this brush is whatever, you can always find something cheaper for the same results. i wouldnt invest so much money on an eye brush where i can find the same one at the drugstore. swapped away

I wanted a good brush for smudging and crease blending.
This brush was coarse, scratched my skin, and shed like you would not believe.
I had to return it.

I feel like I'm missing something. Everyone loves this brush but it doesn't seem to work for me.
I personally found the 219 to be far too big but that's an issue with my eyes ( I don't have alot of lid space ).
The other thing I didn't like was that the hairs are quite hard and they scratch! A fair bit of product I picked up with the brush also seem to fall off for this same reason.
If you don't have a lot of lid space/big eyes, go for a smaller brush. I replaced the 219 with the Laura Mercier smudge brush which works so much better for me as it allows more control and is so so soft!

I rarely use this brush, but when I do, it does the job quite well. I mostly use it for densely packing color on my lid or for creating the first gradiant in a smoky eye, and it works. It fits really well on my lid too, which makes for a fairly easy application. Always a good thing!

This is a good brush, and I am just beginning to appreciate it more. I didn't use it too much when I first picked it up, but have tried it again recently, and find it has a very specific use: applying color in the crease (which then will have to be diffused out with a blending brush) or applying color along the last line (although there are other brushes I like better for that - namely MAC 214 short shader brush - this is a great little brush - see separate review). Even though it has such a single limited specific purpose, it does it so well that I think it's worth picking up if you ever found you have a tough time with limiting color to the crease (I find most brushes are too big to do this job well or easily). And yes, you still need another brush to finish the job. But it does such a nice job of controlling how much color is applied and where. While some brushes would be nice in duplicate (blending brush, etc) I'm okay with having only one of these. I would perhaps play with it at the MAC counter or in a MAC store, but I think many people would really like it.

Hi girlz... I m italian.. And if I do errors.. I'm sorry. anyway.. I have only one brush from Mac.. and it's 219!!.. It's definitly amazing.. and after more of one year of utilization is impeccable!!.. It'very compact. And I use it for blend smolder pencil (every day)... and to do darker zone in the crease...!!.. If you need a pencil brush.. I reccomend this one here!! bye kiss from italy...

This brush changed by makeup life. It is so easy to work with while working in the crease, outer v, or lash lines. Its stiff enough without being harsh on the skin or eyes.

At first I balked at the price, but I bit the bullet and took this baby home. Dang, that was the right decision.
This is a pretty unique brush. I believe Sigma makes a brush modeled after this one, but the MAC is bound tighter with a sharper tip. I use it to smoke out gel or pencil liner with Urban Decay Darkhorse (aka the world's best eyeshadow-over-eyeliner color), line my lower lashes, define the inner corners, and sometimes even help to wing out my shadow. I use this for pretty much everything except pack on color and cook my dinner.

Once again, MAC, I'm impressed.
This is probably the best eyeshadow brush I have (my Avon eyeshadow brush is a close second). With the 219 there is minimal flicking of eyeshadow dust and it easy to get excellent shadow coverage and even distribution.
I would repurchase. Reccomend.

I agree with the previous reviews. This is the best brush. I use it for almost every eyeshadow application. It's great for creating a smokey effect.

There are a lot of makeup brushes that are very similar and do the same thing. The trick is finding the unique AND useful ones. This one is both. I love the brush because first, it's great quality-no wobbly ferrules there! Second, it's a good size. Not so teeny that it takes forever to apply color but not too big to get a small line. Third, it's firm. A lot of pencil brushes are too small and too soft. Because this one is more firm, it's more multipurpose.
I use this brush for a very well defined outer V. It's great for smudging eyeshadow under the lower lash line. But what I like to use it most for is smudging eyeliner under the lower lash line. Great brush. Very hard to dupe-they are all to big, too small, or too soft. Worth the money.

EDIT: I decided to give it a 4 lippie. I don't know what happened, maybe 219 decided to treat me well or maybe I decided to love it. I think this brush is perfect for smudging a pencil liner while creating a smokey look.
I don't understand how people love this. It has very hard hairs that irritates my skin. This is too thick for smudging eyeliner or placing an eye shadow along the lash line, would be better if it was thinner. Only good for defining crease but a cheaper alternative can do it also so it is not doing wonders really. I will look for better alternatives.

This is one brush I use every single day. I'm sure there are equally as good smudge brushes but I just haven't gotten around to buying them. It is a great size to smudge eye shadows. I usually put some dark brown shadow on then put an eyeliner over as an everyday look and this brush is always my go-to in putting the right amount of shadow below the crease line. Recommended but I can't compare to other smudge brushes.

This is the second Mac brush I purchased even though I already had the Sigma version. I love how pointed the tip is, and how firm it is for applying a little highlight to the inner corners of my eyes. It is also perfect for smudging a pencil liner.
I got this as Sigma's version just could not do it, its too fluffy and soft and not pointed enough. I could not get the highlight to apply to only the area I wanted, it would just apply a more diffused and wider area which i do not like. Its too soft and would not be good for smudging out a liner. I do not like it at all.
I love Mac's 219 pencil brush, its perfect.

What it claims:
For precision shading on lid, in eye crease or along lash line. The soft, smooth fibers of this brush are gathered into a pencil-shaped tip. It is ideal for blending eyeliner into eye shadow to create a smoky looking eye. M·A·C professional brushes are hand-sculpted and assembled using the finest quality materials. They feature wood handles and nickel-plated brass ferrules.

What I think:
I love this brush as it is my HG to create a sexy look. It is firm, not super soft but soft enough to where it doesnt poke the eye, it blends my eyeliner/eyeshadow perfectly as if it had a light blur effect of 1.0. Very light, easy to clean. I wont find another replacement as I've settled myself on this one. Truly a staple and this is a brush where one shouldn't be looking for replacements at all!

This is a great brush for smudging as well as applying e/s in the crease line. The reason I have said I will not repurchase is because I do not expect that I will need to (based on other reviews) :-). Some other reviewers have commented that it looks dirty since the hair is white. To me this is not an issue but rather helpful as it is easy to see when a brush needs a thourough clean with light coloured hair.

This was one of my first brushes from MAC and it's an essential!! I use it most every day!! I Don't really like to use it as a crease brush but I do like to use use for the outer V, or if I'm winginging my eyeshaddow out a bit. I also use it for my inner tear duct, and also for applying shaddow like liner on my lower eyelid. It's built great! There is is no fraying or shedding, it's great!

One of my three essential brushes for eyes (217, 239, 219). It works especially great to applying eyeshadow on my lower eyelids as a liner. For me it is too stiff for the outer V and crease even for just applying without blending but maybe I will master it later on. I recommend this! Quality is great and doesn't shed at all.

This and my 217 and 239 are my go to brushes. I couldnt live without this brush. It works well for lower eye lining and the crease and v. I was talked into this brush by the counter salesewoman at MAC and I am glad she talked me into it because I use it every day. Perfect and none like it that I have found.

This and my 217 blending brush are my 2 must-haves. I can do my eye make-up with just these 2 brushes and they make it super-easy and quick! I have no issue with rubbing off numbers even though I have been using them daily for several months (yes, they are authentic and I purchased them from MAC store). Their white color is also not an issue. MAC brush cleanser is the solution :-)