Product: MAC Eye Brush — 266 Small Angle Brush
Use: For application of eye shadow, liquid liner and other eye products.
Price: $18.50
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
Behold, beauty obsessed readers — the MAC 266 brush! Bow down before it! Worship it for its magical ability to create eyebrows out of thin air! SHHHHH – speak only of it in hushed tones – for it is the 266 and your new favorite brush.
Okay, okay, so maybe you’re not about to start chanting “266! 266! 266!” But after you try this brush you may not be able to live without it.
The 266 is a multiple-use eye brush with a stiff, angled brush head. The MAC website says this brush is for creating sharp, precise lines.
This brush is one of my workhorse brushes, and I’ve used my long-handled 266 every day since I purchased it in December 2003. Why? I fill in my brows every day! I use the 266 to fill in and define my brows with MAC’s Eye Shadow in Concrete. I have several friends that use the 266 for their brows as well. While most of them use different shades of powdered MAC eye shadows, one of my friends uses it with her favorite brow-filler, Benefit’s Brow Zing, a wax-based product.
The beauty of the 266 is its versatility. Not only is it great for filling in brows, but it’s also a good for application of lots of other products, too!
Here are a few ways that I use the 266:
1. Fill and define my brows with MAC’s Concrete Eye Shadow
2. Create a soft line around eyes with dry eye shadow
3. Wet brush head and then line eyes with shadow
4. Line eyes with MAC’s Fluidline’s Liner for a dramatic look
5. Line eyes with MAC paints for a smoky look
I’ve affectionately referred to the 266 as the one brush that I’d absolutely have to have if I was stuck on a deserted island. Granted, it’s probably not doing to do me good if I was *really* stuck Gilligan’s Isle-style, but in my deserted island dream I’d also have a shower with hot water and unlimited access to Haagen Daz’s coffee ice cream, so having the 266 with me isn’t that much of a stretch.
Pros:
Wow, where should I start? Easy to use. A multi-tasking brush. Sturdy. Picks up a lot of color. Excellent for brows and lining.
Cons:
I can’t really think of any cons, except that the price might be steep if you are on a really tight budget. Also, it can pick up a lot of color if you use too heavy of a hand, so if you aren’t careful you can end up with super-dark brows. (If you accidentally do this you can always use a lash comb to brush through it a few times to tone it down.)
After talking all of that smack about dominating the baby shower games I am sad to report I only won ONE game! However, my friend Christine – who was sitting next to me during the entire game playing segment — managed to snag three prizes. I think she absorbed my game-winning mojo, like how Peter Petrelli or Sylar absorbs powers in the TV show, “Heroes.”
Yesterday I ended up going to the mall to pick up some Mother’s Day gifts for the mammas in my life. It’s right around the corner, y’all, so you better hop to it and get your moms a gift. I stopped by a few stores, including Bath & Body Works, which is having a really great sale right now — 3 hand soaps for 10 bucks and 5 products for 25 bucks (from their lotion/body cream/bath gels, etc.). If you like their stuff, you should check it out and stock up.
I hope your week got off to a great start! 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
kia says
266! 266! 266!i’m chanting! lol
i used to be wowed by how great MAC artists could make people’s brows look. finally after many attempts at learning, a nice MA showed me the brush AND my preferred color -cork e/s. now my life is much easier working with brows. so i totally agree with this brush… before i was a devotee to pencil with a steady hand. it’s still my default use when i don’t have much time, but i’m soooooooo glad i invested in my 266 and cork!
Karen says
Yeah, 266 is just one of those full proof brushes that you can’t go wrong with … love it! Have you ever noticed the amazing staying power of your brows after you fill ’em in with the 266 and your MAC shadow of choice? I actually ran a half-marathon with my eyebrows filled in with Concrete and when I got home the rest of me was messed up but my brows still looked good!
Caki says
hey i would like to ask. i hv just purchased a 266 too ! i bought it bcz the MA told me that this baby would be great to work with Fluidlines just like u said here. But as u said that it can be used with different products for different means so does that mean we have to own more than one 266 then?