Product Reviews

MAC 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush Review

January 31, 2009

After reading a ton of raves about the limited edition MAC 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush ($24.50) from the Brunette, Blonde and Redhead collection that debuted earlier this month, I decided to go back to see what the hype was all about.


According to MAC, the 226 is a short, tapered blending brush with ultrasoft, natural bristles that is used for application and blending of shadow on the lid, and perfect for working the crease.

It is very similar to MAC 217 Tapered Blending Brush, 222 Tapered Blending Brush and 224 Tapered Blending Brush that I own. Out of the four, it has the shortest bristles and it fits perfectly onto my crease. I normally use MAC 219 Pencil Brush to apply the color onto the crease and fluff it out with the 217, but with the 226, I can do both with one brush. I also like to use this to blend eyeshadow along the lash line.

The bristles on the 226 are black just like the 224 but they are more compact, pointier and work even better in blending the color. Plus like MAC’s regular brushes, it comes in the right length with the perfect handle and is so easy to control.

If you don’t have a lot of eyelid space or a crease or you are simply looking for a brush to blend eyeshadow, I highly recommend this.

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3 Comments

  • Reply Harmonie February 1, 2009 at 3:16 am

    I want this brush!

    Phyllis, I’m wondering, have you tried any products from the Coastal Scents website? A lot of people say that their brushes are very comparable to MAC’s, but at a fraction of the price. I haven’t tried any yet, but I just bought the 88 colour palettes in original & shimmer, both for under $25 each! I absolutely love them, and a lot of the colours are even more pigmented than my shadows from MAC and MUFE!

    I would love to see you do a review and let us know what you think of them!

  • Reply Karen February 2, 2009 at 10:17 am

    I love this brush too… it’s way better than 224!

  • Reply Tiera February 3, 2009 at 8:02 pm

    Thanks for the review. I’ve been hearing some great things, too! The 224 sometimes spreads color out higher above the crease (and sometimes lower onto the lid) than I want it to. And sometimes I want something a little fluffier than the 217. I can’t wait to try it!

  • Leave a Reply to Karen Cancel Reply