Normally I am a little more meticulous when it comes to reviewing make-up brushes or any product for that matter but after purchasing the RiRi ♥ M.A.C Fall Special Edition Make-Up Brushes I can conclude that nothing is going to change my mind about this duo. From the get go I want to stress that I am a huge fan of the standard MAC brush line and really do fine the majority of their brushes impossible to beat. However when it comes to the limited edition brushes (more often than not referred to as S.E brushes) that sometimes make an appearance the quality simply is not there. In my opinion they seem to be an after thought.
There is simply no denying that the brushes are visually a treat - pretty pinky peach wooden handles with a neon pink Rihanna signature and rose gold ferrules. On paper (perhaps the signature element aside) these should appeal to our inner girlie girl and I am afraid that is as far as my praise goes.
No the brushes don't feel cheap but you only have to look upclose to see that very little care has went into the brush heads. First up we have the 282SE which in the case of my brush comes complete with unevenly cut bristles which felt scratchy on my skin - this is essentially a flat almost paddle style brush that is designed for laying colour down on the eye area and is said to be a blend of natural and synthetic fibres. Typically I use a brush of this style to apply a cream eyeshadow base as the synthetic fibres work well with cream textures but this is was not the case with this brush. The bristles clumped together and made what is normally a straight forward task awkward and uncomfortable not to mention it shedded both during use and when being cleansed.
Truthfully the MAC 187SE is not as poorly made it seems to be cut better and is beyond soft which was a relief but when I compared it to my full sized MAC 187 brush there was a quality difference once more. I tend to use my MAC 187 to stipple on foundation and have owned my full sized brush for close to three years and can not fault it - it blends foundation like a dream, doesn't shed and scrubs up beautifully. Basically it was well worth the investment. The SE edition of 187 isn't quite as flawless yet it applies foundation in the same way that the original brush does but my goodness does it shed. I kid you not when I say I picked off at least six brush bristles off my face this afternoon when testing it out.
In essence I'm glad that the RiRi ♥ M.A.C Fall brushes have not only sold out but were in fact limited edition as I can not with a clear conscience recommend them to anyone. Save your pennies and purchase the full size standard brushes...now that is a line worth writing home about.
Like you say they look pretty & pink, but if the quality is poor thats a real shame. They're not cheap either. Mac need to up their game on the LE brushes or stop making them
ReplyDeletehttp://www.letstalkbeauty.co.uk/
I agree wholeheartedly they pale in comparison to the regular line and given the price that is just not on!
DeleteThanks for reading :)
I was told by one of the mua's at MAC, that the short handle limited edition brushes are made by a machine and the normal full size brushes in the permanant collection are hand made, hence why there is a difference. I think when your a forking out this amount of money, the quality should be the same for all.
ReplyDeletewww.missbeautyadikt.co.uk
Yes, I heard that too. Such a shame that the LE are so bad quality
DeleteAh thats such a shame about these brushes, the should make as much effort with limited edition range I feel. So annoying when they shed too! They do look pretty though so maybe a dressing table decoration, although a rather expensive one! hehe
ReplyDeleteLiza | Glambeautys | YouTube
Wow, we'll I definitely won't swap my RT brushes for any of these then :O). Xx
ReplyDeletehttp://makeupbycandlelight.blogspot.co.uk/
"Limited Edition" is supposed to be a great thing too, and good for the fact you can't get any other like it once it's gone - in this case that's probably a good thing! Don't think I'll be purchasing these any time soon!
ReplyDeleteNatalie xx
www.nataliecatherine.blogspot.co.uk
They look so pretty, what a shame the quality isn't up to standard :(
ReplyDeleteI hate when brushes shed constantly all over your face!
Jess xo
Thats not so much a disappointment as an expectation now, Mac S.E brushes are never up to standard :'( its such a shame. Atleast theyre pretty!
ReplyDeletefrom Brigitte at // BreezeyBee Blog | BlogLovin'
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Ohhh MAC. Oh dear. I refuse to buy anything from any limited edition ranged just in case i love it, use it all and can never buy it again. this is starting to make me think of not buying it for altogether different reasons!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte - www.blotandreapply.com xx
Those brushes just look so.. sad.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that the limited edition brushes are machine made and the permanent collection is handmade hense the big difference. I got one of the glamour daze sets and yhe brushes are poor. The handle is coming off already! X
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame! To be honest thought Im not really one for buying limited edition brushes!
ReplyDeletewww.britishbeautyaddict.com
I didn't even know they did limited edition brush ha! That's annoying though, you expect better from MAC xx
ReplyDeleteLife of Verity
I did not expect these to be so bad as I've heard so many people rave on about Mac's normal brush line! Such a disappointment :(
ReplyDeletehttp://www.blogthiswithhannah.blogspot.co.uk
The brushes look cute! But I guess the quality isn't so great..
ReplyDeletexx- missmacbeauty.blogspot.com
OMG I would be sooooo gutted if I'd spent this much on them :( they should have put extra effort into them, xx
ReplyDeleteGemma | Miss Makeup Magpie
Such a shame! They are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteNicky
zeeblikesit.blogspot.com
xx
The only thing I really liked from the Rihanna collection was the lipsticks. I picked up 'Talk that Talk' lipstick and I really love the colour, but it's the most drying lipstick I've ever come across.
ReplyDeleteThe colour pay off from the blush and bronzer duo was terrible, and the brushes were shedding just from being touched, not even used! I didn't mind the eyeshadow palette, and I really liked the shades, but the colour payoff again wasn't amazing and you'd expect to be getting your moneys worth, considering the price.
Good review, and glad you're honest!
Alice x
paperwingsxo.blogspot.co.uk
Ahh that sucks :( I've not heard amazing things about this collection..
ReplyDeletewww.emandthem.co.uk
ohh i was just going to purchase the 282SE brush but thought id read up on it first... good job i did!!
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