The foundation brush was painfully scratchy.
The duo fibre has a much smaller head than the original and it flops all over the place. No control.
The concealer brush is a different shape and feel to the original. Its floppy and much longer, and the head is rounded not with a slight point like its meant to so I can't use it to "dot" a tiny amound concealer onto small blemishes like with the fullsize one.
The 168 "Large Angled Contour Brush" is more like a "Small Angled Contour Brush" as its much smaller than my fullsize one. Oh and it sheds too.

The whole set stinks. A waste of US $50, oh actually $100, cause I had to pay $50 shipping to get it to NZ :(

edit: okay, i take it back... The 168 sucks. I actually laughed at one reviewer who said it took the foundation right off her face. Well... I was applying an extremely pigmented blush today and tried to apply with a light hand. Behold! My foundation stuck on the brush and the blush needed to be buffed. crap...
To be honest, I've always found MAC brushes on the scratchy side. They're great brushes but the trade off is always in the fact that they are way too scratchy!
The stippling brush applies my foundation nicely. I don't understand the "airbrushed" finish, but maybe Im not applying it right? I like the finish, but it has shed a few hairs on me. Still in the first wash though so that's expected. I applied my deep mask on it so it can be a little softer. stopped shedding hairs after the second week. feels a bit flimsy and not firm. I dont use foundation for this anymore! I've got ecotools for that. I use this for blush now. It's fine.
The blush brush is okay. No streaks! Maybe now I can experiment with contouring. it's gotten slightly rougher, but I still like the way it applies color!
The concealer brush is great. I needed one in my collection anyway. Nothing genius, but at least it gets to the creases of my nose.
The foundation brush is probably my favorite! It's super dense and applies any foundation like a dream!
I wouldn't buy this set again coz I think I can find better dupes out there that are soft and apply make up nicely. Better yet, maybe I should buy the full sized brushes.
Took a lippie off for being scratchy, another for having a wierd chemical smell. I do hope it washes off.
edit: Putting a deep conditioner mask on the ends of the brush did make it a lot softer. yey! I also used EnKore's version of deodorizing brushes. Now I dont have to hold my breath when I apply my make up. The stippling brush took a while to deodorize.
edit: the smell returned! What the **** is this scent!?
Wish I bought ecotools instead of this though. I think i could've bought 2 ecotools for the price of this thing. Stilll.... at least now I know that I should definitely stay away from SE versions. will probably buy full sized ones in the future...

what a waste of 50 dollars. to explain more would be wasting more of my precious time considering how much time i've wasted trying to make these crappy brushes work. buy the full sized mac brushes, not this machine made junk. it's worth the money.

Limited edition brush set. I bought this after losing my beloved full size 190 brush. You get 4 great face brushes + 2 zipper pouches (one big, one smaller), for a great price.

But there has been talk that the limited edition brushes are not hand made with the same quality as the bigger ones- that's why they're cheaper. I am not able to confirm this, but will say that my 187 isn't as full as the full sized ones. The black bristles do not work well in keeping the white ones seperated, this leads to the white bristles clumping up together during use or after wash. I find that this makes the whole "air brush finish"-thing harder to achieve.

All in all, this is great if you are keen on getting your hands on some MAC brushes, but if I could, I would have instead spent the money on other brands like Sigma, Gosh, E.L.F. or even EnKore's (from Youtube) line of brushes- as he has fantastic duo fibre ones.
I will not be repurchasing anymore limited edition brush sets from MAC, but I may recommend them to others.

Worst investment ever. && this was a gift.
Let me start off by saying I love MAC. I was impressed by the Heirlooms Brush Set! [: So I expected nothing less from this one. I wasn't too caught up with the red, but it'll work!
My brother got this brush set for me while they were like $35 bucks, so at least we didn't have to pay full price because they totally sucked!
I deep wash my brushes (all my brushes) very often, I don't even use my MAC Brush Cleaner anymore, just stick to J&J Baby Shampoo and it works for me...but no matter how much I washed, and washed, AND WASHED, these brushes would not work!
I have the full size 190 and the Heirloom gold handled one but sometimes those two are being washed and I have to resort to using this one...it hurts. Literally, when I apply my Studio Fix Fluid...it hurts my skin, and I don't have sensitive skin at all...sorry for the comparison but it literally feels like HAY being scratched onto my skin. Ughhh. (Old hay, mind you, lol). Same with the concealer 194 brush...
I haven't tried the 168 because my full size and the Heirlooms ones are such a pain to wash and then get into the right shape again, so I've saved myself from that hassle !
Even my favorite 187 sheds like crazy...even when I'm freaking applying blush with it...):
Don't waste your money or swap opportunities with this gals...save up and get the real brushes...it'll be worth it!!! continued >>

i bought this set in december to get the 187se. i used the other brushes, but i didnt really like them. i used the 187se to apply my studio fix powder, and i loved the way it applied it. i havent found another brush that has left me witht the same results. i swapped this set away....and now im looking for another 187SE

These are the only MAC brushes I own at the moment and I got them for a decent price. I find they are the perfect size to tag along in my purse and I also use them daily. I don't find them scratchy at all, like some of the other reviewers. To me, they are soft enough for my face, yet firm enough to hold the products. Also, the 168SE sheds quite a bit, which is annoying, but it works well. The only brush in this set that I find kind of lame and floppy is the 194Se, but I still use it. The cases are cute and I love the red. I would definitely repurchase these (at the sale price), as they are the perfect size for me and I think they work very well for my needs. These have made me more curious about full sized MAC brushes and I forsee myself buying the regular sized versions in the near future.

WORST BRUSHES EVER!!!! very scratchy, and they shed like crazy!

Basically, the quality of the MAC brush sets are always different from the full sized-regular priced MAC brushes. Most of the brushes that come with the sets are made in China(poor quality) and the regular ones are made in France, USA, Japan(good qualities and very professionally made). So, I personally wouldn't recommend or suggest buying these holiday brush sets just to see and try how MAC brushes are. The price wise, you might feel like it's a good deal, but remember what you get is what you pay for.

I was so excited when I got this as a gift for Christmas, because they were all "SE" versions of brushes that I did not have yet (all the expensive face brushes I was avoiding). I was waiting for a 187 at the CCO, but they were always out, so I was happy that it came in the set. I knew that it was not going to be the same as the full size 187, but I heard it was comparable. It is true, it is in most ways I suppose. My boyfriend bought me the regular 187 and now I can honestly say they are quite different. The regular 187 applies more even, is gentler and is better for blush. Do not get me wrong the 187SE, it is still good, probably the only reason to get the set (DONT). The other brushes are SOOO synthetic and not worth using for what they are "meant" to do. I use the 190SE for moisturizer application and use the concealer for tiny imperfections. The 168SE, I believe, is really small and not soft at all. I never use it. I also received a 129SE in the other set, and use it as a painting brush, and it is not even good for that. That one has to be the worst in my opinion.

I like them all but this set makes me want to buy the 187 full size, the travel size one is loosing brisles so i was disappoint when first trying it, they are the first mac brushes i bought

The worst purchase of 2008. And I bought it before the sets were on sale. Cheap material, bad quality, horrible sparse and scratchy hair... If I could see them at a store I would never even think about getting them.
Complete waste of money and disappointment from MAC.

I bought this brush set around Christmas at Nordstroms because they had it for $35. It comes with the 187, 190, 168 and the concealer brush ( I forgot the number). I think it was worth the money. I use most of the brushes everyday. The only one that shed was the 187, It's not as great the full size but for $35, I got other great brushes too. The brushes are very soft and work great.. The only thing that didn't impress me was the bag it came in, other that It was a great deal.

I bought this when I got the tip Nordstrom was selling these for $35 before the Christmas holidays. My real reason in buying this was to get the 187 brush, the other stuff was just a bonus. Plus its red which is my favorite color. I can tell the quality is lacking in these brushes compared to the full size brushes MAC has but its a great starter kit for some who needs brushes but low on cash. I use the 187 the most, for blush and foundation application. I haven't even used the other brushes yet.

I finally received this in the mail today! Grrrrrr UPS!! Anyway, I purchased it online while MAC was having their 25% off holiday sale, so I paid around $35 bucks for these and I was mainly interested in trying out the 187 brush since I've heard such good things about it. I was a bit surprised since I hadn't seen these in person, so they were smaller than I expected, but I think the 187 does the job. I did wash these and have not noticed any shedding as so many others stated, and am now interested in purchasing the full size 187. These are my first set of MAC face bruses, aside from my 217 blending brush that I purchased from my CCO for $15. I did take off 2 lippies since I was hoping they would be a tad bit larger - from all those videos on youtube, they just seem a bit bigger and obviously you can't judge the size from the MAC website. And I probably wouldn't purchase another MAC set like this ONLY because of the handle issue --- I actually think the 'brush' portion helps with application in terms of putting product right where you want it. Overall, would recommend for any newbie to MAC brushes --- good travel size.

UPDATE: Ok, so MAC came out with a 25% off everything on their site yesterday-- and after playing around with these and waiting 3 wks for these to come in the mail - i'm kinda po'd that I bought these. I now wish I would've purchased the full size 187 for 25% OFF! ( which is now SOLD OUT) and not spent 35 bucks on 1 se brush that I kinda like in this set. AND as far as quality goes, I do like the 187 in this set, BUT, the quality is just as good as some of the other no name brushes I have. (basing this on this set) As stated above, will NEVER purchase another MAC face brush set. At least not before testing/seeing them in person....
still a little po'd....double GRRRRRRRR!

187SE- Duo fiber brush. I bought the Adoring Carmine set mainly because of this brush. I was disappointed because this shed like hell when I first took out the brush from it's packaging, and it was worse when I first washed it. I used it after the first wash and a lot of hairs were shed on my face. I spent more time picking hairs off my face than applying foundation. But the good thing is that it applies foundation like a DREAM. I used it with Studio Fix Press Powder Foundation and then spray and buff in Fix+ and it works WONDERS. I'll be getting the original version of this brush, since I love it so much!

168SE- Large angled contour brush. This has no shedding (just as expected from a MAC brush), but there's a lot of flyaways. It feels very stiff and hard. The bristles are so harsh that it even took some foundation off my face instead of putting product onto my cheeks. I probably will not use this brush unless I'm trying to put heavy color onto my cheeks.

190SE- Foundation brush. One word: HARD. It feels very stiff on my face, but it applies foundation very well. I got a nice coverage with liquid foundation but got a very cakey face with Studio Fix Pressed Powder Foundation, even with Fix+. I'll just continue to use it with liquid foundations.

194SE- Concealer brush. I totally love this! It's soft and helps a LOT with precise concealing. I'm able to get all the small spots and works super well with concealing under the eyes. I'm so happy with this brush because it works well with liquid, cream, and powder concealers. continued >>

The brushes in this set are the SE versions (meaning machine mass-produced, and not hand-made like the full versions), so expect it to be a little scratchier. However, for the price, it's a pretty good deal, considering that most of the brushes do what they're supposed to do.
I bought this set, but then returned it and bought two full-sized brushes instead.
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187SE, the stippling brush that's such a cult fav, is slightly, slightly small than the normal, but it is almost the same in disposing blush, applying foundation, powder, etc. It sheds like crazy in the beginning, some hairs dropping out by simply moving it upside down. And the first wash is just scary: so many hairs! The shedding slows down eventually, after I'd say three or four washes, but some small bits still fall out.
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168SE: the large angled contour brush is actually what triggered me to go return the set. I have the full version, and the difference is staggering. The full version is soft and applies an even layer of powder. The SE version is very rough and leaves powder very streaky. The other three are nowhere near as different.
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194 SE: the concealer brush is pretty much the same--same density, same flexibility, with the full version being just a tad softer. Both applies concealer well.
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190 SE: I don't have this foundation brush in full, so I can't compared, but for the SE itself, it applies well enough, but it simply eat too much product for me: if you flick the brush after usage, a dusty cloud of powder comes off, and I can only imagine it's worse for liquids. Again, it WORKS fine, but...
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Packaging: lovely shades of red, but the pouch looks and feels very cheap: a little rough on the hands--but hey, it is cheap! But the handles are very, very fetching: a nice blend of a brilliant red and a metallic burgundy, while the shape is short and stocky: very easy to handle, and doesn't crash into the mirror if you lean in.
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Overall, for the price (US45 and CAD55, or something close), it's really worth it (the full set would cost more than a hundred). I decided to return it because it feels strange on my skin to use Shu Uemura, full versions MAC, and Dior brushes with a MAC SE.

The brushes in this set are the SE versions (meaning machine mass-produced, and not hand-made like the full versions), so expect it to be a little scratchier. However, for the price, it's a pretty good deal, considering that most of the brushes do what they're supposed to do.
I bought this set, but then returned it and bought two full-sized brushes instead.
187SE, the stippling brush that's such a cult fav, is slightly, slightly small than the normal, but it is almost the same in disposing blush, applying foundation, powder, etc. It sheds like crazy in the beginning, some hairs dropping out by simply moving it upside down. And the first wash is just scary: so many hairs! The shedding slows down eventually, after I'd say three or four washes, but some small bits still fall out.
168SE: the large angled contour brush is actually what triggered me to go return the set. I have the full version, and the difference is staggering. The full version is soft and applies an even layer of powder. The SE version is very rough and leaves powder very streaky. The other three are nowhere near as different.
194 SE: the concealer brush is pretty much the same--same density, same flexibility, with the full version being just a tad softer. Both applies concealer well.
190 SE: I don't have this foundation brush in full, so I can't compared, but for the SE itself, it applies well enough, but it simply eat too much product for me: if you flick the brush after usage, a dusty cloud of powder comes off, and I can only imagine it's worse for liquids. Again, it WORKS fine, but...
Packaging: lovely shades of red, but the pouch looks and feels very cheap: a little rough on the hands--but hey, it is cheap! But the handles are very, very fetching: a nice blend of a brilliant red and a metallic burgundy, while the shape is short and stocky: very easy to handle, and doesn't crash into the mirror if you lean in.
Overall, for the price (US45 and CAD55, or something close), it's really worth it (the full set would cost more than a hundred). I decided to return it because it feels strange on my skin to use Shu Uemura, full versions MAC, and Dior brushes with a MAC SE.

I adore mac brushes and could not pass up such a great deal--Nordstrom's $35 stellar deal. I love the red handles and find these are the perfect size for in your purse or travel makeup bag. The quality is pretty decent--not quite as good as the normal handmade brushes--they look cheaper but still do the job well. These lower quality brushes are still way better then most brushes out there for this price! I mean $35 you can't beat that! That gets you one--maybe two full size mac brushes. There such a great value and help you build up a good collection of brushes quite easily. I would definitely recommend--but go to nordstroms!! Oh and the bag is ugly! lol.

I got this set as I was attracted to the short & stubby handles, especially the 187SE (skunk brush).
The first thing to do is shampoo all of them for sanitary & removal of loose hair.
The 187SE is slightly small in circumference yet longer than the normal 187, I stress "slightly" as in 0.2-0.3 cm. Its initial application did shed about 4-5 hair, only those short ones on the outer circumference. It has stopped since.
My best surprise discovery is the 194SE, I use it for concealer. I had 4-5 concealer brushes but none "fits" & feel as good as this one.
The fdn & contour/blush brush are both good, but nothing ga-ga about it. Maybe it was the red & cinnabar colour combo that sucked me to buy it.
I did not regret buying it, but I can truly live without it happily, speaking for the majority of us here. Who doesn't have a few tumbles full of brushes sitting around. continued >>