# MAC Online, At Counter, or Store??



## xoxprincessx0x (Feb 25, 2008)

Hey guys, just curious how everyone purchases their M.A.C! I occasionally love to stroll in the store and pick out a few things I like, but when it comes to limited edition collections I am on the computer the morning they debut and order everything before it gets sold out in stores or online!!


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## Susanne (Feb 25, 2008)

I prefer buying my products on the counter. I love the personal contact and interchange with my MA. I like to see shades and textures in real before buying them. 
I also can pre-order products from a new collection there; I've never missed limited products so far.
We just have five MAC stores in Germany (two of them are pro stores) and they are all too far away from me to visit them regularly.

I just order MAC products online if they are sold out on the counter or if I need something urgent.


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## anjelik_dreamin (Feb 25, 2008)

So far I've used ebay (my-boo-kitty) to buy the holiday brush set, and the MAC counter to buy my Light Flush MSF. It's so expensive in Australia though!


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## redambition (Feb 25, 2008)

all of the above.

store when i am doing a big purchase (usually when i need eye shadows and pigments)
counter for the little or impulse purchases
online for the collections that i must must must have.


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## imperfectbeauty (Feb 25, 2008)

I typically go to the mac counter at my nordstroms and they carry just about everything that the freestanding store does which is not too far away but far away enough for me not to bother to go there regularly. Not to mention i live 5 mins away from the mall and it's on my way home from school so if i want to drop by i can. 

I like to try products out and talk with my ma's before i get anything because im pretty good friends with some of them and they are so helpful!! Plus things that i see online dont always look good on me so i tend to change my mind. I haven't bought anything online yet but i will eventually.


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## Julzie (Feb 25, 2008)

All my MAC has been bought online through online forums, eBay or LJ. MAC is way too expensive for me to buy in Australia. I would go have a look at the MAC counter though!


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## twilightessence (Feb 25, 2008)

Mostly I buy online because my closest counter is 45 minutes away. However, I only do it when its free shipping LOL. I went to the counter for the first time Saturday and I can see me going when I have money to spend on Make up. I only go to the store closest to me when I go down to Hollywood which is like once every three or four month 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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## gigglegirl (Feb 25, 2008)

Love to check out the product in person and there are only counters in my city so counter then!

but if theres something I like from swatches (and it usually does work for me) I'll order online


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## noahlowryfan (Feb 25, 2008)

I buy it at the counters.


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## glam8babe (Feb 25, 2008)

i buy my mac at online and at the counter.

I like buying online because im a lazy person and i love spendin hours lookin at what i want, adding them to my basket then i always end up changing my mind so i can remove the item and add something else, whereas at a counter it feels like i have to rush and pick what i want straight away.
I do love the counter though because you get to see everything in the flesh and test things.


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## Tashona Helena (Feb 25, 2008)

Counter...which is 30 minutes away.
Sometimes CCO...since it's near I work.
I love the store...but it's an 1 1/2 away 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



I've never ordered from the website, but I used to buy pigment samples from eBay when I was in high school.


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## Danapotter (Feb 25, 2008)

I usually buy products at a freestanding or pro store. I have purchased from a counter a couple of times, since I pass right by it everyday. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I love NYC....


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## urbanlilyfairy (Feb 25, 2008)

I use all of the above but mainly I shop online becuase its the easiest for me living overseas and have an apo adress ..but when i do make it in person its fun too test stuff out.....but when I know its a huge haul I try to go through Nordstroms.com or Macys.com for mac ...and I click through Ebates.com ...too get cash back on my purchases.. I think on nordies you get 3% cash back and macys its 4 % ..but macys doesn't always have everything for some odd reash ..nordies usually has pretty much most of what mac.com carries ...I wish ebates would offer maccosmetics.com as one of their affiliets but ahh well hehe .


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## GlamYOURUs (Feb 25, 2008)

I wish I lived closer to the store but I only buy most of mt stuff at the counter. And if its something I know i really want and like, I will buy it online but that is rare. I got to see it to believe it.


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## VDUB*BELLA (Feb 25, 2008)

Majority of my MAC comes from online (MAC & eBay) since I already know what I want.  If its for a new collection I am on MAC's website the second my eyes open. When I order on MAC's site in the morning I usually get my package the next day. I guess it pays to live an hour away from MAC

Occasionally I go to a store or counter especially when I have gift certificates to use or when I am on the hunt for something is no longer on line


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## x.DOLLYMiX.x (Feb 25, 2008)

Most of the time it is online, but lately I have been going to the counter.


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## ..kels* (Feb 25, 2008)

mostly online since i don't have a MAC nearby. only during free shipping though, as someone else had mentioned. haha. but i prefer counters to stores. i find that the store i usually shop at gets wayy to crowded & it's just a pain in the ass to get anything done. at least at a counter there's that barrier between the MA & customer so it keeps things a little less chaotic.


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## darkishstar (Feb 25, 2008)

I used to be able to go to a freestanding whenever I wanted to prior to college to check out everything, but it's harder for me dorming without a car, so I HAVE to online order on things I'm sure of. And some weekends I can go home and check out the store for things I'm not sure of and talk with my favorite MAs and try out some colors and new things. Also, I go to the store for B2M rather than send it out to the address online.

I also plan on using the website to restock on basics I need, such as paint pot, bases, foundations, etc. I have done this a few times already.


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## toby_is_cute (Feb 25, 2008)

I really like going to the store, but it is at the Forum Shops at Caesar's which is so crowded and kind of a pain to drive there since it is on The Strip. My counter is only 2 miles down the street at Dillards, so I prefer going there for convenience. Going to the store makes me want to buy more though.


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## knoxydoll (Feb 25, 2008)

Both from MAC online and at freestanding stores and Pro stores. Usually I buy from the freestanding store, but I often order pigments and stuff from my wish list online.


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## AppleDiva (Feb 25, 2008)

I get MAC items from all outlets except for Pro Store.  The nearest PRO store is in Canada and the dollar is weak, therefore I am not planning a road trip to Toronto!


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## elektra513 (Feb 25, 2008)

All of the above. 

Store: For things I can't get at the counter (palettes, pans, etc) or if I want to be left alone to my own shopping devices, lol! And also for events, and new collections, just because there's more room to explore at the store and not get hassled.

Counter: If I want help and opinions from a MA (like color-matching, etc). The girls at Macy's are so nice

Online: If I have a list of back ups (foundation, gloss, etc) and I can get free shipping.

I need to check out the CCO in my area. I always forget a/b it when I feel the haulage itch 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





I feel so fortunate to have all of these options to feed my addiction lol!


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## SmileyfacedPen (Feb 25, 2008)

I buy all of mine online. There is a single MAC counter in my entire province, and it's about two and a half hours away. I think I'm pretty good at picking colors that will look good on me, because I've never had to return anything.


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## christineeee_ (Feb 25, 2008)

i usually buy online, but lately i've been stopping by my local MAC counter. i don't like going to a freestanding MAC store because the MA there are not helpful at all.


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## jolener (Feb 25, 2008)

i got to counters cause thats my only option where i live, and plus i dont' have a credit card


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## Winterwhite (Feb 25, 2008)

Online: back-ups of things I know already, and LE-stuff that I examined enough beforehand thanks to all the helpful swatches and information in this forum 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 and some blogs; because the counter/store is not exactly near, and I often am just not able to go there exactly at the release date of collections, and later on lots of it is already sold out.

Store/Counter: for foundation and powders, and for general lipstick-swatching of permanent colours - whenever I have time and I am near it, which is just a few times / year.


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## SquirrelQueen (Feb 25, 2008)

I buy almost everything online because I live four hours from the nearest MAC freestanding store or counter.  Sometimes it makes me a little crazy because I'd love to see things in person before buying---and the MAs at the closest store are sweet and helpful.  

My first MAC purchases were at the counter at Marshall Field's (which is now Macy's but used to be Dayton's.)  Then I discovered the MAC freestanding store at the Mall of America.  I used to live only about an hour and a half from the MOA, so it wasn't too much a hassle to go there if I really needed to check out the products in person.  

Now we live just too far away and I only get to go to the freestanding store at the Mall or in uptown Minneapolis if we're spending time in the Twin Cities.  However, we pass a CCO when we go to the Cities, so most of the time we make a stop there as well.


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## lara (Feb 25, 2008)

Stores. Mostly because I use my pro card, and also because it's a lot more personal to hang out in the store rather than a counter.


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## aaj83 (Feb 25, 2008)

I would like to go to a counter more often..but sigh...the closest one to me is an hour away...so that is not an option all the time..sooo..i have to order online sometimes..


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## ChloeisCrazy (Feb 26, 2008)

I prefer to buy online usually since my closets counter is an hour or so away


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## purrtykitty (Feb 26, 2008)

I'd love to buy at a store, but all I have is a counter here.  I prefer to check things out (colors, textures, etc...) before I buy, so I head to the counter first.  I do a fair amount of buying online, too, especially for refills of things or if something is so LE that I must have it before I can get to a store.


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## mindlessgapgirl (Feb 27, 2008)

Normally I go to the closest counter to check out what I want (or judge by swatches on here) ...and then I order with my pro card online. BUT sometimes i hate spending $7.50 on shipping, so I drive all the way out to the closest store...45 mins away...and then kick myself later for spending at least that in gas 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 haha


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## user79 (Feb 27, 2008)

I only have the option of buying at a counter. We don't have an online store in Switzerland, nor do we have freestanding stores. I wish we had a pro store in Switzerland.


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## ginger9 (Mar 3, 2008)

I am lucky in that there's a Pro store on my way back home from work. I mostly go there to check stuff out before I buy. For permanent line e/s I mostly go for the pan. Sometimes LE stuff gets sold out at the store or there's a big line up so I just go to the counter which is in the same Mall as the Pro store.


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## Miss_M (Mar 3, 2008)

I only have the option of buying MAC at the counter at my local dept. store. I can also order from the German Douglas site, but I like to see everything in person before I buy. If my counter is out I can always go online and check if the site still has the item(s) in stock


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## MAC_Whore (Mar 3, 2008)

I use all 3.  It just depends on where I am and what my schedule is.


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## vintage (Mar 4, 2008)

makeup


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## tigerli17 (Mar 4, 2008)

I really wish I felt comfortable in my MAC store coz I'm only 5 minutes away from the one in Carnaby Street when I'm at work but I find I get ignored a lot. Probably because A. look too young to spend a lotta money and B. I'm wearing a trivium hoodie and barely any make up. Just been in there today and spent 20 minutes lost in a sea of foundations and just got totally avoided. I only want to know what my colour is, the NC15 or the NW15. Need new foundation desperately! The Fafi is out tomorrow though so they're damn well going to take notice THEN when they see I can bloody spend with the best of them 

Normally though I just buy online till I feel a bit more welcome at my store...


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## xjoycex (Mar 4, 2008)

I prefer going to the pro store or the reg store over counter.  I recently bought from mac online & nordstrom's (online) a few LE eyeshadows that are already sold out from the stores out here


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## ShauntyXD (Mar 4, 2008)

Pro store all the way! I luv seeing EVERYTHING right in front of me. i go crazy, my arms are usually covered in hundreds of swatches by the end.


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## Sushi. (Mar 4, 2008)

Ive bought all mine on ebay


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## chocolategoddes (Mar 4, 2008)

stores and counters. its too risky to get makeup online b/c you never know how its gonna look.


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## astronaut (Mar 4, 2008)

Nordstrom MAC Counter for everything I can get there.
MAC Store for eyeshadow pans and pigments.


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## MsCocoa (Mar 5, 2008)

Stores and if I just need to pick up an item then probably a counter, I love shopping online but with make up I like to be there in person.


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## JesseVanity (Mar 6, 2008)

It's always better to see things in real life before you buy but sometimes I'm just too lazy to go to the store, I have no excuse as I have both a store and a counter 10 mintues away from me but I usually buy alot of stuff online as MAC is nearly always sooo busy.


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## damsel (Mar 6, 2008)

i've purchased from all three. nowadays i've been going to the  freestanding store more often because it's near to my school. so i just go after/before school. i also go to counters at nordstrom/macy's because if i just so happen to be at the mall i can't resist not stopping by. i'll buy thing online if i've already seen them in person, and i just (for whatever reason) neglected to get them while i was at the store.


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## spectrolite (Mar 6, 2008)

I do all major hauling at Mac online in the States and get it shipped over to save money. I do visit the counters here if I need to see a product on my skin, or if I just have a few items to buy or need to replace something I've used up. I also love to visit the counters just so I can ask for advice or recommendations, have a chat to the lovely girls and boys working there, and because sometimes they have things from old collections... 

Like today for instance, I went in and asked if there was any MQueen stuff lying around because I wanted Haunting (which I got!!) and there was a whole drawer full. They also had most of the Blue Storm collection and heaps of other stuff that I didn't get a chance to look at. I asked the counter manager how long they kept older collections and she said sometimes up to a year! I'm seriously going back and getting her to show me what other goodies they have in there lol.


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## Kalico (Mar 6, 2008)

Either the store or the counter. Both the malls I'm in frequently have counters and stores so if the counter is missing something, I'll walk over to the store and vice versa.


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## rabideloise (Mar 6, 2008)

I have used all three, and for various reasons:

-counter is usually the closest to where I live, so if I want to check out new stuff, I might head over there and take a look, or go over there to pick up a new staple, like foundation.

-store when I want to make a large purchase.  I do this because the store tracks how much you spend and what you spend it on, so they'll send you mailers for upcoming events for new releases. Also, the service at the stores are ALWAYS much better than anywhere else.

-online when I'm not near a counter or a store, or if something isn't available in the store or at the counter.  It's good for finding d/c items and ltd edition stuff.


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## Mel913 (Mar 8, 2008)

online if I'm lazy but most of the time counter or pro stores cause I want to test out or see everything in person


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## artificial (Mar 9, 2008)

There's a freestanding store three stores down from where I work in the mall..  I'm surprised they don't know me by name by now.


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## whatever21 (Mar 9, 2008)

Sometimes I go to a counter but mostly online...the makeup artists at my nearest counter are a bit stuck up/annoying, and I don't like how I have to ask for every little item I want instead of just taking it a buying it (like at Sephora). Plus, I'm extremely lazy, lol.


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## rocking chick (Mar 9, 2008)

I prefer going Counters to see and touch the items. 

Unless I really really dont have the time to go down and my stuffs are running out, then I will buy online.


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## jay0hwhy (Mar 9, 2008)

here in la its sometimes really hard to get service at counters, so i love the store because even though service there is a little bit slow too, there are still so many things to look at.. 

i'd love to shop online, but my dad would notice all the packages all the time


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