Beauty Basics: MAC Face Brushes
Beauty Basics: MAC Face Brushes
Considering investing in brushes for your face? Trying to figure out which brushes you need? Look no further — here’s our guide to MAC Face Brushes! Plus, seasoned MAC Artists weigh in with their must-haves!
MAC Face Brushes — Our Reviews
- 109 Small Contour Brush
- 116 Blush Brush
- 129 Powder Blush Brush
- 134 Powder Brush (Coming Soon!)
- 138 Large Tapered Brush
- 150 Large Powder Brush
- 165 Tapered Cheek/Highlighter Brush
- 168 Large Angled Contour Brush
- 182 Buffer Brush
- 184 Duo-Fibre Fan Brush
- 187 Duo-Fibre Brush
- 188 Small Duo-Fibre Brush
- 189 Face Brush
- 190 Foundation Brush
- 191 Square Foundation Brush
- 192 Cheek/Face Brush
- 194 Concealer Brush
- 195 Concealer Brush
Temptalia’s Recommendations
5 Basics to Begin With: 109, 129, 150, 188, 194
5 More to Add Down the Road: 116, 138, 182, 187, 189
5 Great Multi-Taskers: 109, 129, 150, 182, 188
Best for Highlighting: 116, 165, 184
Best for Liquid Foundation: 109, 182, 187
Best for Cream Foundation: 109, 187, 190
Best for Powder Foundation: 150, 189
Best for Cream Blush: 188, 192
Best for Powder Blush: 116, 129
Best for Contouring: 109, 168
Best for Powder: 134, 150
What the PROS Say
MAC Senior Artist John Stapleton says, “Cannot live without the 187. It’s a two speed brush. It has the density at the base needed to provide more coverage and the softness of the fibres at the tip to give sheer light coverage.”
On the other hand, Senior Artist Luc Bouchard thinks, “188 [is a must-have]; it’s the perfect foundation brush if you use it in circular motion you get even coverage instantly,” and Senior Artist Keri Blair agrees, “This two-toned beauty is great for blending out foundation to create an airbrushed quality to the finish of your foundation. The synthetic white bristle can also be misted with MAC Fix + to help sheer out products to create a lighter more modern finish.”
Share your favorites with fellow Temptalia readers, just copy and paste the form below and write-in your own answers…
5 Basics to Begin With:
5 More to Add Down the Road:
5 Great Multi-Taskers:
Best for Highlighting:
Best for Foundation:
Best for Blush:
Best for Contouring:
Best for Powder:
P.S. – Looking for reviews on MAC eye brushes? Check out our brush review round-up!
I just love the 109! It’s the perfect multi-tasking brush for me. I use it for applying powder under my eyes, on and around the nose and on the chin, and also for contouring, blush and highlighter. If I could just have one face brush, it would be the 109.
Awesome!! 🙂 I like the 109 a lot, too!
I use the 109 for my liquid foundation and LOVE IT!! Thats the only makeup I use for that brush but I am wondering if I could use that for my powder bronzer also?
I bet you could!
Since the Studio Sculpt Foundation has a gel consistency, what brush do you recommend?
the 130 is really really good for studio sculpt. its small and very dense so it spreads the product nicely. just make sure to use a tiny amount of foundation to avoid cakey-ness
5 Basics to Begin With: 116, 188, 168, 194, 182
5 More to Add Down the Road: 187, 150, 190, 134, 187
5 Great Multi-Taskers: 116, 188, 109, 168, 182
Best for Highlighting: 116, 168, 188, 138
Best for Foundation: 188, 168, 109, 190
Best for Blush: 168, 116, 187, 109
Best for Contouring: 168, 109, 188
Best for Powder: 150, 134, 129
This brushes are all permanent.
Nice picks 😀
i would say that the 187 could be a multi tasker brush as personally i use it for foundation, and blush and have used it for powder and its not bad 🙂 !also the 131 its amazing for moisturisor,creams msf, blush 🙂 ahhh my new fav brush!excellent post chrisitne ! 🙂 yeahh x
I agree that it can definitely be a multi-tasker! 😀
5 Basics to Begin With: 187,109,195,129,182
5 More to Add Down the Road: 116,150,190,168,165
5 Great Multi-Taskers: 187,109,129,168,188
Best for Highlighting: 165,168
Best for Foundation: 190,187,109
Best for Blush: 129, 116, 187
Best for Contouring: 168, 109
Best for Powder: 150, 134
Great choices, Cristalle!
It stinks that the 109 is so good for a lot of things, but people hate it because it sheds so much! lol
Mine doesn’t shed… thankfully!! I am so happy it doesn’t. It definitely sucks that it does for a lot of others, though!
5 Basics to Begin With: 109, 187, 182, 168, 116
5 More to Add Down the Road: 188, extra 109, extra 187, extra 182, 131
5 Great Multi-Taskers: 109 and 187 does it all!!!
Best for Highlighting: 109
Best for Foundation: 187 (liquid foundation)
Best for Blush: 116 and maybe also 131…
Best for Contouring: 109 and 168
Best for Powder: 182 (for all round face powder)
I love your picks, Addy!
5 Basics to Begin With: 187, 188, 138, 129SH, 150
5 More to Add Down the Road: 109, 195, 156, 184, 189
5 Great Multi-Taskers:187, 189, 195, 162, 184
Best for Highlighting: 162, 184
Best for Foundation:187, 190
Best for Blush:129
Best for Contouring:169, 189
Best for Powder:134
I like your choices, Waruta 🙂
5 Basics to Begin With: 129,150,187,182,195
5 More to Add Down the Road:109,138,116,188,134
5 Great Multi-Taskers:109 & 187
Best for Highlighting:109 & 138
Best for Foundation:187,109,189
Best for Blush:129,116,187
Best for Contouring:138
Best for Powder:150,134,182,189
Great list, Tracy!
Christine, is the 188 better than the 187 for applying liquid foundations? I know u have recommended the 109 for this, but i cant find that brush anywhere. So between the 187 or 188 wat shud i go for? or shud i skip both for liquid foundation usage and wait for the 109 until i find it?
187 is better for foundation, IMO! You might like the 130 better though – lots have said this is their new foundation brush!
Going tomorrow to buy my first brush!do I get the 109 for my studio sculpt foundation or the 129 for blush?
Aw! It depends – if you have something that works well for either of those, I’d get the one that needs the most upgrade!
Hey Christine, I was just wondering if you are going to be posting the review for the 134 anytime soon? I have been considering it for awhile and wasn’t sure if I should get that or the 150 (to use to powder my entire face).
Thanks! Andrea
Hi Andrea,
No, not at this time. I prefer the 134 to the 150, though.
Hi. What brush would you recommend to get for loose & pressed powders? I can’t decide to get 134, 150 or 182! Btw, I’m using the prep + prime transparent finishing powder and MSF Natural.
134
Hi Christine,
I was wondering if you could put a link to these “Beauty Basics” posts (I believe there is an eye brush post and a must-have brush post in addition to this face brush post) on your homepage. I have found these posts very useful and an excellent resource and I think that many other readers, especially new readers, would find these posts helpful. It’s really convenient to refer back to these posts whenever considering purchasing a new MAC brush.
Hi! Where are MAC brushes usually made?! I have one that says France and one that says Japan, I got them both at a free standing MAC store. Just wondering!
France and Japan, I believe!
Hi
If I were to get one brush for liquid foundation and powder, which one would you recommend?
I’m debating between a 182, 109, 187, and 188. I’m leaning towards a 109 though.
Thank you.
For liquid – 109, for powdr – 134.