I have heard so much hype about the MAC 217 Blending Brush but amazingly, I’ve never tried one until my lovely friend Zoë surprised me one. There’s no denying that MAC brushes are pretty pricey, but I just couldn’t justify paying £20 for one when my favourite Zoeva blending brush (221 Luxe Soft Crease Brush) is only £6.95, so I was thrilled when I was finally able to try one for myself to see what they hype was all about. MAC describe the 217 brush as being ideal for shading or blending of colour or creamy products, with fine densely packed fibres which are shaped into an oval. The brush has a black wooden handle, and a nickel-plated brass ferrule.
The MAC 217 has white goat hair bristles which are quite soft, but they’re not as soft as the bristles on the Zoeva 221 Brush although the 217 is slightly denser. I like to use the 217 as to blend my eyeshadow edges for a softer, more diffused look but it can also be used for applying eyeshadow but I’d rather use a shorter and stiffer brush for applying shadow. It really is a great blush for blending, and it does all of the hard work for you, especially if you go a little OTT as it blends the shadow out beautifully.
MAC 217 Blending Brush – £20
I definitely think the 217 is better suited to blending powder shadows rather than cream shadows as I find a fluffier brush a little more effective especially with MAC Paint Pots. I’ve seen bloggers use this for concealer but for me, the bristles are a little too stiff and scratchy for the delicate under-eye area and I prefer to use the Zoeva 142 Concealer and Buffer Brush as the domed bristles are a little gentler on the skin. The 217 does however do a good job at blending shadow along your bottom lashes, and applying my browbone highlight and it’s a very welcome addition to my makeup brush collection.
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