Toolsday: MAC 217

It's Toolsday again, and this week I'm talking about another favorite MAC brush of mine. Like the 129, this was a part of my very first MAC purchase! If I were to use just one blending brush for the rest of my life, it'd be the MAC 217.

Like the other MAC brushes I've spoken about this has a lovely sturdiness. Well after two and a half years have gone by, there is absolutely no give in the ferrule, and this doesn't shed. It still feels and looks like it did when it was brand new (aside from perhaps a couple of nicks in the MAC stamp--remember, if you want that to stick around put clear polish over it!)

The bristles are very soft and have a very light sort of density: the kind you would expect from a blending brush. It's just dense enough to place color, but has enough give that when you're blending two colors together you aren't just wiping them away (don't you hate when that happens?) It's also just right for blending out a shade on the browbone.

It also fits perfectly into the crease, hence the fact that it's my favorite crease brush of all time. A lot of people find the large domed head of the 224 to be too large for the crease, in which case I really think that you'll like this brush a lot better. It has a more oval shape, a smaller diameter and the bristles spread out a lot less.

I've also used this to do a whole eye on several in-a-rush occasions. You can pull off opacity on the lid, but it's not exactly easy because of the nature of the brush. This is more suited for a wash of color, if you're going to use it for lid application.

Oh, and again: White bristles... WHY?!

The Good:

• Sturdy construction. I like when a brush just feels reliable. Two years after I purchased my first one it still looks and feels like new.
• Decently multipurpose. I like this for blending, the crease and for highlighting. It's also good for sheer application on the lid, though it can manage opacity with a bit more effort.
• Sleek design, at least in my opinion.

The Bad:

• I don't like white bristles. They make me crazy.

The Neutral:
Nothing here!

Overall, this is a great, super-sturdy brush which is easy to use in a lot of different ways: highlighting the browbone, a wash of color on the lid, the crease, blending. I really dig the verstility and the sleek design. I only wish the bristles were maybe black or brown. I don't just have one of these, I have a few. I think every single one was very worth it!

This is currently $22.50 from MAC.