MAC • #217 Blending • Makeup Brushes

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*TOP REVIEWER* pinkfrost52 on 7/15/2012 4:01:00 AM more reviews by pinkfrost52

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This brush is fantastic! I've been on the hunt for the perfect crease brush and I think I've finally found it. It makes blending a dream and the brush is incredibly soft. I love that it's dome shaped and small enough to fit smaller eye shapes which can be hard to find with most brands. I tried this with concealer and it works well too. Pricey, but worth it if you don't mind spending a little extra. I'm planning on purchasing a second brush just for concealer. :)

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*TOP REVIEWER* xtinahb on 7/13/2012 11:41:00 PM more reviews by xtinahb

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

One of my HG multi-use brushes. For my creaseless Asian eyes, this brush is stiff enough to pick up color but soft enough to blend all over the lid. For my complexion, I use it to blend concealers over blemishes and redness and dark circles. It has a great head size that is small enough for my monolids, but big enough to cover pigmentation around my chin and nose or anywhere on my face, really. It is such versatile all-rounder brush and essential for me. I own two and need more. One star off only for high-ish price and very slight scratchyness.

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MaddyKate93 on 7/10/2012 8:21:00 PM more reviews by MaddyKate93

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

I bought this yesterday with 'All that glitters' eyeshadow, and It is awesome.
It's a great brush, good quality and great application. Wet or dry!

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lovemakeup17 on 7/8/2012 4:44:00 PM more reviews by lovemakeup17

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond, Fine   Eyes: Green    

First of, this is really a soft amazing brush, kinda magical, cause u can apply ur crease colour so good! like i never could before! it's so easy now!
I need another one, cause this is so good and soft!
The ONLY BAD THING is that the name get's torn of really super quick, which i hate! cause here in EU, this is SUPER EXPENSIVE!!! were talking double the price in us, and that is a big down too... but overall, good brush!

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marywebgirl on 7/7/2012 11:40:00 PM more reviews by marywebgirl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This is a fantastic brush for applying color to my crease. This is saying something because I have fairly small hooded eyes and the crease is a tricky spot for me -- either I apply too little and you can't see it or I apply too much and it looks terrible. This allows me to apply the right amount of shadow in the right shape with very little effort or skill. None of my other brushes comes close to this kind of application.

The one drawback of the brush is the white color, which makes it a bit harder to clean, but that's not enough to knock off a star.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mmherman on 7/7/2012 5:09:00 PM more reviews by mmherman

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I have a crap ton of brushes. A few of those brushes are crease brushes and they all do a fairly good job, but they do nothing special. So when I made my last visit to Mac I was interested in finding a better brush for applying eyeshadow to my crease. I wanted something that applied more evenly and with more precise control. I got on MUA and saw the great reviews for this brush so I thought I would give this one a try.


Well I am SO glad that I did. When I got to Mac I was debating between this and another brush. After talking to a really helpful associate I decided this brush was absolutely the way to go. The brush was slightly different than other crease brushes I've used. The bristles are slightly stiffer, which I think offers a little more control during application. Some of my other brushes would sort of "mush" and not apply evenly or deposit enough pigment. This lil' brush is able to be packed with pigment for a darker application or can be used to lightly add just a hint of color. Hands down this is a wonderful crease brush. I have even used it to apply highlight to my brow bone and bend my darker crease color with that highlight.


I don't often fall in love with brushes, but I adore this brush and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quality crease brush. I was also told it makes a great under-eye concealer brush. Have to give that use a try someday :)


Update: I LOVE, love, love, love this brush! Next time I buy from MAC I'm getting another one of these awesomely versatile babies! If you are considering this brush buy it! It is a great crease brush, great general eyeshadow brush, great highlighter brush for small areas and overall just wonderful! Still haven't use it to conceal, but will be getting that second brush for that purpose!

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gnikole2003 on 7/7/2012 3:40:00 PM more reviews by gnikole2003

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

i used to have the bad idea that cheap brushes would perform same as the expensive ones . they look the same feel the same so why not ?
but after i got into some high end brushes , i definitely saw the difference .
there's nothing similar .
this particular brush blends eyeshadow like a dream and i never realized how poorly my eyeshadow was blended until i have used this brush , never sheds , washes/dries easily and makes blending a piece of cake
i still use and love some of the cheaper brushes like Ecotools , but Mac and/or sigma are my most favorites
i will most definitely purchase this over and over again
one of the top Mac brushes

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sadorange on 7/2/2012 11:25:00 PM more reviews by sadorange

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I already have a 217 but this brush is SO good, I need to get another one! It's a dome shaped brush that is fluffy and dense at the same time. Due to the shape, the uses for this brush is very versatile. You can use the belly for a clean, already blended swipe of lid color, the tip of the crease to blend out the edges, but my favorite use for this brush is definitely using concealer with this. L-O-V-E. It blends concealer seemlessly onto the skin and just gives the best coverage and airbrushed finish. Skip the traditional concealer brush and seriously, please do try.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Kimberlyj33110 on 6/29/2012 11:16:00 PM more reviews by Kimberlyj33110

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I use this daily to apply crease color, and it picks up and deposits the right amount of color in just the right spot.I much prefer the 224 to blend more throughly, but the 217 works magic when it comes to a precise blend of crease colors. We have all tried those cheapies that come with kits that dont hold color well,and leave a mess on your face. This is at the exact opposite end of the spectrum. Its everything you want an eyeshadow brush to be: it's practically effortless with now great it picks up color, the bristles are super soft, As with MOST Mac brushes quality is high, craftsmanship superior. Price? We all know quality brushes like this are expensive, but if taken care of properly they can last you years, and this one is no exception. You will be glad you spent the $ Seriously lemming another....

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solidcake on 6/29/2012 5:54:00 PM more reviews by solidcake

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

My first MAC brush. I literally ran home and tried it out and stared in amazement at what was happening -- perfect blending with MUCH less effort than it ever took with my Ecotools brushes, perfect application, lots of shadow, not as much fallout.. I was hooked on MAC brushes after this. Seriously, if you are thinking about investing your dollar in a brush, make it this one, as it has so many uses.


I've since moved on and graduated to other brushes, but I still will always love this one. A must have for your collection.

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dannypacheco on 6/27/2012 8:02:00 PM more reviews by dannypacheco

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I use this to pack on color a lot, and it's great for that. It also serves its purpose well & blends eyeshadow flawlessly when used lightly. I really like it. :)

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DivaDeLosMuertos on 6/27/2012 7:39:00 PM more reviews by DivaDeLosMuertos

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Tan, Neutral   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

My first MAC brush and i'm impressed...The shape makes the brush very versatile for depositing color, crease work, and blending. I haven't tried it for concealer yet because i'm afraid of staining it lol but theres no doubt it my mind it would come out excellent. Mine hasn't shed one hair. The price could be considered a little expensive depending on what your budget is and what brand of brushes you're used to buying but I don't regret buying this, it was worth the money in my opinion and in the future I plan on buying backups and extras

EDIT: I have to knock off a lippie... I dont know what it is, But this brush fuzzes out and loses shape so easily :( It's not the way I wash and store it, because i have many brushes that are all in good condition, but for some reason just something about the brush makes it lose it's shape after washing..I'm very gentle with it and ofcourse I will keep it and continue to use it very carefully, But i'm now looking for a new blending brush. It's a shame because this one worked great!

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ambdoll on 6/14/2012 9:28:00 PM more reviews by ambdoll

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This brush is the perfect blending brush. I purchased it at the least 3 years ago, and its held up through constant use as well as washing. It blends colors perfectly and is a great crease brush overall! It also never sheds.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mariannepilgaard on 6/14/2012 5:14:00 PM more reviews by mariannepilgaard

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

The shape of the brush makes its use versatile. As many have reported you can use this brush for more or less your whole eye makeup - but would you want to? Like some other reviewers I use this brush mainly for depositing eye colour. For blending I much rather prefer the 224. The goat hair seems to be quite porous and that makes the feel less than super soft - though very good at depositing colour. I would not buy this brush again.

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Cathy1909 on 6/14/2012 1:34:00 PM more reviews by Cathy1909

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

If I was only allowed one brush for the rest of my life, it would definitely be this one. Although it is mainly a blending brush, I use it a lot for applying as well. Simply because I haven't found any other brush yet that makes it so easy to build up e/s slowly and carefully.

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*TOP REVIEWER* sarahgorn on 6/11/2012 3:16:00 PM more reviews by sarahgorn

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Other    

I initially wasn't wild about this and thought it was just okay. I finally figured out how best to use it, however, and am now planning on buying another. I can do all my eyeshadow with this one brush and it looks good and is very quick when I don't feel like spending a lot of time on my eye makeup. Recently I have been using it for concealer though. I buff my concealer in to the spots that need covering on my face and also under my eyes and it looks PERFECT. I have a lot of red acne marks to cover and my skin after makeup looks a million times better since I have started using this (same concealer). I am a believer.

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feveragnes on 6/4/2012 8:30:00 PM more reviews by feveragnes

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Dry, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

MAC 217 is a famous blending brush reputated for its easiness to blend. The bristles are really soft and the tip of the brush can just apply the eyeshadows precisely on the lid/ crease. And it blends out eyeshadows naturally with one or two strokes - which's wonderful. The size is perfect, not too big (like 224 which can make my eyes look muddy after blending). Not to mention how versatile it is - can be used to blend, apply, highlight, even to apply concealer... one brush does it all. And it doesn't shed, the original version one is definitely of a good quality (when compared to holiday versions).

Love it!

Brushes are such good investments. I have used my Bobbi Brown foundation brush for more than 6 years and until recently it went out of shape so I had to toss it - but 30 Euros for 6 years of everyday fine application! totally worth it. Now I'm investing on MAC and Real Techniques brushes x

Bristles: 5/5
shape: 5/5
versatility: 5/5
application: 4/5
price: 4/5

Overall: 4.6/5

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417vsj on 5/31/2012 3:42:00 PM more reviews by 417vsj

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This brush is amazing! Its the best blending brush I've had. Totally worth it.

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emiliagorgeous on 5/24/2012 3:36:00 AM more reviews by emiliagorgeous

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I think that too many people rave about how great this product is. Yes it does blend eye shadow colors together well and yes blends out harse edges, yes. But in my opinion that is about all it does.I just don't think that just for these things it deserves it to be the best eyeshadow brush from M.A.C to buy. I do enjoy this brush, and I would even repurchase another just to blend lighter colors together, the only reason being because I hate how quickly this brush get's stained and how long it takes to wash the color out. I wish people would rave about some other M.A.C brush then the 217 all the time, because I think that M.A.C has plenty of other brushes that work just as well if not much better for the same thing or for better things.

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Sleekel on 5/19/2012 5:17:00 AM more reviews by Sleekel

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

This brush name should be Blending Heaven!
I had heard a lot of good things about t but truly didn't expect it to be so good. It is really soft and it blends by itself with such little effort... Size is perfect for the crease area and the gape of the brush is spot on for the job.
Amazing Brush and not a bad price - I got it for under 20 EUR

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