MAC brushes

aster99

hi, would any ladies here know about these make up brushes. Going to get some for the girlfriend for Xmas but was wondering what numbers to get? i remember her saying ones for the eyes would be best, could anyone suggest which numbers we'd be talking about?

Little Miss Cutie

At christmas you can usually get sets of brushes in BT these usually cover all the basics.Think they are about 60 ish

Jules

Moved from tLL.

Larianne

I'll post up the numbers later tomorrow.

How big into make-up is she? The brush sets are grand and make a nice gift but the quality isn't the same as the regular sized ones.

Pythia

How much do you want to spend? The brush sets are good if you don't want to spend a fortune.

Anyway, if you want to buy them as separates, I would recommend:

224 for blending eyeshadow
213 for lid application
210 for precision eyshadow application
266 if she likes strong eyeliner, bought with a Fluidline
190 for foundation
129 for powder

banshee_bones

My best friend bought me two for christmas couple of years back and with care they are brilliant investment! still as good as the day I got them.
She got me the 217 for blending brush and the 219 pencil brush.

Would recommend these as two good starter brushes, well they worked for me!

Also maybe throw in some brush cleaner or buy some baby shampoo!

gaybitch

If she's mad into her make-up, get her to give you numbers because you could very easily buy the wrong thing. If she's not too into it, and likes to do her make-up in the car/on the bus/in a rush, I'd pop into MAC and get their Christmas brush sets. Last year I got a lovely one with a make-up bag, eye brushes and a small duo-fibre foundation brush that's so unbelievably handy for travel and speed.

If you go into Brown Thomas on Grafton St and make it obvious you're out to buy something, the staff will be very helpful. Don't let them talk you into buying more than you want to though! Good luck with the shopping.

Larianne

gaybitch wrote: »

If she's not too into it, and likes to do her make-up in the car/on the bus/in a rush, I'd pop into MAC and get their Christmas brush sets. Last year I got a lovely one with a make-up bag, eye brushes and a small duo-fibre foundation brush that's so unbelievably handy for travel and speed.

If you go into Brown Thomas on Grafton St and make it obvious you're out to buy something, the staff will be very helpful. Don't let them talk you into buying more than you want to though! Good luck with the shopping.

Totally agree. And yes, make sure you stick to your guns on what you want to buy. Confused guys coming in to buy stuff is great way to increase sales.

I wouldn't go for the 244 blending brush, I prefer the 217 blender brush (rabbit tail they call it). The bristles are slightly more sturdy and find it easier to work with. The 266 is a good (slanted) eyeliner brush. I find the slanted brush easier to apply eyeliner than the other eyeliner brushes. And 219, the pencil brush, is a good buy. 239 is a good eye shadow brush. I would suggest buying the brush cleanser as well.

So to recap:
217 Blender
266 Eyeliner
219 Pencil
239 Eyeshadow
& Brush Cleanser.

Or Brush set. Whichever you can afford. Anything MAC she'll love you for anyway.

misslt

Highly highly recommend the 187 for foundation - the stippling brush, I think? It's the best thing I ever ever bought.

Larianne

misslt wrote: »

Highly highly recommend the 187 for foundation - the stippling brush, I think? It's the best thing I ever ever bought.

Yep, better finish and easier to use in my opinion. The 190 foundation brush tends to pile it on. Also, you can use the 187 brush for powder foundation.

LOVE IT! (I have two!)

misslt

Me too!! I have the ordinary one and the travel sized one - I use the travel size one for the cream blusher and its flipping class!!

I like the 190 if I'm going out or something and I want my makeup to stay on and then use the 187 to blend round my ears or whatever but mostly I use the 187 all the time!

eth0_

DO NOT buy the brush sets they bring out at Christmas. They're not the same quality as the brushes they sell individually (they're synthetic fibre).

I'd get her a good foundation brush - I use the 109 which is great for buffing foundation into the skin - and a kabuki brush which is awesome for powders (like mineralise skinfinish natural) and produces a lovely "airbrushed" texture.

aster99

thanks for the replys.

is there any place online to buy them? i suppose any placè like ebay would be full of fakes...

Pythia

aster99 wrote: »

thanks for the replys.

is there any place online to buy them? i suppose any placè like ebay would be full of fakes...

As you've realised yourself, DO NOT buy from ebay. Mac only sell officially on their own website which doesn't ship to Ireland You're best going to the shop itself.

aster99

Larianne wrote: »

So to recap:
217 Blender
266 Eyeliner
219 Pencil
239 Eyeshadow
& Brush Cleanser.

Or Brush set. Whichever you can afford. Anything MAC she'll love you for anyway.

What would you reckon the cost would be approx for those?

I got a set of brushes in the states for $49 so that should be about €65 in BT or BT2. They have a full eye make up brush set along with two other set containing blush, foundation a some eye brushes. Great deal and lovely presents.

Edit. This is the eyebrush set mac holiday

Larianne

aster99 wrote: »

What would you reckon the cost would be approx for those?

I haven't worked in MAC for about 3 years but I'd say it would defo be over €100. I worked in the airport so the prices were slightly cheaper than Grafton Street etc.

aster99

would those brushes in the sets be smaller and not of the same quality?

aster99

aster99 wrote: »

would those brushes in the sets be smaller and not of the same quality?

Shorter handles but definitely of the same quality, and much handier for fitting in the make up bag!

Larianne

aster99 wrote: »

would those brushes in the sets be smaller and not of the same quality?

Haven't seen those ones before but the ones they bring out at Christmas, aren't as good quality.

Larianne

Larianne wrote: »

Haven't seen those ones before but the ones they bring out at Christmas, aren't as good quality.

Fair enough, you worked there so I won't argue!! I've always found them great though.

eth0_

aster99 wrote: »

would those brushes in the sets be smaller and not of the same quality?

They're smaller yeah, but in the brush fibres in the sets they bring out at Christmas, most if not all the brushes use synthetic fibre hairs, which aren't great.

The 'normal' brushes, e.g. the 109 foundation brush, use goats hair.

Larianne

Deleted User wrote: »

Fair enough, you worked there so I won't argue!! I've always found them great though.

I wasn't saying about the ones you bought Whoopsie. Just the ones they usually bring out here at Christmas.

Larianne

Larianne wrote: »

I wasn't saying about the ones you bought Whoopsie. Just the ones they usually bring out here at Christmas.

Yeh they're the ones I bought, the christmas collection - oh well, they're xmas presents so I won't get too upset hehe!!!

Larianne

Oh they're brilliant Christmas presents, just not if you're a fussy so and so like me.

jenny2hat

Awesome present, they're definitely on my list too
Ebay is good, you can get sets of 24 or 32.
Otherwise, the individual brushes are €20 in Brown Thomas.
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A2464&_nkw=mac+brushes+set&_ipg=200&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Pythia

jenny2hat wrote: »

Awesome present, they're definitely on my list too
Ebay is good, you can get sets of 24 or 32.
Otherwise, the individual brushes are €20 in Brown Thomas.
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A2464&_nkw=mac+brushes+set&_ipg=200&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Most of that stuff is fake, particularly the 24 piece sets.

jenny2hat

Pythia wrote: »

Most of that stuff is fake, particularly the 24 piece sets.

How do you know?

jenny2hat

jenny2hat wrote: »

How do you know?

My sis bought one of those 24 sets and it was ridiculously fake

jenny2hat

The sets of 32 look more official. The cases and brushes are the same from different sellers. Your opinion?

jenny2hat

jenny2hat wrote: »

The sets of 32 look more official. The cases and brushes are the same from different sellers. Your opinion?

This is the only set that I can see which is a 32 piece. Firstly, I doubt MAC products woud come in such a cheapy case and secondly, the numbers of the brushes would surely be listed.

Oh and I've just noticed. Item location Hong Kong. Definitely fake.

This one looks a little more authentic

lubie76

Desription taken from that last ebay brush set :eek:

"Perfect brush set that includes everything you will need! Real Authentic MAC. This is a quality set-you can see and feel the quality! Multiple animals were sacrificed to create this beautiful rainbow array of hair brushes. Brushes are black wood with metal holder that connects the real hair. Each is sanitary wrapped in plastic and have not been compromised! Case is real black leather with white detail stitching."

I don't think Mac themselves would be boasting about this to their customers. Does look authentic though compared to the others.

MissFlitworth

jenny2hat wrote: »

How do you know?

Apart from the Holiday Gift Sets MAC don't sell sets of their brushes, they're all sold individually. So a branded 24 or 32 piece MAC brush set is most definitely fake. Also, even in the States where MAC stuff is cheaper than here a single brush costs from $20, there's just no way you're getting a legit 24 piece brush set for $60

carolinespring

Mac are doing 3 brush sets this christmas, All cost 65 euro

pandamoanium

Aside from the Christmas brush sets MAC never have made any brush sets and never will.

Any brush sets your see for sale on eBay, gumtree or elsewhere are fake, fake, fake.

Come on if you're getting a set for the price of one single brush from a MAC counter, do you really think they're legit?

Save your hard earned money and don't waste it on the fakes cause all you'll be paying for is the "MAC" logo and nothing else, the quality won't be there.

You'd be better off buying a set from the Body Shop otherwise.

tanyaog2007

jenny2hat wrote: »

Awesome present, they're definitely on my list too
Ebay is good, you can get sets of 24 or 32.
Otherwise, the individual brushes are €20 in Brown Thomas.
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A2464&_nkw=mac+brushes+set&_ipg=200&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

def fake, i got a mac 24piece from ebay for round 50e, thought i was doing great getting 24 for 50e ,i didnt really know much about them only if the handle thingie is silver and the number of the brush is written on it then its real. the seller had fake pictures up with the silver handle thingie and numbers on the brushs plus the seller had 100% sayimg how great the brushs were.anyways got them a week later new they were straight away fake,went on to ebay to get in contact with her and the b***ch had deleted her ebay account :mad: .

misslt

pandamoanium wrote: »

Aside from the Christmas brush sets MAC never have made any brush sets and never will.

Any brush sets your see for sale on eBay, gumtree or elsewhere are fake, fake, fake.

Come on if you're getting a set for the price of one single brush from a MAC counter, do you really think they're legit?

Save your hard earned money and don't waste it on the fakes cause all you'll be paying for is the "MAC" logo and nothing else, the quality won't be there.

You'd be better off buying a set from the Body Shop otherwise.

I got a travel kit of about 8 brushes and they weren't fake - bought in a MAC shop in America, the little brushes - just as good quality as the normal ones.

alfaz

pandamoanium wrote: »

You'd be better off buying a set from the Body Shop otherwise.

A few questions from a not so knowledgeable in this field bloke thinking of buying for the g/f!

Would it be only the Body Shop and BT that sell the legit ones or what other shops would do it?

What kind brushes do you get in the sets? she uses a big enough one to put some foundation(?) on and one that has two sides on it for her eyelashes. would these be in it