Beauty Basics: MAC Eye Brushes

Beauty Basics is a series covering basic products and tools that help to make applying your makeup easier. To view the entire series to date, be sure to visit the beauty basics, or you can view posts within the series about MAC Eye Brushes.

Focus On: MAC 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush

MAC 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush ($24.50) is small, slightly tapered, dome-shamed brush designed for crease-work. This is an absolute must-have brush for me, and while it was limited edition in MAC’s Brunette, Blonde, Redhead Collection, it will make a brief reappearance in the much anticipated Colour Craft Collection, due out July 9th. (I will be purchasing a second one–and perhaps even a third, when it does!) It reminds me of a mix of the 219 and the 222. It is about two-thirds the length of the 222 and 224 brushes. It is shaped more like an extended 219, but a bit fluffier and not quite as firm.

While you can certainly use this for the same things as other crease brushes like the 222 and 224 (highlighting, blending, etc.), I really love using this to apply color to the crease. I use it first to apply a “base” crease color, so it applies softly and more evenly from the get-go. I then follow up by defining it with more intensity using the 219, and I’ll go back with the 226 to blend everything together. Really fabulous brush, and I am hoping they will make it permanent someday!

How do you like to use this brush?

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