Last year I was on a huge makeup-brush kick. I literally bought several brushes each week. You’d think that I was Bob Ross!

Thankfully for my wallet, this year I haven’t bought a single new brush. Unfortunately, I’ve just redirected my shopping focus on colorful eyeliners and, of course, nail polish. What? It’s for the blog! Hehe…

The MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush is the blue blood in my brush collection. I swear that I could faintly hear my bank account crying as I ordered this baby online. But with all the hype surrounding this MAC brush, I felt the strong need to try it.

Is the MAC 187 brush worth the heavy price tag? Or does it perform poorly like a tone-deaf contestant on American Idol? Find out!

MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush Pictures

Claims: TRUSTED

√ Used for lightweight application & blending of face powder or pigments
√ Used to create soft layers
√ Soft bristles
? Used to add texture

Key Notes

• Name: MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush
• What I Paid: $50.50 CAD ($42 USD on the site despite the CAD-USD exchange rate being at par)
• Where to Buy: MAC US website, MAC Canadian website & MAC stores

MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush Review

Cost

Back when I was testing out liquid foundation, this was the brush I used. Seems like everyone and their mother was raving about the MAC 187 brush, so curiosity killed the cat’s wallet, and I bought it despite the terribly inflated price of $50.50 CAD!

Even though the 187 MAC Duo Fibre Brush is hands down the most expensive makeup brush I’ve ever purchased, it isn’t one that I’m in love with.

Appearance

This 18-centimeter brush is sturdy and made to last for years. The black handle is smooth and seamless, and the silver-colored metal ferrule has 2 pinched sections. (Brushes that have more than 1 clamp in the ferrule are a good sign of a higher quality brush. More clamps ensure that the brush will stay intact for longer than if you just had 1 clamp).

The MAC 187 is often referred to as the Skunk Brush because of its appearance. The duo-fibre bristles contain a soft blend of black goat hair and white synthetic bristles. (This is not an animal-friendly product.)

The brush head has a triangular silhouette that’s tight near the ferrule and expands out at the ends. The black bristles are very dense and help to keep the white synthetic bristles spaced out.

Application & Uses

The beauty of this brush is that it has multiple uses and provides a light application of product.

You can:

• stipple on liquid foundation for an airbrushed look
• do the stipple-and-buff-in-circular-motions technique for a flawless finish
• sweep on a wash of powdered blush
• apply a sheer layer of finishing powder to set your foundation
• put on bronzer lightly
• add shimmer dust

If you use this brush properly, only the white bristles should be touching your face. (The white bristles are very soft and not scratchy at all, by the way.)

I would not recommend this for mineral foundation because to get the full effect, you really need to use a dense kabuki. But I guess if you just want to use the MAC 187 brush to sweep on a light layer of mineral foundation (using it more like a pressed powder), you could.

These days, I just use my MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush to put on my Everyday Minerals loose minerals blush or a pressed blush by Physicians Formula . It gives a very natural look, and I hardly have to buff it out – it goes on looking blended already.

Bristle Shedding

I’ve had this brush for a year now, and after using it and washing it several times, I’ve only had very minor shedding – about 5 hairs in total since I purchased it. And the bristles shed when I washed it, never when I was using the brush.

Advantages of the MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush

With this brush, you can wear that blush that looks scarily pigmented in the package without looking clownish. It gives you the look as though you’ve applied the blush with a light hand.

The duo fibre MAC 187 brush also allows for buildable coverage for liquid foundation. Because the layers are thin, it takes longer before you get that dreaded caked-on look.

Unlike other foundation brushes, with this you won’t get those tell-tale brushstrokes like you could from a classic paddle-style brush. This provides a seamless, airbrushed effect that’s very natural.

And because the white bristles are synthetic, they won’t absorb all your liquid makeup. This means less product waste, which is always a good thing.

Pros Allows for a light application Great for soft blending Versatile (can be used to apply liquid & powder makeup) Allows for buildable coverage & thin layers Bristles don’t absorb makeup (less product waste) Provides a seamless, airbrushed effect

Cons Not animal friendly (contains a mix of goat hair & synthetic bristles) Ridiculously expensive (waaaaay overpriced)

Final Verdict: 5.5/10

While the MAC 187 Duo-Fibre Brush does everything it claims to do and then some, I still wouldn’t recommend it because a) it’s overpriced, and b) a lot of other brands have a similar-style brush that work just as well.

Some other brands’ brushes may shed a little more, but it’s a trade-off. A little more shedding versus paying over $50 CAD for just one brush.

I feel like this brush doesn’t live up to the hype.

Do you use stippling brushes? What face brush do you reach for each morning?