MAC 217's similar and affordable dupes.

Hey pretty ladies,

Since buying the well known 217 brush from MAC, I had to do a comparison review on it.

Starting off, these types of blending brushes are famous for reasons that are purely practical; which is that they are multi-use. You can use these brushes to blend in foundation (time consuming), blend in concealer, apply eye shadow, blend out eye shadow (most known for), strategic powder placement, etc. All of these uses come to a conclusion that this type of brush will be handy for anyone that dabbles in makeup, like you and me.

The MAC 217 is made from ultra soft goat hair bristles which makes blending feeling like a relaxing task rather than a chore. It is also an ideal size, rounded/dome, a little bit stiff with a fair amount of bristles and an excellent quality Japan made brush. It's a must loved brush by me as well as the rest of the beauty world. Coming in at $37, it's well worth the investment.

P.S, the numbering do scratch/rub off on MAC brushes, so I have applied some clear nail polish to fix that problem.

Now, onto the comparison.

- The Contenders -

- Bdellium Tools Studio Line 776 -

Bdellium Tools are known for treating their brushes with an anti bacterial protection on the bristles, this may not last forever after washes and spot cleaning but it is an added bonus.

- The Shape - Of the bristles are the same as the MAC 217, but smaller in size.

- Bristles - Are made from all natural fibres

- Softness - A slighty less noticeable difference in softness compared with the MAC 217

- Denseness - There are noticeably less hairs in the 776 than the MAC 217

- Quality - The quality of the bristles on the 776 are rougher and thicker than the MAC 217, however, it is a well made brush with a light handle.

- Made In - China

- Price - $7.65 at http://www.iherb.com/Bdellium-Tools-Studio-Line-Eyes-776-1-Blending-Brush/45961

(use FUF619 at checkout to get up to $10 your first order)

- Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush -

This brush is apart of the Real Techniques Your Eyes/Enhanced Starter Set which comes with 4 other brushes.

- Shape - Of the Bristles are similar, but the RT Base Shadow Brush is smaller has a slight point at the tip

- Bristles - "Ultra Plush Taklon Bristles"

- Softness - The difference in softness can be told due to the difference in bristle hairs. Since the RT brushes are made from Synthetic hairs, it does indeed feel synthetic when comparing to the MAC 217. Similar but different softness.

- Denseness - The RT brush is has thicker bristles, which makes brush feel more dense, even though it has less bristles than the MAC 217.

- Quality - The bristles on the RT brush is very good quality, the bristles don't feel rough at all, just that the hairs are slightly thicker.
- Made In - China
- Price - The Real Techniques set this brush comes in is $17.99 at http://www.iherb.com/Real-Techniques-by-Samantha-Chapman-Your-Eyes-Enhanced-Starter-Set-5-Brushes-Case/41371
(use FUF619 at checkout to get up to $10 your first order)

- Emily Makeup Brush 217 -

I bought this brush off eBay, curious to find if it offered a cheap blending brush like the MAC 217, and I've found this brand. The brushes they have mimic the MAC ones and well as the numbering. I have purchased the Emily 217, 224, and 239. I discourage buying the Emily 224 and 239 because the hairs are so rough.
- Shape - The Emily 217 brush squares a bit at the tip of the brush, as well as the hairs overall being significantly larger than the MAC 217.
- Bristles - Goat Hair

- Softness - Surprising, the softness of the Emily 217 is quite alright, but no where near as the MAC 217. It might feel a little scratchy at first, but since conditioning them with olive oil, the softness has improved.
- Denseness - Two thirds of the denseness of the MAC 217.
- Quality - I believe that this brush is made from a lower quality of goat hair compared with the MAC 217. Also, the ferrule and the handle are not the best quality either. Have the super glue at the ready.
- Made In - China
- Price - Around $5.50 from eBay, just type in "Emily 217 Brush".


- Verdict - 
There is no exact dupe of the MAC 217 here, however there are brushes that are similar that can do the same job, some maybe not so well.
The Bdellium Tools 776 and the Real Techniques Base Shadow brush are both smaller than the MAC 217, which can suit smaller eyes and smaller eye sockets which helped blending precisely easier. I love using the Emily 217 to blend larger areas together since it is quicker than using a smaller blending brush. My favourite... well I am not too sure, I love them all equally for all different things.Overall, the prices of each brush suit to how they perform, you get what you pay for.

I hope this post helps :)