Do you just want a straight-up shader brush? I like MAC's 239 shader brush, I can normally get it to blend colours together very well too. I've had mine for 4 years and it's still in mint condition...I don't mind paying for a good brush if it's going to last me this long. If you need something a bit smaller (depending on the size of your eye), the 231 is good. It REALLY packs on the colour too. But from the sounds of things, you just want a basic eyeshadow brush, so I think the 239 would be the best.