# MAC FAQ: Annual Price Increases



## martygreene (Jan 4, 2006)

Yes, MAC prices go up from time to time. Here's why-

MAC is an Estee Lauder subsidary. This means they follow the guidelines for Estee Lauder and it's associated brands. EL raises prices on assorted products $0.50 every July 1st, and once in the winter (although that date is dynamic, not the same every year) generally for items not effected by the July price increase.

It happens every year. It is not directly effected by packaging changes, the market, returns, etc. as this is basically a method of pro-rating what the production cost increase will be over a certain time and spreading it out. It's also to prevent major class-action lawsuits as we had a few years ago in regard to price fixing.

If this practice is something that upsets you, contact MAC and inform them of your displeasure. The only way this will change is for MAC to return to being an independant company, and no longer an EL subsidiary.


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## Beautiful1 (Jan 4, 2006)

Yes I Understand But How Would That Happen.  Only If The Original Creators Are Willing To Buy It Back.  Then Maybe The Foundation Formulas Can Go Back To The Original.  I Am An African American And When They Were An Independant Company Their Foundations Rocked Hard But Now With ESL They Are A Complete Mess


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## blueyedlady87 (Jan 4, 2006)

That is so frustrating. I love MAC, but I hate that EL is its parent company. MAC is such a huge brand, it needs to go indepedent. Ggggrrr. They are making a huge profit already, why raise prices?? So what if production costs increase slightly, they still turn a huge profit. (Cant wait to get my PPID card!!) And if I remember correctly, haven't eyeshadows been $13.50 forever??


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## bAbY_cHiCkEn01 (Jan 8, 2006)

It sort of is it's own company though, look at what they've achieved with Viva Glam and the AIDS fund, they have their own training things, they have the PPID, they have basically everything they could ask for. Very few brands have that if they're owned by someone higher up. But this is just my opinion, if you don't like it then that's okay. 

Melz


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## madameb (Jan 19, 2006)

Estee Lauder purchasing MAC has not at all compramised the companies intergrity, it has allowed MAC to expand globally.


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## allan_willb (Feb 21, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *madameb* 
_Estee Lauder purchasing MAC has not at all compramised the companies intergrity, it has allowed MAC to expand globally._

 

yes yes yes remember girls, mac was this small make up line UNTILL EL bought it...


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## LuvBeMac (Mar 28, 2006)

the price is forever increase??never decrease???


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## GimpyPoop (Mar 30, 2006)

Yo,
Yep always increase!  I remember Stila had a mass decrease in price once upon a time, but MAC has always been increasing.
Sigh!
LN


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## sarahbeth564 (Mar 30, 2006)

This doesn't make much sense to me.  Doesn't this mean that by next winter eyeshadows would be $14.50?  I don't think its quite right.


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## Ambonee (May 29, 2006)

Is this everywhere (by that I mean in ALL countries not just the US)?


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## M.A.C*Attack (May 29, 2006)

*wat do i do*

now im having a debate with my hubby and need help...lol
if its true about the prices going up my hubby says i shouldnt get the lure collection(which i already have on res.) and just buy a bunch of stuff i need and not just a collection i want ..... 

What would u do??? ... to Lure or not to ???????....lol

does mac compitition? , due to the increasing prices i Might have to switch it up ....


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## Lalli (Jun 11, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Ambonee* 
_Is this everywhere (by that I mean in ALL countries not just the US)?_

 

yeh over here in the UK they went up but it was like the Khol pencils went from £10.50 to £11 so a 50p rise. and e/s went from like £9 to £10 a whole pound grr


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## tinkerbelle (Jun 12, 2006)

Poop, That sucks. I guess I need to buy the ones I want before July 1st


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## ninabruja (Jun 12, 2006)

do they honestly need to do this to survive as a company?

i found an old magazine the other day which showed lipglass (the colored, kind, not clear) as being $12. :/


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## misslilith (Jul 2, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Ambonee* 
_Is this everywhere (by that I mean in ALL countries not just the US)?_

 

In germany we have that too! Our prices are higher than in the us anyway (14€ for an e/s).


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## ELEMNOP (Jan 17, 2007)

Man... the price increases aren't very fun. I can't afford to have a deeper hole in my wallet! haha.


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## kimmy (Feb 7, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ninabruja* 

 
_do they honestly need to do this to survive as a company?_

 
they don't _have_ to, but good business practices say that the higher profit you yeild, the more successful your business will be.

i don't like the price increases either, but think about it...you will get raises at your place of work periodically throughout the year (generally) so you're not really spending more money on the product since you'll also be making more. you're spending the same percentage on the product as you did before...that's inflation.


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## Fairybelle (Feb 8, 2007)

Oh well, such is life.  I know that non-cosmetic brands such as Louis Vuitton also do a price increase ever so often.  Though unlike cosmetics, LV NEVER ever goes on sale.  Fortunately for MAC/EL fanatics, there's always the CCO.


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## GalleyGirl (Feb 9, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *cookie_monsta2504* 

 
_It sort of is it's own company though, look at what they've achieved with Viva Glam and the AIDS fund, they have their own training things, they have the PPID, they have basically everything they could ask for.
Melz 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
  Someone mentioned on a makeup artist blog though that the Viva Glam campaign was well in place before EL bought MAC, as well as the rest of its charities, and to do away with them would have been a PR nightmare for EL...plus its not costing EL anything really to keep them in place.  I thought that was a pretty valid point.


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## AllThatGlitters (Mar 10, 2007)

Does anyone know the current prices of the following products:'

Pro PalleteX4 eyeshadow
Pro Pallete eyeshadow refill 
Empty Container .25 ounce (Looks just like the pigment container)  

I want to create a budget for my next order, but don't know the updated prices.  The macpro website doesn't like prices on those items.  If anyone could help me out I would appreciate it a ton!


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## MiCHiE (Mar 10, 2007)

^yeah, you can't see prices if you aren't signed in, but they are:

Pro PalleteX4 eyeshadow
$4.50 (I think)
Pro Pallete eyeshadow refill 
$10.50
Empty Container .25 ounce (Looks just like the pigment container) 
$2


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## bsquared (Mar 15, 2007)

That makes so much sense to me now . . . I bought eyeshadow this year (2007) @ $14 and I could have sworn I purchased some last fall for $13.50 . . . jeeez louise, in a couple of years eyeshadow will be $20 dollars a pop and rising! 
  :eek2:​


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## Cushie_Butterfi (Mar 15, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *misslilith* 

 
_In germany we have that too! Our prices are higher than in the us anyway (14€ for an e/s)._

 
now 15€. this are 19.65$!


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## angi (Mar 15, 2007)

This is the same in the UK, eyeshadows are £10, which equates to $19.27. Makes for an expensive habit!


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## astronaut (Mar 15, 2007)

So one day the eyeshadows will cost up to $50???


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## deeaimond (Mar 25, 2007)

Yeah, in Singapore the eyeshadows are like.. SG$28? (correct me if i'm wrong. but somewhere there) which is like.. 18/19 USD.. Thats why i always wait for trips to the US, or friends coming back from the US to buy back for me.


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## yumemiru (Apr 20, 2007)

I'm in Marketing, so I can understand, not that I like it. They have to do this as a way to show they are a prestige brand and a high end product, of which EL, its parent company are. As well, the price fixing issue talked about already above.


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## noahlowryfan (Apr 20, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *deeaimond* 

 
_Yeah, in Singapore the eyeshadows are like.. SG$28? (correct me if i'm wrong. but somewhere there) which is like.. 18/19 USD.. Thats why i always wait for trips to the US, or friends coming back from the US to buy back for me._

 
but aren't you wasting more money if you take trips to the US. you can be buying $28 in Singapore and not having to spend hundreds to at least a thousand dollar on a plane ticket to the US.


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## capellanadea (May 1, 2007)

OMG, I do remember now that the shadows used to be $13.50. I thought I have lost my mind when I see $14 for one eyeshow now. (I've only started buying the e/s in the past year.)


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## thenovice (Jun 17, 2007)

They will eventually have to stop raising the prices won't they? I mean who in their right mind will pay $50 for an eyeshadow? I would stop buying MAC at $20 an eyeshadow. Its to much money to charge for an eyeshadow. Eventaully they will ruin their business because of supply and demand. Grrrrr....


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## Khalia25 (Jun 18, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *noahlowryfan* 

 
_but aren't you wasting more money if you take trips to the US. you can be buying $28 in Singapore and not having to spend hundreds to at least a thousand dollar on a plane ticket to the US._

 
Probably not. I'm sure it's a trip she'd be taking anyway. She's probably not taking a trip to the US exclusively to buy make up. My parents live in Japan, and they visit every year. My mother usually waits until she comes here to buy LV goodies. MUCH cheaper here. I'd do the same thing if I were living outside of the US...I'd wait until a vacation here and then STOCK UP on a year's worth of stuff!


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## Xqueeze_me (Jul 16, 2007)

In Australia, the prices for:

Pigment = AU$39 
Eyeshadow = AU$30 
Lipstick = AU$34 
Lipglass = Ranges from AU$32 - AU$38 
Foundation = Ranges from AU$48 - AU$58 
MSF (Natural) = AU$44 
Just to name and price a few...


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## Bybs (Jul 16, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Xqueeze_me* 

 
_In Australia, the prices for:

Pigment = AU$39 
Eyeshadow = AU$30 
Lipstick = AU$34 
Lipglass = Ranges from AU$32 - AU$38 
Foundation = Ranges from AU$48 - AU$58 
MSF (Natural) = AU$44 
Just to name and price a few... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
Oh yeah, were screwed then. Us poor Aussies are paying AUS$30 for an Eyeshadow which is around US$26. Ouch!


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## DaisyPie (Nov 12, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Bybs* 

 
_Oh yeah, were screwed then. Us poor Aussies are paying AUS$30 for an Eyeshadow which is around US$26. Ouch!_

 
My gosh! I didn't realise the price difference was so large! 
If only buying eyeshadows on ebay wasn't so risky


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## matsubie (Dec 11, 2007)

boooo...i don't like this


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## clamster (Dec 11, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *blueyedlady87* 

 
_That is so frustrating. I love MAC, but I hate that EL is its parent company. MAC is such a huge brand, it needs to go indepedent. Ggggrrr. They are making a huge profit already, why raise prices?? So what if production costs increase slightly, they still turn a huge profit. (Cant wait to get my PPID card!!) And if I remember correctly, haven't eyeshadows been $13.50 forever??_

 
  Now they are $14.00! Duude, this is unfair! When will they stop raising the prices? I will boycot if they go higher that $15 for an e/s.


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## etooz (Dec 12, 2007)

The problem with this price hike thing is that people will eventually stop shelling out for MAC.  Part of the allure of the brand is the reasonable pricing and good quality.  I wouldn't pay 15 USD for MAC shadow.  I'll just go to Sephora, because by then the price difference is little to none.  .50 cents 2x/year is 1 dollar a year.  That's ridiculous.  What's worse is Estee Lauder cosmetics blow, and I also would NOT pay that price for MAC.  It's just too much.


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## urbanlilyfairy (Dec 12, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *misslilith* 

 
_In germany we have that too! Our prices are higher than in the us anyway (14€ for an e/s)._

 

omg 14 E for an e/s ..that is ridiculous .... I live in Italy ..but have yet to go to a Mac store here ..and I get paid in Dollars not euro ...so man I just can't imagine myself justifying 14 E for an e/s ...=( so sad ..grrrr ... guess I'll have to order from the states and have someone ship to me.

ok i just another post that they are 15 E in germany now ..man that's nearly 20 USD for an E/S ... =(


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## sofabean (Apr 25, 2008)

well i think they have to keep up with inflation since minimum wage also goes up every year


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## janelovesyou (Apr 25, 2008)

July 1st is coming up, I have no qualms about buying everything I want before then and then laying off of MAC for a while.


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## xxManBeaterxx (Apr 26, 2008)

How much do brushes go up anually? It seems like brushes go up a dollar, because 2 years ago when i bought a 129 it was like 32 dollars now its 34.

Hmm mac is still cheaper than a lot of brands but more expensive than drugstores so i guess its a happy medium.. I dont know 5 years from now i better be getting a 10 dollar raise or something lol.


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## wifey806 (Apr 26, 2008)

I wonder if the price increase correlates to the amount of returns. Just think about all the product they yield only for it to be returned and THROWN IN THE TRASH.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 ug! so sad! Trading is much less wasteful (at least in theory)


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## Ang9000 (Apr 26, 2008)

Will UK prices go up too?


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## Winnie (Apr 26, 2008)

Yup it's all to do with inflation and with any business you have to change the prices accordingly which means other make up brands have to do the same. As a company, profit is no.1 and they have to raise the prices to compete with other cosmetic brands. No, it's not great that we have to pay these higher prices but I don't think they would raise them to silly extremes. Well, I hope not anyway!!


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## SkylarV217 (Apr 26, 2008)

The prices are hard enough to handle right now. It seems to me that they would make much more if they lowered their prices a little because then they would be more affordable and more people would buy, and already loyal customers would purchase much much more.


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## purrtykitty (Apr 26, 2008)

Truthfully, I don't find MAC's prices (or price increases) to be nearly as high as the drugstore brands.  So many of the drugstore brands are charging upwards of $10 for mascara and lipsticks.  I figure for a few extra bucks I get a product that I can test out first and I know the quality is consistent.


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## VeXedPiNk (Apr 26, 2008)

^^I completely agree!

Before I'd ever tried MAC, I used to think the prices were kind of expensive. Until I went in and made my first purchase... and have been hooked ever since!! 

The quality and lasting ability I get from MAC products, in addition to the ability of being able to go into a MAC store and play around or get advice, is a huge reason I love it so much. There is lots of good drug store makeup out there, but I don't mind dishing out a few extra bucks for my MAC.

However price increases are certainly a bummer


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## Nessy (Jun 15, 2008)

This is just mainly inflation, you normaly get a pay rise every year so you are mainly just paying the same price for the same products. If MAC eyeshadow does go up to £25 each you will be getting paid enough to counteract that amount of money. Also everything else will be going up at the same time its not just MAC stuff staples like bread and milk prices are going up to. I myself would still pay what they ask (generally depending on the price and inflation) because it is a well brought together brand, and everything i have brought is well worth the money i have paid for it. Just my 2 pennies worth

Nessy xx


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## KellyBean (Jun 16, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *purrtykitty* 

 
_Truthfully, I don't find MAC's prices (or price increases) to be nearly as high as the drugstore brands. So many of the drugstore brands are *charging upwards of $10 for mascara and lipsticks*. I figure for a few extra bucks I get a product that I can test out first and I know the quality is consistent._

 
Yeah! Even Lashblast is $9! Covergirl used to be one of the cheaper ones.


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## angi (Jun 16, 2008)

Quote:

   Will UK prices go up too?  
 
UK prices will go up eventually, but since I started buying MAC (in about 03/04) the prices have pretty much stayed the same. 

E/S are still £10, and pigments are still £15, which is exactly what they were when I first started collecting. Yeah, I know, theoretically we are paying the equivalent of US $20 for an eyeshadow, and $30 for a pigment, but I'm not sure how relative that is when you take the average uk/ us wages into account. 

It's left us with what I find to be the rather strange situation that a brand like Urban Decay, whose eyeshadows were the same price as MAC when I started buying, but have gone through the price rises, are actually now more expensive (£12 an eyeshadow!). It just makes me buy more MAC 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




.


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## Face2Mac (Jun 17, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *VeXedPiNk* 

 
_^^I completely agree!

Before I'd ever tried MAC, I used to think the prices were kind of expensive. Until I went in and made my first purchase... and have been hooked ever since!! 

The quality and lasting ability I get from MAC products, in addition to the ability of being able to go into a MAC store and play around or get advice, is a huge reason I love it so much. There is lots of good drug store makeup out there, but I don't mind dishing out a few extra bucks for my MAC.

However price increases are certainly a bummer 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
But realistically, if you troll the sales papers you can get BOGO (buy one, get one free) at the drugstores. So you get two lipsticks or two eyeshadows for $10. Yeah, and it doesn't make sense to raise prices on us when we are already struggling, what it takes more to make the chemicals, yeah, I don't believe that. 

Bummer, indeed.


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## coachkitten (Jun 17, 2008)

Do they usually just go up $.50 or will it be more this time?


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## Angelcorrine (Jun 17, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *KellyBean* 

 
_Yeah! Even Lashblast is $9! Covergirl used to be one of the cheaper ones._

 
I bought Lashblast over the weekend for $6.something at Target.  I think Walmart is cheaper, but I try to avoid them.


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## static_universe (Jul 2, 2008)

I don't know if it's all Macy's MAC counters, but the MA at mine said that prices won't increase until the 7th. She said Macy's only marks things up on Mondays. So everyone go out this weekend and stock up!


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## wintersday (Jul 4, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *static_universe* 

 
_I don't know if it's all Macy's MAC counters, but the MA at mine said that prices won't increase until the 7th. She said Macy's only marks things up on Mondays. So everyone go out this weekend and stock up!_

 

did she say what products would be going up and how much?????


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## erine1881 (Jul 4, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *static_universe* 

 
_I don't know if it's all Macy's MAC counters, but the MA at mine said that prices won't increase until the 7th. She said Macy's only marks things up on Mondays. So everyone go out this weekend and stock up!_

 
my macy's is the same.  i saw the note that said they'll go up on monday.

 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *wintersday* 

 
_did she say what products would be going up and how much?????_

 
they are listed in the price increase thread.


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## Ruby Lou (Jul 10, 2008)

A few observations. 

Did anyone even know about MAC before EL established a controlling interest in it in 1994? Not really. Unless you were already in the industry big time I don't see how anyone would really remember the old formulations. The trade off for the buy-out is obviously the globalization of MAC and the reason all of us even know about it in the first place. If MAC were still a small company ran on its own out of an apartment then none of us would even be here, really. Think about it.

Also, as far as buy-outs go, MAC did a fantastic job of negotiating a contract that would leave the company to its original standards. MAC still doesn't advertise, they spend hardly nothing on their packaging, and still they are recognized as a cosmetic giant in the industry. That kind of reputation speaks for itself. Plus, go into a partnered location and see how the MA's look in comparison to the girls at other counters. MAC never stopped celebrating diversity and individuality. That usually dies in buy-outs. With MAC it hasn't. 

Now. Price increases. Do they suck? Sure. However, all over the world we have cost of living increases. It's reflected in your raises at work and prices go up everywhere, not just at MAC. When you're as obsessed with MAC as we all are, OF COURSE you notice it. What you don't notice is that it happens everywhere else. You're just not as obsessed with the other things that increase as well. 

Basically, if price increases didn't exist, companies like MAC wouldn't. You can't expect for a company whose manufacturing prices and supply prices go up to keep their prices the same forever. That doesn't make sense. Eventually the cost of producing the products would be over their actual selling price. 

And one last thing. Go into any Belk, Macy's, Dillard's, or any other partnered location and I challenge you to find another cosmetics line that is AS GOOD or BETTER than MAC with the same prices. Even with the price increase, I know at my Macy's it's the least expensive brand in the entire store, by far. 

With a world slowly being dominated by Capitalism, I applaud MAC for staying as true to its roots as it has and still maintaining a spirit of diversity. It's rare these days.


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## janelovesyou (Jul 10, 2008)

oh, okay


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## lady_mc_beth (Aug 5, 2008)

i'm lost there, could you tell me the price of an eyeshadow refill please ?

i'm quite interesseted because i have a friend that come in US for holiday, and maybe she can buy me some stuff !
thanks a lot


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## janelovesyou (Aug 5, 2008)

Refill pans are now $11.00


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## lady_mc_beth (Aug 6, 2008)

Thanks a lot !


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## christina83 (Mar 12, 2009)

Hey all, Im not sure if this is the right place to ask, but can anyone tell me how much a pro pan 15 palette costs in the UK?
I saw the price list that was made before, but I wasnt sure if the prices may have gone up or something?
If anyone could tell me I'd really appreciate it


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## xoxjulie21xox (Jan 23, 2011)

hopefully it doesnt go up this year! soon blush will be $20!


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## CharlieKelly (Aug 3, 2015)

They went up again today!


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## Lily Evens (Aug 11, 2015)

ive never noticed the increase


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## DiamondSky (Oct 5, 2015)

Wow. I have been noticing that lately. One of these days MAC will be charging $25 for a single lipstick.


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