Backing off MAC

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I think so many people are miss informed by MAC. The hype was so big so fast, the marketing team, certainly earned their paychecks!

However even though it is in department stores, its NOT in the same family as Urban decay/ stila etc as well as it fellow counters in the department store.

it is in the same class as revlon/ covergirl. the materials used is what factor the "luxury" makeup, and it is not.

with that said, its a bit of a hoop jump to get into MAC. Like any decent salon, you have the chance of people getting "big heads" from being picked to be their artist. No excuse to the behavior, just saying i can see how it happens.

I've worked for the estee lauder company through lauder, but now as a MAC atrist. The products are obviously not the same quality. to be truthfull they would have been better "fixing " their perscriptives brand with more pigment instead of letting that brand fall under. but thats just my opinion, since they own MANY brands including mac (just google estee lauder companies)

 
I haven't heard about MAC until about 2 years ago. I'm in Europe and in my country we don't have MAC and at that time I really wasn't so much into tracking makeup brands and collections so I was somehow away from this MAC hype.

Anyway, I was happy as a kid getting his ice cream the 1st time I purchased MACs product (MSF Petticoat). But, to be honest, I'm not *that much* thrilled with MAC. Yes, I like the products I have (only few of them - blushes, eye shadows, pigments), but since it isn't available here and I'm forced to order it on-line which makes it even more expensive for me, I just have to find other, cheaper brands or at least brands available in my drugstores.

I do like LE collection, but I'm kinda sick of MAC collections. It's just too many of them. Way too many.
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i've never been a MAC fan, i bought some of their brushes, lip glass, mascara..that's about it.

my fav makeup is Inglot. they have good stuff.

 
I feel the same too.. BUT, i just can't let go of the LIMITED products they make..

 
MAC was better when it wasn't owned by Lauder and they were a true Pro line. Now so much of their line is commercial and LE. I hope they make their brush cleaner forever, though. At least that still rocks.

 
I agree with a lot of the sentiments posted in this thread. When I first got into make-up I had a few friends that swore by MAC and only MAC. After trying a few of their products I really didn't care for them, with the exception of their mascara. As I started branching out to other HE brands, I found I really liked others so much better.

I have recently decided to give them a try and purchased their mineralize compact. I've only used it once so far, but I think I like it. My skin coloring is a pain in the neck to match and this seems to match it perfectly. I'm going to give it a few uses though, as last time I used their foundation years ago (Studio Fix) it broke me out terribly.

 
The only good thing seems to be the packaging. I have quite a few MAC products ( eyeshadows, pigments, quite a few brushes to say they are overpriced when I compare them to my other brushes, mineral skinfinishes, lipglass) and they're ok, but I can get the same quality for a lot cheaper. Never understood the hype about pigments. I can get the same colors from MMU brands with more interference and variation. Also the blendability and textures really vary depending on the pigment. Some are really chunky and some are smoother. Their eyeshadow blendability seems to vary too- some are very hard and as bad of a quality as covergirl. I don't like the whole LE aspect and constantly changing and getting rid of products and repromoting the same thing over and over again. Their brushes are overpriced as well and I have a couple of them. Their skin mineral skinfinishes are ok although they do seem to have a lot of junk in them, but I've found better finishes from MMU brands that are more natural. Never understood the hype about their lipglass either. The texture of certain colors feels so tacky and doesn't blend well. It just really seems to be a hit or miss with them since their products aren't consistent.

All in all ok products, but honestly is overpriced and I've found better for cheaper. I probably would still "occasionally" buy MAC if they have something new that catches my eye, but it really isn't worth it.

Oh also I hate going to counters and prefer to buy things online! The salespeople are so pushy and annoying. I like to take my time looking at things but can't stand people hovering over my shoulder when I try to make decisions and I don't like them swiping a million diff shades of lipglass on me and telling me a color looks good when it looks horrid on me. I've been pushed to many unfortunate purchases this way lol so don't go to counters anymore.

 
I'm really disappointed to read that the people working in the MAC stores have been anything less than awesome. The MAC store I go to has the nicest and most informed employees!

I have a really hard skintone to match, and MAC has a color that actually works for me. I think it's because I do have a very strong yellow undertone (someone above mentioned they have lots of yellow tones).

I love being able to buy the pallets and pick any random shadow that piques my interest and toss it in the compact when I get home.

I really don't pay attention to the LE stuff. I bought a ton of Hello Kitty for my daughter, but that was because I grew up loving HK and she loves HK now. Other than that, I stick to the regular products.

I was stuck on a single mascara for nearly a decade. Maybelline Full & Soft in brown black. My only complaint with it was that it really wasn't buildable. If I put some on in the morning and then tried to reapply or make it thicker for night, it got weird and goopy. I recently tried out a MAC mascara that gives me all of the things I love about Maybelline AND is very buildable. Maybelline is $8 and MAC was umm... $14, I think? for just a few more bucks I can get a PERFECT mascara, and I'm willing to pay it. I'm a loyalist at heart, and if I get the right product, I'll stick with it forever.

That being said, I think there's a valid reason why there are so many makeup brands out there... we all have different needs and wants from our makeup. One brand alone could never meet the needs of all of the fabulous women in the world.

 
M.A.C has some great products and some very bad products....I tend to search in every brand....I have to find out which one is the "best" for me lol. I agree with just about every response in this thread! My biggest trouble with M.A.C is defanitaly the LE! Hello if ppl like it they want to buy it again.....not have to find it on ebay for 10 times the price! There is just too many LE being introduced, I might be interested if they slowed down alot on the LE!

 
I don't have a lot of MAC stuff (a primer, a lip balm and three eyeshadows) but so far I've been pretty happy with it. I like the primer for every day, the lip balm could last a little longer but it smells good and has a nice light pink tint so it's good.

The three shadow shades I have are Woodwinked, which I LOOOVE - gorgeous colour and fantastic pigmentation and blendability. Da Bling which I'm not a huge fan of... but that was more my error for buying a colour that I can't really pull off - it's a pretty bright pink, but I do use it sometimes to punch up the colour of lighter, icier pinks that don't show up as well since that's the type of pink shadow that suits me better. Last shade I have is Knight Divine which I wish was just a liiiittle more pigmented, for what looks like such a deep shimmery charcoal colour in the pot, I really have to load up the brush for it to show. But the colour is nice and it's buildable and blends pretty well so overall I like it!

I would still buy MAC, since I was never really a MAC-aholic to begin with!! I don't even pay all that much attention to the brand, especially not the LE stuff... like others said, it would piss me off to fall in love with a product I couldn't replace later!

 
MAC really started my love for make up so I feel some loyalty but I will buy any brand if it gets a good review and works well for me. I do like MAC eyeshadows and I like the price. Most other products I have tried didn't impress me though. Their foundations kind of burn my skin which is strange. I will never buy anything that is LE. Its just a money grab to prey on those who are obsessed. I don't want to buy anything that I can't buy again. Something being discontinued is one thing but to only sell something for a short period of time doesn't interest me.

And with the mention of Smash Box I haven't really liked much and their prices are crazy. At first I liked their primer but now there are so many more options there is no need to pay those crazy prices. I found their eyeshadows to be a bit powdery.

Before we had Sephora here MAC always seemed like the best option but now there are to many other brands to try. I have always found the people at Sephora to be much more helpful then at MAC as well.

 
I know I started this thread but I totally reneged. I must admit, despite myself, that I do in fact love MAC. I am indeed put off by the constant raising prices, but it seems like prices on everything are going up and with my Pro card, I still get a huge advantage. There's just too many good things at MAC and they are kinda my 'gateway drug' into high end makeup so I do feel a certain amount of loyalty to them. I'm such a traitor.

 
Originally Posted by Dalylah /img/forum/go_quote.gif If I wanted something from them I would buy it. The problem is that I havent seen anything that I am dying for that I can't find somewhere else for cheaper. Companies like NYX make some amazing dupes at a fraction of the cost.
Also, as mentioned why would I want to get hooked on stuff that once I use it up I can no longer purchase. LE is ok for some things but for regular items for daily/weekly use... no thanks.

I anticipate price increases on NYX Cosmetics due to its recent exposure on RuPaul's Drag Race.
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i like some MAC products alot. I like the Studio Moisture tint a lot and the lipsticks.  I have one pigment I got with a giftcard.  It's nice but not worth the price.  The blushes I have I LOVE and I love the Pink Power MSF from the Wonder Woman collection.  I returned everything I got except one thing from the Villians collections because it wasn't worth it to me.  I do like some of the collections, but I'm not the type who buys everything from every collection like some people do. I go cheap with eye products and don't really look at MAC for shadows and such

 
I don't hate or even dislike MAC, but I've kind of fallen out of interest with it. There's still some stuff that's HG material and I'll continue to rebuy (MSFN, brushes, P&P Lip) but there's a lot of it that can be bested by lower and higher-priced brands. I do think that can be said about any brand, though. Though I have been quite into NARS and Chanel the last 6 or 7 months, I'm sure that'll eventually change and I might feel a need to own as many Rouge G's as I can get my grubby little hands on. I will say, a lot of the recent collections have been boring at best, and downright crappy at worst. I was shocked I tell you - shocked! - to see that not a single product from the recent WW Collection had sold out at a large counter downtowne. I nearly thought about picking up a backup of Marquise D', but the truth is that it's not that a unique colour, and it's not like the money's going towards a cause I support. But what happened to the days of yore when MSFs truly sold like hotcakes? Maybe we'll see more Marine Life fever, I don't know - but I know I'm not the only one who's kind of fallen out of lust with MAC.

 
I've been interested in MAC and even own a few of their things.  However, I'm not WOW'ed by anything I've tried.  There's no HG in any of their lines for me.  

 
I used to be in LOVE with that sleek black packaging! Now I realize that there are so many other affordable options.

Urban Decay, NYX, (occasionally) Smashbox, Amuse, Avon and Mark, Too Faced... they all have wonderful products!

Every line is different; they all have their hits and misses! I do have to say I still get MAC products every once in a while

for more unique products. I love their paint pots because I have super oily eyelids, and their MSF blushes give me a glow without

totally overwhelming my pale skin! You just have to take the good with the bad and learn to adapt, i suppose.

 
It's really nice reading everyone's input on this. I'm way over the constant L. Edition releases as well. It's a shame "the bottom line" seems to be taking over with MAC, when it seems to have been built on an artistic, creative platform, with quality being priority. *sigh* . From my xp, I tend to "audition" makeup lines, and pick the "best of." I've got a little bit of everything in my makeup kit.

From covergirl to Dior, I pick and choose the product I think does the best job. I've found the best lasting pencil liner to be by Almay, I've tested it time and time again against other more pricey brands, and Almay holds up the best hands down (imo).

I'm thinking we should write MAC with our concerns. It's always good to "do something about it" when you feel strongly about an issue like this with a company. 

Great topic!

 
I have a confession...

:/

I went by the MAC counter today and bought a paint pot hahaha.

Rubenesque was just too good to pass up. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

While I did not give some of the other products a glance, I was wondering

if anyone had tried their new colored Wonder Woman mascara. Ive tried colored

mascaras before and they were a joke. I was hoping MAC had not fallen into

that trap!

 

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