MAC 182: The Best Buki

The MAC 182: The Best Buki

Part Two of the MAC Brush Series

The perfect brush for nearly everything (besides eyes, of course). As usual, let's start from the very beginning.....

Arrival and First Impressions: When it first arrived, the packaging was awful (wth, Nordstrom?). The brush and some other items I had ordered were thrown willy nilly into an empty box and the poor kabuki was rolling around having freed itself from the tube. When I picked it up, I noticed that the black metal handle on the 182 is longer than the traditional stump on an average kabuki. This allows for much easier application. Plus, the moment I touched the dense bristles, I fell in love with how soft it is!!

Uses: I like to use this brush for my MSF Natural. The dense bristles pick up just the right amount of product and makes for a flawless finish. However, this brush can be used with all sorts of other things. Baked powders would be my favorite for this brush, but you can also use it with pressed powders (watch out, it picks up a lot of product with pressed powders!)

Cleanings: I clean this brush with all my other brushes. It really needs a good deep cleaning because powders can get caught in between each individual hair. When this brush gets wet, it really requires a lot of reshaping. If you don't shape it back to its original form, you might end up with either a freakishly puffy brush or a thin, stiff brush. 

Technique: What I always do is pick up some product and swirl the 182 in tight, fast circles. It gives the perfect coverage this way. Apply lightly, as well. If you don't, then it will do the thing where it leaves all the product in one spot: right where you first touched the brush to your face. Don't drag the kabuki across your face. This brush is made to buff and buffing means swirling the product on your face. 

Brush Shape: This brush is made with the traditional black goat hairs (watch out, it's smelly!!). The bristles create a perfect dome shape. This brush does not shed at all and usually no stray bristles hang out of the sides. 

Conclusion: This brush was my first MAC brush and probably still my favorite. It is an absolute necessity for any collection and, despite the $42 dollar cost, one can still pick it up during a sale and get about $10 off. For $32, this brush would be a steal!!