I was so excited to try this brush. I was planning to buy it when I saw the 2008 holiday set came out with this brush included (the SE version). I asked the SA if this is the same quality as the full size one. She replied "yes. even better." which immediately made me skeptical, but I thought I'd give it a try. My main complaint is that I've never had a brush shed so horribly. There were hairs from it all over my face and when I ran my hand over it, more hairs came out. I will give it more of a chance, but it also seemed to deposit no color on my face (and I don't generally want heavy bronzer or blush application, just something sheer). I'll try it a few more days and update if I end up liking it more. Maybe it really is different from the full priced version and I should exchange it?

I got this in the 2008 brush set so it's the se version of the 187. I have never used the full size one so I can't compare and I was skeptical and I wanted to see what was so great about this brush so I decided to get the set. This brush is synthetic I believe but it is still super soft. I tried it with liquid and powder foundation and I got flawless application, no streaks like with regular foundation brushes and it doesn't look cakey. I love this brush. I probably won't buy the full size until this one is unusable but the 187se is a great alternative to the full size because the application is amazing and it's soft and way cheaper


**edit** Took off two lipsticks since it is shedding a lot now.

Okay, so I know that a lot of people use this to apply foundation, but I actually use it with powder blush. It gives your blush an almost airbrushed look and you never need to blend. Even when you use the brightest of colors, you never have streaks or harsh lines. The best brush ever for blush.......TRY IT OUT!

I don`t remember how my foundation looked before using this. And maybe I don't want to. It is that miraculous for me. It is hard to justify the hefty price tag, but the results (and longevity of the brush) that you get from using it are compelling. If you care enough to use a makeup brush, might as well just get the best. Regardless of the few strands of black that may come off.

my must have- i wont put on foundation now with anything else, i love love love it!!!yes its expensive but take good care of it and itll last years!
i use with both liquid and powder foundation, have used it to buff in bronzer and blusher, and even to buff eyeshadow- it is a must have!!

This brush is amazing! I went and picked it up because of all the great reviews here. Yes its an expensive brush, but if you take good care of it I have no doubt it will last a long, long time. I use this to apply Px Virtual Skin, which previously I used either a flat foundation brush or my fingers. All I can say is WOW! I have a few blemish scars that are fading thanks to Dr. Hauschka regime and Weleda Wild Rose Intensive Facial Oil so I have been using a bit more concealer and foundation than I normally would and even though Virtual Skin is sheer to medium it ended up looking cakey. Well not with this brush - I can stipple a few layers on and buff away and it looks sheer and natural but still covers my blemishes. I am thinking about getting another one to use for powders. If you wear liquid foundation this is something you should definitely invest it! bonus too is that you end up using less foundation!

LOVE THIS BRUSH. It is the only one that I use for my foundation. I don't really get the "airbrushed" effect like everyone else talked about, but I do get an even application.
I would buy this brush again if needed, but with MAC brushes..I probably wouldn't need to purchase another.
It's pricey for a brush, but what can I say? MAC products cost MAC money. =)

This was my first MAC brush and I was very excited to get it after hearing it raved about on MUA. The synthetic part of the brush (white) is very soft - it's like flour on your skin. Then black goat hair is a bit more rough. I used this with my pressed powder foundation and while I can't see a difference between using this and using the sponge that the powder came with, I did like the gentle feel of this on my face as opposed to the tugging I did with the sponge.

It is a very expensive brush and I did not see a major difference when using this on a pressed powder foundation. I think only one is necessary for a life time, so I would not need to buy this again.

Ohmygoodness me, I LOVE THIS BRUSH.

I never knew what a difference a good brush could make until this one. It's SO EASY to apply anything - keeps everything looking so glowy and natural, i can't even express how much i love it.

Yes, it's extremely pricey, but i guarantee you its worth every cent. You can seriously just splurge on this and buy crap blush/bronzer because this makes the crap stuff look amazing! MIRACULOUS!

WOW! I never even considered buying this brush despite the rave reviews...simply because I couldn't justify spending so much on a brush that I didn't really need. For years I have been applying my foundation or tinted moisturiser with my hands and thought I was doing fine.

I put some foundation onto my hand and gentley dip my 187 into it swirling it around. I then stipple the foundation onto my face and then buff it in with small circular motions. Honestly, my foundation looked flawless, like I had amazingly airbrushed skin. I then applied my bronzer with a kabuki brush and then buffed it in with the 187...it welded it into my skin and made it look so flawless. Not to mention it feels like heaven on the face, really soft and doesn't irritate the skin whatsoever. I've had some slight shedding but nothing major so far.

If you use foundation - get this brush! Yes it's pricey but you can use it for foundation/tinted moisturiser/blush/bronzer...it's so versatile and will last you a good while if you take care of it properly.