Chanel or MAC - you decide, because I can't

[AbsofAwesomeness]

I'm getting married in just over 6 weeks and want to do one of those make up tutorial thingys before (I'm doing my own make up) and after 6 weeks of deliberation, I've managed to narrow down my choice of place to do this between MAC and Chanel (Bobby Brown has only recently been eliminated, so please don't try and bring it back into the fray).

So - which one?

Mac with Yves Saint Laurent touché éclat.

How exciting, have a wonderful wedding!

Chanel

I'd go with MAC. I like Chanel, but mainly for the label and the packaging, and that feeling of luxury. Over all, I prefer MAC products.

If it were me, I'd go with Estee Lauder though.

Isn't it free at Chanel? In which case, go there first and if you're not 101% happy then go to MAC.

I've had crappy advice from MAC in the past though so would probably go with Chanel. I do like a lot of the MAC products but I've not been happy with their foundation advice (first time wrong product, second time wrong colour) whereas I've always been 100% happy with everything I've bought from Chanel and have used every last scrap of every product!

Hi Abs,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.
I would recommend Mac, and in particular the studio fix foundation. As you can see from my user name I'm a retired DJ and I used to wear studio fix every night as it was the only foundation (for me) that lasted the entire night and kept me looking groomed even with the lights, heat and sweat that are part of a DJ gig!

Very important to apply with a foundation brush as I found that the additional oil from my fingers would affect how long the foundation remained on my skin.

Their eye-shadows really last too.

Though to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't recommend their mascaras. They can flake easily and I would use either Dior or Trish McEvoy for mascara.

Best of luck

Oh and I second emsyj's suggestion.
You can go along to their counters (make an appointment) and get them to make you up, show you how to do the techniques and then buy the products if you're happy with how they look.

The girl who did my wedding make-up used virtually all Mac products - I was really happy with it and it lasted all day.

Definitely Chanel.

Do not do the reverse panda touche eclat thing though!

I would go for Chanel because it sounds classy.

It depends on your skin tone. I'm very pale and can't use Chanel. Mac has more of a colour range in everything but I don't know how I'd feel about using all products from one brand.

Things I often hear universally recommended about the two are:

Mac eyebrow crayon - not the pencil the retractable crayon- is very good especially when followed by their bros set, but needs practice.
Mac Fluidline or Liquid Last eyeliners, will stay on all day no matter what.
Mac Prep & Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
Mac Eyelashes and Eyelash Glue
Chanel Foundations generally give a great finish
Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronze Universel is amazing, not orangey at all always looks good

In my experience the people who worked for Chanel weren't always trained make-up artists and those at Mac were.

Whatever you do make sure you get some good quality brushes and a brush cleanser. Also if I was you I'd go to a department store and browse all the brands before making a decision. For example Laura Mercier does great foundation as does Nars. Dior Mascara is really good. You must buy the Bobbi Brown corrector is you have any darkness under your eyes.

Maybe research online a bit more first.

Lots of makeup artists use MAC, but I wonder whether part of that is due to the hefty discount you get with MAC Pro... Chanel don't offer discounts to artists. I know lots of the posters on www.makeupadviceforum.co.uk who were pro bridal artists used to use the Chanel foundations, but I don't know what the consensus is on the new range as they were all revamped not so long ago.

I agree that Studio Fix from MAC is great for photography and lasts for ever - I think my makeup artist used it for my wedding (although to be fair, she worked for MAC so would have got it for next to nothing!)

Yes get Diorshow mascara, it's the very bestest!

The Chanel wedding one is apparently £25 and redeemable, a bit like the MAC. I think, what I'll do is go to MAC for the consultation and some of the products, and then go to Chanel and get the foundation (I don't normally wear it, unless I'm looking really hideous but want for the wedding).

This is why MN is so awesome

Abs - I wear alot of Chanel stuff on my face, and did use for my wedding (aeons ago, however), and really do recommend. Everything is just 'right', colour wise, and gives a flawless finish. I really rate Chanel.

Depends on your skin type. I've found Chanel foundations are not great on my oily skin. Where as MAC do a few foundations that are good for oily skin. Prolongwear is my favourite, has a great finish and lasts all day.

Unhelpfully a bit of both.
I love vitalumiere, love love love it and don't think that mac touches it as a base for a flawless sheer looking but good covering luminous base (Christ)
Pretty much everything else would be from elsewhere.

As someone else said Please, please, please don't use touché éclat as an under eye concealer as you'll come out looking like a panda in your wedding photographs here

The whole luxury nicey nicey ness of the chanel packaging was really making it tough for me to decide (shallow).

Yeah, I've heard about the YSL Touche Eclat issue

Roffling at the touche eclat'ed woman. Bless.

Dior!

Sorry, completely unhelpful, but I went from Mac, to Chanel, and used both for a couple of years. Dior, for me, is a cut above. !

I had Chanel. It was superb and I still use many of the stuff she used that day 12 years on...