February 3, 2010

Musings of the Day: Why MAC?

Good morning starshine!

Whatcha up to today everyone? We got snow. Oh joy! Snow and the commute to work is so fun. If you look you’ll find heavy sarcasm in there.

This morning someone asked me….”Why MAC?” And I thought wow what a perfect discussion topic to start the day. The simplicity and innocence of the question actually opens up a wide area for discussion. I mean asking Why MAC? is somewhat like asking about the evolution of man. For makeup junkies it comes down to a pretty simple yes or no answer but with plenty of a filler in between that yes or no you reply with.

So let’s muse it.

Why MAC?

What do you love MAC?

Why do you hate MAC?

Why do you buy MAC?

Jump for my reply!

Why MAC for the Muse?

Primarily it’s affordable. The brand offers affordable makeup options to the masses with a solid quality product that far surpasses it’s price. Of course, I am speaking for US residents as anyone in the UK, Europe, or Asia can attest that MAC isn’t entirely in the realms of cheap on your side of the universe. But for those of us in the US, MAC is an affordable makeup option that packs quality into a tiny price tag.

Secondly. Variety. Variety is key for keeping my interest and what better brand to choose from for that than MAC. MAC releases more collections per a year than any other makeup brand I know of. Collections sometimes crop up in pairs of three per a month. If that isn’t variety I don’t know what is. In my experience you can always count on MAC for keeping it fresh because there is ALWAYS something new to choose from.

Although MAC has had it’s share of disappointments I know I can always fall back on it for giving me something new and exciting. I’ve fallen off the MAC bandwagon a time or two but for the most part I’m a card carrying cult member and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Loves it!

How about you?

Why MAC?

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Mae

    I mostly love MAC for one product… Studio Fix powder foundation! I canNOT live without it! The collections are fun too. I really enjoyed the limited edition volcanic ash mask they put out a couple months back. But strangely, I haven’t been too thrilled by their lipsticks, glosses, mascara, and shadows that I’ve tried… so my MAC interest is somewhat limited at this point.

    • the Muse

      never tried mae I’m just the opposite of you actually. I’m not a fan of the base line but love the color stuff 😀 I like the volcanic scrub/mask too awesome stuff!

  • natalie_sod

    i have to agree with you, it’s the variety.

    and also, it seems it’s one of the few brands i’m not allergic to. i found out the hard way that me and mufe, and me and too faced, we’re not BFFs. 🙁 (swollen eyelids. boo.)

    and referencing an old entry of yours…MAC PIGMENTS ARE EVIL. i just started, i cant’ seem to stop. huhuhu. :'(

    • the Muse

      natalie the variety is both good and bad no? makes me broke LOL! aw that’s wonderful! Happy to hear it!

      LOL! Yay for fellow piggie lovers 😀

      • natalie_sod

        the eyeshadow options are KILLING my bank account. also the blushes. yegads! that’s pretty much all i can purchase for now, since i’m allergic to their lip products (well, most other brands’ lip products as well). my wallet is breathing a sigh or relief. =P

        • the Muse

          tell me about it natalie!!!!!!!!! the damn blushes have me as well 😀 omg really? you sound super sensitive hun sorry to hear 🙁

          haha mine is screaming in pain!

  • April

    Great question. Originally it was to have makeup artist quality product and color range at a reasonable price. After MAC was purchased by Estee Lauder, unfortunately, this was no longer the case. By that time however I had developed a few favorite products that I buy on a consistent basis (full coverage foundation, cleansing oil, face and body foundation, lipsticks, etc).

    My absolute favorite thing about MAC? Viva Glam lipsticks and the MAC Aids Fund. MAC really steps up to the plate on this one and because of that you will always find at least one (usually more) VG lipstick or gloss in my purse and my kit at all times.

    My least favorite thing about MAC? The insane pace with which they release new color stories in the last 2-3 years. I would rather have 4 really well thought out, amazing collections a year than the 10 or more so-so (and some downright crappy) that get released in such haste.

    Just my 2 cents worth.

    April

    • the Muse

      April fantastic reply! Must agree certain items are a must have for me too! Including lipsticks, lipglass, cleansing oil as well, etc…

      Viva Glam is an incredible promo, I couldn’t agree more about MAC take in this!!!!!! plus the shades/products released are always so fab.

      I do agree with you to some point on collections. I LOVE variety but sometimes the insane pace is difficult to keep up with and also damn it makes a person broke trying. Some are released so hastily they do end up turning into a meh kinda moment! But I love the variety so much I try to excuse it 😀 I feel like it wouldn’t be mac without as many collections ya know?

      • April

        I hear what you are saying regarding the variety issue. But the collections are so fast and furious that one doesn’t have enough time to savor and enjoy recent purchases before the next big haul. I am still playing with Warm and Cozy while I have unopened boxes from All Sexes and Lillyland (which was a small, unexpected delight of a collection for shimmer lovers like us). Now Spring Color Forecast is upon us followed very quickly by the new VG campaign, Riveting Beauty and the Liberty of London Collections. YIKES! Fortunately for my poor wallet the London collection does absolutely nothing for me but I am very much looking forward to VG and Riveting Beauty (which just seems to be made for 80’s girls like me).
        What’s a girl to do? Keep reading the Muse of course!

        • the Muse

          I must agree 100% April sometimes it’s so quick I really have little time to savor and enjoy everything. Off topic slightly but as a blogger I REALLY feel like enjoyment is ruined for me as I really don’t play with anything outside of a week or less because I’m trying something new right away le sigh 🙁 and I also feel like if I don’t get Spring Forecast RIGHT away it’ll be sold out quickly! 🙁 I think I’ll be ok with LOL as the colors are somewhat boring, love the packaging but I’ve found I forsake packaging lately if I hate the shades thank god 😀 Riveting Beauty is def for me as well 😀

          LOL April! *hugs* you’re so delightful!

          • April

            Thank you. You are making me blush. LOL
            It must be hard as a blogger with the sheer volume of things coming out every week to keep up with your readers’ desire to know the next, new big thing (especially if your blog is not a full time paying job and you have a boss to report to).
            I used to read alot of beauty blogs but now only a handful get my attention. Top of the list is Musings of a Muse. It is my special guilty pleasure and I always feel like I am spending time with a friend talking about a mutual passion. It is so much fun! When I was home recovering from a recent life threatening illness I could always count on you to make me smile. Thank you for everything you do and just being you!

          • the Muse

            geez April now I’m the one blushing. Seriously thanks. I think of ALL of you as friends and family. I’m having a spot of writer’s block lately and my posts aren’t as fun as they once were so it’s always so motivating to hear such lovely comments 🙂

            Truly it’s a tough! I only do this part time although it feels full time most days LOL ;-D but it’s really hard keeping up on it all because it really is about the latest and greatest. Last week everyone was all about Spring but now everyone wants Summer..etc…etc….:)

            Omg April now I’ve even more flattered LOL you’re bringing tears to my eyes. I wish you’d stop by more often and comment and talk 🙂 you’re lovely. I hope you’re well now and all is ok!!!!!! THANK YOU! Sometimes it’s really discouraging to blog and put myself out there as I get alot of criticism and hard comments from forums and such but just reading comments like this one really help me to move forward and remember why I do this, because of folks like you who read my crazy babblings 🙂

            thank you, sincerely.

  • monique r.

    I always have this discussion with my mom. She doesn’t like mac– thinks it’s too artsy. But what I see in mac is it allows it to be what you WANT it to be or if you need new ideas— there are the plethora of collections per year.

    I can’t wear their foundations or use their skin care but the eyeshadows, blushes, MSF’s, Lipsticks, lipglasses, eye liners…all that stuff is to die for at a LIVING pricce (haha). I’ve also found the best help and friends in their MAs– more than any other brand.

    • the Muse

      hey monique couldn’t agree more, the amount of product released ever year truly doesn’t live room for not getting a new idea or look 😀

      I AGREE! I’m with you! I don’t use much of the skin care or the foundations but the color cosmetics I’m ALL about those 😀 and yes some MA’s are simply wonderful 🙂

  • Selenite

    Meh, Lately it seems that whatever MAC does some other company does just as well or better. Eyeshadows? Try Milani or NYX. Foundations? Make Up Forever or FACE Atelier. Pigments? Fyrinnae and Aromaleigh. Brushes? Sephora Professional Platinum, Japonesque, or even Too Faced. Lipsticks? OCC Lip Tars and NYX Round or Black Label.

    It seems to me that the constant release of color stories are just gimmicky. MUFE has released an HD foundation? Hey, look at the shiny Hello Kitty products! Yeah, that really appeals to pros.

    • the Muse

      hey selenite.

      aw sorry to hear you are hating on ’em. I’m still a big fan of MAC’s. Def plenty of brands to choose from but I find mac gets a majority of my money in most cases 🙂

    • Kim

      It may be that other brands do things just as well as MAC but have you noticed that you can get ALL of those things at MAC instead of wandering around to buy them?

  • Nia

    Why MAC?
    Because I do not have to purchase a lot of colours in a quad/quint, if I only want one of them.
    Because I like the smell of their lipstuffs.
    And because they told me that I can wear other colours than brown, whereas a lot of the other SA just want to make their lives easy and tell people to wear brown.

    Good question though 😉

    • the Muse

      hey nia! you can WEAR any color you want don’t let anyone tell you different 😀 thanks for adding your two cents in :)!

  • dina

    COLOR! COLOR! COLOR! 😀 also not too overpriced and variety of new collections as you said 🙂

  • Chung

    I started out trying MAC because it was accessible and had a very good and strong reputation with makeup junkies (which I figured as a makeup noob was probably a good thing). I tried their base makeup and it broke me out like maaad. I had the worst skin I’ve ever had because of MAC and I will NEVER use MAC makeup base ever again!

    However, I do love their brushes <3 Expensive but a good investment and totally worth it (I only have 2 though, the 187 and the 109 because I don't think I can get a comparable makeup brush from anywhere else). I like their blushes and although I'm more of a neutral kind of girl, I do think they are the go to brand if you want lots of colour choices for eyeshadows.

    • the Muse

      chung cool story on how you got into mac 😀 omg sorry about the base. I never tried it but now I know to avoid.

      Agreed, brushes are pricey but worth it! much of the products are really pigmented so anyone who loves more neutrals most times it can’t be found from mac 😀

  • NuNu

    I have to say, I find MAC in North America to be quite expensive compared to my home town, could be if they used the proper exchange rates, the price would be so atrociously high that no1 would buy it, could also be that cosmetics in general are cheap there.
    I agree that it’s affordable (ok, I know this depends on what budget you’re on, but compared to some of the other HE brands out there, it’s def on the cheap side), has a HUGE variety, and they were the first cosmetics brand out there with a foundation that managed to match my skin colour, all others tend to make me pink or orange.
    HOWEVER, I must say that in the last couple of years, their LE releases have just failed to amaze me, it feels more and more like they’re trying to pump out sheer large numbers with zero thought and planning behind it, then they’ll slap on a cute package, and expect the masses to jump on it. It works to a certain degree, but some MAC veterans are just…Bored.
    I have my favourite products from them, they’re all part of the regular line, and occassionally, if there’s a WOW product from an LE, I’ll def grab it. But other than that? Yawn.

  • suz

    I have nothing to speak of. 🙁

    I am ready to jump on the bandwagon thanks to gurus like you who do reviews on their products! Always knew about them but never bothered when I was younger and never really was into make up until I turned 22 yrs old!!!

  • Marina

    It’s funny because I like it, but it certainly is not a love for me. I find myself attracted to their collections, for the sake of the themes and limited editions…but I haven’t been overly impressed yet. I simply adore my Heatherette Trio (#1), but it’s not something I couldn’t live without…and I’ve tried better shadows. I have a couple of shadows, liners, polishes, paint, and a gloss and nothing has said ‘wow!’ to me yet.
    But the brush I have is fantastic so far. For the most part it works wonderfully with my shadows and is the perfect size. Expensive, but worth it.
    So, the actual makeup? Meh from me…but the brushes are nice.

    • the Muse

      hey marina maybe just haven’t found that perfect collection yet 😀 I bet the magic will come one day! I don’t like the heatherette trios myself. Purchased both was a bit disappointed no offense. I guess I can prob admit that I’ve tried better formulas too but I keep coming back to mac b/c of the price and variety 😀 Brushes=AWESOME agree 100%!

  • mayrei

    I think I head to MAC because it’s a little more affordable than some brands out there (although I guess that might be changing, which means unless something really awesome comes out, I probably won’t be buying much MAC anymore). Some of their eyeshadows and and pigments are perfect colors to me, and their brushes are pretty nice too.

  • Samantha

    I’m pretty sure I’m one of the few non MAC fans out there. Their mascaras are awful, the eyeshadows don’t go on that creamily for me, and I can’t stand the colors. The prices are definitely appealing, but the awful scents of their lip products, terrible nailpolishes, and weird staff do not keep me coming back. I am prepared to be hated on 🙁

    • the Muse

      samantha you aren’t alone 😀 tons of folks aren’t a lover of MAC 😀 Mascaras=crumbs! Eyeshadows for me are a must have but they aren’t for everyone so it’s understandable. I hate the scent/taste of the lip stuff 🙁

      LOL we don’t hate you! This muse was for haters and lovers of MAC 🙂

  • Becky

    Just starting to get into mac and really loving it. I like the msf naturals…now trying to decide what shimmery/blush msf to get. But I just like how unique some of the colors are that you won’t find anywhere else. Ah, and their cream color bases aka highlighters are not shimmery but just gleamy..which I am really liking. Really dying to see the summer stuff as well 😀

    • the Muse

      becky welcome to the world of MAC 😀 I really love MSF myself 😀 if you can get petticoat it’s a fab one 😀 god Summer 2010 looks amazingggggggggg! Great year for you to get into mac my dear girl!

  • Robyn

    i love the magic of it
    id been recieving their email of new releases for about a year and read reviews watch haul vids etc before i even bought anything i really love makeup any way but theres something about cute packaging, and the colours storys i find magical espeacially the ones like cult of cherry/ hello kitty which have amazing promo videos

    affordabilty is amazing but there just isnt on enear me so currentlt i own 1 eyeshadwo 1 blush (both from colour craft got whilst in paris) and feline best eyeliner ever! and plush lash my mum bought at an airport

    its arty its fun (im an art student so i like arty and fun lol)

    and muse writers block? never it amazes me how you reply to every ones comments i love you for it no wonder you find it tough x

    • the Muse

      sigh me too robyn! well put 🙂 very true! It is magical 🙂 I really enjoyed Cult of Cherry as well and the video promo was so fun! feline is fab!!!!!!!!! 🙂 awww I can imagine how it appeals to an art student!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      phew big time writer’s block hun! My posts stink lately but thank! I really think it’s important to answer EVERYONE as if they (or you) take the time to say something the least I can do is reply. It’s just plain rude not to but I enjoy listening, reading, and chatting with you all. It’s so great to hear what you are all thinking about stuff and what you view and take on it is versus my own 🙂

  • Paris B

    For me its why NOT MAC 😀 But I do like the pigments and the Mineralize Skin Finishes. Friend gave me a beauty powder and that wasn’t too bad too so perhaps its not all NOT MAC – perhaps sometimes MAC 🙂

  • Anastasia

    MAC does some things I really like. Their lipsticks, for example, are still my favourite. That said, I hate the company. I hate their shitty customer service, I hate that out of maybe 6 e-mails I’ve sent to their online customer service, not one response, has EVER actually answered my question. I hate that their e-mail “newsletters” only bother to inform me of about 1 out of every 5 releases, and usually 3-4 days after that collection has gone live, when it’s all sold out. Instead, I get things like artist’s picks of permanent lines, products I already know about – not news.

    I hate that there’s no schedule for the UK to know when things are being released. We got All Ages, All Races, this morning. There’s no way of knowing when a collection will come off sale, or whether an item is limited edition or permanent on the website. They hiked the price of pigments by 40% when they reduced the size (essentially), and didn’t have the decency to announce or apologise for it. They already charge $20 for eyeshadows and lipsticks, here, when they used to be $14-15 just a year or two ago.

    There’s rumours of them stopping the BACK2MAC program in the UK, and even that’s a trial, because you get more than a few stores with snotty clerks who’ll make you jump through hoops to return items with metal pans, or too damaged, etc etc, when the plastic is going to be melted down and recycled.

    The quality has slowly declined. My Haunting eyeshadow is worthless in terms of pigmentation. Even some of my pigments are. Their matte pigment formula pales in comparison to cheaper, independent companies like Fyrinnae, in terms of pigmentation and blendability, and I hate their foundation. Greasy, thin, patchy, too orange even in NC15 – ugh.

    Rah rah rah.
    Summary: I like the lipsticks, everything else can die in a fire.

  • Marsha

    Firstly, I love MAC because of the quality. I bought my first MSF Natural yesterday and it made my skin look and feel wonderful. I have to agree with you on the variety as well. I love all the different collections and look forward to seeing them when they come out. I’m still riding on the coat tails of Style Warriors. I love love love animal print. It’s like the people at MAC make collections especially for me. Lastly I love the community of MAC lovers. I could spend ALL day on the Specktra forums looking at hauls, FOTDs, etc. What isn’t there To love about MAC.

    • the Muse

      yayyyyyy marsha welcome to the wonderful world of MSF 🙂 You’re gonna love Summer 2010 if you loved Style Warriors 🙂 I really love the mac community as well, so nice to have so many people to share my love with! I agree 100%%%! 🙂

  • jackieg02

    Hiya Muse! How have you been doing?

    With MAC, I feel its getting higher end products at a good price. And the variety! Its ridiculous. I remember before I got into MAC, I would pass by the counter and feel intimidated by all the colors. Then one day I decided to stop and it was love! Also the collections. I know there are a stupid amount of collections that come out, but really. Thats a lot of creativity going on with all those collections.

    • the Muse

      hey jackie I’m great dear and you!?

      ditto for me. I must admit the variety is what keeps me a faithful customers. yes sometimes and item or two sucks but for the most part it’s hard to be disappointed by mac for long 🙂

  • Carey

    I recently re-entered the world of makeup and of course MAC was on the top of my list of things to get (collect). My very first purchase was the Holiday ’09 brush set with the mini 187 brush and was (and still love) my mini set.

    Then came Urban Decay BOS II and quickly followed by the AiW BOS; 16 colors, plus mini extras each for $42 and $52, you’ll never be able to do that with MAC. While swatching away with AiW BOS, I compared my three lonely MAC e/s (Haux, Espresso and Grain) and I was very disappointed. For $34.50 (three pans and one empty quad) I’m not at all inspired. I know my three e/s aren’t wow colors, but I wanted a good base of safe colors that I was willing to pay good money for. I reach for my 28 neutral palette when I’m in need of toning it down, so sorry MAC I need you not.

    Finally I’m currently in search of makeup brushes so I don’t ruin my MAC brushes. Why buy something if I don’t want to use it? Thankfully I sworn off MAC all together before getting wrapped up in the LE collections, because I would be the same with them. For me it’s would not be my happy place and that is why I like makeup it’s my happy place, not being Gullom repeating my precious for decades. Sorry can’t think of any Dr. Who hoarders.

    Thank you for the post because as you see I’ve been asking myself the same question. Love the blog and was very happy to see your UD Facebook shout outs during the AiW launch, pretty darn cool. Sorry for the lengthy comment but I wanted to give reasons and to let you know that I get a kick out of the you as person tidbits you cleverly put in your blog.

  • Melody Lai

    I think MAC for mostly the eyeshadows. They have such a huge variety and I love that about them (mostly for the neutral shades). Also, their lipsticks are amazing. Not to say that other brands don’t have these amazing things, but like you said, in the US it’s one of the cheapest name brands out there, which is another appealing thing about it. Proximity is also a thing on my list for MAC because my nearest Sephora is at a mall 20 minutes away from me whereas a MAC counter is at the mall 7 minutes away, which makes it that much more appealing.
    But, no MAC because some of their eyeshadows have poo payoff. And I love that they have a lot of collections but the need for them makes me go broke. And I feel that they have gone downhill, and the things that they release, although there are some reallly good products, most of them aren’t memorable. Unlike the Hello Kitty collection, now there’s something that MAC is really known for.
    Thanks for the question (:
    hahha. i actually wrote a lot.

  • Melissa

    I was looking at CVS and noted a $13.99 mascara range in loreal. I think mac are about the same price, an s.a. will give me an opinion or even do make over for free and the allergy thing is huge. For whatever reason i have never knock-on-fake-wood-counter had a reaction to mac product. There are few lines i can say this about. I’m sure this has something to do with the whole appeal to the masses thing.

    • the Muse

      me either melissa I’ve heard some people tell tales of MACne but I never experience it myself! 🙂 I agree if I’m going to splurge $14 bucks at CVS I might as well head to my MAC counter for that 🙂

  • Becky

    Haha! Thanks so much! I will look for petticoat :D. Can’t wait to see your review on the Summer collection! Whatever that seahorse compact was…it looks gorgeous!

    • the Muse

      becky you’ll love it 😀 god I can’t wait for Summer! Can’t come soon ’nuff for me 🙂

  • Millie

    I have to admit I’ve never really jumped on the MAC bandwagon. I purchased a few years ago, one of the colored eyeliners (jade…i think??) and two of the eyeshadows in swish and sushi flower. I found it too pigmented and just blah looking. It’s still here, sitting all by itself in some drawer in my room haha.
    I’ve tried the lipstick and it smells weird to me and couldn’t really compare to the japanese lipsticks like lunasol or maquilage.
    I dunno.. i was just never really into the brand.
    IMO, asian cosmetics are better suited to me probably cuz I’m asian..it’s asian…etc etc.. the colors seem to match better too.
    Maybe in the future I’d give mac another try, but I just don’t really like i guess..the mainstream makeup?? where everyone has it, i like to stick to products that are more rare to north america.

  • Miss_M

    What I love about MAC is their quality, wide variety of products, color selections and finishes. If I’m looking for a certain color lipstick or blush, I know MAC has it for a reasonable price. MAC is slightly more expensive in Europe than it is in the US, but if you consider the fact that drugstore brands are only a few euros cheaper than MAC (with also a pretty limited color selection), I rather buy MAC.

    The only thing I hate about MAC are the insane number of LE collections, I agree with April on that one. It’s almost a fulltime job to keep up with all those upcoming release dates! I rather have 4 nice seasonable collections and an extra Holiday- and Icon-/Viva Glam collection, than 4 collections a month. It’s also very frustrating if you find a holy grail product and it’s yet another limited editon…

  • lyn

    I love mac to cause it’s a HE makeup line with affordability. It’s not as expensive as your MUFE, smashbox, etc. but you get AMAZING quality. Every since my first couple of mac products I don’t buy as much DS anymore. Not knocking DS at all since I buy here and there still and you can still get great results with it. I guess I’m just a mac girl! I can also say they’ve disappointed me various times too. Not often but enough to stray away at times.

  • kurisu

    Hmm.. I actually don’t own much makeup from MAC – I don’t own much makeup to begin with, lol – but I do stand by the brand. Money is definitely a factor, and thus being a poor college student prevents me from throwing my money at makeup counters and beauty stores. But someday I would like to develop this hobby (of collecting makeup) of yours 😛

    MAC definitely has really good staple products for affordable, mid-range prices. I completely agree with others who say that the pricing is a factor. I am in love with eye makeup, and I like that there’s always something that I like from each collection. I’m a sucker for neutrals, but I still think the e/s colors that MAC supplies are vibrant and smooth – not chalky! – as long as you find the right ones for you. It’s all about finding the right colors or what finishes work with your skin (oily or dry lids, anyone? :P). I love their fluidline. I haven’t tried their pencil or liquid liners, but I already have a pencil liner that I love from Lancome 😛 I’m not too big a fan of mascara, but I reallllly like Maybelline’s Full n Soft. MAC’s mascara flaked, and I can’t justify paying more for mascara when Full n Soft has been wonderful to me.

    Face makeup is a different story….

    And Muse, I really enjoy your blog. I don’t actually care for some brands like NARs, Chanel, Dior, etc. that people rave about, but I like that you keep everything down to earth. I’m also a sucker for Asian skincare, especially since I’m Asian myself. However, I don’t think Asian brands of makeup, especially their eye makeup, are all that great. Dunno, maybe because I always feel like there’s a dupe out there… or the products don’t work with me. But Asian skincare is second to NONE!

  • Bakeneko

    Awwww Muse, I have to agree with everything April has said!

    I think it is a real shame that you get criticism and hard comments. I’m sure everyone who has an online presence gets it at some point or another – there will always be people who are negative and basically not very nice wanting to voice their opinions 🙁

    For me, no other blog comes close to Musings. I do read others, but this is far and away my favourite and that is because of you! Your wonderful personality shines through all of your posts and they brighten up the very darkest of days.

    For every negative comment you get, remember that we all love you and keep going because you’re doing an amazing job! *Hugs*

    • the Muse

      gosh bakeneko thank you so much! I really look forward to talking to you 🙂 *hugs* you’re an absolute sweetie. Blogging is tough. It’s alot of hard work but it’s fruitful when you make friends like YOU! I understand people want to voice their opinions etc but I wish they would walk in my shoes for one day hehe 😀 people really like to pick things apart about my person, my personality, how I blog, how I write, my pictures, my swatches, etc..it really burns me out when I see negative stuff being said about me as a person and my blog. Phew! But in the end I come back and I read comments like this one you left and I remember “this is why I do it…”

      Thank you.

      Thank you.

      Thank you.

      You are lovely!

      • Bakeneko

        I’m not surprised it burns you out honey! You are really strong to keep going. I can’t understand how anyone could say anything negative about you or your personality but unfortunately there are people out there with nothing better to do than put others down.

        I know this is a beauty blog, but what you do is also more than that – like what April said about you putting a smile on her face when she was so ill – I had a very crappy time last year and I could always rely on your blog to take my mind off things and give me a good giggle! The power of giving happiness and smiles to people should never be underestimated!

        You’re a little treasure 🙂

        • the Muse

          hey neko!!!!!! sorry for the delayed reply! Phew sometimes it’s crazed 😀 But I meet great people like you and it’s all good. Aw it happens but I never let it get me down 😀 *hugs* awwwwwww you’re gonna make ne cry now thank you so much for being so lovely neko! You’re the treasure!!!!!!!!!! big hugs!

  • Brittany

    I’m actually on the fence about MAC.

    My first purchase from MAC was at Christmas. I bought Ruby Woo and one of the eyeshadow paletts. The lipstick is nice, but the eyeshadow is just awful! Doesn’t blend, poor pigmentation. Meh. I’ll give a single eyeshadow a shot sometime since it could have just been a bad batch, but if it’s the same quality I won’t purchase from them again.

    And also, I’m a sucker for pretty packaging, and MAC standard packaging is ugly and cheap looking. There are a million other brands that put out similar stuff to MAC that comes in a prettier box.