make up use, but had some buyers remorse. So I went on makeupalley to look at reviews to help justify my purchase. Very Happy

Some of the reviewers said that it was great for applying concealer. I have a lot of acne marks and scars on my face right now and have had a hell of a time trying to hide them. I even went out and bought a new concealer in hopes that it would be better than my old concealers! So I decided that eye make-up could wait and used it for concealing.

Verdict?

This brush is amazing! This brush took so much of the arm-work out of concealing these spots, it took half the amount of time to conceal my problem areas (half my face!) and concealed better than me using fingers or other brushes. I seriously couldn't believe the difference. Last Friday, it took half an hour of applying concealer and even then you could see the dark marks beneath my foundation. Today it only took 10 minutes! You can only see the bumps (which is a surfacing issue that can't be covered by concealer) and not the discoloration. And actually, the bumps appear to be smaller than they really are!!

The only bummer about using it for concealer is that now I might have to go out and buy another for my original intended use for it - to put on eye shadow! Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Thu May 15, 2008 6:19 pm

Hi Saucy~ I'm not too familiar w/the 217 brush; however, I was wondering if you have ever tried Laura Mercier Secret Camoflage? I really like it as a concealer...it covers very well...Just a recommendation. If you're ever at Nordstroms or something, you may want to stop by the Laura Mercier counter. If you ever want to switch/try a new concealer.

free skin care · Thu May 15, 2008 10:29 pm

MAC makes awesome brushes! I have the 190 one and I love it. Totally worth it for the flawless finish it produces.

Fri May 16, 2008 6:22 am

gellys wrote:

Hi Saucy~ I'm not too familiar w/the 217 brush; however, I was wondering if you have ever tried Laura Mercier Secret Camoflage? I really like it as a concealer...it covers very well...Just a recommendation. If you're ever at Nordstroms or something, you may want to stop by the Laura Mercier counter. If you ever want to switch/try a new concealer.

Thanks for the recommendation! I will definitely be checking it out. At the rate I was burning through my concealer, I feel like I will need some more in the near future.

Fri May 16, 2008 6:24 am

Nimue wrote:

MAC makes awesome brushes! I have the 190 one and I love it. Totally worth it for the flawless finish it produces.

I am new to the world of brushes and am slowly trying to build my collection. I will definitely check out the 190 when I go back to liquid foundations, which will probably be soon since MMU is leaving me wanting.

free skin care · Fri May 16, 2008 12:45 pm

How much is this brush? Where can one purchase it?

free skin care · Fri May 16, 2008 2:22 pm

Saucy wrote:

Nimue wrote:

MAC makes awesome brushes! I have the 190 one and I love it. Totally worth it for the flawless finish it produces.

I am new to the world of brushes and am slowly trying to build my collection. I will definitely check out the 190 when I go back to liquid foundations, which will probably be soon since MMU is leaving me wanting.

It's supposed to be a foundation brush but I don't wear foundation and use it for concealer. I also have their brush that's supposed to be for eye concealer but I prefer the 190 brush.

free skin care · Fri May 16, 2008 2:23 pm

ruk1 wrote:

How much is this brush? Where can one purchase it?

I purchased my MAC stuff at the MAC counter at Macy's. I think that the brushes range 20-40$ but I could be wrong.

Fri May 16, 2008 5:52 pm

ruk1 wrote:

How much is this brush? Where can one purchase it?

I got the 217 brush at the MAC store at a local mall. It was $22.50 USD - kinda pricey, but well worth it to not have my acne marks showing through my concealer and foundation. Plus, I hear MAC brushes last a long time Smile

Fri May 16, 2008 5:55 pm

Nimue wrote:

Saucy wrote:

Nimue wrote:

MAC makes awesome brushes! I have the 190 one and I love it. Totally worth it for the flawless finish it produces.

I am new to the world of brushes and am slowly trying to build my collection. I will definitely check out the 190 when I go back to liquid foundations, which will probably be soon since MMU is leaving me wanting.

It's supposed to be a foundation brush but I don't wear foundation and use it for concealer. I also have their brush that's supposed to be for eye concealer but I prefer the 190 brush.

You must have great skin to not have to wear foundation - so jealous! Smile

I'm definitely going back to MAC next week, just as soon as I get paid!

free skin care · Fri May 16, 2008 8:39 pm

Saucy wrote:

You must have great skin to not have to wear foundation - so jealous! Smile

I'm definitely going back to MAC next week, just as soon as I get paid!

Thanks!

It's weird though- although I don't exactly wear foundation by choice, currently I make my own mix of a tinted physical sunscreen in order to deal with the white cast. So I sorta wear foundation. I just want to say- going to a make up counter right after getting paid is a bad habit!

free skin care · Sat May 17, 2008 9:36 pm

Saucy wrote:

ruk1 wrote:

How much is this brush? Where can one purchase it?

I got the 217 brush at the MAC store at a local mall. It was $22.50 USD - kinda pricey, but well worth it to not have my acne marks showing through my concealer and foundation. Plus, I hear MAC brushes last a long time Smile

If you shampoo a MAC brush monthly, and use the Brush Cleaner frequently, MAC brushes can last over 5 years. I have brushes that are about the old. Smile

Sun May 18, 2008 11:37 am

Nemo!AtTheDisco wrote:

Saucy wrote:

ruk1 wrote:

How much is this brush? Where can one purchase it?

I got the 217 brush at the MAC store at a local mall. It was $22.50 USD - kinda pricey, but well worth it to not have my acne marks showing through my concealer and foundation. Plus, I hear MAC brushes last a long time Smile

If you shampoo a MAC brush monthly, and use the Brush Cleaner frequently, MAC brushes can last over 5 years. I have brushes that are about the old. Smile

Wow! Now I'm even more excited about the brush! I can't wait until I don't have to use it for concealing and can use it for its original purpose (for my e/s).

free skin care · Sun May 18, 2008 5:10 pm

I use this brush in conjunction with 219(the pencil brush). Use 219 to put dark shadow in your creases and then 217 to blend the dark with the lighter colour on my lid. Essential brush imho.

free skin care · Thu May 22, 2008 6:49 am

Katsey wrote:

I use this brush in conjunction with 219(the pencil brush). Use 219 to put dark shadow in your creases and then 217 to blend the dark with the lighter colour on my lid. Essential brush imho.

Another great suggestion is the brush 222. It's like the 219 Pencil Brush & the 217 Blending brush had a baby. It's a longer, but thinly tapered blending brush. Amazing for defining the crease, with precision. You can achieve a great variety of applications with 222.

free skin care · Thu May 22, 2008 10:48 am

I loooove my 217. I also have all the Heirloom brushes from the holiday set. They seem not as good as the regular ones, especially the 217 SE. Some MAC artists say the ones in the set are machine made, which is why they're not the same, but some say they're all handmade.

Pursebuzz on YouTube did a review of a NYX brush that's similar to the 222. She said it was a good substitute.
NYX is an awesome brand whose shadows are comparable to MAC in pigmentation, but you get 3 for $6. And they fit in the Mac Pro palattes.

http://www.cherryculture.com/cosmetics/makeup/nyx-cosmetics/nyx-professional-crease-brush/16891&cat=0&page=1

http://www.cherryculture.com/cosmetics/makeup/nyx-cosmetics/nyx-eyeshadow-trio/16134&cat=0&page=1

free skin care · Thu May 22, 2008 4:26 pm

my sushi secret wrote:

I loooove my 217. I also have all the Heirloom brushes from the holiday set. They seem not as good as the regular ones, especially the 217 SE. Some MAC artists say the ones in the set are machine made, which is why they're not the same, but some say they're all handmade.

Pursebuzz on YouTube did a review of a NYX brush that's similar to the 222. She said it was a good substitute.
NYX is an awesome brand whose shadows are comparable to MAC in pigmentation, but you get 3 for $6. And they fit in the Mac Pro palattes.

http://www.cherryculture.com/cosmetics/makeup/nyx-cosmetics/nyx-professional-crease-brush/16891&cat=0&page=1

http://www.cherryculture.com/cosmetics/makeup/nyx-cosmetics/nyx-eyeshadow-trio/16134&cat=0&page=1

The Holiday/Anniversary Brush-sets are machine made, and not the same quality as the individual brushes. If it has SE in the name [eg. SE217] it means its Special Edition and Machine made.

HTH!

free skin care · Sat May 24, 2008 3:35 pm

Nemo!AtTheDisco wrote:

The Holiday/Anniversary Brush-sets are machine made, and not the same quality as the individual brushes. If it has SE in the name [eg. SE217] it means its Special Edition and Machine made.

Nemo, you are a wealth of info! Thanks for sharing all the great scoop! Very Happy

free skin care · Sat May 24, 2008 8:36 pm

bethany wrote:

Nemo!AtTheDisco wrote:

The Holiday/Anniversary Brush-sets are machine made, and not the same quality as the individual brushes. If it has SE in the name [eg. SE217] it means its Special Edition and Machine made.

Nemo, you are a wealth of info! Thanks for sharing all the great scoop! Very Happy

I'm a product specialist for MAC, so I get all the inside scoop. Plus, my boyfriend is the Regional Make-up Artist for MAC New England. If you have any MAC related questions, I guarantee I can answer them.

Smile

free skin care · Sat May 24, 2008 8:38 pm

Nemo!AtTheDisco wrote:

bethany wrote:

Nemo!AtTheDisco wrote:

The Holiday/Anniversary Brush-sets are machine made, and not the same quality as the individual brushes. If it has SE in the name [eg. SE217] it means its Special Edition and Machine made.

Nemo, you are a wealth of info! Thanks for sharing all the great scoop! Very Happy

I'm a product specialist for MAC, so I get all the inside scoop. Plus, my boyfriend is the Regional Make-up Artist for MAC New England. If you have any MAC related questions, I guarantee I can answer them.

Smile

You should start a MAC thread!!!

free skin care · Sat May 24, 2008 8:53 pm

bethany wrote:

Nemo!AtTheDisco wrote:

bethany wrote:

Nemo!AtTheDisco wrote:

The Holiday/Anniversary Brush-sets are machine made, and not the same quality as the individual brushes. If it has SE in the name [eg. SE217] it means its Special Edition and Machine made.

Nemo, you are a wealth of info! Thanks for sharing all the great scoop! Very Happy

I'm a product specialist for MAC, so I get all the inside scoop. Plus, my boyfriend is the Regional Make-up Artist for MAC New England. If you have any MAC related questions, I guarantee I can answer them.

Smile

You should start a MAC thread!!!

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?p=373270#373270

And I did! Enjoy!

Mon May 26, 2008 11:33 am

Nemo!AtTheDisco wrote:

Katsey wrote:

I use this brush in conjunction with 219(the pencil brush). Use 219 to put dark shadow in your creases and then 217 to blend the dark with the lighter colour on my lid. Essential brush imho.

Another great suggestion is the brush 222. It's like the 219 Pencil Brush & the 217 Blending brush had a baby. It's a longer, but thinly tapered blending brush. Amazing for defining the crease, with precision. You can achieve a great variety of applications with 222.

I loved when you said that it's like the two brushes had a baby. LOL. I'll put it on my list. I went out last weekend and got the 187, but haven't really experimented with it yet. BTW, thanks so much for the colored hair shampoo tip on the MAC thread. I've just been using the MAC cleanser, so it's good to know what else I should be using to keep my brushes in top condition.

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