Do you think MAC is over-rated ?

[Fourfingerkitkat]

Once upon a time...when I had a job and no babies...I had money. And I remember one of my favourite activities on pay day was to treat myself to a new MAC lippy/blusher/highlighter or whatever else they had just launched. These days I can rarely afford their stuff but treated myself to the Mineralize Skinfinish in Light on Friday as it was my birthday. I remember using this when it was first launched and recall that I liked it. However I think it's a bit "mehhhh" now. My Avon pressed powder at 4 quid does a better job at keeping my skin matte. The MAC powder seems to leave my skin looking very powdery no matter what brush I use to apply it. Hoping I can exchange it for something else as for £21 I am far from impressed...

Yes. Mainly because highly pigmented matte eye shadows in bright colors look good on surprisingly few people - I realized this when I looked around in a MAC shop and everyone looked really scary. And Inglot is cheaper.

Have you used Inglot DonaAna ?

I'm not a massive fan of their foundation, even their lightest is too orange for me, and it's very heavy.

However I love their eye-makeup and it's worth every penny as far as I'm concerned. A make-up artist I know sells half teaspoon samplers of their rare pigments and I've got loads. You can't beat the colours at all, and the blending is amazing. Love their lipsticks and pencils as well.

Yes I love the lipsticks...just had bad luck with their foundations (always change colour on me) and their facepowders....Since being skint and having to shop around for cheaper alternatives it's made me question their real quality and all the bloody money I spent on their stuff over the years !

I love their lipsticks and MAC and Urban Decay are my favourites for eyeahadows. The foundations and powders I am not a fan of and think their brushes are overpriced. Real Techniques brushes are just as good.

No, matte eye shadow is not my thing, but have been brainwashed by cosmetics blogger friends who love Inglot and Fyrinnae e/s.

I haven't bought anything since seeing my lipstick being lovingly applied on celebrity big brother by... Pete burns! ;)

Everything I've had from MAC has been brilliant, and the eyeshadows go on forever. Whenever I buy eyeshadow from anywhere else I'm always disappointed

Love Urban Decay as well, I swear by their Surreal Skin cream to powder foundation. I NEED one of their Naked Palettes so badly I might actually cry. Kryolan are also amazing for eye make-up if you want bright colours. They make stage make-up. I know brights aren't for everyone, but I love them.

I've got quite oily skin and I have trouble finding make up that doesn't slide off. A make up artist applied MAC eyeshadow on me for a wedding and it was fab. Stayed on all day and night. I was v v happy and impressed. Got their cream blusher/lipgloss too which is not half bad either. I wouldn't bother with their foundation or much else though as I've found cheaper products that are just as good.

I love their Blot powder and SPF 50 primer.

Don't get me started on bloody Benefit though...imo that is over-rated and over-priced.

I love their eyeshadows and lipglass. Best textures and colours. But have never been a fan of their foundation.

I agree pollyblue...but their packaging is so PRETTY!

Price wise they are just about the same as No 7.

Love their eye shadows.

Same as you about the powder and foundation - useless.

polly that would be Beneshit

Lipsticks are very good but so many brown colours for day time that look shit on me. Eye shadows are great but I only use them for night time looks- fantastic for smokey eyes and not just the usual blacks and greys.

Mac Opulash is the greatest mascara ever though.

I think MAC is good if you want a look that says "I'M WEARING MAKE-UP, ME!!!", or if you need a lot of coverage. When I had bad acne I has a make-up session at a mac counter and they used a cream foundation that was amazing, it really, really worked and I bought it for years. For people who like loads of make-up they can do some amazing looks. And I don't think it's a coincidence that they sometimes have drag queen "faces" - they do that kind of thing really well, and I'm not being bitchy! It does stand for "make-up art cosmetics" - it's for making a statement.

When you're 40-something with DC, I think it's less appealing and you gravitate towards bobbi brown instead, because you're trying to basically look normal and like you've had some sleep.

I guess I love them because I wear dramatic eye make-up a lot. They do some lovely natural browns and golds though for a more natural look. Antiqued and Goldmine are lovely.

agree with Begonia that you've got to bear in mind what it was originally aimed at, ie professional make up artists. Hence their strength is in really pigmented formulas which hold well and show up on camera, but can be totally OTT for everyday makeup, specially if applied with a heavy hand.

I love their blushers and eyeshadows, think that the foundations are far too heavy for me, and I don't like the lipsticks because 1. drying 2. too much brown in so many of the shades and 3. smells revolting

the very pigmented eyeshadows are brilliant for strong eyes but some shades also work for 'natural' looks and last really well (eg naked lunch, shroom, etc)

I know what you mean begonia but Bobbi Brown is so booooooring - so many neutrals practically all the same shade, even the orange ladies rebel and slap it on REALLY thick in the hope it will perk them up just a touch more

I know what you mean valium, and actually I don't buy bobbi brown much - I think it popped into my head as the opposite extreme.

I do love their Spice lip pencil :)

I have just today got my lipglass in Fresh Air.
Bloody lovely. Lighter than the gelee but loads of shine.

Their lipglass is lovely and I normally hate gloss. I have one of the Ltd edition Fafi ones.