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MAC Unsung Heroes: The 224 Tapered Blending Brush

June 10th, 2011 by Karen 21 Comments

mac 224

Pffzzt! BAM!

We have just traveled through time, you and I. Notice the placement of the logo on my MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush ($29). Yes, that brush is 10 years old.

mac 224
New brushes on top; old school 224 on the bottom

Even though I’ve had it for a decade, I’ve only recently become super duper obsessed with this soft, medium-sized, dome-shaped eyeshadow brush.

I remember originally buying it to apply eyeshadow in the crease, which is how I know it’s used by many MACaholics, but for a long time I felt that it tended to lay down too much color. It had been in my halfhearted, semi-regular rotation for about a year before it found its way to the Island of Lost Tools.

So there it lived, on the Island of Lost Tools, lonely and neglected for years while I moved on to the fantabulous MAC 217. On occasion, I’d visit and call it out to help me with some blending, but for the most part, there it stayed.

Then, one day not very long ago (just a few weeks), I tried it with MAC Prolongwear Concealer.

Hello, awesome! 🙂

mac 224

mac 224

mac 224

I had been using a foundation brush to apply my concealer for years using the “triangle” method, a a trick I learned from a Chanel makeup artist a while back. While it worked great with creamy concealers like Time Balm, it never quite worked as well as I’d hoped with Pro Longwear’s ultra-pigmented, liquid texture. It provided good coverage, but sometimes I thought the finished product looked heavy and almost mask-like.

So, one day a few weeks ago, I was in a hurry to get ready, and my foundation brush just happened to be dirty. I randomly grabbed the 224 instead, used it to apply Prolongwear, and was really impressed with the results.

The 224 plus Prolongwear gives my under-eye area the business. It’s as close to flawless as this girl gets. The fluffy, domed brush head distributes the product evenly and smoothly without any streaks.

Now I use the 224 all the time to apply concealer under my eyes. I never really missed it or wanted to buy a back-up when it lived on the Island of Lost Tools, but now it’s back with me.

If you’re a fan of MAC Prolongwear Concealer, or just prefer liquid concealers in general, consider adding (or digging out) this Unsung Hero to your bag of makeup tricks. 🙂

The MAC Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite products from MAC’s permanent collection
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Bombshell Lipstick
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Sunbasque Sheertone Shimmer Blush
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Clear Lipglass
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Humid Eyeshadow
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Naked Lunch Eyeshadow
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Russian Red Lipglass
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Syrup Lipstick
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Blushbaby Blush
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Vex Eyeshadow
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Strobe Cream
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Blot Powder/Pressed
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Subculture Lip Pencil
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Soft Brown Eyeshadow
  • MAC Unsung Hero: Woodwinked Eyeshadow
  • MAC Unsung Hero: Powersurge Eye Kohl
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: All That Glitters Eyeshadow Is Not Just Another Gold
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: The Technakohl Liners
  • MAC Unsung Hero: Groundwork Paint Pot
  • MAC Unsung Hero: Nymphette Lipglass
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Viva Glam V
  • MAC Unsung Hero: Blacktrack Fluidline
  • MAC Unsung Heroes: Lychee Luxe Lipglass
  • MAC Unsung Hero: Gorgeous Gold Eyeshadow
  • MAC Unsung Hero: Patina Eyeshadow

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Unsung Heroes: The 224 Tapered Blending Brush / Originally published June 10th, 2011

There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

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Comments

  1. Phyrra says

    June 10th, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    This is my FAVORITE blending brush. EVER. It’s AMAZING for me.
    Phyrra recently posted … LaVanila The Healthy Sun Screen SPF 40 Face Cream

    Reply
  2. Vijaya says

    June 10th, 2011 at 9:06 pm

    I adore using the 224 for concealer!
    Vijaya recently posted … Final Fantasy Inspired Look- Rikku

    Reply
  3. Jessi says

    June 10th, 2011 at 9:10 pm

    This is one of the few MAC brushes I have. I actually had to go check to see if it was the same one because i never remember the brush numbers. I use mine to highlight my brow bone and blend the edges of my eye shadows together. I really like it.
    Jessi recently posted … Swatches From Two of Essences Limited Edition Collections

    Reply
  4. perri says

    June 10th, 2011 at 9:13 pm

    This brush is wonderful! I use my mom’s now… I need to buy my own

    Reply
  5. raquel says

    June 10th, 2011 at 9:31 pm

    a lot of people apply cream concealers with it, i’ve tried it w my studio finish concealer and it works great it blends magically, i use it around my nose and on scarring…
    also, i just recently finished my concealer and was going to back to mac some stuff i was thinking of getting an eyeshadow to be a matte crease color that will go well with anything (i’m an NW25ish) do you have any suggestions??

    Reply
    • Leah says

      June 11th, 2011 at 8:46 am

      Try mac wedge or soft brown. I’m an nc25 and wear both of those regularly.

      Reply
      • raquel says

        June 11th, 2011 at 10:37 pm

        thanks leah!

        Reply
  6. Meg O. says

    June 10th, 2011 at 9:47 pm

    The 224 is my FAVORITE brush!!! I absolutely love it and it’s been in my arsenal of brushes for well over 6 years!
    Meg O. recently posted … How To- Curl Hair with a Flat Iron

    Reply
  7. mill says

    June 11th, 2011 at 1:15 am

    i’ve always used this for concealer! i cant stand using my fingers or the normal concealer brushes

    Reply
  8. voodoogirl says

    June 11th, 2011 at 3:29 am

    the 224 is too big for my eyes but it is perfect for applying concealer 🙂

    Reply
  9. Chris25 says

    June 11th, 2011 at 5:16 am

    I actually have the Sigma dupe for this, because MAC’s 224 is a tad too rich for my blood.

    Reply
  10. Saffron says

    June 11th, 2011 at 7:26 am

    Ladies on a budget might want to check out the Sonja Kashuk brush that is similar – it isn’t as dense but comes to a fine point at the tip, which makes it a better crease brush with a careful hand but worse for concealing. Both are *excellent* at blending out deep, finely drawn creases and winged corners.

    Another brush worth checking out for concealer application is Sephora’s “airbrush concealer brush” (or something similar to that) – it’s crazy dense with a sizeable rounded tip that holds up to lots of blending – this thing is rockin my world!

    Reply
    • Natalie says

      June 11th, 2011 at 8:45 pm

      I absolutely LOVE that brush! I love my 224 but its a little to big for my eyes, so I was on the hunt for a good blending brush and I came across this one, and seriously it is the softest brush I own! I cant wait to pick up more!

      Reply
  11. Kathlyn Garnet says

    June 11th, 2011 at 8:26 am

    224 is really great with liquid concealers. I’ve had one for almost a week now and I really love how it makes applying liquid concealers ultra-easy!
    Kathlyn Garnet recently posted … Best Weight Loss Program

    Reply
  12. Antonia at Swedish Love Affair says

    June 11th, 2011 at 8:47 am

    I love this one for concealer!
    Antonia at Swedish Love Affair recently posted … Start wearing purple

    Reply
  13. Nina says

    June 11th, 2011 at 9:09 am

    for a while, i struggled w/ what to do w/ this brush. it kinda muddles up eyeshadow so i dont use it for my eyes. but i remember going to the mac store and the mua told me he used it for under eye concealer.

    its perfect for that function because its sooo soft and fluffy and is not harsh on the delicate undereye area!

    Reply
  14. Kelsey V. says

    June 11th, 2011 at 11:23 am

    I think I have a dupe for this brush, I might try using it with concealer which I never thought of until now!
    Kelsey V. recently posted … Makeup Tools- EcoTools Bronzer Brush

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      June 12th, 2011 at 8:26 pm

      Is your dupe cheaper by any chance? I’d love to have two of these guys on hand, one for concealing and one for shadow…

      Reply
  15. Shannon says

    June 11th, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    I use mines to apply my highlighter, and select cover up to my eyes and on any marks. I love it! It looks like I have nothing on!

    Reply
  16. Adrienne says

    June 12th, 2011 at 8:23 pm

    I actually just made my very first purchase from MAC (yes, I have lost my MAC virginity, better late than never, I suppose?? Lol!) and it was the Pro Longwear concealer and the 224!! I think your article just reinforced the fact that I made an excellent decision. I use it for concealing all over with light tapping and buffing, and so far I love the results! is this the beginning of a beautiful addiction? I think so.

    Reply
  17. Trayceeee says

    November 26th, 2011 at 11:07 am

    I have been using pro-longwear concealer and loving it. Like you, I used a foundation brush (spritzed with a little Fix+) and did the triangle method. I looked in the mirror one day in my car and I felt like it indeed was too heavy and the foundation brush didn’t blend like I wanted! I just ordered a Mac 224 for blending eyeshadows but definitely going to try with my concealer first 🙂 Thanks KAREN!

    Reply

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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