I was never able to apply gel eyeliner until I purchased the 231 brush. Amazing. Really. Now I can enjoy the staying power of gel eyeliner - a big deal if you have super oily eyelids like me. Along with the brush I bought a MAC Fluidline gel eyeliner and I'm 100% satisfied.

This is a great multipurpose and versatile brush that gets quite a bit of use and love from me. Works wonders for precise concealer application, gel eye liner, brow powder, high lighting in the inner corners of the eyes, and detailed shadow application. Great quality brush that never sheds, washes easily, and maintains its shape.

Okay. So I went along trying Gel eyeliners a few years ago and bought the MAC angled eyeliner brush the #266 I believe and I tried using it and I could not have applied it using that brush to save my life!
So I watch Fafinettex3's video on YOUTUBE saying she loves the MAC #231 brush to apply gel eyeliners and I went to MAC and picked it up.
I applied the eyeliner using this brush and OMG the lines were PERFECT. I LOVE THIS BRUSH FOR GEL EYELINER.
All I wanna say is if you seriously need a gel eyeliner brush and all the other brushes you tried were crappy YOU NEED THIS. GO GET IT NOW!

The 231 is the best brush I've found for tightlining & regular lining with a gel liner. I originally doubted that it could do a better job than my 266, but despite having what seems like an unlikely shape for the task, the 231 gets the job done more easily than any other brush I've tried. Give it a try! continued >>

This brush looks like a really cool brush when you first see it, but having had it for a while now I'm finally ready to admit that it's a huge let down. The only reason I'm giving this a 3 instead of a 2 is because it's extremely well made and it's not completely useless. I recommend getting a 228 brush instead of this one, especially if you're planning to use it as a lip brush. Leave this brush to the YouTube gurus because it's really not as easy to use as they make it look.

PROS:

- GREAT QUALITY. It's extremely well-made. The synthetic fibres are nice and stiff. Unlike the 228 brush, the handle is big enough so that you don't have to worry about snapping it in half if you throw it in your makeup bag or drop it on a hard floor. It's also must sturdier in your hand than the 228 brush, which gives you great control over it. It dries VERY quickly, which is really nice because if you're using this for cream eyeliner you'll be washing it a bunch.

- MULTI-USE: Some people use this for a few different things, but I mostly find that it's only really useful for 3 different things: Applying cream eyeliner, smudging eyeliner on the upper lash line and applying lipstick. If you're going for a really thin eyeliner line on your upper lash line, this brush makes it pretty easy


CONS:

- EXPENSIVE: Yes, it's nowhere near as expensive as most MAC brushes, but $18 for this TEENY TINY brush is still hard to swallow, especially if you already have good brushes that do the same thing. Also, this brush isn't super easy to get. It's only available at MAC stores or online, which I always find really annoying.

- OTHER BRUSHES DO A BETTER JOB:
Eyeliner: Lots of less expensive brands make great eyeliner brushes now and they're much easier to get your hands on. I like to have a few different eyeliner brushes because I use cream eyeliner and I don't feel like washing a brush every day.
Lips: This really is NOT an amazing lip brush. No matter how smooth my lips are, this brush kind of skids across my lips rather than glides. Get a 228 brush instead. It is small and stiff enough to still be precise and it glides well.
Smudging: Same with lips. It doesn't blend as well as you'd think and really tugs on my eyelid no matter how creamy the products I'm using are. That tugging can get painful after a while.

STAINS: It's impossible to get stains out of this brush when I use bright lipsticks, even if I use a really good cleanser. I've washed mine 3 times since the last time I used it and it still has lingering traces of red on it. The 228 brush is really easy to clean and also dries very quickly.



***EASY TIP*** If you decide to pick up this brush (or any other MAC brush), take some clear nail polish and swipe it over the silver MAC # lettering a few times. Redo this every year and it will prevent the number from rubbing off and keep your brush looking like new. Lots of people already know to do this, but I constantly see tons of people with brushes that have labels nearly rubbed off so it's worth mentioning. continued >>

A nice multi-purpose brush from MAC, i use it mainly for eyeshadow, foundation and concealer application...i luv the softness and durability of this. It applies concealer very well over acne scars (i have acne-prone skin so its a must-have for me!) And i've seen no fall out till now...very easy to clean. I wud crib only about how expensive it is!

I happened to pick up MAC Studio Finish Concealer and the SA told me I needed the 231 brush. Works flawlessly with my concealer. Easy to control and I can pinpoint exactly where I want to place the concealer with little to no fuss, especially around my eyes. I have very specific areas I like to conceal and this does it perfectly. I'm now realizing that this is actually sold as an eye makeup brush. I'm a gel liner gal and I may give it a try with this brush. Either way I have my HG concealer brush if all else fails. Ladies this is the brush to get!

This brush is highly overlooked, and has so many uses. It's the most versitile brush in my collection. It can used for the following:
Eyeliner - makes a thin line and can smuge out prodcut beautifully
Cutting the crease - it can make precise lines, such as defining the outer V.
Lip - you can use it to line and fill in lip color
CONCEALER - this is my favorite use. It makes a great concealer brush for covering acne blemishes!
All in all, a great multi-use brush.

This is my favorite MAC brush, hands down!
It's probably the most multi functional brush from MAC, as well.

I mainly use it to apply gel liner.
And if you're a gel liner fan, get this brush because you're missing out!!
It applies the liner like a DREAM. Much, much better than the angled brush or the thin, pointy eyeliner brush.

It can also be used for the inner corners, under the brows, filling the eyebrows, dragging shadow to the lash line, setting liner with power, etc etc
I also heard it can be used as a lip brush, I haven't tried it for that purpose however.

The mentioned brush is similar in size to the Laura Mercier smudge brush.I mainly brought this brush for pigments and that is what I use it for.I use mainly the Shu Uemura brushes however they do not have a brush for pigments.The Mac 231 applies the pigments precisely where you want the colour,it blends and fuses and you can move the brush in either direction.I do not use this brush for any thing else though,I am weary of hygiene/cross infection.For Laura Mercier users who are reading this review you will find that the LM smudge brush will work efficiently for eye product application/blending,fantastically well.