I purchased this brush based on all the reviews. I am not sure if the quality has deteriorated recently, but this is by far the worst brush I ever purchased. I felt compelled to write my first review because the quality is just not acceptable considering the price and brand name. I am experiencing constant shedding of long and short hairs. It is almost like the hairs have split ends and they are breaking off. I have had the brush for 3 months now and I am considering throwing it away because it is just frustrating I spent so much money for a terrible quality brush. I own a variety of high-end and low-end brushes but this has never happened to me before. I would have immediately returned it, but I live in the UK with less favorable consumer protection than the US for cosmetics products.
I will never purchase a Mac brush again. Product quality and consistency is lacking.

I read the reviews here and dashed off to the MAC store to buy one, since they're the only ones who have it. I was so surprised at how large of a brush this is - I had looked at the brush online, but didn't realize that it's almost as big as their powder brush. I was interested in it because it's tapered and the reviews talk about it being so soft - but I wanted a blush brush, and this is way to big for me. I'm sure many people can work with something like this for blush, but I would find it to be too much work.

the queen of face brushes!
i use it every day, load it up with MAC pressed powder and press the sides gently over shiny areas, rotating the brush as i go.
the pointed tip is great for powdering around the nose area. finish off with a few gentle sweeps.
soft as a kittens paw and rarely sheds, perhaps a couple of bristles a week.
which is more than you can say for MACs badger brush!

one of the more expensive brushes I own from MAC but worth every penny, it's a mulittasking brush I use to contour and apply blush, also to apply loose powder to areas under the eye sometimes but mostly to blend the make up and avoid any harsh lines on my face.
the bristles are so soft and smooth it makes applying make up a joy. I even use it for the creme blush (optimistic orange) and it works nicely.
doesn't shed at all. not a must have brush but a highly versatile one of extremely good quality, if you still don't own a contouring / blush / buffing brush you get a 3 in 1 with this!

Awesome, shape and size! Perfect for contouring, or getting right under the eyes, or near the eye sockets. Soft beautiful hairs! Take care of this baby well, and she'll last forever!

very nice and versatile brush. i use it for blush and contouring. i don't lose any hairs on my face. easy to wash. a staple for any serious makeup person!

Most expensive brush from mac and also the most versatile. Pointed tip allows for precise contouring and blush/highlighter application. The brush also dense and wide enough for shorter bristles to blend the application seamlessly and can also be used for face powder. Super soft and superb construction and quality. After using it for a year, it has lost a couple hairs a month but not enough to be alarming. Keep in mind, I do treat my brushes pretty bad, rough rubbing and washing and throwing in makeup bags.What's great is it still hasn't lost too much shape even after washing without using a brush guard.

Mac has brushes made from different countries but this brush is made in Japan. Hakuhodo manufacture brushes for Mac and this is a likely brush made by them. In case you don't know, Hakuhodo is a luxury, high end quality brush manufacturer in Japan. They are a level higher than mac in terms of price and quality. Although, I haven't been able to afford one, I have touched and felt those brushes and they are amazing! This brush is quite comparable to their line!

Final verdict: It's a great brush but if you are tight on money and already have a good contour brush and blush brush, you don't really necessarily need this. I use it daily and I find it the best at blending harsh lines from blush/bronzer than any of my regular contour/blush brushes. Technique to use this brush is quite different then other brushes, so it might take some time getting use to.

Hands down best MAC brush that I own. Softest brush EVER. I can use this brush for many things, I got it for contouring. It places color and blends out like a charm. It can also be used for powder foundation, powder, highlighter, blush, bronzer, etc, pretty much anything that has to do with the face. It feels so great on the skin, and since the brush is not stiff, it gives a nice light coverage but still deposits color. Even though this brush is crazy expensive, buy it, you wont regret it!

I'm in love with this brush. This is excellent for bronzer, powder, blush, highlighting, contouring anything! This is like the only face brush I need. It works perfectly for everything! This is my HG face brush. Super soft, works wonderfully, I'M IN LOVE WITH IT! And I'm a brush junkie, so thought I wouldn't need ANOTHER face brush, but honestly I'm glad I got. :)

I am a brush junkie and even though I was intrigued by the reviews here I didn't think I needed another face brush. The local MAC store was out of 138s so it made it easy not to buy one :D However as soon as it was back in stock I couldn't resist buying it. Even though I paid a LOT of money (71usd :S) I am glad that I got this one. It is extremely soft and the shape is truly unique. This brush is not any face brush, and it is good for many things like contouring, highlighting, applying blush etc. Especially it makes it super easy to contour and highlight. A definite must have if you do not get good results when contouring / highlighting with regular face brushes.

I LOVE THIS BRUSH! It's super soft & perfect for contouring. Had mine for over 2 years; still in perfect shape; like the first time I used it. A must have for sure! =) continued >>

I love this brush - I bought it about a year ago after reading the reviews on MUA and my brush is still in perfect condition with daily use. I use is for both blush and contouring, and it works great for both. If I ever need another one, I would definitely repurchase. My favorite makeup brush!

I have found my HG brush for contouring!
I just bought it yesterday for $70 after taxes in Canada and at first I thought it was not worth it, but after washing it and actually contouring my face with it, I am in love and the brush is worth every penny!
When I first washed it, there were no fall outs. I washed it with baby shampoo twice to get it really clean so I could use it the next day. It dried completely over night!
When I swirled the brush in the bronzer I noticed that the product only got onto the tip of the brush - which is perfect because you want the product at the point so when you contour it gives you a perfect straight line.
Not only does it contour really nice and accurate, but it also blends out really nice. I normally contour with a angled face brush and would have to use a fluffy powder brush to blend the contour but with this 138 brush I don't need to!

The bristles are incredibly soft and dense. The brush is made out of goat hair. Really well made. The weight of the brush is not over bearing, perfect for blending the harsh line.
The only downside is the price. $70 CDN...so expensive for a brush!!! I could by 3 Costco borghese brush sets with $70...
But seeing how soft and how well it contours my face, I think it is worth it. Definitely going to take care of this baby

I just bought this brush today and already ten hairs have fallen out. Such a huge disappointment because in Canada it's $62.50. I may return it.

Ah i love this brush. Iits so soft on your face and it hasnt shed a bristle yet. it works well with pigmented blushes and blends them out easily, i used to have a problem with other brushes and pigmented powder blush because it never used to blend out easily and when it finally did it was after putting alot of time and effort in it which was annoying. Its really good for creating soft blended looks of contour. If you were using it for blush alone i would go for the 129, because its quite round and fits the apples of your cheeks perfectly. Or if you wanted more of a harsh contour then the 165 is better than the 138 because the 165 is quite precise due to its small size and the 138 is larger so it gives more of a blended look. For me, i like to do both harsh and blended contour depending on the day or the look so i do use both brushes alot. Its really a multipurpose brush, you can use it for contour, blush and highlighting. You could even use it for powder i guess but i cant say ive tried it. Its a brush worth getting, im glad i own it.

It's very soft and great for bronzer application. Very pricey though.

If I only had to have one face brush... this would be the one. I use this for powder, blush,bronzer, and highlight. You can contour ur face with it since it is tapered and u can put on bronzer by using the flat side. I have nothing bad to say about this. It was definitely worth the price. And even after washing, the shape of the brush seems to maintain itself.

This is my first powder brush that I have. It's surprisingly soft compare too all the other powder brushes that M.A.C has. It's perfect for highlights and great to have it close to the nose crease. There is no hair falling off since I bought it 8 months ago. Although it's a bit pricy, it's worth the cost though.

This is a beautiful versatile brush! Great for powder, highlight, you name it. Love the tapered tip so you can get right close to the nose crease! Super soft, non shedding.

Lovely brush! Super soft, perfect for contouring or simple powdering and no shedding! It'll last a long time if properly cared for, so well worth the money!