MAC 134 Review

I've had the 134 brush for well over a year....and it's about time I review it. I bought it when I was in my "collect all MAC brushes" stage. I'm nowhere near having all the MAC brushes, but I've completely slowed down in acquiring them. I feel I have a decent brush collection. There isn't a brush I feel I absolutely need and can't do makeup without. So I'll probably settle on one new MAC brush per year. That way I actually get use out of all my brushes rather than just having them collect dust!

MAC claims:

An extra-large and wide paddle-shaped brush featuring a fluffed, rounded tip. Made of soft natural fibres, this brush is specially designed to provide a flawless application of powder to the face or body. M·A·C professional brushes are hand-sculpted and assembled using the finest quality materials. They feature wood handles and nickel-plated brass ferrules.

First things first, this brush is expensive. It costs $53 dollars. I saved up some credit card rewards and managed to get it $25 off, plus I got it while overseas so it was tax free. So I paid $28 for it.

It is a powder brush, and admittedly I'm not big on applying powder. My cheeks are quite dry and applying powder on them makes them look cakey. So I usually hold off on any powder although I probably should apply it on my T-Zone. But to be honest, usually I am in a hurry and only take the time to slap on a bit of foundation...maybe primer. But when I do have more time or I'm just messing around, I do drag the powder out. 

And this does a good job of applying a thin layer or powder. But where it really shines is bronzer. It has a very large paddle shape that gives a very diffused bronzed look. No stripes of bronze here! Plus since it's a natural hair brush it picks up powders beautifully! It would work for contour or adding a bit of definition to the face but I have brushes I prefer more for contour. As for blush application, it can be done but again I have better brushes I prefer more than this. It's not the most versatile brush in my collection. But I do love it.

That's not to say it's a necessity. I like to rotate my brushes...and I find that my E.L.F complexion brush does this brushes job very well. It is smaller but it can accomplish the same task. The E.L.F brush is softer too but that's because it's synthetic. But the MAC brush is much more dense. Plus the MAC brush is shaped better but the E.L.F brush is $50 cheaper...so I won't complain too loudly on that.

It can be just a tad scratchy depending on your application and what you use it for. I notice the scratchiness when I use it as a blush brush or when I apply powder all over depending on how I use the brush. When I use it as a bronzing brush, it's quite soft. 

It does have a shorter handle than most of the other MAC brushes. I really like the way it's designed and really like the short handle. I think I prefer it to longer handles.

In conclusion, I don't want to have to buy it again, but I do absolutely love it for bronzer application. I think it was worth the $28 I spent for it as MAC brushes are said to last forever. If I had paid $53 for it, I'm not sure I would think it was as worth it. If you can find a way to save money on it, and you love bronzing, I think it's worth a try!