MAC make up- any good?

[ameliagrey]

Is it cheap and cheerful or a serious contender?
Still looking for the perfect foundation and considering pale shades in MAC.

i use it and love it - finally found the perfect shade foundation!

not cheap but lasts a long time, however, i don't wear foundation every day, but do wear their Longwear Lip Colour and blusher daily. Best lippy i've found.

why don't you book in for a consultation, they'll make up your face (make sure you have a night out planned!) which is free against products you buy. am sure you won't walk away empty handed.

I only wear mac. The colours are right for me and the foundation is really long wearing. Atm i am using mac face and body foundation, its light and dewy great for summer. I also wear mac tinted moisturiser in the summer. I love the blushers as well.

I've really dry lips and Mac lipsticks and glosses are the only ones which don't cause the top layer of my lips to shed! I don't like their eyeshadows, they don't last long, and their mascara was one of the worst ones I've ever used. The good thing is if you take 6 empties of anything in Mac packaging back you get a free lipstick.

I have worn Mac make up since it first arrived here mid 90s. Am a complete product junkie and have never moved away from Mac.
I do mourn the loss of select tint foundation. It was the best ever!

I will let you in to a secret (I'm a make up artist) its ok. In the industry we see mac being very "pop" (if that makes sense) it's very well marketed, but actually the product is not as good as the image. A bit (dare I say it) chavvy.
Its owned by the estee Lauder group and another high street chain that charges a couple of quid for their make-up is actually mac product re-packaged.
I don't think mac's rubbish, but you can certainly find a better foundation for your money rather than them. Mainly smoke and mirrors unfortunately

So blackcoffee, who do you use? And tell us which brand is the repackaged MAC so we can all get it instead.

I use the MAC pressed powder. Is amazing.

H&m make up is made by the same people that make mac. Loreal is lancome and bourgeois is Chanel. Just re packaged. I do like mac, but it's alot of hype. At the moment I'm using a lot of illamasque. The pigment and application of the product is amazing. What type of foundation do you want? What type of Finish?

I dont wear foundation, but would would love to know a good non smudge mascara and a stay on all day lippie.

I love nars lipsticks. The matte finish ones stay really well, estee Lauder double wear stay in place lip duos do not move but can be a bit drying. I just keep putting lip balm on over the colour to condition.
Hypnose mascara by lancome is a fave (they have a new doll eyes one coming out that's nice, and clarins have an amazing high definition mascara out in the autumn which a fab!!!) to smudge proof it use a fixer over the top of a normal mascara, you'll get a better build from a non-waterproof and the fixer will just give it the staying power. I like the clarins fixer, it works a treat on the brows aswell!

wow- this is all really useful. I knew that L'Oreal owned other brands but didn't know that the products were the same but simply repackaged.

I am looking for a pale foundation- currently Lancome 010 is the closest shade to my skin- everything else is too yellow - in a creamy texture with medium to full coverage. I don't have any wrinkles or spots but do have slightly uneven skin tone and terrible purple circles so always use concealer on top.

I've got used to full coverage with a clinique foundation but they have discontinued the 2 palest shades- using no. 3 which is okay-ish but darker than my skin- texture is great as it's luminous but still matte if that makes sense. I think it's highly pigmented.

I have skin that is quite sensitive and normal-dry. I just want a creamy textured foundation in a pale shade- estee lauder did my colours and said I was verging on the pink rather than neutral or yellow.

Bobbi Brown have the right shades ( despite them saying they are yellow tones the pocelain or ivory shades seem to match) BUT their foundations seem quite "thin" and runny.

I haven't heard of ilamasque- where do you buy it?

I love mac make up and have tried lots, I dont wear foundation so cant really comment on that but I have heard it's very thick.
I love the concealers, studio fix is great. Dont really rate the mascaras but I want to try the new false lash one as it has good reviews :)
The eyeshaddows, lipsticks, powders are fab though I would go and have a look instore and see what suits you first The mineral skinfinish powders are great and I use mine everyday, mac eyeliners go on amazing too.

2nd Lancome Hypnose mascara- love it. doesn't seem to last long- 3 months tops for me which makes it expensive but I use it every day and use about 3 coats as my eye lashes are non existent.

Have you tried Armani? There foundation is lovely and they do the porcelain shades.
Again illamasque does every shade and is very pigmented
Clinique dark spot corrector cream is great for evening skin tone. My personal fave foundation is estee's double wear. I know it's not for everyone though! Oh and clarins extra firming foundation is luminous but matte (satin Finnish) and very conditioning for dry skin and they are a good brand for sensitive skin. It's also a medium to full coverage.
I buy illamasque from fenwicks. But you can buy it online and there is also a list of stockists. Google them coz I can't do the linky thing!
Make friends with the girls in your local department store. Some great advice (and freebies) I have been given by chatting, getting their names and asking for honest advice. After a while they are really helpful. And there are some amazing make up artists just working on the counters. Real hidden talent

Personally I don't rate MAC at all, especially they're foundations. IMO Chanel do the best foundations and I love, love, live Vitalumiere Aqua. For blushers you can't beat Nars (Deep Throat is my favourite). And for Masara I'm not sure I can beat Max Factor masterpiece (with some good eyelash curlers).

Gawd the typos! Apologies!

Love Chanel foundation! It just dent work on my skin like it does on others! Nars just doesn't get enough praise IMO! Fantastic!

damn- I was just in Fenwicks on Friday!

no, haven't tried Armani.

I had a sample of the clarins foundation and it was quite nice so that's a possible.

My pigmentation is not enough to use a product to rid it- I use clinqiue city block daily- but thanks.

So I'm chavvy because I wear Mac make up? How lovely.

If you are really pale, have you seen the dainty doll brand? One of my friends said it's the only thing she can get to match.

Ken if you are then I am too! But I quite like this whole Chav thing. Very British so embrace it! What I meant is in my opinion mac sits with juicy coture and louie vuitton (Sp, sorry) Handbags. It's more image than substance. Didn't mean to offend

Ah, I see what you mean! I struggle to find lipsticks/ lipgloss/ blush to suit my colouring so I just stick to what I know. Also, until Fenwicks stocked it I used to have to buy it in Leeds so became a bit obsessed with stocking up.
Benefit falls more into the Louis V / Juicy category for me!

I have heard good things about Armani. I might look into it, i need coverage though.

I have a few mac lipsticks and a few eye shadows and love them! They are fab but I just think that some stuff is better with other brands. I don't get benefit. I don't understand it's branding or ethos?!? To me it looks like teenager make up but it's too pricey for them. I've tried a few things but never bought. Maybe I'm missing a trick with them?