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.

Wow. What a useful thread, advice straight from the experts! Thanks for starting it op.

While we're all here can I crash and ask, blackcoffee and others - any advice on medium coverage foundation for black skin? I've tried many including mac but settled on Mary Kay the past few years. It's very natural looking but I want something that gives a more "made up" / refined look iyswim.

Beverly knight does a make up range for black skin, it's sold in Debenhams and online. I've used a clinque foundation on a client and it looked amazing. Again, ilamasque do every colour. I'd check them out.

The only things that I have from Benefit are the Dandelion highlighter and Flamingo Fancy body stuff which are both good for holidays.
Is Illamasqua good for staying power with eyeshadows? Normal ones that aren't that pigmented just slide off my face!

Thank you! I am sooo glad I clicked on this thread.

Ordering the ilamasqua rich liquid foundation. Can't wait to try it out!

Okay- gone against the grain for me and bought a L'Oreal one!

I've just bought the True Match in Ivory and I am really impressed!
it compares better than Estee lauder Regenerist and Lancome Photogenic whose colours were not quite right- got testers here.

I will pay almost anything for a foundation, as I don't buy much make up- only when it runs out! So price is not an issue.

Ivory is classed as neutral- Rosy Ivory was too pink, and another Ivory- can't remember which - maybe Warm Ivory was yellow based. This is perfect colour- pale, but not pink or yellow.

I am used to Clinique Repair Wear which is very thick and gungy- like a treatment cream and which I have used for years - but the palest shade now is too dark- can get away with it, vut feel it's like a mask.

Going back to L'oreal- the shades are different in different foundations- so Ivory in the Serum one was different ( more yellow) than in True Match.

The texture is quite thin but with 2 coats you get really decent coveage without it looking thick on the skin.

It's early days- need to see how it wears over a day, but for £9 I am impressed.

Sorry for late reply, I'm working. They are like face paint! Really good cover. Do you use an eye lid primer? Your eyelids produce sebum and that's why the shadow doesn't stay in, Clarins do a good one for about £15 (migh be 20 can't remember) but you pop it on and it evens out the tone and any redness, it looks amazing without any shadow on, like naturally your really awake, but holds the eyeshadow so it won't crease. In going to the benefit counter to give them another go!

I will try Illmasqua when I am next in London- it's available at selfridges and harrods.

I had a philosophy primer and not much cop. Will try the Clarins one, anything that makes me look awake is a bonus. Thank you, I can feel a visit to Fenwicks coming on!

The grimsweeper, have you seen a range called Sleek in Superdrug? It's aimed at mixed / darker skin tones. I haven't tried the foundations but I am v impressed with the range of blushers ( like NARS but an 8th of the price!) and pout lip gloss pots are amazingly pigmented.

sky I use the loose powder, which is pretty good plus some of the lipsticks. Not too keen on the foundations though. Will have to look at the lip glosses and blushes

Grim, shame about the foundations - that is the one thing that is difficult to find.

Yes have a look at the blushers - I got one for my mil and its a lovely dark red / brown with the perfect amount of shimmer called sunrise. And there was another called Scandelous (sp) which is a dead ringer for a NARS one in a bright red.

Have you ever tried mineral makeup?

"bourgeois is Chanel"

Can I just say, this isn't strictly true. Yes, it is made by the same company (outsourced) and of course the posher packaging and brand name commands a much higher margin, but they are not actually the same product.

In the same way as Illamasqua (I am a friend of Alex Box) is made by Kryolan. I love Illamasqua myself (matte lipsticks are amazing) but it's not where I'd send a makeup newbie.

IMO MAC (which used to be good pre-EL takeover) is a good place to start. I think the products have a reasonable price point and MAC has some standout products (Face and Body, some concealers, pigmented eyeshadows to good workhorse neutrals -- Brule and Omega spring to mind) but it's not where I'd start for foundation myself, I've never got on with their foundations. Some of the lipstick textures are nice to work with and there are some good mattes. All in all, has something for everyone and a good place to start. But it's not where I make a beeline for if I hit Selfridges or a makeup store.

Oh, their brushes are quite good for the money. Some of them are legendary.

" I knew that L'Oreal owned other brands but didn't know that the products were the same but simply repackaged."

They are not. Very different products actually (friend used to work for L'Oreal in production)

Very interesting. I'm in Italy at moment. There's a Mac store round corner from here, so have been playing with their stuff but not really attracted - but then I'm much older than their target market.

For me, on coverage, lighter the better - heavy is really aging. So I stick with tinted moisturisers - Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown (also owned by Estee Lauder) , Chantecaille, By Terry.

Do fancy some Armani though - specially one of their lip sheers I was trying here the other day - I hate long-last lipstick - drying and aging. May have to buy ...

Interesting thread.

I haven't actually tried any of the MAC foundations, I have an eyeshadow and don't really like it.

I love Illamasqua! Best foundation I have used and has the best coverage, reasonable price and lasts forever. Also their newest foundation is a foundation, primer and skin treatment in 1.