After a lot of research on MAC brushes, I finally came to the decision of buying the 217. The bristles are incredibly soft, it feels amazing on the skin and it does not give that itchy feeling when you're blending your shadow.

I love that it has a pointy tip, because it helps getting in my crease without packing shadow anywhere else. It makes blending such an easy task! This brush can be used on the horizontal (as shown in the picture) or the vertical, which expands the area of shadow dispersion.

I have used it a few times and washed it once. It didn't loose any bristles and the shape remained intact. I have to agree that this is really expensive, but I like seeing it as an investment. Also, I've heard that if you take good care of your MAC brushes, they can last around ten years.