My obsession started in like 1985 when I first tried Stagelight cosmetics through JC Penney. I was thrilled with the intensity and sparkle of pigments and at the time I only bought a few colors because I could not afford more- then they disappeared and I was not able to find them again.
I spent the next 13 years or so trying to locate these things and asked everyone everywhere. As a makeup artist I just had to have this medium to work with for the results I wanted.
I had a fellow makeup artist tell me that I HAD to try MAC pigments. Well, we had no MAC anywhere near here, and I had no clue what he was talking about. I did not even know what a MAC was. HAHAHA
But the seed was planted.
Eventually I made my way to Ebay. I was looking for something to do a
REALISTIC peacock look and was exhausted from looking- nothing came close to what I was seeking. I had always been disappointed with every makeup I had tried. Even Lancome did not come close to what I wanted.
Then I found MAC pigment on Ebay and bought Pink Pearl and Frozen White. They were the same colors I LOVED from Stagelight. After that, I asked the person what to try for the peacock feather, and ended up with green brown pigment.
That was how it started.
Because I spent years trying to locate more pigments I went berserk trying to collect them. At the time, there was no MAC Pro website so I could never see the pro stuff. When I called the 800 number, they told me that there was no catalog. You just had to call and ask for what you wanted. But when you don't know what they have, you can not ask for it! So I had to ask them to read to me over and over and it was horrible!
Eventually they told me about MAC PPID card and after that, it was awful. I began to collect more things.
However, I only collect tools that I find to be invaluable in doing the makeup art that I need to do. Like I said(whoops ended up down at the end of this little narrative-
), as an artist, medium is what it is all about to me- I need to have a selection of colors to use, so I build it up.
What I collect from MAC is
MSF- there is nothing quite like the finish of MSF- every time I use it, people comment constantly about how glowy I (or whoever I use it on) looks.
Pigments (except many of the newer brands are no longer the same quality I like so I skip them)
Fluildines- unbelievably versatile as liner, base, and shadow
Liquidlast liner (I use them for base during watery eye season- they are miraculous- and the ONLY thing that I can wear during that time- and it is nice to have on hand for clients that might need that too).
Some shadesticks.....
But after Parrot and Aquadisiac (and many years of searching for perfect turq shadowS) I had to stop using MAC shadows because they disappear almost instantly on me and cause bad reactions too- so I won't use them on clients either- I just don't want the hassle of them having the same problem.
I have a few MAC shadows, but not many anymore.
Because MAC lipsticks are among the only ones I can use which do not cause my skin to peel off in sheets on my lips and it also treats my lips well, I collect those too, but only in colors I want to broaden my palette.
And of course MAC brushes- they are among the very best that I have used from any company- I usually end up going back to MAC brushes after trying others.
As an artist, I find that I need to have a wide spectrum of paints to choose from (even though I mix my own colors from them anyway). I have developed a style of layering colors to get other colors which crosses over into my makeup routines. I use all media like that in makeup too- from eyes to face to lips.
