MAC Cosmetics

[goofinoff]

I work for another cosmetic company and can tell you that you do not need to go to cosmotology school to work at a MAC counter. I would tell your daughter to go to the local MAC counter or store and inquire about doing some free-lance work. I know our counter hires a few makeup artists during the holidays for extra help. Bobbi Brown is another good one to get into as well. The more experience she can get, the better. That way if she free-lances for one of the companies, they may hire her permanently if they have an opening.

[Robbi]

Originally Posted by Shyvioletisme

Just be sure to never have your makeup done at a Mac counter, because no matter what you tell them you want, you will walk away looking like you're about to compete in a creepy beauty pageant. They WAY over do the makeup and not in a pretty fashion way. The products themselves are great when used well, though.

My daughter LOVES MAC makeup. The person who does her makeup is a drag queen whose makeup is understated for work. She never does outrageous makeup on my daughter who is 18.
OP, if you have a MAC store nearby, I'd go with your daughter. There are hundreds of choices. One of the sales people can help her with colors. Write a list f those she likes and either buy them then or go back if you want to surprise her.

[Imzadi]

Originally Posted by mamacatnv

I also have an assortment of their brushes. The use of good brushes in the application of the makeup is one of their signatures.

Personally, as far as price goes, I think for what you get compared to other like dept. store products that MAC is a great deal.

I'd skip the "sets" and just get some basics
One of my favorite shadow colors is Embark - it is a rich dark brown, I use it as liner, to create a smokey eye etc. With it I like Cork.

Interesting, the new shadow I got is also a rich, dark, golden burgundy-brown called Twinks. At first I thought the MAC gal was nuts when she suggested it. I have yellow undertones, and the last thing I need is something that would make me seem more yellow. Like, I can't wear rust, tan, orange, beige and browns at all, as they make me look sickly and yellow.

But, she did such a great job on giving me just a hint of natural color I need over my foundation when I'm a bit tanned, that I let her experiment. I have a chronic illness now & need more of a pick me up, as I really do tend to look sickly. My eyes have started to get puffy, causing a bit of sagginess. I can't wear my usual muted mauves anymore. They just emphasize that I have bleary, puffy red eyes. I don't bounce back as well as I used to, after a night of no sleep.

Because applying the makeup with brushes is so key to MAC's techniques of applying makeup, she spent a good 2 minutes on each eye. No simple swipe with a Q-tip or those cheap foam brushes that usually come in kits. When she was done, my eyes looked so much bigger! They had a slightly smokey eyes effect, but for daytime. Instead of the the brown being orangy or too yellow, it had a nice hint of burgundy red. It blended with my natural coloring. Some areas, where she blended really well, towards the brow, it made the brown actually look very subtle. Above the crease & right above the lashes, where she applied it heavier, it looked like natural shadows, enlarging the eyes with a very subtle shimmer & sparkle. The puffiness was gone. I got all those different effects with just the one color and using different brushes and learning how to blend it all in. I took a picture with my cellphone camera afterwards, to make sure I could repeat the look.

Since I'm now one of those "women of a certain age," I didn't want a silvery, shimmery eye shadow that made me look like I was wearing a disco mirror ball over my eyes, or worse, that I'm trying to look like I'm in my 20's again. Also, I remember Diane Sawyer & Lauren Hutton, both around my age have said no bright, glittery shadows as they tend to flake into the fine lines & wrinkles around the eyes and really highlights the lines. The gold shimmer in the shadow blended into my yellow undertones and gave a very subtle shimmer, without looking like a disco ball.

I use a different, cheaper blush, just matched to the MAC color that was chosen for me. Same with lipsticks. I actually get them from the dollar store since they have to be re-applied so often. I'm always eating or nibbling on something so I end up wiping off the lipstick with a napkin. So no expensive lipsticks for me.


Oh, BTW, anyone who reads the makeup reviews at makeupalley.com, will find that many of the reviewers will give their MAC foundation color in the reviews, so other women who have the same coloring will know if that makeup being reviewed will work for them or to avoid that color. Like my MAC foundation color is NC25, so anyone in the NC range might want to try the Twinks eye shadow color, too.