A Classic Shader Brush: The MAC 239S Eye Shader Brush

It has actually been a hot minute since I bought this brush, but a while ago I decided to update my brush collection and buy a MAC shader brush. This resulted in the purchase of the MAC 239S Eye Shader Brush. A very classic eyeshadow brush, but an essential in every brush collection. Obviously this isn’t the most special brush in the whole wide world, but in a way I was curious to find out whether or not a MAC shader brush would be a lot better than my favourites from Zoeva. I’ve been using it for quite a few months by now, so I think it’s about time for me to review this puppy. If you’re interested in finding out what I think of this eyeshadow brush, make sure you continue reading this post!

So, the MAC 239S Eye Shader Brush. Let’s talk about it. Unlike most MAC products, their brushes don’t come in boxes. They are only protected by a sleeve of clear plastic when they arrive. I don’t mind that too much because it seems less wasteful (I don’t know if it is tho) and well, why do you need another black MAC box. But it did stand out to me when I picked this brush out of the box when it arrived at my house.

The brush itself feels like it has been made out of very proper quality. The brush feels nice and strong and it’s very well made. The handle is made out of -what seems to be- wood and it’s strong. It’s nice and long and therefore it stands out in my brush collection. The metal part of the brush is well attached to the handle and it all feels just really good.

In terms of looks I’m a fan of this brush as well. I think that it looks very stylish and professional. The brush has a sleek and simple design, with not too much to it. The only thing it says on the brush is the name of the brand and the number of the brush. That’s all.

MAC 239S Eye Shader Brush – €27

A while ago MAC changed to all synthetic brushes, which is why this is called the 239S. The ‘s’ stands for synthetic. I think that this is a very good change, since these brushes now don’t include any animal hair. I’m not saying I don’t use any brushes that aren’t synthetic, but I like the fact that MAC is doing this. It does create more awareness in my opinion. The positive thing about synthetic hair is that it’s easier to shape and that they stay in the same shape for longer. Animal hairs usually will live their own lives after a while. Because the old MAC brushes were made with animal hair, I do think you can tell a slight difference in the way the brush looks if you compare the old versions with these new synthetic ones.

The shape of this brush is very basic. It’s just a flat brush with a rounded edge. The shape is perfect for applying eyeshadow to the entire eyelid. The size is great for that as well. It has a nice medium size. It’s not too big, but it’s also not annoyingly small. I like it.

When I first looked at this brush I expected it to be really stiff and therefore not amazingly comfortable to use. This does depend on personal preference, but I don’t love brushes that are super stiff. But to my surprise it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be. Okay, it’s not super soft and flexible, but it’s not super stiff at all. It’s a bit of both worlds and that works really well for me.

The thing with this brush is, that it’s not very multi-functional. Brushes like the MAC 217 can be used for a wide variety of purposes, but I feel like this one is limited to applying eyeshadow onto the lid. Not to the crease. Just the lid and maybe the brow bone. On one hand that’s a bit sad, because I like it when brushes can be used for pretty much anything, but on the other hand, if it’s really good at this one thing it’s fine as well. I mean, in the end I use the same brushes for the same purposes anyway. But if you’re going to buy your first MAC brush I would recommend going for something more versatile so you’ll get more use out of it. This is better for if you really wish to have a proper shader brush or if you already have so many MAC brushes.

Comparing it to my shader brushes from Zoeva, I do think that this MAC one has something unique to it. I have one Zoeva shader brush that is a little more stiff as well, but not in the way this one is. This one feels much more proper on the eye and I feel like this brush applies the shade more easily. Especially if you’re working with really glittery eyeshadows that create tons of fall out, I think using this brush is really amazing. It really gets the shadow onto the lid without making too much of a mess.

When it comes to applying regular eyeshadow I’m not sure whether this MAC brush is better than other shader brushes I own. It’s a different kind of brush, but they do the same thing. It’s probably just a matter of preference what kind of shader brush you like the most.

All in all I’m really happy that I purchased the MAC 239S Eye Shader Brush. I think it’s a very proper, high-quality eyeshadow brush and I really enjoy using it. I feel like everything from the brush is very well made and it does its job in a very graceful way. Especially when it comes to applying glittery, flaky eyeshadows I think this brush is outstanding, but it’s also great at applying normal shadow. For me this is definitely a great brush and I do recommend it if you are looking for a proper shader brush to add to your collection!

And that brings us to the end of today’s post. Thank you guys so much for reading it, and be sure to let me know what you think of this brush and also let me know which MAC brushes you really like!