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MAC Archie's Girls' Brush Set Review & Photos

MAC Archie's Girls' Brush Set
MAC Archie’s Girls’ Brush Set

MAC Archie’s Girls’ Brush Set ($49.50) includes special edition sizes of the 266 (Small Angle), 226 (Small Tapered Blending), 242 (Shader), 168 (Large Angled Contour) and 167 (Face Blender) brushes housed inside a white tin with the Archie’s Girls’ logo embossed on the cover of the tin.

The brushes are so-so, and they’re on par with most recent brush set releases by MAC (like the holiday kits). The price point on good brushes has come down, as more budget-friendly brands have come to the market with high-quality brushes at a fraction of even this set. The best brush of the set is the 266, which is firm and stiff but not scratchy. The 168 and 167 were both a little scratchy, but they were fairly densely-packed with bristles. The 226 seemed rather bulbous; not as long or as tapered as the full-sized version (and even the full-sized version has some variance between releases). The 242 was decent but I would use primarily for patting and applying products, and avoid blending, because it was scratchy.

I, obviously, haven’t used these extensively, other than to apply some of this collection, so I can’t attest to how well they will last and the like. I didn’t notice any funny smells, too much shedding, or leaking dye.

Honestly, the tin is one of the more durable accessories out of the ones released with this collection. There’s plenty of room in it for more than just these brushes, and it’s large enough to be useful as a storage container for numerous other things.

See more photos!

MAC Archie's Girls' Brush Set
MAC Archie’s Girls’ Brush Set

MAC Archie's Girls' Brush Set
MAC Archie’s Girls’ Brush Set

MAC Archie's Girls' Brush Set
MAC Archie’s Girls’ Brush Set

MAC Archie's Girls' Brush Set
MAC Archie’s Girls’ Brush Set

MAC Archie's Girls' Brush Set
MAC Archie’s Girls’ Brush Set

MAC Archie's Girls' Brush Set
MAC Archie’s Girls’ Brush Set

MAC Archie's Girls' Brush Set
MAC Archie’s Girls’ Brush Set

31 Comments

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Nikki P. Avatar

Thats EXACTLY how I felt. I’ve never bought collection brushes because I felt like they were always overpriced and useless but these look great. I’m excited to try them out. I just hope they’re not as scratchy as the review says =/

Huda Avatar

Hey Christine, you said that there are many brushes on the market today that are reasonably priced and are better quality than these. Do you mind giving me some suggestions please? Anything except for Sigma, I don’t like their line I only like their synthetic brushes. Any advice is much appreciated! thankyou!

Stacey Avatar

You are such a dear for asking the same question I always ask…I love the 226 brush…thank goodness, I got several when it came out during the limited time.

Catherine Avatar

My inner super-girly-girl NEEDS these brushes for the hearts alone. I’ve never been into “collections” but I really adore the packaging of this one.

Khadija Avatar

I found that they were so cute and I thought that the tin pan would be travel friendly for storage of the brushes and a few other items..I knew that the quality would not be on par with the full sizes so this review is in keeping with what I expected!! and Christine I can’t wait for the rest of your reviews! thank you for doing what you do! I’m from Trinidad and Tobago and we only have two MAC stores so although the collection will be available in March there is a chance that I will miss some items. I’ve went ahead and ordered the items I wanted (usually I read your reviews and wait for the local launch) so i’m crossing my fingers that the reviews are okay!

Rikki Avatar

I honestly bought it just for the packaging… And I’m sure glad I did 😉
Is that our first glimpse at ur wedding/engagement rings? 🙂 <3

SwatchedNails Avatar

Thank you for your honest review and advice for each brush. I actually bought this set this morning. I love Archie – and brushes! The tin really sold it but I figured each brush would have its own purpose somehow, if not what it is intended for. I’m excited!

Babycakes Avatar

Thankfully, I don’t have very sensitive skin. I’ve used products with warning signs that say they can cause a burning sensation and I find they never do. I must have heavy duty resistant skin. A few scratchy brushes won’t deter me from buying this, as I already have. The tin is lovely and practical. I’m glad it’s roomy enough to add other things. I’m one happy girl.

Jenny Avatar

Oh, this makes me sad. I was so excited about this item! I don’t have any MAC brushes and these were so cute, so I bought them. I’m sad the quality isn’t that of their regular brushes.

Lisa J Avatar

Since you already bought them, test them out and see how they work for you. Have an open mind when doing so, despite the mediocre reviews they’ve received. I’ve heard all the bad press that most of their brush sets get, but I’ve bought a couple here and there and on occasion, they’ve actually worked well for me and a few have become brushes I grab for daily. You never know, one, two or all of them may end up being your favorites! There are obviously better quality brushes out there, but these may work out just fine. 😉

Bella Avatar

Do you know if Nordstrom or other retailers will be getting these? Or is it just exclusive to MAC stores? Bloomingdales didn’t know anything about the brushes when I asked!

Christine Avatar

This is the only info MAC gave me:

Archie’s Girls Brush Kit266SE, 226SE, 242SE, 168SE, 167SE ($49.50 U.S. / $59.50 CDN)
Jingle Jangle Coin Purse ($32.00 U.S. / $38.50 CDN)
Young Hearts Mirror ($25.00 U.S. / $30.00 CDN) (Online Exclusive)
Just a Flirt Makeup Bag ($38.00 U.S. / $45.00 CDN)
Yours Forever Tote ($49.50 U.S. / $59.50 CDN) (Online Exclusive)

So just the mirror and tote were online exclusives (and therefore exclusive to maccosmetics.com). The others may possibly MAC store exclusives if Bloomingdale’s hadn’t heard of it…

Kandie Avatar

I was excited about these but the only upside is that they are really cute. I have long fingers so these brushes are almost too small and awkward for me to hold. Wish I would’ve just invested in the 168 instead. I was going to pick one up at the Nordie’s counter but they dont carry many brushes. Anyone know if the full size 168 is the same brush size as this one? Its described as large but this one seems small to me?

Alexandra Avatar

Do you consider these brushes to be OK to carry around in your purse and do touch-ups with?
I’m really hesitant to get these. But I would only use them for that purpose.

Becky Avatar

I bought this purely for the tin. The brushes will be nice to keep stashed in my bag or at the office. I must say I love the handles.

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