The bristles are soft to touch, yet it is firm and picks up a good amount of colour. The retractable design makes it very travel-friendly. The top isn't completely covered, but it doesn't bother me because the opening is very small, and I also clean my brushes regularly (especially with lip brushes, liquid/cream products can breed a lot of bacteria). Price is a bit steep, but I've managed to use this for a good 5-6 years.

Very convenient for touching up lips. A must if you wear darker lip colors!

This is a great little brush for applying potted lipcolor or lipsticks that have come loose from the base of the tube. Picks up a decent amount of color, but when using it to apply a lipstick I notice that I have to go back several times from brush to lips, since it has a little bit of a hard time picking up denser product. Like some reviews have mentioned, the brush is incredibly stiff when you first start using it. Cleansing it will soften it wonderfully. And since you'll be using it with creamy, thick products such as lipstick, this brush will have to be cleaned often. I also really love the amount of control this brush gives, and it allows me to paint an ultra-defined lip with ease. I haven't had an issue with the brush becoming broken and retracting on its own, but I might suggest to others to be a little more gentle when using this to apply product- think of yourself softly painting a delicate canvas. Also, as others have pointed out, the brush does have an opening at the tip to allow the brush to come out. This tip does not close, so dirt can get in if you're not careful. Despite all this, I really do love almost everything about this brush- even the telescopic way that it opens is so fun to play with. Addicting, almost!

This brush is a perfect brush for keeping in your purse for those persistent lipstick touch-ups throughout the day! The size of the brush is great and it's not too fluffy. Easy to clean and does not shed.

Small. Closed up its about 3 and a half inches long and when you pop the brush open it's like 4 inches. The opening doesn't close so it's kind of like a straw and dirt can get in but I just cover it with tape and it help. It's a sleek shiny black tube. The bristles of the brush are tightly packed and are in a round C shape. It's a really nice lip brush. Applies precisely and really nice

The USP with this one is its retractable head since it overcomes a common problem with the closing mechanisms of rival portable brushes, i.e. a tendency to trap hair and ultimately distort the brush head. In this regard: very impressed. Highly portable.

Love this brush. I use it with my pigmented lipsticks that need precise application and it does the job perfectly. It's the best size to pop into my handbag on a night out so I can touch up as well. I love the sliding design and contrary to other reviewers, I can honestly say that it's never collapsed on me whilst I'm using it, maybe they're pressing too hard or holding it in the wrong place..? Brush size is really good for applying lippy and bristles aren't too hard or soft...just perfect in every way. This is the reason I only buy my makeup brushes from MAC.

I love this brush, and actually purchased it specifically for use with concealer (Pro Longwear). I went to the MAC counter to look at the 194 concealer brush to cover hyperpigmentation spots, and it looked to big and soft. When I saw this one, I knew I needed to try it. I know it is for lips, and I did try and find it works great for that. However, this is perfect for me when I want to pat my concealer onto a specific, small area and blend it outward.

Great lip brush. I love that it's retractable and sleek, makes carrying it really easy. At first the bristles were really stiff, but after I cleaned it they softened up. I like the shape of the brush, it's great for digging out the last of an old lip balm or lipstick. I haven't had it "collapse" on me yet, but you do have to be careful not to press too hard during application. Hopefully this brush will last me a while - will update this review if necessary.

I like that the brush has a rounded/pointier tip to line and it's also stiff which is good for a lip brush. The packaging is so small! So of course, it's great for travel. I like that it's super compact. It applies all lip products very well, from lip conditioner, to glosses and lipsticks. Minus one lippie, because it doesn't have a full covering to protect the top.