Review Detail
3.7 1 0.5
MAC 2009 Holiday Collection Brush Set
Overall rating
3.7
Price
4.0
Quality
3.0
Effectiveness
4.0
When I first saw this brush set in the store, I was so excited! It retailed for R450 for this brush set and for me it was such a worth buy because one MAC brush normally retails between R200-R350 depending on which brush you buy, so 5 brushes for me for R450 from MAC was a steal! My love for makeup started a few months before I bought these brushes, so I didn't have any of these brushes that I wanted, nor did I know this much about makeup as I know now. I know this brush collection has been released two years ago, but I wanted to write this review in case you want to buy any of MAC's other holiday brush sets. I know they have one for the new 2011 Glitter & Ice Holiday Collection.
Firstly, I was very disappointed to find out only after I've used the brushes that the quality of these brushes are low compared to the individual brushes MAC sells. I know that R450 for 5 brushes is not something I should complain about, but I honestly would not have purchased these if the lady had been honest and told me that their Holiday Collection brush sets are mass manufactured, compared to their individual brushes that are hand-made with goat hair. I expressed to the lady that I was so shocked that the brushes were R450 for 5 and she still said, "yes it's quite a deal" and at no point did she mention that the quality differed so much!
In saying this, let me review each brush one by one since not all of them were that bad. The stippling brush was quite a disappointment. Even after using and washing it for 2 years, the bristles are still falling out whether I'm washing it or using it to stipple on foundation. The bristles are however, but not as soft and dense as the individual stippling brush that they sell for R330.
The angled blush brush is smaller than their individual one and the bristles are really hard and harsh on the skin. I sometimes even avoid using this brush altogether since it is uncomfortable when the hard bristles touch your face. Only over time has the bristles become slightly softer and I am able to use it on my sensitive skin.
The large shader brush, again the bristles on this brush was really hard. When you dip this in your shadows it literally leaves dents in your shadow because of how hard it is. I only use this for applying highlighter on my brow bone when all my other brushes are dirty.
The pencil brush, this is the one of the only brushes that I can't complain about. The bristles are soft and it works very well. I can honestly say that there is no difference between this pencil brush and the one they sell individually.
The eyeliner brush is also okay. It is good if you compare it to the first three brushes and I usually use this to apply eyeshadow to the bottom lashline.
Firstly, I was very disappointed to find out only after I've used the brushes that the quality of these brushes are low compared to the individual brushes MAC sells. I know that R450 for 5 brushes is not something I should complain about, but I honestly would not have purchased these if the lady had been honest and told me that their Holiday Collection brush sets are mass manufactured, compared to their individual brushes that are hand-made with goat hair. I expressed to the lady that I was so shocked that the brushes were R450 for 5 and she still said, "yes it's quite a deal" and at no point did she mention that the quality differed so much!
In saying this, let me review each brush one by one since not all of them were that bad. The stippling brush was quite a disappointment. Even after using and washing it for 2 years, the bristles are still falling out whether I'm washing it or using it to stipple on foundation. The bristles are however, but not as soft and dense as the individual stippling brush that they sell for R330.
The angled blush brush is smaller than their individual one and the bristles are really hard and harsh on the skin. I sometimes even avoid using this brush altogether since it is uncomfortable when the hard bristles touch your face. Only over time has the bristles become slightly softer and I am able to use it on my sensitive skin.
The large shader brush, again the bristles on this brush was really hard. When you dip this in your shadows it literally leaves dents in your shadow because of how hard it is. I only use this for applying highlighter on my brow bone when all my other brushes are dirty.
The pencil brush, this is the one of the only brushes that I can't complain about. The bristles are soft and it works very well. I can honestly say that there is no difference between this pencil brush and the one they sell individually.
The eyeliner brush is also okay. It is good if you compare it to the first three brushes and I usually use this to apply eyeshadow to the bottom lashline.
K