# Brushes - Numbers Wearing Off



## Eemaan (Jan 12, 2006)

Does anyone else have a problem with numbers fading from brushes? This has happened to my 187 and 224- both bought from a MAC counter.

How do i avoid it? will Clear nail varnish do the trick? any suggestions apart from dont use the brush too often? (not gonna happen)


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## PrettyKitty (Jan 12, 2006)

It happened to my older brush - #272.


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## michitk (Jan 12, 2006)

its happening with a lot of my brushes...i still haven't figured out a way to avoid it.  i feel the fading is from frequent use and brush cleanings I do weekly.

i would definitly love to find a way to stop it from happening though


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## ruby_soho (Jan 12, 2006)

This topic came up a while ago I think, and the concensus was to do a coat or two across the logo with clear nail varnish.


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## angela (Jan 12, 2006)

i remember Risa (or was it Juneplum) suggesting to dip you brushes in clear polycarbonate paint. You can buy it at any hardware store =] i have yet to try it, but I think Risa does this to her brushes. HTH!!


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## angela (Jan 12, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *angela* 
_i remember Risa (or was it Juneplum) suggesting to dip you brushes in clear polycarbonate paint. You can buy it at any hardware store =] i have yet to try it, but I think Risa does this to her brushes. HTH!!_

 
ooppps! im sorry- correction: clear polycarbonate sealant (not paint)!!


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## tannny (Jan 13, 2006)

yeah i asked this question in the rec forum. i do two coats of clear nail polish on it when i just buy them. most of mine have faded and i cant really find a good fix to restore the numbers.


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## 2_pink (Jan 13, 2006)

This happened to my 217, but all the brushes from the magenta brush set are fine.


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## Sushi_Flower (Jan 13, 2006)

Does the clear nail varnish work aswell as the paint method?

I wish i knew about preventing this before i let my 239 number and logo fade!


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## Summer (Feb 9, 2006)

mine did more than fade, it totally disappeared off my 242 brush. It started to fade and bits of it chipped off after having it a few days. You would never know it was a MAC unless you looked for the ever so slight indentation of the letters/numbers on the handle.  (I bought this brush at the MAC counter at Macy's. )
It doesn't bother me though. The brush is in excellent condition otherwise.


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## giz2000 (Feb 9, 2006)

It doesn't bother me when the numbers fade either...now when the brushes start to shed...THAT bothers me!!


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## spendtoomuch (Feb 9, 2006)

I had my 242 less than a week and the numbers were gone.  A lot of my brushes have lost the numbers, but the 242 was the quickest it ever happened.  I was thinking its a good thing I don't have to return this because they would think I owned this brush for years.  They never would have believed it was less than a week old.


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## afterglow (Feb 9, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *spendtoomuch* 
_I was thinking its a good thing I don't have to return this because they would think I owned this brush for years.  They never would have believed it was less than a week old._

 
I know you're not planning on returning it or anything, but if you did, and you took the receipt with you, I don't think there would be a problem.

A little bit of chipping happened to my 228 brush in under a week.  I came to Specktra to the rescue, and put on a coat of clear polish.  Seems to have done the trick!


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## pinkmilk (Feb 9, 2006)

WOW I was just talking about this with my friend yesterday! Thats crazy! 

Good suggestions gals!


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## laurenmo88 (Feb 9, 2006)

i put clear nail polish on my brush numbers and yes it keeps them from rubbing off - but if the nail polish starts to come off just apply another light coat! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 this way i know what brushes to recommend to friends and i know what brush im actually using!


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## labwom (Feb 10, 2006)

my 217 started fading and i put clear polish on it and it hasnt fading anymore for about a  year! so i started to do that to all my brushes. i redo it every six months though


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## MAC_Pixie04 (Feb 10, 2006)

Consider yourself lucky! The black coating has completely stripped off of my 275 and 266 brushes...both fairly new.  My mom's 4 year old 224 brush looks as new as the day she bought it.  I think they're gettin' lazy over there!


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## spendtoomuch (Feb 10, 2006)

Oh I wish I would have thought of the polish before the numbers were gone.  Good idea.


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## llucidity (Sep 4, 2006)

I think I'm weird but I get really miffed when I find the the MAC logo and the brush number gets rubbed off after repeated handling. The way they are faded makes them look cheap? So recently I just went ahead and scratched it off from my #182.


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## bellaetoile (Sep 4, 2006)

i hate when the numbers come off my brushes, too.
clear nail polish on the handle, over the writing, when you first get the brushes can prolong the writing.


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## lara (Sep 4, 2006)

I don't think it makes them look cheap, I just think it makes them look used. Which, for brushes, is a good thing - shows they were worth the investment.


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## sel00187 (Sep 4, 2006)

hmmm thats never happened to any of my brushes, although ive only had mine 5 or 6 months


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## jess98765 (Sep 4, 2006)

omg, i totally get ya!! the numbers and MAC symbol is rubbing off my precious brushes and i'm actually really sad about it.... hehe, just shows how much MAC means to me.


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## ben (Sep 4, 2006)

i love it, i also loooove hitting the pan!


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## Lalli (Sep 4, 2006)

yeh i feel the same coz my brushes r precious hehe but then again they worth it


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## Zantedge (Jul 13, 2008)

*Tape on brush numbers*

A lot of people put tape on their MAC brushes so the number doesn't wear off.  I had put nail polish over the numbers, but it was still chipping, so I decided to tape them. I put a piece over my 217, and I noticed it was a little crooked.  I guess I'm a freak about stuff like that so I peeled it off to straighten it. I thought it wouldn't be a problem because PinkieCharm said in one of her videos that she can change the tape if the tape starts to get bad. But the number came off with it! Has anyone else experienced this? Or did I do something wrong?

What I also find odd it that none of my SE brushes' numbers have chipped...

(sorry if it's been discussed, I didn't find anything in the search.)


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## Distinque (Jul 13, 2008)

*Re: Tape on brush numbers*

I think it has something to deal with the brush. SE brushes have plastic handles and the Regular ones have wood handles.


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## pat (Jul 13, 2008)

*Re: Tape on brush numbers*

haha.. I love my MAC brushes but I also hate it when the writing comes off...  It's more time consuming when you're trying to figure out what brush you use while making a tutorial. haha...

I was just thinking about labeling the brush number, but who knows when I'll get to that.


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## reesesilverstar (Jul 16, 2008)

It annoyed/saddened me so bad when mine faded away... Maybe they'll come out with a different paint that doesn't fade so easily.

I was thinkin of the polish too, but then i was scared that it would ruin the brushes... silly me...


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## Shaquille (Jul 16, 2008)

cover the number with a clear tape, it should protect the numbers from fading ever..


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## FiestyFemme (Jul 16, 2008)

I've had some of my brushes for a long time, and they've barely faded at all (maybe a little place here and there). I still covered the lettering with clear nail polish though. Hopefully that'll keep it from happening anymore.


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## cassitassi (Jul 16, 2008)

I didn't even realize that this could happen!

Just checked my 187, have had it for like 6 months... sure enough, numbers are faded.

Put clear nail polish on it, but really, who wants to see half rubbed off numbers and letters?

Wish I'd caught it earlier.


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## MissAlphaKitty (Feb 10, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *angela* 

 
_i remember Risa (or was it Juneplum) suggesting to dip you brushes in clear polycarbonate paint. You can buy it at any hardware store =] i have yet to try it, but I think Risa does this to her brushes. HTH!!_

 
 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Juneplum* 

 
_son_risa gave us a good tip the other day.. dip the handle in clear polyurethane sealant! u can get it at any home depot, lowes etc.._

 

I want to protect the lettering on my new Hello Kitty Brushes... (and my other old brushes too while I'm at it)

Does anyone know how long it takes clear polycarbonate/polyurethane sealant to dry?
Dip in liquid or Spray?


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## eidetica (Feb 11, 2009)

That stuff is SO toxic!!! You don't want that in your house- you should be wearing nitrile gloves and a respirator to get into that- outdoors. Read the label and believe it.
  Besides- the solvents in those nasties may just dissolve the paint on the brush. Better check and see.

  MAC is the best selling make up in the world; the demand is phenomenal and good brushmakers are limited. I haven't been so impressed with a few brushes at MAC; The basic designs are unusual and give the best result but I've been surprised by some poor quality that doesn't live up to the reputation. I had to go through a whole jarfull at the store to find a pencil brush with the bristles tied properly. I expected better. 
  So send an e mail and complain. The people who tie brushes are in limited supply and MACs market may be overwhelming the capacity they have. But if problems aren't heard about they can't fix them. This number problem and paint popping off shouldn't happen in a make up brush that's washed properly. Getting water into the ferrules will do that to the laquer on the handles eventually but stampings shouldn't rub off. And come to think of it... if the handles are poorly painted that could do it. There's a ton of manufacturing problems possible but MAC won't fix what MAC doesn't here noise about.


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## oreox0x0 (Feb 11, 2009)

i completely ruined the 219 label by using cheap-o nail polish..

has anyone tried re-writing the numbers with a silver paint pen?


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## SakurasamaLover (Feb 11, 2009)

I didn't want to put clear nail polish on the logo and numbers of my first brush but I manipulated it for like 25 sec and the next thing I saw!?! I had already scratched the logo with my nail!!!! only a fucking nail touch...
Now I put a small coat of a good clear nail polish and they look as new as the first day I bought them.

For the person who's having issues with the black paint, either you have fakes if not it's because you put water on the handle: it's a big no !!! don't ever do that cause wood absorb water then it become bigger and everything peel off. You need to wash your brushes by only wetting as high as the ferrule goes, not even a tad bit more. And be sure to make them dry flat or head down.. not up so the water don't travel down on the wood handle part. Oh and also keep the head of the brush down too when you wash them, if it goes up, the water travels to the handle by the ferrule.


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