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MAC 217 Blending Brush Photos & Review

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Christine |

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…

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Nathalie Avatar
Nathalie

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.

Zsofi Avatar
Zsofi

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 😀

bns313 Avatar
bns313

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 $$

Natalie Avatar
Natalie

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!

daphne Avatar
daphne

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!)…

Kiyishima Avatar
Kiyishima

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 :]

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

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 😉

Vness_12 Avatar
Vness_12

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.

Nicole15 Avatar
Nicole15

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?”

Michelle Avatar
Michelle

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!

Chanel Avatar
Chanel

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.

Luda Avatar
Luda

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.

Natalie Avatar
Natalie

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

ashlee Avatar
ashlee

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 😛

Chiara Avatar
Chiara

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).

Jen Avatar
Jen

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…

ali Avatar
ali

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!

ChristineDior Avatar
ChristineDior

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 🙂

victoria Avatar
victoria

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.

Lucy Avatar
Lucy

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.

Candee Sparks Avatar
Candee Sparks

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.

DivaNessa Avatar
DivaNessa

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 😀

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