Which would you prefer?

Jemmy

Hi Ladies,

Not a big make up wearer but on occasion I do decide to make an effort heading out so have decided to invest in decent stuff when I do buy a few bits now and then but was in BTs looking yesterday and I'm not sure what to go for?

So between MAC, Benefit and Urban Decay which would you consider the better product?

Thanks.

lasair

I love urban decay....i find if i use mac i break out alot!!!!

Jemmy

Yea I was wondering would it just be a trial and error basis, just to see what suits my skin.

missmatty

From Mac I like eyeshadows and their mattene lipstick. Don't really use Benefit. Urdan Decay do nice eyeshadow pallettes for about 30 euro in which you get about 9 small eyeshadows. i still use mine although only 3 of the eyeshadows as have contact lenses and the rest have glitter so too scared to use them They also do good eyeliners.

shellyboo

Jemmy, if you don't usually wear a lot of makeup, I wouldn't go for Mac, it's really heavy and you'll inevitably look like you've trowelled it on in comparison to your normal daytime look.

I'd say Benefit would suit you really well, it's much lighter and more fun and all of their products are easy to apply and stuff.

I love the urban decay palettes.

I find Revlon colourstay foundation. Better than the mac or benefit ones I have tried.
But your a more medium skin tone, so they might suit you better.

Actually I'm using Bad lash mascara fron Benefit at the minute, and it goes on lovely.
But it always gives me panda eyes.

ciagr297

Jemmy, if you are not normally a make up person then I would advise Benefit or Urban Decay.
UD are the best for colour palettes, but I also have their Mineral foundation. I hate wearing something on my face which makes me feel "painted" and the mineral foundation is really light. If you decide to go for this, get the brush as well. Its an investment and the makeup won't go on as well if you have a crappy brush. Trust me.
If you go to the Arnotts Project store in Jervis, the girls at the Urban Decay counter are great.
Smashbox are there as well, but I've never tried anything but their Primer which is good

Jemmy

Thanks ladies, I was going to sit in and say show me pls at one of the counters! If I'm honest I don't even know if theres a way to apply make up properly thats how little I wear it! lol I wear a bit of eye make up and thats usually it, sometimes a bit of foundation, but never concealer or blusher!

jellie

Each is better for different things.

I love urban decay eyeshadows, have a couple of their palettes.

I like mac foundation but dont use much else. they have nice eyeshadows but they seem too pricey when i can get lovely ones elsewhere.

benefit i use for blusher & mascara and i love their little sets - big beautiful eyes etc. their brushes are decent too

Gauge

I really like MAC foundation- the one I use is very light, you can put on a tiny bit to even things up, or bit more for a night out- think it's studio sculpt in NC 15 but I'll have to check! I wear it every day and the compact lasts months. I love their powders too. Basically they don't make me break out and they don't look heavy at all.

They do a nice range of eyeshadows but I think Urban Decay is better value for their palettes of shadows (bought Get Baked last week- love it!), sets of liners and glosses, etc. Their eyeshadow primer is very good and I'm obsessed with their combo eyebrow pencil/brush/wax- however I can't find it here anymore!

Benefit do nice blushers but very expensive- MAC might be better value for this but I haven't checked. I like Benefit for 'extras'- stuff that's not really essential everyday makeup, like their highlighters- I love high beam.

happyfriday

If you are not a big make-up wearer and don't like the cakey feeling of foundation I love, love, love shiseido. It feels lovely on and I never break out with it unlike Mac! Benefit highbeam is also great as is the mascara. Also as mentioned the smashbox primer is fantastic and really helps when applying any make-up!!

seahorse

I'd go with Lancome if I were you. It's lovely make-up, especially the foundations.

Jemmy

seahorse wrote: »

I'd go with Lancome if I were you. It's lovely make-up, especially the foundations.

Yea I have a Lancome foundation that I use and it seems to work well for me so I'm not sure if I'll change that.

Novella

I started off wearing Benefit make up so it definitely gets my vote. A lot of it's wee palettes have instructions and tips how to apply the product so it makes using it much easier. Also, the packaging is very cute! :pac:

G86

Foundation wise I'd head to NARS, they do brilliant flawless foundation, it's a bit pricey (44euro) but the girls there are lovely and will make sure it's a perfect skintone match too.

I'd head to MAC for eyeshadows, I'd never buy my eyeshadow anywhere else to be honest, you just can't beat MAC for amazing colours. I'm not a big fan of Urban Decay or Benefit to be honest, I don't find they last very long on my skin and the eyeshadows aren't the best, although benefit do a decent mascara alright. Oh and for blusher I'd definitely go for Orgasm by NARS, it's brilliant and they also do great highlighting sticks too

MissFlitworth

I love MAC for eyeshadows & eyeliners. They last for every and the pigmentation in them is great, you can really build up colour using them. Their fluidline and liquidlast liners are just fabulous. I have heard that Mac nail varnishes and mascara are absolute poo

Urban Decay glitter eyeliners and palettes are also fab, but I find that you do need a primer with the eyeshadows. I don't personally like the eyeshadows as much as I do Mac, I find the colour payoff and durability to not be great. I'm half convinced though that different makeup suits different skin types, some stuff I find to be absolute rubbish a lot of my friends swear by. It'd be well worth your time to try loads on before buying.

I don't have a lot of time for Benefit, just doesn't last well (on me anyways, got a free bad gal mascara a while back and it gives me serious Panda eyes), always got the impression that it was more pretty packaging than anything else. I do have friends who swear by it though so it's definitely worthwhile calling to a counter and colouring yourself in to try it out

Definitely consider mixing and matching between different brands, you'll find that some stuff suits you from one brand and other stuff doesn't. Oh, and have a look at some cheaper ranges as well, I find Bourjois nail varnishes and kohl pencils to be fantastic! And there's a rumour floating about (that could be complete bs but howandever..) that it's made in the same factory as Chanel make-up

Jemmy

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Urban Decay glitter eyeliners and palettes are also fab, but I find that you do need a primer with the eyeshadows.

Ah yes primer, I was looking for this the other day but again when you've no clue about make up its like looking for a needle in a haystack now!

Any recommendation?! Lol im one step off asking ye for a lesson i know sorry!

MissFlitworth

I have the urban decay primer potion and I like it a lot have often woken up in the morning with my eyemakeup looking exactly like it did when I was too sozzled and lazy to take it off before going to bed. I think some of their pallets come with a little bitty primer potion thrown in which is quite nice indeedy!

I like www.temptalia.com for makeup reviews and swatches and stuff, gave me a great idea of whether some stuff I was hankerin' for would work for me or not

Toots

I like MAC for powder and foundation, they've different ranges for light, medium and heavy coverage, so they'll have one that's right for you. I also love their little eyeliner pots, very good value for money, easy to apply, and they last ages too!

I love Urban Decay eyeshadow, they're so colourful, and their little palettes are really good value. They've a good mix of crazy funky colours, and more muted ones that are more suitable for everyday wear. Their liquid eyeliners are awesome too. I'd definitely recommend using a primer under the eyeshadow, it just makes it much bolder, and it'll stop it coming off and creasing. The UD primer potion is brilliant, my only gripe with it is the bottle it comes in. While it looks cool, it can be hard to get the primer out when it's running low. However, a quick look on YouTube showed up this little trick, which is really handy. Just make sure you have a decent little pot thing to put it in, cos it can dry up otherwise. I also like their blushers, and they do a good mineral powder too, which comes in a really cute little jar with a puff on top.

I haven't really used much of Benefit's stuff, although my sister does and swears by it. The only thing of theirs I have is a little thing called 'Powderflage', it's a really fine powder for under your eyes so your concealer doesn't cake up, it's brilliant, although it's definitely not the cheapest.

If you pop into any of the counters they'll be more than happy to give you a demo of their products and show you how to use them!

SeekUp

MAC -- they don't do animal testing (at least not on the finished product), which always makes me feel nice.

banshee_bones

I use clinique tinted moisturiser, great for coverage without that heavy foundation look, very good for day time, then at night time id just put on a bit of extra bronzer. I use MAC eyeshadow and eyeliners, brilliant stuff. I use Benefits eye-con eye cream and the erase paste concealer and their high beam highlighter is just awesome! Outside that I dont know! Hope this helps as im like yourself rarely wear makeup, when i do it isnt much!

Larianne

shellyboo wrote: »

Jemmy, if you don't usually wear a lot of makeup, I wouldn't go for Mac, it's really heavy and you'll inevitably look like you've trowelled it on in comparison to your normal daytime look.

Any make-up is heavy if you apply it that way. I use mainly MAC products and people often comment that it doesn't look like I'm wearing much, if any make-up. It's all about the application. Face and Body is perfect if you have normal/combination skin and you want a light/medium coverage. Their blot powder is good too. I haven't found eyeshadows better than the MAC eyshadows. (MAC mascara is sh!te!) Barry M do some funky colours but I would use a primer underneath to help them last.

Haven't used Gosh, but I've seen good reviews on F&A about the products so maybe have a look at them. Don't be dazzled by fancy packaging. Sometimes that's all you're paying for!

Maybelline mousse blushers are brill and cheap too.

Moonbaby wrote: »

Actually I'm using Bad lash mascara fron Benefit at the minute, and it goes on lovely.
But it always gives me panda eyes.

I'm using this mascara at the moment and it makes no difference say if I used a cheap mascara. So disappointed. I think I'll go back to 2000 Calories.

I still have my bottle of High Beam and it's a good few years old. Great stuff. (It prob should be thrown out!). Oh Flamingo Fancy is great if you want a nice sheen to your legs.

Oh and Bourjois is made by the same company as Chanel - just have a look at each companies blushers.

Madame Razz

I find the product line in benefit is the most consistant. Some of the MAC stuff can be a little hit and miss, as can Urban Decay.

That said the MAC eyeliners and pencil are brilliant and the primer potion from UD is well worth the spend.

The new Smokin eyes palette from Benefit is amazing:)

pikachucheeks

I love all three brands, but MAC is definitely my favourite, with Benefit coming a close second.

MAC is great for eyeshadows - good, lasting pigment and a huge variety of choice and colours.

I also love their blushers - again, huge range of colours and choice. So, you can get as subtle or as out there as you want!

Lipsticks are very nice too.

I find their minerals powder very good as well - good coverage and capable of covering the most uneven of skin-tones.

Benefit has some lovely products - High Beam is amazing. It's a highlighter and it's a must-have. Great for highlighting eyes or faking cheekbones.

I also love their 'Big Beautiful Eyes' palatte - has three eyeshadows; a pink shimmery shade, mid-brown and dark brown shade and a concealer for under your eyes, as well as two application brushes.
Good for creating a subtle smokey-eye look for day, or a more built-up night look.

Their 'Hoola' bronzer is meant to be great too, but I don't have any personal experience with it.

Censorsh!t

I like Urban Decay. The colours are all pretty cool, and most of their stuff is cruelty free.

Xiney

Each company has its strengths.

Urban Decay's primer potion is probably the best available, and really makes a difference when applying eyeshadow.

I love Benefit's "Honey, Snap Out of It" scrub, but its dr. feel good balm didn't work for me at all. Benetint is fabulous, and the product that got me "into" high quality cosmetics.

I have to say though, I adore MAC. I love the technikohl liners, the eyebrow pencils, the eyeshadows, studiofix powder, and their concealer (the one that comes in a little pot, I forget what it's called)

Mascara I use rimmel (have that same free sample of badgal from benefit and while I don't think it's the worst ever I just use it because it's small and it fits in the little makeup bag I keep in my purse)

I also like GOSH and bourgeois.

candy-gal1

Benefit mascara ftw for the packaging alone lost mine b4 at a Metallica gig lol

Urban Decay for the funky coloured eyeshadows and lipglosses!

never tried MAC thou tbh

Jemmy

Ladies thanks for all the feedback didn't expect so much! Great now all I need is a make up lesson lol...

*shouts up the hall... 'Mum I know what I want for Christmas...'!!!

Jemmy

Jemmy wrote: »

Ladies thanks for all the feedback didn't expect so much! Great now all I need is a make up lesson lol...

*shouts up the hall... 'Mum I know what I want for Christmas...'!!!

All you ever wanted to know about putting on makeup, is to be found on youtube.

Jemmy

Moonbaby wrote: »

All you ever wanted to know about putting on makeup, is to be found on youtube.

OH never thought of that thanks.

Toots

Moonbaby wrote: »

All you ever wanted to know about putting on makeup, is to be found on youtube.

+ a million!!!

Was just in UD today, got the new Book of Shadows palette, yaaay!!!

Jemmy

Found this today it looks good, she has tutorials too...

www.makeupgeek.com

sugar_smile

Hi,

If its foundation your after head to the Chanel counter-the best foundation I ever used. Worth the investment (near enough the same price as MAC foundations). Always get compliments when I wear this!

As far as all rounder products def head on over to the benefit counter! I love love love their products could not live without them! The products are really good quality and worth the investment as they last ages. Benefit makes up the bulk of my make up kit.

Urban decay do great eyeshadows and at the moment all the sets will be coming in for Xmas so you'll be able to get some cool eyeshadow sets that little bit cheaper!

If your on a budget head to boots and look for Bourjois! Great quality products at affordable prices-they do great foundations (I think I heard somewhere they are owned by Chanel-so I suppose maybe thats where the good quality comes from....) They do amazing eyeshdow and lip gloss too!!! By far the best high street make up brand!

pikachucheeks

Just a heads up ladies, the Benefit counter in Brown Thomas Dublin is giving away 'Powderflage' powder concealer (worth 30 euro) for free, if you purchase two or more Benefit products.

Not sure about Brown Thomas anywhere else, but it's a great offer!

I got mine today

EDIT: Forgot to mention another offer. They have a make-up bag, with Bad Gal Lash, Bad Gal eyeliner (black), Dr Feel Good and a Benetint sample for 45 euro - products are worth 90 euro, outside the deal.

Happy shopping

Novella

pikachucheeks wrote: »

Just a heads up ladies, the Benefit counter in Brown Thomas Dublin is giving away 'Powderflage' powder concealer (worth 30 euro) for free, if you purchase two or more Benefit products.

Not sure about Brown Thomas anywhere else, but it's a great offer!

I got mine today

EDIT: Forgot to mention another offer. They have a make-up bag, with Bad Gal Lash, Bad Gal eyeliner (black), Dr Feel Good and a Benetint sample for 45 euro - products are worth 90 euro, outside the deal.

Happy shopping

Nice one! Pity I bought all of those things separately! :mad::( Gonna head in for the Powderflage though! Thanks!

beks101

Foundation-wise I absolutely swear by Bobbi Brown, it really brightens the skin. A bit on the expensive side but it really is an investment and seeing as you'll only be wearing it the odd night out I think it's well worth it! Primer is pretty damn good too and makes my skin lovely and smooth so makeup sits really well - I think it's called BB Hydrating face cream. A miracle worker!

There's a really helpful and lovely girl at the BB counter in BTs on Grafton street, I think her name is Emma...got some great advice from her.

For the rest I would recommend BeneFit, it makes the makeup process really fun and exciting! The Hoola bronzer is great and moon beam is great for a bit of shimmer on a night out! Some impressive mascara there too