I was way late to the MAC counter. I was buying so much Fenty I made Rouge at Sephora for the first time. I still buy Thrive Causemetics Lash Extension Mascara… but something about my first visit to MAC ( which was to buy skin and body as I found out that it was like Glossier skin tint but a little more coverage) sold me for MAC. I love walking in and just getting what I need. I’ve had great great customer experience there. I prefer going to a MAC store more than buying their products at ULTA and definitely more than buying their product online. Ugh. Can they please please please have someone fix their site ? It is the worst site for makeup buying. Just the worst. The only good thing about it is it drives me so crazy that I just go to the store ! Also can we talk about how good some of their skin care is? I’m not even talking about the new Hyper Real. Love this article.
What a great piece. I bloody love MAC. I used to work for them 20y ago and their core brand mantra was: all ages, all races, all genders. Language is a little outdated but the sentiment was so progressive at the time.
MAC still dominates my lipstick and eye shadow drawers - this is partly because for years they were the only brand with pigments strong enough to actually show up on my skin the way they looked in the tube/pan even if I preferred a sheer/undone look for skin.
I personally think it helps that they still deliver good product at lower prices than most big-name cosmetic brands/'designer doing makeup' lines+ are in a LOT of countries with their own stores = it's easy to buy and renew supplies, way more than say Fenty or Rhode or 'cooler' brands with more limited distribution or which are only available in Sephora etc.
MAC has always been so great at offering a wide range of pigments -love them for that. And good point re:: pricing. MAC products have always been consistently good, and their prices are so much better than a lot of the other makeup artist brands that have come up in the last several years. Some of those brands prices are just insane.
yeah while the price point is not cheap, their stuff still feels like a premium product for less than what other lines charge. Like it's the price of a slightly nicer lunch, not the whole week's food shop!
I think if they can pull the YSL tinted balms with their glow play, it can do really well with gen z and younger millennials. My first blushes and lipsticks were MAC back when it was really cool and I definitely traded them in for glossier bc full face make up looks went out of style and it was just easier to manage haha
Going to try out the new products and report back on how they are. What I love about MAC is that everyone is accepted - they’ve been about inclusivity since the beginning. Whether you’re into full glam or just love a lip balm or a swipe of a bold hippie once in a while, there’s something for you. 😊
Ok this is perfect timing because I’ve been thinking A LOT about how 90s beauty brands are existing in the current environment and which ones get it and which ones don’t. Thanks for the deep dive!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! MAC has been killing it with the 40th anniversary—the way they're own the nostalgia is really going to resonate with Gen X. They're courting the Gen Z market with innovation and interesting partnerships with the likes of Gabbriette and Tube Girl. I can't wait to see what's next!
To me, MAC is an example of a brand that can totally pivot and excel. The back in the day collaborations were early forms of influencer marketing and part of the reason why everyone was so attracted to them. Like Nike recently, you can keep putting out the same product just in different colors and maybe fancier packaging. It looks as though they have learned from this mistake. Also, by going back to their roots and innovation helps to keep them relevant and addressing current customer pain points. Their nostalgia does have the potential to connect with gen x, elderly millennials and gen z. I applaud them for all the positive changes and am excited to see how they keep the momentum going.
I was way late to the MAC counter. I was buying so much Fenty I made Rouge at Sephora for the first time. I still buy Thrive Causemetics Lash Extension Mascara… but something about my first visit to MAC ( which was to buy skin and body as I found out that it was like Glossier skin tint but a little more coverage) sold me for MAC. I love walking in and just getting what I need. I’ve had great great customer experience there. I prefer going to a MAC store more than buying their products at ULTA and definitely more than buying their product online. Ugh. Can they please please please have someone fix their site ? It is the worst site for makeup buying. Just the worst. The only good thing about it is it drives me so crazy that I just go to the store ! Also can we talk about how good some of their skin care is? I’m not even talking about the new Hyper Real. Love this article.
What a great piece. I bloody love MAC. I used to work for them 20y ago and their core brand mantra was: all ages, all races, all genders. Language is a little outdated but the sentiment was so progressive at the time.
Thank you! And same. The way they're evolving now is cool to see.
MAC still dominates my lipstick and eye shadow drawers - this is partly because for years they were the only brand with pigments strong enough to actually show up on my skin the way they looked in the tube/pan even if I preferred a sheer/undone look for skin.
I personally think it helps that they still deliver good product at lower prices than most big-name cosmetic brands/'designer doing makeup' lines+ are in a LOT of countries with their own stores = it's easy to buy and renew supplies, way more than say Fenty or Rhode or 'cooler' brands with more limited distribution or which are only available in Sephora etc.
MAC has always been so great at offering a wide range of pigments -love them for that. And good point re:: pricing. MAC products have always been consistently good, and their prices are so much better than a lot of the other makeup artist brands that have come up in the last several years. Some of those brands prices are just insane.
yeah while the price point is not cheap, their stuff still feels like a premium product for less than what other lines charge. Like it's the price of a slightly nicer lunch, not the whole week's food shop!
I think if they can pull the YSL tinted balms with their glow play, it can do really well with gen z and younger millennials. My first blushes and lipsticks were MAC back when it was really cool and I definitely traded them in for glossier bc full face make up looks went out of style and it was just easier to manage haha
Going to try out the new products and report back on how they are. What I love about MAC is that everyone is accepted - they’ve been about inclusivity since the beginning. Whether you’re into full glam or just love a lip balm or a swipe of a bold hippie once in a while, there’s something for you. 😊
such a good deep dive! I just started wearing my first ever eyeshadow “all that glitters” again and wonder why I ever stopped. A classic is a classic!
Thank you! Ooh, all that glitters is a good one - need to add that back to my arsenal too.
Ok this is perfect timing because I’ve been thinking A LOT about how 90s beauty brands are existing in the current environment and which ones get it and which ones don’t. Thanks for the deep dive!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! MAC has been killing it with the 40th anniversary—the way they're own the nostalgia is really going to resonate with Gen X. They're courting the Gen Z market with innovation and interesting partnerships with the likes of Gabbriette and Tube Girl. I can't wait to see what's next!
Ahh thank you for the Viva Glam spice pencil trip down memory lane. I still am loyal to the teddy eye pencil - MAC is forever iconic 💄
Glad you enjoyed it! I haven't tried Teddy, but it looks like a good one. I always love a good bronzy brown liner.
To me, MAC is an example of a brand that can totally pivot and excel. The back in the day collaborations were early forms of influencer marketing and part of the reason why everyone was so attracted to them. Like Nike recently, you can keep putting out the same product just in different colors and maybe fancier packaging. It looks as though they have learned from this mistake. Also, by going back to their roots and innovation helps to keep them relevant and addressing current customer pain points. Their nostalgia does have the potential to connect with gen x, elderly millennials and gen z. I applaud them for all the positive changes and am excited to see how they keep the momentum going.