MAC • 109 Small Contour Brush • Makeup Brushes

Where To Buy?

thefrogqueen on 2/26/2011 8:59:00 AM more reviews by thefrogqueen

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I orginally bought this for brush application, which is not what I've been using it for. I thought it was what I wanted in a blush brush, but this is incorrect. I now use it for all my contouring. the blush brush I have been using in it's place it the ELF studio blush brush... of all things... ha!
However the 109 will always remain my favorite contouring brush.

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*TOP REVIEWER* nekroze on 2/21/2011 2:45:00 PM more reviews by nekroze

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

I love this brush for blush and contouring application.The size and tailoring are great for me.however as everybody said,it sheds.it's not that much on me but after all i am not using this brush for liquid/cream products so often,which results in less washing.I also think that it is a little scratchy.when i first bought it,it didnt feel that way,however after a few washes,it began to feel,well less softer.these are not very good for an expensive brush.when i pay $$ for a brush,i expect to use it for long years.I have this brush for a year,and i dont know if it will be at the same performance after years.which is definetely disappointing since i am a mac brush fan and i haven't experienced such thing with others.
I would buy it again in any case since it is my HG for blushes.but i give 3 lippie for not having the best quality,which is so "not mac".

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*TOP REVIEWER* lola88 on 2/16/2011 11:46:00 AM more reviews by lola88

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is definitely a great brush for contouring and buffing. However, I have a face that is more petite so I much prefer the 165 for contouring. The tapered top allows me to get into the hollow of my cheek and contour it. The 109 is a little too big for that. So if you can find the 165 at a CCO, I would recommend buying that over the 109.

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*TOP REVIEWER* TipTopTap on 2/11/2011 10:51:00 AM more reviews by TipTopTap

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

MAC, why did you make a brush as indispensable as this one so poorly? It's the most versatile brush in my collection, great for liquid, cream or powder foundation, cream or powder blush, loose powder, etc. But every time I use it, I end up with some black hair buffed into my skin. Also, I really wish it was softer, compared to some of my others, it's scratchy to use.

I want to love this brush, the shape is perfect for applying blush to the apples of your cheeks. But the shedding and scratchiness are major turn offs.

MAC- this brush is a terrible disappointment. I probably won't buy anything else from this brand. There is nothing MAC does that someone else doesn't do better and cheaper. For a replacement, try Sephora's No.45. It blows the 109 out of the water.

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*TOP REVIEWER* jqsuared on 1/21/2011 9:24:00 AM more reviews by jqsuared

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

The 109 and 165 are must haves for any makeup arsenal. Prior to owning these magic wands, my contouring attempts were something right outta Jersey. I searched and searched for the perfect brush and then I received these 2 in a swap. When the mail came, I heard the cosmetic angels sing. I have found the Holy Grail of makeup brushed. Now if I can only get my paws on the 138, my life will be complete.

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Beauty0Marked on 1/12/2011 4:26:00 PM more reviews by Beauty0Marked

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

This is one of my favourite makeup brushes, maybe even my favourite. I use it for contouring and applying foundation. I think it's great used either way but my favourite use for it is probably for the application of foundation. I can sometimes be a bit lazy with foundation application and find myself often using clean fingers, but when I use this the finish is so amazing and flawless. I haven't had a problem with shedding either. It's probably quite easy to find a similar brush that gives a very similar result though I don't personally have any similar brushes and am currently happy with the one I have.

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kcrawford on 1/8/2011 1:50:00 PM more reviews by kcrawford

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I have had this for a year and finally used it for application of my Studio Fix Fluid and OMG!!!!!! Phenomenal! My makeup looks airbrushed. Better than the 190 and 187. I have two of these so I am good to go.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Lovemymakeup on 12/26/2010 4:17:00 PM more reviews by Lovemymakeup

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

I bought this after I attended a master Mac class and the instructor recommended I use it w my pro longwear foundation ;) I like the way it wks w it except that I find that this brush sheds allot ! Other than that I love the way I apply my makeup w it looks very natural and airbrush ;) I will say that if u have this this and are using it fir foundation u don't need to get the 187 for foundation they both Wk great for applying foundation ;) at least on my skin they do ;)

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*TOP REVIEWER* Gailkey2 on 12/11/2010 4:41:00 PM more reviews by Gailkey2

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Dark   Hair: Brunette, Relaxed, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I was trying this brush at mac , not on purpose but bc I was trying to sample one of the msf's and I was amazed more by the brush than the msf. The way it applied perfectly and wasnt too big for my face, I LOVE IT! Nice and dense too. The perfect blush, highlight and contour brush around in my opinion!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Phanatical28 on 12/7/2010 4:36:00 PM more reviews by Phanatical28

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Green    

About 99% of my brushes are MAC, but I never tried this until recently. I was having a hard time getting my MUFE HD foundation justtttt right, and heard raves about this, so I picked it up. It does give me a great, flawless application, but it sheds like no other brush I have ever used - cheap or expensive. I swear I always have about 10-15 hairs, from little to huge, full length ones, that I have to tweeze off my foundation at the end. I'm willing to do that, however, for the fantastic coverage this gives. It has a thinner handle than most of my face brushes, which does make my hand cramp as well, but that's just me gripping it too tightly. Mine is also very rough, unlike any of my other MAC brushes new or old, but that could just be mine.

I assume this brush would be good for contouring - it's actual purpose, but it's also a great foundation brush, especially for those trickier ones that need a lot of buffing, such as full coverage products. I would repurchase it, but am in no rush to.

Edit 3/2/11: I have to say, this brush is starting to shed more and more with each use. I do stil like it a lot & will continue to use it, but it's disappointing. It seems it sheds much more when a heavier product is used, which would make sense since this isn't made for heavy foundations, so it's not fair to dock points for that, it's just disappointing.

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Ummiss on 11/23/2010 10:23:00 AM more reviews by Ummiss

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Relaxed, Coarse   Eyes: Green    

First off let me say I LOVE MAC! I bought thins brush for several reason and for the two weeks maybe less I had it it irritated my sking. The brush was so scratchy and rough. I aso notice that when I notice that when i go to MAC and they try products on my skin there brushes are rough and scratchy as well (only the face brushes)! I prefer my bristles to be very soft. I just recently bought the Simga brush equivalent F05. it is very soft but I haven't tried that yet. Will do a separate review. Trying to decide if I want to buy the MAC 165?

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*TOP REVIEWER* Mandibulo on 11/18/2010 9:22:00 AM more reviews by Mandibulo

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Nice brush. I've only used it for contouring so far, I mean I've heard people say they use it for blush or liquid foundation etc but it's quite a recent purchase so I haven't been able to test its full potential. However I will say it does a much better job at contouring than my 187, which is not intended for contouring anyway, I mean pinching a duo fibre stippling brush just to get it narrow enough to fit the hollows of your cheeks cannot be considered much of a contouring technique. But back to this one, it may appear rather small for a face brush at first but when you do get around to using it, you'll find it's just the right size for what it's meant to do. It's slightly domed and quite dense, therefore ideal for placing color strongly enough for it to be noticeable. I could never see any real contoured cheeks on me till this one came along; it hollows out my face just right. Haven't experienced much shading at all with it either. Would repurchase.

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sinderella9 on 11/17/2010 2:24:00 AM more reviews by sinderella9

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

FIRST OFF GUYS, this brush sheds like a mofo because MAC specifically designed it for contouring... so if ya'll use it for liquid foundation, it may be TOO HARSH for the bristles. Because it wasn't made for liquid foundation. If you're gonna use this a liquid foundation applicator, do it SOFTLY and LIGHTLY or else you'll DEF get fallout of hair. Second off...
This brush felt very soft on my hand initially, but on my face, it was a tad scratchy. It's very dense, and I like to use it with less-pigmented blushes and beauty powders, or blushes that are too light for my skintone. It's great for liquid foundation but gives the same result as my 187. It's too big to contour my little nose, but i like to use it on my cheeks. It's a cute brush, I've never seen anything like it... But, I'm thinking of returning this, or exchanging it for the 168.

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*TOP REVIEWER* bagpuss21 on 11/14/2010 4:01:00 PM more reviews by bagpuss21

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I kept seeing this brush being used by those on ebay and who do beauty blogs and loved how it looked and appeared to work for blush, contour and foundation. So I brought this from MAC in Debenahms and couldn’t wait to get home and try it out. It did its job great but I was left with loads of little black hair all over my face..it sheds like no other brush i have ever brought. I thought it might just be because its new...so I gave it a couple of weeks of using it...spending 30 mins picking of little black hair and washing it afterwards using MAC's brush cleaner and its still just as bad. I have tried to return this but they wont let me...saying "Its Normal"... If this is normal then I wish I had been told befor I paid £20.50 for it cos I wouldn’t have bothered and would have gone for sub-normal like all my other brushes that don’t shred

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LindseyLoodles on 11/7/2010 3:26:00 PM more reviews by LindseyLoodles

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I love this brush. I would give it 5 out of 5 if it didn't shed so much! It's the only brush worth putting up with the shedding for because it is fantastic! It's great for liquid foundation, I LOVE it for my chanel bronze universal (or any bronzer), it's the best contouring/highlighting brush, and it works for cream and powder blush as well. It's the ultimate multi-use face brush. I recommend it to everyone

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nolly9 on 10/25/2010 11:33:00 PM more reviews by nolly9

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I had originally bought this brush because of everyone raving about how multipurpose it was and whatnot. when i got this i was disappointed by how rough it felt on my skin. there's just other brushes i own that i prefer for foundation over this. it works decently for applying blush and probably for contour. i like it best for applying my highlighter. overall i don't really think it was worth the 30 something dollars i paid for it.

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amandalsl on 10/22/2010 3:40:00 PM more reviews by amandalsl

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Other, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I got this together with the 188 and I have to say I very much prefer the 109. I don't mind paying more for quality brushes as I feel they last for a long time.

What I like about it:
1) Very soft against my skin
2) Hardly sheds (I know many people have complained about shedding; mine has barely shed since I got it and its been washed about 5-6 times)
3) Perfect for cream and powdered products. My face is pretty small and this fits perfectly under my cheekbones to contour my face. The size also gives you better control if you want to put your bronzer over your face for a wash of color. After contouring, I use this with my cream blusher and it is great for blending out the color as cream blushers usually require more of that. This creates a subtle flush of color on my cheeks. I originally got the 188 for the purpose of applying cream blushes as I thought I needed it to apply with a lighter hand. But the 109 is better IMO as it doesn't require as much time to blend, yet it still does the job.
4) Color does not leak

I have never used this as a foundation brush but I heard it works great. I prefer using a bigger synthetic brush for that. A point to note is the 109's bristles do give off a mildly unpleasant smell due to the hairs, but this goes away after a few washes. I keep it in a brush wrap to maintain its shape. I'm contemplating buying another 109 as I like it so much! This is an extremely multi-functional brush and I now have trouble finding use for my 188 as a result.

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aznxhottie on 10/8/2010 11:36:00 AM more reviews by aznxhottie

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

This brush is nice for contouring, but I think I would probably suggest more the 168 contouring brush by MAC. It's angled and better in my opinion. The 109 isn't a bad brush. It's great for getting into the small areas of the face, for example the nose. It's great for contouring the nose and applying powder as well. So I guess my take on it is that it's definitely a nice brush to have in your set. It's hairs are firm and soft. It's not overly soft, but it's not scratchy either. I think the density of it is quite nice.

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prettypoodle05 on 10/6/2010 7:56:00 PM more reviews by prettypoodle05

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown, Relaxed   Eyes: Brown    

great brush for powders. i use for highlightening.

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Toddster63 on 10/3/2010 11:45:00 PM more reviews by Toddster63

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I took my ol' 109 "contour brush" out recently to use with my new Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation—a full coverage creme foundation, and WOW—ZEEEEE!! Amazing!! I can see why all the raves! The great and (WEIRD!) thing is that this foundation looks a tad too golden when applied with a traditional (taklon) foundation brush, or my fingers or a sponge; BUT with the 109, not only does it buff the MU into every line and pore perfectly, and distribute the MU ultra evenly and naturally, but the color is almost imperceptible from my natural skin—no more is it too golden! This is something that only happens with this brush (and I tested it over and over to make sure I wasn't crazy!) It REALLY blew me out of the water that this one pony hair brush could do this much to foundation application.


Honestly—if you use a creme or liquid foundation, you gotta try this brush. For so long I thought this was an absurd (pony hair!) foundation brush despite it's loyal followers, and that only silly girls would ever use, or rave, over this for liquid products. Boy-oh-boy, was I ever WRONG!


I've only had a few "earth shattering moments" with make-up brushes, but the 109 with my LM Creme Silk foundation was defiantly one of them....!

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