MAC 222 Tapered Blending Brush Photos & Review
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 222 Tapered Blending Brush
MAC 222 Tapered Blending Brush ($28.00) is one of the longer eye brushes, and it is designed to be used to help apply softer color and blend out color. A lot of people find this brush great for blending crease colors without losing all of the definition. If you’ve felt like the 217 is a bit too fluffy or large for your crease area, you might find the 222 more up your alley.
The 222 is thinner and less fluffy than the 224, and it is also not as wide at the tip. The 224 spays out, getting large as it gets to the tip, whereas the 222 stays very much the same size throughout, but the bristles do come to a bit of a rounded edge like the 224. The 222 is also made out of goat hair, whereas then 224 is not, and I do feel the 222 is just a smidgen softer, too.
Even though I don’t find myself constantly reaching for this brush (I am all about the 226, personally), my girl Pursebuzz says, “I like how it is soft enough to blend yet dense enough to pack on the color for day and night looks. It’s like the 239 and 224 had a baby!”
How do you like to use this brush?
See close-ups…
Goodie.. I have one coming from F&F! Already love #217, so I am sure I will lurve this one!
Awesome! You will love it!
i really want this brush
me 2 as I find the 224 to big for blending
Get it 😀
I love these series a lot, but they also confuse me… I’m looking into buying a blending brush soon but I don’t know which one to get… The 222 seems “better” than the 224 because that one just seems a bit too big for me (might mess up things). I’d like to try out the 217 but I’ve read somewhere that it is more for applying e/s rather than blending it…
Any thoughts, Christine? 🙁
try 226
I think the 217 is a good all-around blending brush. I find the 222/224 better for the crease area.
Is this brush helpful to add shadow to the outer part of the eyelid and the crease?
Somewhat, but I find it a bit too flimsy to get it perfect for the outer lid.
I think 222 or 224 is all about personal preference it seems as they both do the job. I personally have owned the 224 for some time now & it works amazingly for me. However, I felt inclined to add the 222 to my collection just so I could know the difference myself. Therefore, I ordered it in my F&F haul & its due to arrive Monday so i am definitely excited.
As for the 226 — there is no brush I have been more anxious about purchasing in my life. I missed out when it released with BBR so I can’t wait for Colour Craft. July 9th will be the day the 226 is born into my world. HAHAHA! 🙂
Be sure to let us know how they compare! I’m dying to know!!
I agree! I think it might also be a matter of eye shape/size, too.
This and the #239 is my must-have and I love them!!!!
Very nice, Emma!!
Love this brush! Highly recommend it to ppl just starting a brush collection, because it is one of those brushes that works on quite a few eye shapes, and of course, you can go light or gently build intensity of eye products.
In my collex, it is the brush where 217 & 226 had a baby. It holds its’ shape very well, doesn’t spay as easily as my 217s, and is exceptional for lid, crease, highlight and blending in or out. Out of the goat hairs, 239s are my most dense, then 217. 222 doesn’t have that muscle &this comes in very handy!
Haha, 217 and 226 having a baby!
I personally HATE this brush. I bought this and the #224 brush together and I find the #224 WAY better than the #222 brush. When using #224 to apply crease color, there are no harsh lines of color and the shadow blends evenly. When using the #222 brush for the crease, there were very harsh lines of color and the shadow did not blend evenly. No matter how much blending I did using the #222 brush, the shadow looked SO messy and uneven. Luckily, I found an alternative for the #222 brush and that is for blending concealer. At least this brush is useful for that, lol!
I’m glad you at least found a way to use it, Laurie! 😀
I just ordered this brush and am waiting for it to come. I couldn’t decide between the 224 and this one and after reading her review, I think I made the right choice.
I hope this one works out for you, Cindy! Let us know!
I absolutely adore this brush. I have smaller eyes and where the 224 is really too large to do anything detailed other than a wash of color for me this really helps with a nicely blended crease and can even perform that outer V for me when I am in a hurry.
So glad the 222 is working for ya, Jennifer!
Ugh, I really hate this brush. I couldn’t decide between ordering the #217 or the #222 online, but after talking to a Mac makeup artist online, she recommended the #222 because I have small eyes. *I’m half asian and half caucasian*
After receiving the brush in the mail and trying it out, it was awful and I regretted not buying the #217. It doesn’t put on eyeshadow well and when you do try to put on eyeshadow, it goes every where! I’ve found out that this brush is only good for people who like applying a soft and light blend of colors to the eyes, not a smoky eye or applying darker colors cause the brush does not blend well at all.
Overall, I sent the brush back and instead got the #217 brush and couldn’t be happier with it! If you want an all purpose brush and also a brush that will apply any type of eyeshadow color, get the #217 not this #222.
I prefer using the 222 as a blending tool moreso than as an application tool!
How in the world do you get your white brushes so clean? I’m jealous and want to know your secrets!
Try MAC Cleanse Off Oil 🙂
I am considering this brush but heard from many reviews that the mac 224 is a great blending too.The only problem I might have with the mac 224 brush is that its too big for my eye area.
Do you have any recommendations of a smaller version of the mac 224 brush?
Thanks alot!
The 222 is skinnier than the 224, so you might find that works better for you. The 219 is also a very tiny crease brush, though perhaps not as great for blending. Have you tried the 217, which is a blending brush?
I have not tried it yet but it is on my wish list cuz it is so multi functional for people with small eye spaces who wants to create an almost whole eye look that doesn’t require so much precision.
Talking of precision for blending on the other hand, what is the differences between the mac 222 and 226 brushes?
226 is very tapered and shorter — I prefer it over the 222 and 224. It’s my favorite brush for the crease! I’d say it’s not quite as soft as the 222.
i still cant decide between the 222 and 217 for applying colour to the crease, what differences will it make with the application? 🙂
222 is easier for the crease!
This brush is the most impressive in all of my mac brush. Not regret at all. love so much
Did MAC just discontinue the 222? If so, I’m bummed — I had it on my Christmas wish list 🙁