INSIDE VOICE: Dude. You should do an Unsung Heroes post for MAC Brun Eye Shadow ($15).
OUTSIDE VOICE: Eh, I dunno. I love it and all, but it’s a dark blackish brown shadow. I mean, that’s not very exciting, ya know?
INSIDE VOICE: True dat. It’s no Club or Impassioned, but I think it’s still worth a shout-out, right? You wear it practically every day.
Plus, remember that trip when you forgot it at home?
OUTSIDE VOICE: Oh, boy.
INSIDE VOICE: You freaked-the-eff out! You had to track down the nearest MAC counter on your iPhone, and then had El Hub drive you there before you would agree to do anything else. That’s dedication, dude.
OUTSIDE VOICE: El Hub was so grumpy! He was like, “Are you kidding me right now!? Come on! We’re on vacation!”
Bless that man. He puts up with a lot of crazy sh*t. 🙂
OK, I guess you do have a point. Brun’s a great brow filler for brunettes. It’s warm-toned, not too reddish, and I’ve always liked that despite it being so dark, it doesn’t look harsh on my skin, and it’s interesting, too, how the satin finish looks almost matte.
INSIDE VOICE: I’ve seen you use it for other things — not just for filling in your brows.
OUTSIDE VOICE: True, true. I also wear it a lot with slightly defined neutral eyes, where I’ll pat a little MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot all over my lids, buff some MAC Mylar on top of that with a 224, then sweep a little Cork or Soft Brown in the crease.
For a little depth, I’ll take Brun, apply it in the outer corner or the outer crease, and do a quickie winged liner. I tell you, that’s the best classic neutral eye combo right there, I swear. It’s so easy! I can do it half asleep, LOL!
INSIDE VOICE: What else do you use it for?
OUTSIDE VOICE: Well, it’s also great for soft, smudgy blackish brown smokey eyes.
Think Mila Kunis-style eye makeup. You can totally get that with Brun and a black eyeliner.
I’ll line my water lines and lash lines with MAC Smolder Eye Kohl (which I love because it doesn’t irritate my eyes), smudge out the liner on my lash lines with a pencil brush or a flat eyeshadow brush, and then just blend Brun directly on top of the lash lines.
Just like that! — easy, elegant, super fast smokey eyes.
OUTSIDE VOICE: Oh! — and also, I almost forgot. When I’m running late for something and don’t have time to, you know, fully line my lash lines with a pencil, or just whenever I want a softer makeup look, Brun works great as a liner.
I’ll grab an angled brush, load it up with a little Brun, and use it to line my lash lines. It’s a lot easier than lining with a black shadow, I think, because the brown just seems to kind of hide any mistakes, you know?
Very convenient when I’m rushing.
INSIDE VOICE: Mm hmm, interesting… So what do you think now? Doesn’t Brun deserve some Unsung Hero lovin’? Am I gonna have to say, “I told you so”?
OUTSIDE VOICE: Haha! Well, I know you’ve been dying to…
INSIDE VOICE: I TOLD YOU SO! 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The MAC Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite products from MAC’s permanent collection
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Texture Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Saddle Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Cork Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Fleur Power Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Costa Riche Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Chicory Lip Pencil
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Smoked Almond Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Half ‘n Half Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Chili Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Coffee Eye Pencil
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish in Global Glow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Burnt Spice
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Foundation/Loose
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Giddy Lustre Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Amorous Alloy Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Texture Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Saddle Eyeshadow
- Unsung Heroes: MAC In Extra Dimension Waterproof Mascara
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Minted Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Take the Plunge Technakohl Liner
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Cork Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: 221 Mini Tapered Blending Brush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Matchmaster Shade Intelligence Compact
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Oh My Mocha Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Pro Longwear Waterproof Colour Stick in Lilacked
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Satin Taupe Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: High Tea Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Blooz Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Fleur Power Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Layin’ Low Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Constructivist Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime Fix+
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Persistence Matte Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow in Brownluxe
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Costa Riche Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: The Studio Chromagraphic Pencils
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Brun Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Staunchly Stylish Pro Longwear Lip Pencil
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Warm Soul Mineralize Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Reflects Antique Gold Glitter
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Style Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Shaping Powder in Lightsweep
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Era Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Bronze Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Honey Lust Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Sun Rush Lustre Drops
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Nice Buzz Plushglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: 33 Lash
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Shale Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Harmony Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Careblends Pressed Powder
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Fulfilled Plushglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Bamboom Paint
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Sublime Nature Paint
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Face and Body Foundation
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Prunella Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: The 239 Eye Shader Brush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Greensmoke Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Ample Pink Plushglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Indianwood Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Bare Study Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Rubenesque Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Tarnish Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Big Baby Plushglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Kohl Power Pencil Liner in Feline
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Format Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Ambering Rose Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in Silver Dusk
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in Golden Bronze
- MAC Unsung Heroes: C-Thru Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Fresh Flare Pro Longwear Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Viva Glam V Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Loud & Lovely Cremesheen Glass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Viva Glam VI Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Breezy Sheertone Shimmer Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Care Blends Essential Oils, Grapefruit + Chamomile
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Right Image Cremesheen Glass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Modesty Cremesheen Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Double Dare Cremesheen Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Bamboo Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Speak Louder Cremesheen Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Sandy B Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Club Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Uniform Technakohl Liner
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Sweet Satisfaction Pro Longwear Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Red Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Lady Danger Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Tempting Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Ruby Woo Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Retrospeck Eyeshadow
I love shadows in this kind of color! They are just so multipurpose, like you said. I usually use NARS Coconut Grove, since I don’t have Brun. But of course now I want it. Lol!
You will love this shade, Natalie! You can seriously use it in so many different ways. 🙂
This was a fun read!
Thank you, babe!
Karen,i love the originality of your writing! I’ve never seen it anywhere else like this, you always make me laugh! About Brun,I absolutely agree,the eyeshadow is an amazing brow filler. I use to have the mystery eyeshadow to do the job,but brun is more subtle on my nc15 skin!
Hi Brenda,
Thank you! I really enjoy this kind of writing; I should do it more often. Ya know, I never thought to try Mystery as a brow filler. Now I’m curious. 🙂
Have you tried the new Fluidline Gelcremes for brows yet? They’re also great for filling in the sparse parts.
From your list above, I counted that I have 35 of your unsung heroes! 🙂 wow!
WOW! Great minds think alike, Cheryl. What are your must-have MAC faves from the list?
My favorites to make a (full) face: Face & Body foundation, Brun, Blushbaby, Prunella, Shale, soft brown, VG VI lipglass, 217 & 239 🙂
I love all those shades too! And those brushes as well. You should try Face & Body with Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder. I’ve been doing that combo for my casual makeup days and I loooooove it. 🙂
So….I’m keen on the Kelly & Sharon Osbourne collection. When you did your review on the duo (Brun & Soba), and mentioned that you use Brun to fill in your brows….I have made it my mission to head to the MAC counter on the morning of the 12th.
I’m hoping to find the pencil brush, or Sharon’s blush. I’m trying to behave here! LoL. We’re moving, and I’m trying to downsize. 🙁
Thanks for this post. It made me chuckle. Bless your husband for being awesome 🙂
Hi Camille,
Where are you moving? Are you staying the same town?
Hi Karen,
No I haven’t tried the new fluidlines yet, they only have a few shades and as far as i’ve heard, they have a little bit of red in them, and i really don’t like that. Brun and Mystery are ‘natural’ browns,just what i need 🙂
I’m into natural brown shades for the brows as well. Thank goodness for all those great brow fillers…otherwise mine would look pretty wimpy, LOL! I blame the ’90s, which was when I plucked mine to virtually nothing.
Hope you’re having a nice Thursday so far! Got any plans for the weekend yet?
The shade is perfect for brow filling and intensifying the crease.. so well deserved as unsung hero.. 😀
Perhaps this is the “dark brown with very little red” eyeshadow that I’ve been looking for. This NC50 gal is in the market for a lovely brown shade to use in my outer-v, or to smudge along my lower lash line , with a hint of black, when I’m going for a nude smokey eye look. Confused you, yet? Lol!
Kinda looking for something that works with a smokey nude eye that’s not too harsh when paired with either of my UD Naked palettes. I’ve got yellow undertones. Though I’ve been loving the Cover Girl Queen Collection Bronzer in Ebony Bronze (Q120)as my transition color, it has red undertones. This color would complement my neutral looks.
But who am I kidding? Like I need an excuse…..tehehehehe 🙂
Yes brun is the perfect brow color for dark hair! So good!
*fans self*
Jeez, Karen! Looking amazing in that last photo! 😀
This looks like a great workhorse shadow – like I use Lancome Tres Chocolat!
You are the worst Mac enabler, ever. I love, love, love your brown smokey eyes, so I’ll probably be checking out Brun. Question: is Brun a dupe for Mystery, as they say? Is it worth owning both?
Hi Bella,
I think Mystery’s a little bit more purple compared to Brun. Brun has absolutely no purple in it (at least on my NC42 skin). It’s more of a straight up brownish black.
I absolutely love Brun! I have very very dark brown, almost black hair and this is my go to brow color-I’ve gone through like 5 of them! MUA always give me crap for using a color this dark for my brows but when you have three black hairs for eyebrows sometimes a light brown shadow just won’t cut it amirite?!
Hi Karen. I’m looking for a drugstore brand dupe of MAC eyeshadow in Brun (or actually, any dupe as long as it’s cheaper). I love the idea of a multi-purpose product for cheap and even cheaper. Any ideas? Mahalo nui.
Wish you can do that smoky eye makeup on me.