I may or may not have a new favorite angled brush.

I have tried quite a number of angled brushes but ultimately, my go-to angled brush is the EcoTools Angled Eyeliner brush. I like this one because it's synthetic yet it doesn't feel scratchy and flimsy, plus its long handle makes it easy to grip and hold. This brush is great for creams and gels because its bristles don't get too flimsy and all over the place unlike those angled brushes with "natural" hair. Truly a must-have in your brush collection.

 In true Shaunne fashion (lol that rhyme is not lost on me), I found yet another brush hidden in my stash (I swear finding things in my stash makes me look like a makeup hoarder hahaha!). I knew I had it, I just forgot about it until recently. I decided to bust it out and finally use it because it'd be such a waste not to, and now that I've used it, I've been kicking myself as to why I only busted it now. Ugh.

ANYWAY, my new favorite angled brush is the MAC 266. The MAC 266 is a synthetic angled brush for creating sharp, precise lines.

Unfortunately, it seems like MAC discontinued this brush which is a bummer! However, while looking at their website, it seems like 266's replacement is the 263, which looks exactly like 266, only maybe smaller and flatter?

MAC 266 has a shorter handle than the EcoTools brush but it surprisingly wasn't hard to grip and control, maybe also because the handle doesn't have a smooth varnished finish. 266 also feels light but durable.

For a little comparison. (L-R) MAC 266, Marionnaud N38, Suesh angled brush, and EcoTools Angled Eyeliner brush.

I tested the 266 on two areas of my face with 2 kinds of products. 

I first saw this brush on the Pixiwoo YT channel (OG!!) because the sisters always used this brush on their brows. So I tested it out on my brows as well, using my San San Eyebrow Powder Duo in Chocolate-Dark Brown. I primarily used the Dark Brown shade on the photos below.

I don't use powder brow products anymore so I was a little worried at how this will turn out. Not gonna lie, I felt a little rusty but the 266 helped things along. Even though 266 is a synthetic brush, it was able to pick up product and help me fill in my brows. I was able to quickly fill them in and even create those hair-like strokes in the front end of my brows. I diffused the product every now and then with a spoolie but I like how they turned out in the end. 266 for brows has potential, no wonder the Pixiwoo sisters used it every time.

Next area is of course on the eyes. Angled brushes are for what? Winged eyeliners. Here, I used the Focallure Eyeliner Gel in Dark Byzantium.

Any brush I use with gel liners tend to stick together and get more "bendy", for a lack of a better word, so I always have to flatten and fan them out every now and then to maintain a sharp angle. 266 is a different story, though! The 266's bristles are shorter and stiffer which help make the angle stay put and so it surprisingly holds well against the gel liner! I was able to create a wing with a sharp point from the very beginning and I was able to pull the wing inward with comfort and ease. The bristles didn't become too flimsy from all the product so I was able to create a wing, a sharp and clean one at that, quickly.

So now you see why the EcoTools Angled Eyeliner brush got dethroned as my favorite. The 266 is, in my opinion, much more efficient and effective, especially when it comes to creating winged liners. I also like that the 266 is lighter and smaller- perfect brush to bring on trips! Ugh, I can't wait to create more fun liners and looks with this one!