What's the Big Deal with MAC???

pookie82

I was bridesmaid for my cousin a few weeks ago and the wedding was abroad so she didn't bother booking us in to get our make-up done and asked if we'd be ok to do it ourselves (which i much preferred, always hate someone else doing my make-up, but anyway....)

So she gave me a voucher for BT and told me to go in to the MAC counter and go mad. I ended up spending about E180 (that only included one lipstick brush, the rest was make up) and as I rarley splash out on good make up I was dying to get home and try it all out.

I have to say I'm pretty underwhelmed. The liquid eye-liner and blusher are gorgeous and stand out from other brands. The mascara is gloopy and makes my eyes look like spider legs - but not in a good way!!! The liquid foundation is ok but to be honest I can't tell the difference from a Rimmel or max factor one when it's on. The press powder looks like mud on my face and the lipstick and gloss are only so-so. the eye shadow was in creases within an hour!! I got a (very snotty) assistant to help me out with all the colours and stuff so it's not like i bought the wrong shades or products. I found myself resorting to a regular liquid foundation and a trusty pan stick finish after the wedding.

Before people think that I'm just used to cheap crap and can't appreciate great make-up, I've been complimented loads on my foundation while wearing really affordable stuff, but the MAC just looked funny!!! Plus i can appreciate that Clinique do the best mascara i've ever used and that forking out for that is worth one's while.

I suppose I've just heard so much about MAC products for the last few years and on the train in the mornings when other women are doing their make up all i see is MAC compacts. Is it a case of people believeing the hype over over priced make-up or does everyone genuinely love everything they produce? Am majorly disappointed with most of their stuff and very glad it wasn't my own money! :rolleyes:

bills

definetely over-rated!! i have some of their foundations & wasnt overly impressed with them either. Also, found it didnt last long & i wouldnt even be using it everyday.

Larianne

MAC mascara is terrible! It's just awful. I've tried many and they haven't got it right yet. Lancome is best! Max Factor also do really good mascara.

But with all make-up, different brands suit different people - esp. foundation!

I've used quite a few different brands of make-up and I have to say MAC have the best quality eyeshadows around. They contain a lot of pigment so the colour doesn't fade. Don't remember any of them creasing unless you have oily lids? And they've a great selection.

Overall, MAC has an extremely good selection of everything. It might not all suit your skin type. You gotta pick and choose between brands, expensive or affordable.

On a side note- a sales assistant snotty in BT's?? NEVER! hehe Go to the smaller counters in Dundrum, Blanch or the airport for decent assistants who won't tell you you need to buy 3 types of powder as well as a foundation! :rolleyes:

LizT

Larianne wrote: »

On a side note- a sales assistant snotty in BT's?? NEVER! hehe Go to the smaller counters in Dundrum, Blanch or the airport for decent assistants who won't tell you you need to buy 3 types of powder as well as a foundation! :rolleyes:

Seconded

Amz

I've given up on MAC at this stage. They never had a foundation that suited me, the only thing that remotely came near to my skin tone was a liquid concealer, which came in a teeny tiny tube. The eyeshadow is useless and creases so easily. While I like some of their shades of lippy, I find that it bleeds easily and doesn't stay in place even with a primer. I've only ever been happy with their blotting powder.

Don't get me started on the assistants in BTs! I could be standing there with a neon sign sayig "I WANT TO SPEND MY MONEY HERE, PLEASE HELP!" and still be completely ignored.

I definitely won't be going back to MAC.

pookie82

Nope, don't have oily lids or skin at all, but the eyeshadow had creased within a very short period of time. I find Rimmel has more sticking power!!!

Maybe my mistake was going in on a Sat morn when it was packed but ya, had to practically beg someone for assistance. then I got this curly haired freaky lookin thing painted like a clown. I'm not joking - we're talking BRIGHT electric blue eye shadow, paling to purple, cheeks that looked like they'd been scalded with a branding iron the blusher was so striped, and blood red lips painted way outside the lip line. Not to mention the eye liner practically reaching around to her ears.

She proceeded to tell me they had a range of foundations in sheer and matt finish....then paused to ask me if i understood what matt meant???!!!!!! I was standing there going am... I've got a degree in English i think i remember seeing it in a dictionary somewhere... the only thing I allowed her to do was paint my lips and between applications (this is NO lie) she paused for about five seconds to check HERSELF out in the mirror.

Oh, and my personal favourite, when asking what foundation i currently used (for colour) I mentioned pan stick to cries of "Oh! How BORING!"

I just about made it out of there without pis*ing myself. I'd forgotten people like her existed, and got paid to act like vacant tw*ts. Won't be popping in again any time soon!!!

Larianne

I used to work for MAC and I even hated going into the grafton street store (go in there to pick out the pro products I wanted to order from the Soho store for 60% discount! hehe was great).

They have a different system of hiring to the others stores (I presume) and tend to go more on looks and dress size than brains and customer service.

You're a brave person going in there on a Saturday morning, sometimes it was like a cattle market!

pookie82

Well I'm sorry to say that this particular girl couldn't have been hired on looks. She might have appeared half decent if I could have seen her genuine skin tone or face but it was totally obscured beneath a mountain of caked on slap. I've never understood why someone who's supposed to sell a product (and therefore make it look good) is allowed to show up to work looking like she did!!! She's the worst advertisement for make up of any kind i've ever seen. Are they supposed to make you feel an inch tall to convince you you need the stuff or are they just genuinely nasty people???

Pythia

Larianne wrote: »

They have a different system of hiring to the others stores (I presume) and tend to go more on looks and dress size than brains and customer service.

How do they hire Larianne? Do you have to do a demo, etc?

Hmm I think a lot of the hype IS deserved tbh but not for all their products. The mascara is rubbish and the foundations are more like stage make-up or TV make-up, WAY too heavy for daily use, or else so little coverage it isn't worth putting it on. I think their eyeshadows are amazing though and well worth it - they have a huge selection and they're really highly pigmented so stay on well and last ages. And their Fluidline eyeliner is amazing, its the only thing that stays on my eyes. I always get my eye make-up there but I find L'oreal, Maybelline etc just as good for the rest.

Larianne

Pythia wrote: »

How do they hire Larianne? Do you have to do a demo, etc?

Depends on your experience/training. I think, yeah, you normally bring in a friend and do a demo on. Or if you have a portfolio, show that also. BT's Grafton Street have mainly part-time staff working strange hours. 2 hours some days. They could have a staff of over 20 people and only 4 of them are full-time! If you live nearer Dundrum, Blanchardstown or the Airport I'd apply there first if I was you. If you need any more advice just send me a PM and I'd be happy to help.

LadyMayBelle

Worst mascara ever!! so thin and spidery. used mac for a while but you never end up looking like you wish. it really is overpriced too!

Glowing

I'll hand it to them - their eye shadows are great! Lovely colours and they stay on for ages!

Wouldn't touch the rest of their stuff though - serious rip off!

kizzyr

I've never gotten the whole MAC thing either and I don't think their makeup is of particularly good quality either. I much prefer Chanel for the liquid foundation, brow liner, nail polish, eyeshadows etc. Dior do the best ever mascara.
I'm also pretty impressed with the new Minerals make up in BT2.

ncmc

Slightly off topic here, just thinking about the 'is it worth it' question, I remember reading an article in a magazine recently on what you should splash out on and what you should buy off the cheaper brands. I believe they recommended that Foundation, concealer and eye-shadow should be a splurge and mascara, lippie, blusher and powder should be a save.

I do think with a lot of the 'trendy' brands, you are paying for the fancy packaging and make-up counters. I think Benefit and Urban Decay are other offenders.

I have to say I like Clinique make-up and the assistants usually know what they are talking about.

Larianne

ncmc wrote: »

I have to say I like Clinique make-up and the assistants usually know what they are talking about.

Best salespeople around!

Glowing

I believe Clinique, Bobbi Brown, and Mac are all owned by the same company?

do you love it?

not really a fan of mac, was doing a fashion show and they were the make up artists, i found the makeup to be a little like paint.
they were given a brief and colour guide to match up with the clothes and did not stick to it either

Larianne

Glowing wrote: »

I believe Clinique, Bobbi Brown, and Mac are all owned by the same company?

Yes Estee Lauder is the parent company owns the above as well as Orgins, Stila, Creme De La Mer and all those Donna Karen and Tommy Hilfiger frangrances. But they would all have different policies etc.

do you love it?

i heard creme de la mer is the same as a clinique moisturiser only it has an extra ingredient, could be complete bs though.

creme de la mer is over rated!

No1XtinaFan

Larianne wrote: »

Depends on your experience/training. I think, yeah, you normally bring in a friend and do a demo on. Or if you have a portfolio, show that also. BT's Grafton Street have mainly part-time staff working strange hours. 2 hours some days. They could have a staff of over 20 people and only 4 of them are full-time! If you live nearer Dundrum, Blanchardstown or the Airport I'd apply there first if I was you. If you need any more advice just send me a PM and I'd be happy to help.

I used to work for YSL in BT's on grafton st and thats the exact reason I left! I was full time and I used to have to work till 8 most nights no life!!!!

But with Mac the only thing I buy from them is eyeshadow, the foundation IMO is crap!

ncmc

do you love it? wrote: »

i heard creme de la mer is the same as a clinique moisturiser only it has an extra ingredient, could be complete bs though.

creme de la mer is over rated!

I have heard bad things about Creme de la Mer, I believe it is super rich and a bit greasy. I have also heard that quite a lot of people have a reaction to it, it is too rich for some I believe.

I could not justify spending that amount of money on a face cream. None of them make that much difference anyway.

Larianne

do you love it? wrote: »

i heard creme de la mer is the same as a clinique moisturiser only it has an extra ingredient, could be complete bs though.

creme de la mer is over rated!

Not sure about that. I know that L'Oreal which owns Lancome and Armani, is one of the best skin care ranges around. Just coz it's expensive does not mean it's good!

Larianne

ncmc wrote: »

I have heard bad things about Creme de la Mer, I believe it is super rich and a bit greasy. I have also heard that quite a lot of people have a reaction to it, it is too rich for some I believe.

I could not justify spending that amount of money on a face cream. None of them make that much difference anyway.

Well it is aimed more at older middle class women who have too much money to spend! Creams for the older woman tend to be richer as their skins can be drier. And well it has to be 'rich'. :rolleyes:

Bluebells

Yea, mac mascara's are complete crap, not too keen on concealers either, lipgloss is bla, blushers decent enough. I just buy eyeshadows, brushes, empty palettes etc, find them great! Its really their variety of products, colours and finishes that are good, still as an overall brand its over rated. I really hate the mac in BT's, its always so busy and the majority of girls can be quite rude and patronising. I always feel like a complete prat waiting there for ages being ignored!

do you love it?

Bluebells wrote: »

Yea, mac mascara's are complete crap, not too keen on concealers either, lipgloss is bla, blushers decent enough. I just buy eyeshadows, brushes, empty palettes etc, find them great! Its really their variety of products, colours and finishes that are good, still as an overall brand its over rated. I really hate the mac in BT's, its always so busy and the majority of girls can be quite rude and patronising. I always feel like a complete prat waiting there for ages being ignored!

+1

The girls have never been nice to me. you think they would seeing as they are on commission

Larianne

do you love it? wrote: »

+1

The girls have never been nice to me. you think they would seeing as they are on commission

It's not commission based.........

Maybe people should start complaining to management. Every retail artist is meant to approach a customer and ask can they be of assistance. Obviously that can be hard when it gets mental but really, I think BT's/MAC would take it on board. Trouble is Irish people tend not to complain. Write a letter even. Or do what I do and don't go in there..

Laurs_civic

i got my make up done by mac ages ago but the stuff was so expensive when it was gone i couldnt get anymore, tbh its not any diff and maybe even worse than most make up..

the best make up is pan stick, wit dior powder and dior mascara imo..

mac is just after getting a name and thats why is so expensive.

pookie82

You're quite right Larianne, we should complain, but that's the Irish for you!! To be honest I'm not shy usually about taking things back or complaining about bad service - have had some battles in my time! i guess i was less inclined to do so in this instance for a number of reasons. One, I rarely go in there or buy MAC, and was only there on this occasion as I had to get really "good" make up for the wedding. Also, it's the kind of place where I wouldn't really be expected to taken seriously if I did complain - what if you got a manager with the same attitude as the assistants had??? Maybe we should print out this thread and post it to them!!!

tinkerbell

The assistants in MAC in BT are the reason I never bought MAC products. They just are too orange and caked in makeup and I am very pale so did not want to be a clone of them!

Then went to Harrods and walked past the MAC counter and one of the assistants asked if I'd like any help. She looked great, had makeup on but you would hardly notice it, really natural looking so I said I'd get a makeover. She made me up anyway so I still looked like me, I'd say if I'd got the same makeover in BT I would be caked and orange.

bubblebutt

i hands down love mac!

the brushes, eyeshadows, PIGMENTS, prep and prime, fix plus, the palettes, the collections.


i looby mac

Larianne

bubblebutt wrote: »

i hands down love mac!

the brushes, eyeshadows, PIGMENTS, prep and prime, fix plus, the palettes, the collections.


i looby mac

What's the fix plus spray? Is it to fix foundation? ....crap, something else I'll have to try out..

LadyMayBelle

To be honest i reckon its because the mac staff see themselves as 'artists' and faff about the counter checking themselves out and dont really care what the sell as long as they sell something. i went in with a friend to get concealer for under my eyes. the girl was nice and applied some to one eye and said "there,see the difference?" but i honestly couldnt nor could my friend so i told her. she wasnt too impressed! i always try and ask a girl who has a similar complexion to me,but still always come out orange..do they have special mac staff only products?!

Buttons_sb

I have to say im a big fan of M.A.C. Any time I have went into the M.A.C in BT's I have never had any problems and have found the staff to be very pleasant and helpful!. I have really pale skin and they found a shade that matched my skin tone perfectly!

I also have had my make up done by them twice for occasions and both times I have been very pleased with the outcome. So many people complimented me on my make up and do daily. So have to say i disagree! M.A.C ROCKS!

uniquechic

Yup im another mac lover!
Their brushes are so amazing,the 217 brush is a really good all rounder when it comes to eyeshadow.
I do have one pigment which I love but since there 24.50(?) im looking at buying some samples of pigments off the net.
Mac is amazing.End Of.

kizzyr

Larianne wrote: »

What's the fix plus spray? Is it to fix foundation? ....crap, something else I'll have to try out..

I'm guessing with this so don't hold me to it, but I think its a spray on foundation. Dior do one, a girl at work wears it and it looks pretty good on her.

Pythia

kizzyr wrote: »

I'm guessing with this so don't hold me to it, but I think its a spray on foundation. Dior do one, a girl at work wears it and it looks pretty good on her.

No, it's a spray you spray over your face to fix your make up on, so it doesn't come off as easily.

uniquechic

AFAIK its to give you that dewy look and get rid of the powdery look you get after applying powder, I dont think it promises to make makeup last longer however

missmatty

Amz wrote: »

Don't get me started on the assistants in BTs! I could be standing there with a neon sign sayig "I WANT TO SPEND MY MONEY HERE, PLEASE HELP!" and still be completely ignored

I couldn't agree more. I also think they are overhyped.
Got about 5-6 items of theirs in the last few months and while they're ok (kohl eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, face powder, 3xeyeshadows and a matte lipstick) I would only really like the eyeshadows, and the mattene lipstick ROCKS. The kohl eyeliner ends up giving me panda eyes by 3pm unlike my usual trusty Christian Dior. But apart from the lipstick, I'll skip trying anything else.

I'm not a label snob by the way. I've been using Rimmel powder for donkeys years and I've yet met anything expensive to beat it, including the Mac.

dudara

It's a case of pick and mix, but I do love MAC eyeshadows. Buy a good brush and learn how to prime your eyelid before applying the full colour. Mine usually lasts all day at work, and I would have oily eyelids. Plus, their eyeliner brush is great.

Le Rack

This is gonna sound a bit off the wall but Veda and Davina the two head drag queens in the George will ONLY use MAC products and they always look stunning in fairness too em, one's even a professional make up artist. But my best mate uses MAC now since becoming friends with them and it just doesn't look good on her and the BT counter advised her all tha wrong colours for her skin etc.

The only thing about Mac I can see bein an advantage is that the products are water based as oppossed to oil, and they do have a great eye colour range but I always use, Loreal, Rimmel etc and Star Gazer for really extreme styles and get on great...

Twee.

dudara wrote: »

It's a case of pick and mix

Exactly. Lots people "only wear MAC" because it's MAC and they can afford it but it's not always what's best. And just because it's expensive doesn't mean you put it on right :pac:

I love their Face and Body Foundation as I am pale and dislike being caked. I can evenly and easily wear it right down to my shoulders. The slanty eye-liner brush is excellent too.

Larianne

Le Rack wrote: »

This is gonna sound a bit off the wall but Veda and Davina the two head drag queens in the George will ONLY use MAC products and they always look stunning in fairness too em, one's even a professional make up artist.

That's coz he does/did work for them (Davina).

My Advice: Go to the smaller MAC counters. They are less busy and it's a different management hiring so the girls are pretty much down to earth and will look after ya better.