How do you explain your MAC obsession??

[AdlersMommy22]

Ok I still think that this is kinda going in a way that i didnt really mean it too- I guess i should have rephrased my origninal question

my mom's question asking me about why i love MAC so much lead me to try and get her to understand how i FELT when i looked at the face charts, promo pics, etc.... and it got ME wondering in turn what it is about MAC that draws me to their products and consumes a good portion of my life.....

I didnt mean that how do you explain it to other PEOPLE... I meant how do you explain in general (even to yourself) what makes MAC such an obsession to you personally.... because that really got me wondering... I hope that makes better sense..

I didnt feel like i needed to explain anything to my mom- i felt more like I want to share with her what makes me look at everything and go "this is soooo effing cool."

 

[NoAddedSugar]

Before I became a make-up artist I went for a job interview in Marketing. One of the things I had to present is "what brand am I" I chose Mac. Not only because I love Mac specifically for these points.

As a make-up company Mac really stands out in a lot of ways.

1-There is generally excellent quality to their items. Not all products will work for everyone but I think the broad appeal is that there is actually something for everyone.

2- The way they promote themselves is very different to other brands whether they be high street or fashion. Mac does not advertise in convential ways, no commercials, no billboards no shop promotions even at their stands in department stores you never see GWP. They don't do any of the kinds of promos that other brands do. 3

-Color stories, they continually put things together in colour stories to help push the products instead of just having a regular line and then special items like everyone else they mix the two in special color stories which are released for a limited time.

4-Cult status, because they do so many limited edition colors and package them specially (sometimes) and partner with famous actresses or designers for special color stories they create a sort of cult glamour around the brand.

5-Makeup for makeup artists, as far as I know in the range of department store brands they are the only ones that have a seperate range of colours and products strictly for the pro market, plus they have pro stores which target that market seperately from the standard market. There is a feeling of "specialness" attached to buying products that are limited to certain stores. And buying cosmetics made "strictly for professionals" (even though anyone can buy them). I remember saying in my interview that MaxFactor claims to be the "Make-up of Make-up artists" but the truth is MAC really is. All the MA's I've been use MAC (not exclusively) and generally it is their first choice for colour make-up especially for eyes. There are loads of other Professional brands for make-up artistry of all kinds but I think the way Mac styles their promotions and color stories really taps into the make-up artists creativity and desire to create beauty and fantasy through cosmetics.

6-Change, by constantly changing the promoted color story and coming out with new colors whether they are re-promotes or brand new keeps the brand fresh and live and keeps customers interested.

Mac's strategy is fairly unique and they tap into women's desire for the new, the exciting, the promise of the next big thing, that holy grail item always just out reach.

Anyway, that explains why I think we love MAC and why it has such a cult status with so many.

 

[hawaii02]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracey1025 My husband has no idea how much I have! I hide it

Same here!

I love MAC because of the color selection. The other day I did a "sunrise" look and was wishing I had Passionate e/s. None of the pinks I own were bright enough.

 

[ClaireAvril]

I tell people that it is art.. its creativity.. its allowing yourself to look "different" everyday.. who doesn't want variety?
I am really sick and tired of people who say I have too much makeup.. and seriously - they have no idea about too much makeup because they haven't seen some of the collections on this site--my collection is miniature compared to some that I've seen lol... those people are my heros!
Someone said on some thread somewhere... "it's my face, (i can do what I want with it) you worry about your own"... that is brilliant.. that is what I am going to say from now on.

I can go on and on about this.. some people are fascinated with trains, collecting stamps.. cars, and other things that I am not interested in.. I don't say anything to them- Everyone has their thing (or things) that make them happy.. and one of my things is MAC.. so kiss it! Haters.

 

[BlahWah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdlersMommy22 So... my mom confronts me tonight and says "im not putting you down but.. I dont understand how someone can like a brand of makeup SO much.. to where they sit and blog about it and chat on forum boards with people about it."

lol, up until now my husband didn't get it either, but while trying to explain this thread and the one about going insane when losing your MAC stuff, I put it to him like this: Me liking MAC and going on Specktra to talk about it with other girls is like if there were a forum for him to discuss everything there is about Metal Gear Solid (his absolute favourite videogame series).

His reaction:

I'm just glad I don't seem that crazy being obsessed with MAC!

 

[miss_bailey]

Hahh I've had a similar experience.
My friend came over before a night out to get ready, my room was a mess but in my wardrobe in perfect order was my huge collection. A look of horror (im not sure why it wasnt awe) came over her face and she said "Wow, I knew you were bad but I didn't think it was this bad".
i just laughed cause I think its funny, I think i sort of took it as a compliment. My family all know that im obsessed and discourage me form spending all my money on new collections and try not to let me walk past the shop if they can help it.
My boyfriend doesn't comment cause he knows id just tell him to shut it. I dont think he knows how bad it is though.
hahaha when i talk about it like this its sort of like having an addiction to alcohol or drugs. I swear im not THAT bad.

 

[MizzHotTahiti]

i just explain that it goes on a million times smoother,the shades are so flattering, and it lasts so much longer then any makeup i've ever tried. and when ur a girly girl that is major news lol.

 

[Tinkee-Belle]

My mom once said I had too much makeup... my response? "Would you rather me be a MAC addict or a crack addict?" I have an addictive personality as well but mine are healthy addictions... shoes, jeans and makeup. Ever since then she hasnt bugged me about my shopping addiction. I have been obsessed with makeup from a young age (about 8) and for me what got me hooked was the ability to transform myself through makeup. I considered myself a very homely girl but through makeup I was able to change my appearance. For me the draw to MAC (compared to any other brands) is the LE collections. When a new collection comes out I am like "OMG if i dont get this today it will be gone forever!" I think thats why MACs marketing works so well....

 

[snowflakelashes]

I am a creature of illogic, i love things passionately and often for the strangest reason.

I love makeup in general (and this is a RECENT development) it makes me feel pretty. I do realise that true beauty comes from the inside but putting a little paint on my face helps give me confidence when running into people. I also love the way it energises me, doing my eyes can help me look more awake than I did before, kind of like smiling, fake it until you actually FEEL it.

MAC specifically b/c of the few makeup artists I've seen have been wonderful, i live too far to get to one now but that experience turned me onto the shadows. Add to that the fact that they are THE most blendable shadows I've ever tried, and I'm in love. Honestly w/ the free shipping that I get whenever I do put in an order it doesn't cost ME much more than drugstore makeup would, for slightly more money I get much better quality its worth it.

Why I check on spektra so much? I do appreciate the people here, there are so many wonderfully kind, funny, and creative souls. I absolutely adore when facecharts are posted because they give me ideas that I can then try and work with even though I only have afew makeup products.

I also enjoy the 'fantasy' factor, I love looking at the LE color collections in advance and day dreaming about the different products (right now I'm wanting a red she said palate, sooooo pretty, I haven't picked which one I'll get).

Another reason which is SILLY but true, is that MAC has a name for it for certain people that I know. At least among my aquaintances, those of us that are into makeup all get giddy over it. I do wear makeup and buy makeup for me but that other gals notice it once in a while never hurts. Compliments do a girl good!

 

[TISH1124]

I don't explain it...My answer the one time my husband asked...

Why do you spend so much money on Makeup when it all seems to look so similar?

I went down in his studio and added up all his recording equipment, guitars, mics, keyboards, monitors, crap I couldn't identify and etc.. wrote the total of over 150k down on a piece of paper, handed it to him and then opened all my MAC storage boxes and laid them on the bed and asked him...

What exactly was your question again?

He looked simply retarded and said, Well, Nevermind baby because .. If you like it I love it. Never a word has been spoken since... Silly Boy!

 

[BlahWah]

Oops, haha, I should've read through the thread first. My reason (to myself) for loving MAC is that they're the best bang for the buck. Not having much cash, I feel I can do more with $80 at MAC than in a clothing store. I guess you can say makeup is a replacement for the wardrobe I can't get. =P And the colours are pretty! I might never wear a fuschia top but I'll wear Bright Fuschia on my eyes. It's definitely an art too, b/c you have to know how to wear something like Bright Fuschia in proportion to your face, to the context of where you're going... I see doing my FOTD as a great challenge with (hopefully!) pretty results that make me feel good for the rest of the day. And I love that I can transform into a personality that makes me feel good, be it mysterious, innocent, sweet...

I love makeup!

 

[AdlersMommy22]

wow you guys all have great answers!!!!!!!!!!!! Its helping soooo much! And i completely agree with everyone!!!!!!!

 

[florabundance]

I agree it's hard to explain but only because a lot of the time (in my experience), people view cosmetics as "omg! so superficial and vain" etc. So i've learnt to make a point of not explaining myself to closed-minded people.

Open minded people just tend to ask questions, and my answers are sort of an explanation as to why I love MAC so much.

 

[sfmakeupjunkie]

I have been a pretty serious MAC addict since around 91. Yes ladies that means I am no spring chicken. Luckily my mom modeled for many years and loves makeup herself but even she comments that my "problem" is on a whole other level.

My feeling is this....everyone has something they like to and are willing to spend their hard earned cash on. Maybe its handbags, makeup or something worse, the point being everyone has something.

As for the time spent on forums discussing our collective "problem" my answer is simple. Nothing is more thrilling than bumping into your people. It is fun to shop and play with MAC but if you can do it with people who share your delight, so much the better.

In the end I agree with nearly everyone's sentiment. Our "problem" could certainly be worse and while it may be only makeup, MAC does it better than just about anyone else!

 

[MAC_Whore]

I've said this before in another thread and it still holds true to my thoughts on the matter.

Makeup is a hobby and a form of expression. Some people collect stamps or paint pictures. We just paint that picture on our face.

As far as spending time on line or blogging about it. Why not. Most all of us love MAC and/or cosmetics. I think we are pretty lucky to have this common bond that brought us all together. It's a great community.

 

[orchid13]

I think i'm just obsessed. I wear makeup maybe two or three days out of the month but i buy makeup not just mac once every couple of weeks... My husband watches me when i sit there in the evening and just swatch out everything on my arms.... He thinks i'm silly ... i probably am ... but i cant see myself wearing makeup every single day ...=( I think i need to go to a MAC AA class or something ... sigh ...

 

[mtrimier]

Usually, I answer that question with "I'm grown.

"

Otherwise, I treat my makeup like I treat my paints/charcoals/etc. It's what I use for my art, and I like to be well stocked.

 

[whittt8]

I find makeup as my escape. It calms me. Coming up with a new look or just rearranging what I have is soothing. The past few years have been rough on me, my life has changed considerably. I only got into MAC a year ago, but I feel like it has really made me appreciate myself more. Before I didnt put a ton of stock into my appearance because I'd just had my son and was exhausted and got caught up in the "you just had a baby, it's okay" mentality. My husband and I were having marital problems, he was hardly ever home, so I just figured obviously he doesnt care to be home with me so I'm not going to put effort into how I look. Then I found MAC and Spektra. I was inspired by what people could do with a couple eyeshadows and a brush. It amazed me. It brought me out of my emotional rut. I decided "hey, that doesnt look too hard, I'm going to try it." It became an outlet for me, and ever since then I've been in love with the brand. Why MAC? It's hard to explain to people who dont love it the way I (we) do, but I researched the company. I found out what they were about and when you add that to the superior quality of their products, I say why not? If you enjoy something this much you wouldnt want to half-ass it, you want what you feel is the best for you. Not everyone loves MAC, and that is perfectly fine, there is nothing wrong with that. But I think it is ridiculous to have to explain why you like a certain brand of makeup, because I dont ask other people to explain to me why they use a certain brand of toilet paper or deoderant or dish soap. It all comes down to preference. To each their own I guess. If MAC makes you happy, I say go for it, because life is short and we all deserve to find that one thing that makes you truly totally undeniably happy.

As for my hubby, at first it annoyed him, but now he has totally embraced it. He loves to hunt/fish/golf and he has preferences on brands, so I equated it to that, and he pretty much got the idea, haha.

Much love to all you wonderful Specktra-ittes! You all are so talented and inspirational. I cant start my day without checking out Specktra!

 

[AdlersMommy22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whittt8 I find makeup as my escape. It calms me. Coming up with a new look or just rearranging what I have is soothing. The past few years have been rough on me, my life has changed considerably. I only got into MAC a year ago, but I feel like it has really made me appreciate myself more. Before I didnt put a ton of stock into my appearance because I'd just had my son and was exhausted and got caught up in the "you just had a baby, it's okay" mentality. My husband and I were having marital problems, he was hardly ever home, so I just figured obviously he doesnt care to be home with me so I'm not going to put effort into how I look. Then I found MAC and Spektra. I was inspired by what people could do with a couple eyeshadows and a brush. It amazed me. It brought me out of my emotional rut. I decided "hey, that doesnt look too hard, I'm going to try it." It became an outlet for me, and ever since then I've been in love with the brand. Why MAC? It's hard to explain to people who dont love it the way I (we) do, but I researched the company. I found out what they were about and when you add that to the superior quality of their products, I say why not? If you enjoy something this much you wouldnt want to half-ass it, you want what you feel is the best for you. Not everyone loves MAC, and that is perfectly fine, there is nothing wrong with that. But I think it is ridiculous to have to explain why you like a certain brand of makeup, because I dont ask other people to explain to me why they use a certain brand of toilet paper or deoderant or dish soap. It all comes down to preference. To each their own I guess. If MAC makes you happy, I say go for it, because life is short and we all deserve to find that one thing that makes you truly totally undeniably happy. As for my hubby, at first it annoyed him, but now he has totally embraced it. He loves to hunt/fish/golf and he has preferences on brands, so I equated it to that, and he pretty much got the idea, haha. Much love to all you wonderful Specktra-ittes! You all are so talented and inspirational. I cant start my day without checking out Specktra!

wow i cant believe how much your reply has hit home. I just had my son too, and im going through soooo much crap with his father (who has NEVER seen him, but yet, wants joint-custody. Which he's admitted is just to spite me because I didnt have an abortion when he told me to.) and school, work, etc- I feel lie I dont have an outlet for ANYTHING.... MAC is def my outlet- i get away from the craziness of motherhood, of homework, of work, of dealing w/ Erik (his father)....

This change so much and are soooo hectic that i feel like MAC is a constant in my life that allows me to outlet my emotions... It sounds stupid but sometimes durring the day i feel SO horrible and just... stressed out ridiculously-- but hey- I know I LOOK good.. lmao!

 

[LadyFaenyx]

I haven't really had to explain it to anyone other than my fiance. Nobody else really cares. But I basically just told him, "hun, it's not just makeup for me, it's a hobby, and just plain & simple.. something I enjoy. It's also kind of like a club of sorts. I don't have anyone else I can rave on about "omg this brand new collection that looks so amazing".. but if I said that to THEM, they would understand!. There are forums for everything, from weddings, to pregnancies, to food, to video games.. why not makeup?"

He gets it now.