Time to replace brushes?

[nancy221]

Is there a “rule of thumb” for when to replace makeup brushes?  I’m pretty good about cleaning my brushes but I’m wondering if there’s a wear out factor to them - generally speaking?

I’ve bought brushes, received some with purchase and they’ve all held up well enough -no bristles or hairs are left on my skin but some do look a little ruff

Thoughts?

[WinglessOne]

@nancy221 Some brush manufacturers might state a lifetime expectancy for their products. Generally though, I agree with @SportyGirly125: I don't replace makeup brushes unless they're damaged or no longer performing well for me. Damage can include loose ferrules, lots of bristle fallout, misshapen bristles that don't return to their proper form despite washings (even if dried in a brush guard) and the new shape doesn't work for me, etc. Brushes can also develop mold, usually if kept in a humid environment long enough. 

My 2 oldest brushes are MAC eye brushes from the 1990s and, with proper care, they've held up well and still work like champs. I used to have 4 90s-era MACs but I lost my original natural hair 217 blender (sadly the current synthetic version's no match for the original), and a friend's pet destroyed one of my 144 shaders. 

[missjeanie]

@WinglessOne I think MAC brushes were my first "high end" brushes.  And the 217 is still one I use to this day.... I might have squirrelled a few away when I heard about the swap to synthetic.  My originals are from the 90s as well and still work great.  I've only lost one to a loose ferrel over the years and... I feel like when they're over 25 years old.... I can't complain.  You brought back a good memories of when I first bought them and thought I was nuts to be spending that much money on a brush. lol... oh if only past me could see me now!

[WinglessOne]

@missjeanie  MACs were my first "high end" brushes too. (MAC was also my first "high end" makeup in the 90s. I still blame them for my lipstick obsession and hoard.) And I had the same "I'm paying how much per brush" thought 😂 —especially as a college kid back then. 

I'm jealous of your original 217 stash! I loved my 217. It's been so long since I used it, I wonder if I'd still love it today, now that Sonia G.'s Blender Pro has won my heart in the eyeshadow blender category. For me, the replacement 217S is good for blending shadow sticks and some cream shadows and, that's about it. I've had a few 217Ss with loose ferrules (they were loose upon arrival, or they loosened up after a couple uses 😡), but my natural hair 217 never had issues. 

I still have and use my second 144 shader (the 239 replaced it) and MAC 22 angled brow/liner (not sure what the current replacement is). The 239S is a good brush, and I have several of them, but I often reach for the 144 instead. 

[missjeanie]

@WinglessOne One of my three remaining 'original' brushes is an angled eyeliner.  I want to say 266? I love that brush.  Still my favourite angled liner brush.  I think the F&F sale might have me looking at a few more.  It's been a while since I've checked out MAC brushes.  ... scratch that... Sephora's selection is looking mighty slim.  I smell a full MAC order to come. 

[WinglessOne]

@missjeanie  I immediately thought "wait, your Sephora store carries MAC?" Then I remembered you're in Canada. 😄 

I think I remember the 266. The brush head's very small, right? Besides the 144, my oldest MAC brush is an angled 22 which I'm pretty sure is a brow brush. It's bigger than the 208 (I also have one of those, but I doubt it's as old as my 22 and 144; I don't recall when I bought it), which I'm pretty sure is bigger than the 266. I use the 22 to apply a tiny line of concealer in my hollow tear troughs to mask the shadow there, but I also still use it as an eyeliner brush. EDIT: curiosity made me ask Google to show me the 266. From what I can tell, the 266 replaced the 22 in the late 90s. No wonder the 266 seems so familiar! 

I wish MAC kept an online catalog of all their old and new brushes. I'm sure they'd rather not mention their old natural hair brushes, what with going full vegan/synthetic. But it'd be so helpful to see an official map of old to new brushes, and a fun trip down memory lane for many of us. 

[missjeanie]

@WinglessOne It would have been the late 90's when I bought my first Mac brushes!  I love the idea of a back catalog of brushes.  I often find that I get attached to one or two and then when I try to find new ones to replace/add to my collection they're gone.  Dang... I'd like one for the old Sephora Pro versus the new ones too.  I actually have a Sephora Pro (the number escapes me) that rivals the 266 for my favourite liner brush.  I don't use the gel liners anymore like when I first purchased the 266, but it works great on shadows that I'm using as liner these days!

[SportyGirly125]

@nancy221 I still have brushes from 2010 that are still holding strong and I wouldn't throw them away or replace them.  Unless the brush is broken in any way you don't need to toss or replace it unless you don't think it's not performing the same.  It's really up to you.