What are your go-to makeup brushes? Share the ones you can’t live without!
For eyes, MAC 239, 226. For face, MAC 109, 116, 134!
Thanks to Jaymie for today’s question! Got a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
For eyes, I always use my MAC 239, 217 and 224. For the face I use my MAC 129 for blush and a Laura Mercier stippling brush for foundation application 🙂
For eyes: Mac 239, 217 and 222
For face: Mac 109 and 129, Posh powder brush
🙂
Sonia Kashuk: Small eyeshadow brush, crease brush, and bent eyeliner brush.
I need a good blending brush.
My go-to eye brushes are my eco tools brushes. I love them! My face brushes are my Studio 35 Brushes. They work really well to be drug store brand
Eyes: MAC 239/217/224
Face: Sonia Kashuk Flat Top Brush, MAC 150/187/168
I have almost all of the Ecotools brushes, which seem to do the job. They’re very soft and the quality is very good.
(Sigma/MAC) F60/190 for foundation, E40/224 for concealer, F30/134 for setting powder, and F40/168 for bronzer or blush.
For face : MAC’s 109 and 187 and TBS’s blush brush
For eyes, i tend to alternate between using only the 239 (when i’m in a hurry) or a 239/224 combo. I love the 214 for smudging my eyeliner!
Eyes: Mac 239, 217 and 224
Face: Mac 109, 150 and 187
for eyes MAC 217, 242 and for face MAC 116, 150, 187
eyes: MAC 239, 226, 217, 219
face: MAC 187, 130, 165, and Bobbi Brown blush brush
Do you know of a dupe for the MAC 226?? Because I really want that brush, but since it was limited edition, I can’t get it anymore!
My go to brushes: MAC 217, EcoTools powder brush, MAC 239, Essence of beauty crease brush duos and my Sonia Kashuk eyeliner brush.
Eyes: MAC 249, 239, 219, 210, 224 and 252.
Face: MAC 187 for foundation, 168 for blush and 150 for loose powder.
For Eyes: MAC 239, 219, 224 & 266
For Face: Quo’s Blush Brush
MAC 182 kabuki
Estee Lauder blush brush
Estee Lauder blending brush
MAC 239
Christine – You’re converting me into a 239 lover BTW. I still love my 242’s but I think I use the 239 more now!
The 217 is also a favorite of mine (it’s my go-to blending brush, if you have a light hand like I do, the 224 is just worthless – I’d have better luck just blowing on someone’s face to blend the eyeshadow!) I also love my 219’s… Love love love!
For face… Used to be the 109 for foundation but I haven’t actually used the 109 since I got the 130! Over the past few weeks, I’ve been loving the 165 for liquid foundation though… I don’t know why… Just something different I suppose 🙂 It works well! The 138 is my FAVORITE powder brush. I use just about any brush for blush, I’m not too picky there 🙂
I love my 130 for foundation too! It’s my absolute favorite.
Isn’t it amazing?! Everyone I’ve used it on has ran out to buy one after I used it on them! It’s a fantastic brush!
Face: EcoTools;Sonia Kashuk;Sephora;MAC 109
Eyes:Japonesque,Ecotools;Sephora
If I were to choose only, say, 2 brushes that I can’t imagine my makup without it would be 217 for eyes and 116 for face (blush).
If I could then add two it would be 239 and 219 for eyes. 🙂
109, 116, 182, 217, 239, and sonia kashuk bent eyeliner brush
Fore the eyes I can’t live without the “precision eye” brush with two sides by Bare Escentuals and for the foundation I use the “flawless face” brush by Bare Minerals, love them <3
For the eyes Sigma 239, MAC 217 and MAC 224. For the face MAC 129 and 182.
If I had to use only one for eyes, it would be 227. For face 168.
I also rely on Sonia Kashuk’s small e/s brush, crease brush and bent eyeliner brush. They’re great!
For eyes, I also like e.l.f.’s smudge brush and sephora’s cream e/s brush which I use with powder e/s actually for applying to outer corner and up into crease.
For face, I’m still looking for a blush brush that works for me. MAC 109 works for now.
For the face, I always use the 190, 187, and 168 (oh, and 109 for contouring!). For the eyes, I ALWAYS reach for the 224. I definitely can’t live without it, but I also use the 266 and 239.
Mac 217, I have 4 of them and I think I need one more! I have a hoof looking brush from Quo that I use everyday. My Sigma 224 for blending and 266 for eyeliner. Mac 266 for my eyebrows and 168 for blush. For foundation I use the sonja kashiuk blending sponge, loves it!
And some 217 and 224 MAC brushes as well. I use the 224 for applying concealer if anything because it distributes the product very nicely.
For my main kabuki brush, I use the one from Body Shop; synthetic bristles, densly packed, it performs beautifully. Blush brush is from Eco Tools, and I bought a couple of brushes from a wholesale trader who sold me a generic brush that is shaped very much like the MAC 217 (albeit slightly longer and looking very ordinary) but it performs just like the MACs.
I also use some ELF brushes to blend my crease shadows, along with my MAC 217. ….I use too many brushes, and I think that’s just the OCD talking.
I use loads! Eyes: 239, 217, 224, 227, 219, 263. There are a few more but I use them less frequently than the ones listed here.
Face: MUFE 55N stippling brush (foundation), MAC 188 (for concealer), 165 (highlight and/or blush), 109 (blush) and 150 (powder).
Sonia Kashuk , NYX, Loew Cornell Maxine mops goat hair 3/8 inch.
MAC 239 & 217 for the eyes, always! And for the brows, MAC’s angle brush, whose number I’ve forgotten.
MAC 239, 222, 224 for eyes and 116 for face!
Eyes: MAC’s 239, 217 & 224
Face: 109 & 169
eyes; 252, 217, 224
face; 150, 109, 168
So, I am IN LOVE with the 239. I just…GET IT now. Wow.
I also have a fluffy Revlon brush I found at Big Lots (I know, right?) that I like to use for blending.
I use a Sephora smudge brush for the lower lash line, inner corner, and precise crease work.
But I expect I’ll be expanding my MAC brush collection before too long…
mac 239 217 224
mac 129 187
For eyes, MAC 239 and 217. For face, MAC 129, 182 and Bobbi Brown Face Blender brush.
For sure the brushed I go to are my mac 219 pencil brush, my mac 217 blending brush, and my mac 187 face brush! They make my life so much easier!
For eyes 239 & 224. For face 224 (to blend concealer, 109(to contour) & 129 (for powder & blush).
For eyes:MAC 272, 249 and shu uemura retractable eyeliner brush
For face: Essence of Beauty for foundation and concealer, Shu uemura #20 for setting powder, and Make up show 16B03 for bronzer.
I am still looking for a good blush brush
MAC 217 😉
I absolutely cant live without my sigma complete kit, it comes in a great brush roll holder so its perfect to take with me anywere!
for eyes: MUFE 14S, stila 7s and MUFE 5S
Face: MAC 187 or 131.
Blush: MAC 138.
Highlight: MAC 165.
Eyes: MAC 226, 217, 239.
Gee I didn’t even realize I had that many MAC brushes o.o
Eyes: MAC 239,217, and 224
Face: MAC 187
Christine, I see that you use the MAC 226 in almost all your looks. Can you recommend a tapered crease brush that is comparable to this? I really wish that MAC would bring this brush back. TIA!
MAC 239, 217, and ecotools eyeliner brush for my eyes!
MAC 165 and Sonia Kashuk flat top blusher brush for my face!
MAC 168 and 187 (what would I ever do without my 187?!)
Everything else…I have Sephora and body Shop and Victoria’s Secret brands. I just grab whatever tool I need for my look.
For Eyes: Mac 239,217,224,219,266
For Face: Mac 116
Face: Sonia Kashuk “skunk” brush, MAC 150, Chubby Blender, BE Flawless Face
Eyes: BE Tapered e/s brush, MAC 224, BE Eyeliner brush