MAC 217 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 217 Blending Brush
MAC 217 Blending Brush ($22.50) is one of the most popular brushes sold by MAC. It probably has something to do with making blending way easier. I managed to get along without it for years, but it’s definitely one of those brushes that once you have in your arsenal, you can’t figure out how you lived without it! Ultra soft, just a touch fluffy, but very dense, this brush does a great job of blending harsh lines of color into soft, fading gradients. It can also be used to apply creamier, more emollient products, because of its density.
How do you like to use this brush?
See close-ups…
I love this brush. It’s the first thing I ever bought from Mac. I remember I had accompanied my sister who went to Mac to buy some stuff, I was totally estranged to that brand and I picked this anyway. I payed 24€ for it, it’s very expensive but it’s still in excellent shape and I’m happy with it.
These brushes will last a very long time if they’re properly cared for – that’s the best thing about them; they’re a good investment!
Hi 🙂
I am so happy You go to the IMATS 🙂 and jealous of course… I so damn want to mett You and Josh,Lauren…
and shopping for all those makeup 🙂
lucky You 😀
Thanks, Zsofi 😉 Wish you could have been there!
Amazing as a concealer brush.
Agreed!!
Love the 217 🙂
I use it every day!
Awesome, Jessica!
Ooh this is great! I just ordered this brush in the F&F sale!!
Yayy, glad you got it during F&F!
This brush is awesome! I own two 🙂 great for blending but also applies soft color. Ive had one of the two for 4+ yrs now and its still in great shape, definately worth the $$
Nice! MAC brushes really will last a long time if they’re taken care of!
I can’t live without it!
You’re not alone in that feeling, Francesca!
I don’t own this brush and I will definately will get that brush!
Good idea 😉
I can’t live without this brush either. #217 and #239 have to my HG brushes. I just bought #222, which is meant to be a skinnier version of #217, so can’t wait to try it out!
I hope you like the 222!
So what made you warm up to this brush? I remember in the 7 eye brushes post you weren’t that into it!
I have no experience with it but decided it seemed worth springing for in the F&F sale. I “petted” it at the store and it seemed like it was for me. Strikes me as a long 239, sort of? I hear a lot about it as a concealer brush…I’ve never warmed up to brushes for concealer and just use my fingers, but I might have to try it with this (and then get another one for the purpose since I don’t want to use one for both shadow *and* concealer!)…
I LOVE this for concealer, because its fluffy, and helps blend it in. I use select cover-up, so its more liquidy, and it works better than the other brush I use for concealer (my 242). its also handy because if you set your concealer with a pwoder, its perfect to put the right amount, in the right spot :]
I agree — love it for how fluffy it is!
It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that I tend not to use it, LOL! It’s a good brush, but between a good crease blending brush and the 239, I don’t find there’s much blending to do with it!
I actually like it more for highlighting and applying concealer 😉
By the way, Christine, I am LOVING this series. Very cool. I can’t wait until you do the face brushes, too 🙂
Thanks, Daphne 😀
I use this brush all the time. Usually to higlight and blend near the brow bone. I also like to use it with pigments. It allows me to deposit and blend just the right amount.
I love it for highlighting, too! I’ve never used it with pigments though.
I, too, have managed to get by without this brush for sometime now relying solely on my 239 & 224. I have a brush similar to the 217 from The Body Shop so I always told myself I didn’t need it. However, I broke down & ordered it during my F&F haul along with the 222. I am really excited to get my 217 just based on all the raves it gets. I hope I can have the same reaction after a bit & say, “how did i ever live without it?”
Did you get yours yet, Nicole?
This was the very first brush I bought from MAC. I have a lot of eyelid space — so this brush is perfect for my crease. Love it!
The 217 is great with the use of creamy concealers, as well as, for applying color to the crease and blending out harsh crease lines. Love this brush. I use it almost everyday.
Do you have one and use it for both purposes or do you have multiples?
i do not own this brush. but use the ELF brush and urban decay brush but hopign i will get it soon x
I hope you can get it soon, too!
I agree. I don’t know how I lived without this brush for so long. I’m so happy I have it now! It’s absolutely LOVE!
So glad you’re lovin’ it, Naomi!
I head someone say that when they use this brush they hear angels singing – HAHAHA
It’s that good – but I wish it had dark brissels because white brissels stain so fast and it’s hard to get it out so I end up cleaning the brush everyday and that can’t be good for it.
I actually prefer white bristle, so I can see how much products I am picking up! Do you have cleanse off oil? It gets rid of everything
I don’t – what kind do you use?
Haha, that’s me, too 😉
LOL!! How funny 😉
By the way, what do you clean it with?
Christine, this is my 2nd MAC brush first is MAC’s 187 and this is the 2nd and I LOVE THIS!!!!
Awww!!
I plan on getting this brush very soon.
Awesome to hear, Melissa!
this is hands down my favorite eye brush. i just ordered another one from the F&F sale because i felt bad that i’ve been using the same one every day for the last 4 years (heheh) don’t worry, i take great care of it as if it were my child 😛
Haha! Nice — good time to score a second one, too!
This brush is love. The price is reasonable and an awesome investment.
Agreed! Price isn’t too bad at all!
This brush is definitely still on my ‘to buy’ list 🙂
What else is on your to-buy list? 😉
I love this brush, it’s definitely a must have! I use it mostly for blending. Mine comes from one of the holidays brush set and it is great quality, (because I’ve heard sometimes the small one are not the same quality as the real size ones).
Nice! I’m glad your holiday brush is good!
I have never used this one but I have the 226 (which I think is LE) and am totally obsessed with it.
I adore the 226, too! I am going to get at least one more, maybe two!
This is such a great series! Kudos to you, Christine. :] I am really enjoying reading OP thoughts/uses for their brushes. It can only enhance my technique and reinforce the fact that these brushes are a true investment! Keep your thoughts coming…
Thanks, Jen! I am happy to hear you’re enjoying this series 😀
Christine, thanks for creating yet another great series about MAC! i loved the must-have colors series, and this is just as useful – those tiny pictures and bare bones descriptions on the mac website just dont cut it, especially when compared to your reviews and detailed photos, which are really helpful! they make trying to find products a lot easier, thanks so much!
No problem, Ali! 🙂 Happy to help!
I agree with you, once you’ve used this particular brush, you’ll ask yourself “what would I do without you??? <3” haha. I have several of these, I mean maybe 5+. They’re great for concealers, paint pots, paints, eyeshadows, etc 🙂
Wow, 5!!
this is my main eye brush. i love this i have 7. i do simple eye makeup, i don’t really pack a lot of color but i do lots of blending. i also use this for my concealer so honestly, i can’t have too many of this brush and it’s so soft, my skin is so sensitive to pokey brushes.
OMG, seven! That’s insane! I envy you 😉
Another wonderful brush. I have it from a brush set, but I just ordered a full size one during the sale.
Awesome, Christy!
I love this brush!
Yayyy!
i love this brush for everything! blending, crease, and even concealer =] amazing and absolutely worth it.
Oh, wow!! 😀
I hated this brush. It was very scratchy.
Really? It is ridiculously soft to me. I wonder if you got a bad one!
How does this brush compare to the 224?
Different shape, fluffier!
I am so annoyed at myself! I’ve been following this series and making notes. I intended to buy this brush during the sale. I waited till the last day. I was interrupted by life and some stomach problems yesterday. I fell asleep on the couch watching TV. I woke up at 1:45AM! I missed the whole sale and now I feel sicker because of it! I hope they’ll have another sale sometime soon. I only started buying Mac last year. So I’m still sort of virginal, we’ll newly loved anyway. I won’t procrastinate again.
Oh no! That is too bad, Lucy! Hopefully they’ll have another sale sooner than you know it!
Possibly their best eye brush, but I also use it as a multi-use. I can’t live without it and it is just so soft compared to the other blending brushes. This is so much better than the 224 and I regret even buying the 224 before this one and everyone’s makeup I do all agree that the 217 is much easier to work with since I tested both brushes on two different eyes.
I might have to get a second one, just so I have one for powder and one for creams!
I absolutely love this brush! 😀
Yayy! Seems like this is a popular one!
I am so excited!!! Im getting this brush as soon as I get some free time to go to a MAC store. I’ve been hearing so much about it I can’t wait!!!!!!!!!! 😀
Btw I love the MAC brushes’ series! Informative and very useful 😀
Ooh!! I hope you enjoy it, Nessa!!
I will be purchasing this brush today? What is the F&F sale?
Yay! You’ll love it.
F&F is Friends & Family sale, which I believe was 20 or 25% off this year, but it’s over with.