MAC holiday brush set reviews anyone?

HAIRapy · #1 10-27-2008, 09:36 AM

I've been looking all over youtube and only saw 2 people talking about the face brushes. Did anyone get the eye brushes? I ordered the basic set and the eye set from Nordstrom's. I'll do a review when I get them. If anyone else has them now, could you please do a review? I checked them out in the MAC store and the MA said that the 187 in the face brushes were not the quality of the full-sized one. He said the same of the powder brush from the basic set. He said that all the eye brushes were of the same quality as the full-sized brushes. I must say, the brushes are cute and travel size. I can't wait to get mine!

HAIRapy · #2 10-28-2008, 05:05 PM

Bumpidy bump

shadylane21 · #3 10-29-2008, 01:48 AM

Just got mine today ill post tommorow when I use them.

Nefertiti0906 · #4 10-29-2008, 12:12 PM

Bump

*ElleB · #5 10-29-2008, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HAIRapy

I've been looking all over youtube and only saw 2 people talking about the face brushes. Did anyone get the eye brushes? I ordered the basic set and the eye set from Nordstrom's. I'll do a review when I get them. If anyone else has them now, could you please do a review? I checked them out in the MAC store and the MA said that the 187 in the face brushes were not the quality of the full-sized one. He said the same of the powder brush from the basic set. He said that all the eye brushes were of the same quality as the full-sized brushes. I must say, the brushes are cute and travel size. I can't wait to get mine!

Hmmm...then I guess I should pick that one up!

shadylane21 · #6 10-29-2008, 05:46 PM

O.K. so I got 2 lip palettes that are going back because they suck in my opinon! I think i will be getting a new Urban decay palette with that since Urban Decay is one of my new loves

O.K. so I also got the face brush and the eye brush sets. The only full size brush that I have is the 187 and compared to the mini one it better. The mini one sheds something terrible but gets the job done for foundation. I like the concealer brush 194 and the angled blush brush 168 picks up a lot of color,275 angled shadow brush is great. The 190 looks like a good foundation brush but I have not yet used it. The 252 shading brush is very rough and kinda hard to work with. The 212 brush is a straight liner and is soft and flexible.The 209 is also a liner brush and is very soft. The 217 is a soft blending brush that I have not used yet. I hope this helps.

HAIRapy · #7 10-30-2008, 10:11 AM

Thank you for responding ShadyLane21. They are killing these sets on specktra- they said they are horribly horrible especially the 217, 129, and the 187. I can't wait to get my brushes so I can try them too. I felt the sets in the store and they didn't feel bad to me. I noticed that if 1 or 2 of the right people say something is bad, others follow suite. Thanks again

silverlotus · #8 10-30-2008, 02:56 PM

Hmmm, I think I'm gonna just skip the brush sets & buy one or two full-size brushes I actually want. The sets all seem to have maybe 1 or 2 brushes that I would actually use and 3-4 unnecessary ones.

shockolate · #9 10-30-2008, 03:02 PM

the ones i bought 2 yrs ago are horrible quality. or was it last year? the ones in the round satin purse. 2 of them are shaking and feel loose and i rarely use them. and the small foundation brush shed like mad. i think its better to splurge on the full sized brushes

Butterfly08 · #10 10-30-2008, 03:06 PM

Hairapy I hope you don't mind, but I'm reviewing a set from last year's collection. Basically, the foundation and concealor brushes (194) are pretty much the same fibres as full size. The face brushes - 187, the blush (don't have it w/ me to get the #) are just sucky. The SE 187 bleeds black ink every time I wash it, a year later. Honestly, I'd just save up and get a full size one every month or two - once you've tried the FS brushes it's hard to go backwards in quality. Or, wait and get a set from a CCO where they are cheaper (unless you just have to have the red brushes).

I admit if they were hot pink I'd probably be tempted.

But the quality is just so-so.

And the MAC employees will readily admit it (although not in those exact words).

Noir · #11 10-30-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterfly08

I admit if they were hot pink I'd probably be tempted.

But the quality is just so-so.

Butterfly you sound sooo much like me. I am such a sucka for hot pink tools and appliances

I said before that MAC should have had a hot pink brush set with the heatherette collection.

Anyways ....

I was going to purchase the brushes collection but now decided against it. I have all the full sized ones so I don't NEED them . It was just a novelty thing for me.

The holiday brush collections are always a miss or hit. You get a few good batches but for the majority the quality is not up to par.

HAIRapy · #12 10-30-2008, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterfly08

Hairapy I hope you don't mind, but I'm reviewing a set from last year's collection. Basically, the foundation and concealor brushes (194) are pretty much the same fibres as full size. The face brushes - 187, the blush (don't have it w/ me to get the #) are just sucky. The SE 187 bleeds black ink every time I wash it, a year later. Honestly, I'd just save up and get a full size one every month or two - once you've tried the FS brushes it's hard to go backwards in quality. Or, wait and get a set from a CCO where they are cheaper (unless you just have to have the red brushes).

I admit if they were hot pink I'd probably be tempted.

But the quality is just so-so.

And the MAC employees will readily admit it (although not in those exact words).

I don't mind at all, I appreciate your help

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noir

Butterfly you sound sooo much like me. I am such a sucka for hot pink tools and appliances

I said before that MAC should have had a hot pink brush set with the heatherette collection.

Anyways ....

I was going to purchase the brushes collection but now decided against it. I have all the full sized ones so I don't NEED them . It was just a novelty thing for me.

The holiday brush collections are always a miss or hit. You get a few good batches but for the majority the quality is not up to par.

You both sound like me, I LOVE LOVE LOVE hot pink... any of the medium-darker pink hues I love!

Okay, so here's my review. I posted this on Specktra and I'm copying and pasting this here:
YAAAYYY my brushes came today!!!

So I got the basic and the eye sets. I disagree with everyone that said that they are crap. I tested out all of the brushes rubbing them on my eyelids and cheeks, both on the tip of the brush bristles and the sides of the brushes. Out of both sets, the only scratchy brushes were the 266 (the entire brush was a mess) and the 252 (only scratchy at the tips, but smooth on the sides) all of the other brushes are definately workable.

The 217 I received did have 2 hairs that seemed stiffer than the others in the brush, I plucked them out and now the brush is fine. It's just like the full 217.
The 129 is not scratchy- it's kinda soft, but I've felt softer brushes. I don't have a 129, so I don't know what the full-sized one feel like.
The 239 is just like the full 239
The 219 is just like the full 219- except the SE brush comes to a sharper point.
The 209 is just like the full 209
I don't have the full sized brushes to compare the following, but the 129, 212, 316, 275 (VERY soft and nice) are nice brushes. I can even work with the 252, I just won't be applying anything using the tip of the brush.

I love them and I'm glad I ordered them. $35 was a steal IMO. The only brush that was crap is the 266, that one is a lost cause.

Oh, they could've kept the bags, they are corny.

I hope this helps anyone who wondered about the eye brushes, cuz I was lost

*ElleB · #13 10-30-2008, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noir

Butterfly you sound sooo much like me. I am such a sucka for hot pink tools and appliances

I said before that MAC should have had a hot pink brush set with the heatherette collection.

Anyways ....

I was going to purchase the brushes collection but now decided against it. I have all the full sized ones so I don't NEED them . It was just a novelty thing for me.

The holiday brush collections are always a miss or hit. You get a few good batches but for the majority the quality is not up to par.

Could it be that regular, full-sized MAC brushes are handmade, and these gift sets aren't?

Mrs.Gooch · #14 10-30-2008, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *ElleB

Could it be that regular, full-sized MAC brushes are handmade, and these gift sets aren't?

^^^^That is exactly it. IMHO, I would just save up for the full sized ones.

HAIRapy · #15 10-30-2008, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *ElleB

Could it be that regular, full-sized MAC brushes are handmade, and these gift sets aren't?

Yep, from my understanding, the full size ones are partially handmade, and the SE ones are all the way maching made.

PhonyBaloney500 · #16 10-30-2008, 10:58 PM

What's corny about the bags, Hairapy?

HAIRapy · #17 10-31-2008, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhonyBaloney500

What's corny about the bags, Hairapy?

There's a small satiny burgandyish pouch, which is actually okay. Then there's a bigger bag which is also burgandish and satiny, but it has this bright red plasticy shiny strip (on each side of the zipper) on the top and it extends to the wristlet strap- that bag is just corny to me. They could've put it in a better bag than that IMO.

HAIRapy · #18 11-01-2008, 09:26 PM

Okay ladies. I can always admit when I was wrong and this may be one of those times

. I still stick by my original thoughts about the brushes and how they feel.

I put my makeup on today using these brushes for the first time. There is definately something different about the way the brushes distributes eyeshadow. The 239 was good, it still packed on the color, but the 217 didn't blend as well as the full size does. I was there forever windshield wiping. I don't have to do that with my full 217. The 219 was ok. I'm going to apply my makeup tomorrow using them and if I don't like the way they apply shadow again, back to Nordstroms they go. I'm sorry I reviewed them without actually applying makeup with them first. I'll let yall know if I sent them back of not, thanks.

HAIRapy · #19 11-03-2008, 04:43 AM

They're not working out ladies. I reluctantly packed them up last night to go back to Nordstroms today. I so wanted keep them, but $70 is not a good price to pay for 10 weird brushes. If you really are hell-bent on having red brushes, I heard the suggestion of getting Smashbox brushes from Sephora- they're pretty good brushes they say (I've never used them.)

lovinmylocs · #20 11-03-2008, 10:25 AM

Thanks for the info Hairapy - I thought about buying these brushes, but after your review I'm going to stay away. I don't need any more brushes and while the red handles would be cute it's not worth it if I'm not going to use them.