# How did you get hooked on MAC?



## Lauren1981 (May 21, 2009)

i'm interested to know how your MAC addictions got started.

mine started when i was 17 and wearing WHITE wet 'n' wild eyeliner on top of silvery white eyeshadow....yes i know... f*cking horrible.
my godmother (and my mom of course) HATED it. PLUS i was getting ready to be in a Cotillion, and i had prom and graduation coming up so my godmother took me to a MAC counter inside of Nordies (back in OP, Kansas) and i've been hooked every since then.... and it was my b-day so i've been *officially* hooked since October 4th, 1999 (my 18th birthday. its when i became a woman in my eyes. lmfao!!)

when did you guys get hooked??


----------



## MissResha (May 21, 2009)

i started using cheaper brands (and heck, i still do). but when you go from a Wet n Wild lipstick to a MAC lipstick its like, a huge quality upgrade!


----------



## nursee81 (May 21, 2009)

Mine began almost 8 years ago. I was pregnant with my daughter and felt horrible, fat and swollen and told my husband that I need make up and that I need to feel pretty. So he took me to MAC and bought me everything I wanted and since then I haven't gone back. I loved everything about it.


----------



## MissResha (May 21, 2009)

^^what an awesome hubby!!


----------



## nursee81 (May 21, 2009)

^^ thanks. He's good when it comes to cheering me up. He really doesn't say much about my hauls to this day.


----------



## gildedangel (May 21, 2009)

I stole my mother's Studio Fix Powder foundation out fo her makeup drawer when I was 17 (I asked permission later haha). She wasn't using it and I wanted to try makeup because I had very severe acne and redness (I looked sunburned all the time haha!). It's funny because I used to be VERY anti-makeup. Obviously I fell in love with the product and with the brand. I have been using that foundation for two years now and I only recently switched to studio sculpt. I have been an official addict for a year and a half now.


----------



## NernersHuman (May 21, 2009)

Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday, and trust me, it wasn't.

It was springtime, 1990. I was reading People magazine and they were talking about this new, underground makeup line that was created by *gasp* a real live makeup artist!  Anyhoo, the thing that really caught my eye was that Madonna had used Russian Red lipstick exclusively for her tour that year, so being the celeb-obsessed young'in I was, decided "Well, if MADONNA likes it, it must be good!"  At that time, it was only sold at one store in downtown Chicago, I'll be damned if I can remember the name of the store now.  I went down, bought Chili, Russian Red, and Twig lipsticks, and I was hooked for life.


----------



## vita cooper (May 21, 2009)

nernershuman i must have been reading the same article because that's EXACTLY when i started being curious about MAC & then my supervisor at this part-time job that i had gave me MAC red lipstick because i always wore red & she said she had this HAWT red that didnt look good on her but would look smokin' on me & the rest is history!!!!


----------



## pdtb050606 (May 21, 2009)

Well it was prob 9 years ago, I had a makeover with an artist named Norma.  She completely transformed me, I absolutely fell in love with everything about the brand.  I have NEVER had a makeover since then that was as good and now she's in another state 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 but she got me hooked.


----------



## NernersHuman (May 21, 2009)

Heh, small world! I remember when I actually went and bought those lipsticks, the MUA who helped me was this really tall gorgeous woman who had shaved her head bald and I had never seen a woman who had done that before, and it looked amazing on her!  Up until that point I was used to store MUA's being pageant contestant wannabe's.



 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *vita cooper* 

 
_nernershuman i must have been reading the same article because that's EXACTLY when i started being curious about MAC & then my supervisor at this part-time job that i had gave me MAC red lipstick because i always wore red & she said she had this HAWT red that didnt look good on her but would look smokin' on me & the rest is history!!!!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_


----------



## Ruby_Woo (May 21, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *nursee81* 

 
_Mine began almost 8 years ago. I was pregnant with my daughter and felt horrible, fat and swollen and told my husband that I need make up and that I need to feel pretty. So he took me to MAC and bought me everything I wanted and since then I haven't gone back. I loved everything about it._

 
Seriously that's my story! Now try, pregnant, young and lonely lol. None of my usual friends would hangout w/ the pregnant girls. So my hubby tried everything to get me to cheer up, and would take me shopping all the time. I needed an eyeliner and stopped at MAC. This girl showed me and explained the product to me (I had actually never heard of MAC. Growing up poor, you usually don't) and 3 years later, I am now an employee and still addicted!


----------



## n_c (May 21, 2009)

I was hooked after I purchased my very first grown up foundation in 1998. It was Studio Fix (powder).


----------



## Lauren1981 (May 21, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *n_c* 

 
_I was hooked after I purchased my very first grown up foundation in 1998. It was Studio Fix (powder)._

 
that was the first thing i got too!!!


----------



## tepa1974 (May 21, 2009)

I started wearing it around 1995-1996 but didn't seriously get hooked until last summer (no thanks to Youtube videos! LOL).


----------



## buddhy (May 21, 2009)

I think it must have been when I got some pigment samples from the Lush forum. 

I then got a brush and it went from there. As soon as I realised there was another option over a sponge applicator for eyeshadow I knew there was a future for me and e/s.


----------



## Lauren1981 (May 21, 2009)

^^ i know right? brushes are hella expensive but i will NEVER go back sponge app's for eyeshadows. the only sponge i use is the one with UDPP.


----------



## buddhy (May 21, 2009)

I'm ALWAYS telling people that they should try brushes but some of my friends even use their fingers... don't get me started.


----------



## nursee81 (May 21, 2009)

My first items were a viva glam gloss, wedge, brule, malt and some other plummy e/s in a quad and studio fix powder, 239 brush and a l/l.


----------



## GlamQueen21 (May 21, 2009)

I started out with cheaper brands and bought a lot of drugstore brands and when I rediscovered MAC, I fell over heels and was hooked on it back in July of 2008.


----------



## Whisperwar (May 22, 2009)

I blame youtube! I don't even remember how I did it, but I came across Allthatglitters21's videos, and was addicted! And then I branched out and subscribed to a load of other beauty gurus.. and then of COURSE I needed to get me some mac. Specktra followed shortly afterwards and hasn't helped in my addiction! Thanks guys!


----------



## MacAddict09 (May 22, 2009)

Until recently I havent been that into makeup but on a whim I typed something in the search box, I cant remember, and one of fafinettex3s videos popped up and I ended up subscribing to a bunch of other gurus and Ive been hooked ever since.


----------



## dolcekatiana (May 22, 2009)

I got hooked on MAC about a year ago. I went from drugstore makeup -> Clinique -> Bobbi Brown and I was never really happy with my makeup routine. Well, a friend of mine always looked flawless, face, eyes, everything. So I asked her what kind of makeup she used and she showed me her makeup bag full of MAC so I went to the counter and started trying things for myself... started with Studio Fix Fluid foundation, Naked Lunch and Sable eye shadows, and Plushlash mascara... and it was love!


----------



## AmberElizabeth (May 22, 2009)

Back in 8th grade for me... I started wearing makeup in 6th grade and kept using my mom's Clinique makeup so she brought me to Nordstrom and told me to find some makeup I liked and she'd buy it for me. I picked the MAC counter because the artists had "awesome makeup" and that was it for me. My makeup bag staples have come from MAC ever since.

Now it's just a rediculously expensive hobby


----------



## Lauren1981 (May 22, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *AmberElizabeth* 

 
_it's just a rediculously expensive hobby 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

aint that the truth...
but i love it


----------



## FiestyFemme (May 22, 2009)

I got hooked on MAC in October 2002. I bought a mini lipglass set, which was quickly followed by an e/s palette. I haven't looked back since. Love my MAC.


----------



## buddhy (May 22, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Lauren1981* 

 
_aint that the truth...
but i love it 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
Tell me about it!


----------



## AudreyNicole (May 22, 2009)

It was January 2006, when my sister-in-law came to visit from California with a box full of MAC eyeshadows.  I started playing with them, and promptly looked up the closest place to buy, and we went the next day.  I have been hooked ever since.


----------



## hawaii02 (May 23, 2009)

A "I just got over the flu" makeover in Feb 2008. My husband was overseas and I needed a bit of a pick me up. Now, everyone at the counter knows me I go so often


----------



## kittykit (May 23, 2009)

I bought most of my makeup from Red Earth and Bloom before I started using MAC. I discovered MAC in 2000 but didn't get anything until summer 2002 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 My first purchases were Eye Brows and Blot Powder. When you're hooked on MAC, there's no turning back


----------



## Miss QQ (May 23, 2009)

My addiction for MAC started last year in May. I was searching online about Chanel's summer collection when I read about Naughty Nauticals. I liked the theme and colours. 

At that time, I was going through sort of a difficult time with dental issues. A dentist I visited screwed up and left a chip of the wisdom tooth he was supposed to remove inside my gum. I didn't know it until I took a dental x-ray when I scheduled to remove another wisdom tooth in May. So I had two dental surgery within two weeks and my cheeks were badly swollen. I was in pain and the antibiotics I took made me nauseous and gave me insomnia. I had to find a way to distract myself and make myself feel better so I indulged in Naughty Nauticals and MAC make me very happy!


----------



## RockStar (May 23, 2009)

I'm a complete newbie MAC addict and I got Hello Kitty to blame for my empty wallet
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



But my first buy was last December i got a Hug Me lipstick (that i lost in a club a week later
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




) and contrast e/s
I was amazed by the quality but couldn't afford to buy anymore but when Hello Kitty came out...my brain kinda froze and I started going on crazy MAC hauls since then


----------



## Boasorte (May 23, 2009)

Well I got my first MAC lipglass from a friend when I was 11, it was so sticky and I hated it. But just a few months ago, back in October I really started paying attention to makeup and wanted to cover my flaws, and look pretty.
 I remember buying this Wet n Wild  creamy eyeshadow quad that looked gross(I'm actually wearig it in my pic) I happened to be walking by a MAC store one day, popped in, bought my first concealer, and MAC inter-view mineralize shadow, and I FELL IN LOVE, my next purchase was the holiday set basic brushes, since I'm still a noob

I realize MAC was thie SH** for shadows, great colour payoff, althogh for some reason only my mac brushes work with my mac products, my Coastal Scents brushes don't work with the shadows


----------



## cocomia (May 25, 2009)

I was initially looking for Lychee Luxe but the MA accidentally gave me Plus Luxe! I ended up loving the color, so instead of returning it, I just bought Lychee Luxe the following week. It was around the time Cult of Cherry was being released so I looked around the counter and ended up buying Rich & Ripe. 

I started out with lipgloss but eventually admitted that I was hooked when I justified a fairly huge haul with the reason "Oh it's for the wedding I'm attending!" when I could have had my face done for half the price 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 No regrets, I love my MAC!


----------



## NatalieMT (May 25, 2009)

I always used high end brands because my mother insisted as my skin was bad. We walked past the MAC counter one day, I was probably 13/14 or so and we saw all the foundation shades and were very impressed, as being so pale I had found it hard to find a good match and wanted to cover up my acne. That day was my first haul got a couple of brushes I think one was the 187 and I got foundation, powder, Golden bronzer and Pink Swoon blush.

I didn't go back for a long time after that, I think when I next returned was just after Barbie was released, bought eyeshadow and l/g and then I majorly hauled around the time of Flastronic for things for my birthday. I guess it was the rush of spending that much money in one go that got me then.

Now my buying hads changed I just love the products, I see their high quality and am more selective of what I choose when I haul as I think I understand the art of makeup more and yes I do think it's an art. I've moved on a lot since I started buying and now want to created different looks, experiment and better my skills. I enjoy building a collection of useful and fun items. I don't see anything wrong with any of us doing that. All hail MAC!


----------



## atwingirl (May 25, 2009)

I started working for an airline as a Flight Attendant in 1994. Alot of the Senior, more seasoned veterans so to speak wore MAC. Because of the harsh lighting, long hours(sometimes 16 hour days), horrid recycled cabin air and different climate changes one might face in a single day, a "Stew" really needs a good makeup. MAC held up and met all of these challenges, especially the lipsticks. And I swear by the clear lipglass for anyone taking long flights. Smear a glob on your lips and it will protect them from drying out and  cracking.


----------



## Mindy! (May 25, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *nursee81* 

 
_Mine began almost 8 years ago. I was pregnant with my daughter and felt horrible, fat and swollen and told my husband that I need make up and that I need to feel pretty. So he took me to MAC and bought me everything I wanted and since then I haven't gone back. I loved everything about it._

 
OMGosh we have like the same story exsept I just had my first son and i hated the way I looked. So my husband sent me on a pamper day and i got my makeup done at a MAC counter. And well the rest is history. Now all he gets me for my birthday is MAC giftcard.


----------



## blinkymei (May 25, 2009)

when I got my smoking eyes quad as a birthday gift... went on youtube to figure out how to use it and found more youtubers who loved other MAC products, found specktra and the gorgeous fotds... and it went all downhill from there


----------



## TISH1124 (May 25, 2009)

I am not sure at what point I became hooked...I remember many many years ago reading a magazine that Mary J. Blidge wore MAC and I went to the counter because I wanted everything she had on her face in that picture...Because I was gonna look like her for sure 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 If I bought everything she was wearing.

I started with a foundation, lipstick, Chestnut lip pencil 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, Still did not look like Mary ...but after that I had to have everything MAC made. Never knowing at that moment...this would become a Major obsession!!


----------



## Lauren1981 (May 26, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *TISH1127* 

 
_ 
I started with a foundation, lipstick, Chestnut lip pencil_

 
omg! chestnut lip pencil is what i bought with the studio fix (well, my godmother bought. lol). i LOVED it


----------



## TISH1124 (May 26, 2009)

^^ I think Chestnut was the standard for all WOC when I first started buying...It was like you must have Oh baby and Chestnut....I would ask what lip liner do you recommend...it was always Chestnut...LOL


----------



## Lauren1981 (May 26, 2009)

^^ totally agree. lol! i used chestnut with EVERYTHING. no matter what color i was wearing i always smeared on the chestnut. that was the only thing i knew!!


----------



## chiara (May 26, 2009)

I discovered Mac in 2004, at the time I was only using drugstore brands and I wanted to try something else. I had read the name "Mac" in a magazine, I think it was about some celebrities using it or something. So I went there, bought a few things. 
But I only got hooked and started building up my collection about 3 years ago though, when I started being a lot more interested in makeup, trying new colors, new looks.


----------



## Snootus0722 (May 26, 2009)

I started using MAC in 1996 when good friend let me use her studio fix powder, as we were hitting the club. After that I went and got my own compact, studio fix in c7. Shortly after that I started using lipglass w/the chestnut pencil lol. There was a time when I left MAC and went to BB,(for e/s and l/g) but I never left my studio fix powder. 
About 6 months ago.. I found you tube and now  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




.


----------



## Lauren1981 (May 26, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Snootus0722* 

 
_ Shortly after that I started using lipglass w/the chestnut pencil lol.._

 
we need to start a Chestnut Pencil club. lmao!!!
just like tish said, i think most woc got started on the chestnut lip liner


----------



## reesesilverstar (May 26, 2009)

My story is boring. In May 2008 I got hooked when I finally found a foundation that looked awesome on me - Studio Tech... And all those bright eyeshadows? So many colors? WOOO!!!


----------



## TSIZ (May 26, 2009)

1990-1991 "Gen X", the "grunge" era, etc...

One of my first jobs while at university was working "behind the scenes" and throughout the reception area tending to clients while they wait for their appointments (it's 10 a.m., anyone want a glass of wine? Uh, yeah), at The Spa at Nordstrom San Francisco Centre. The MUA's used MAC on their clients. Everyone that worked at The Spa wore MAC, b/c we had to promote it. I don't think it was even available on the selling floor, only at The Spa. Anyway, I hadn't worn make-up on a daily basis since 9th or 10th grade, so it was weird at first.

My collection grew, but only consisted of lipstick (b/c that's what they're know for!), lipliner, and loose powder (C5: guess what? DC'ed!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 They have C4 and C6...WTF?) The loose powders were like 2x the size they are now. Anyway, I got the loose powder only b/c I wanted a reason to use a big fluffy face brush, like Meg Ryan used in one very brief scene in _When Harry Met Sally_, that I'd just seen the year before. Stupid, huh? My first make-up brush ever was the 101 (now the 150). I also bought the 17 (now the 316? The covered lip brush). That set me back like $50! Holy crap. That's a LOT for a college student, even now.

My lipstick and lipliner collection continued to grow, until I ran out of my faves: "Fatale" and "Red" in the "TONE" Finish. The closest thing I've found to "Fatale" in color and finish is Clinique's "Black Honey", to give you an idea. Well, not only were "Fatale" and "Red" DC'ed
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







, the whole "tone" finish family was! I ended up buying the two on eBay for, like, 2x retail...and when I received them, I thought, "WTF? are these fakes?" They were BULLET-shaped. WEIRD. Not a big fan of change if it ain't broke, and not a fan of paying 2x retail on eBay. So I quit MAC. This was late-1999? Early-2000? Maybe it was a New Year's resolution.

I dipped here and there into other brands, with only one thing remaining constant: my Clinique foundation (also DC'ed...OF COURSE
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




). It took forever to find that perfect foundation. So, I just threw in the towel. Fuck it. No make-up. I'm _au naturel_. Whatever.

My li'l sis (10 years younger) got into MAC (gee, I wonder how) I guess late high school early college (didn't pay much attention). Everytime she'd come home to visit from college, she'd hit up the MAC Pro Store and come home with a haul that I was always dying to look at, but never admitted to it. I'd watch her out of the corner of my eye, putting on eyeshadow (wha?) and blush (huh?) using brushes I hadn't seen before with stiff bristles and angles and...hey! Shut up. I didn't wear makeup, so why would I ever see MU brushes?!?

And she always carried a tube of Lip Glass. I always carried a tube of philosophy's the supernatural clear gloss which I thought was BETTER b/c it wasn't STICKY...guess what? DISCONTINUED.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Whatever. Clearly some force out there was telling me that it doesn't matter which MU line I run to; they will always DC my faves, so get over it, and just buy back-ups.

Here I am, brought full circle, back in MAC HELL/HEAVEN. I was clean and sober for nearly 10 years, dammit. This is my first year back in the loop and it's totally a LOVE/HATE/TOTALLY HATE/DESPISE relationship. I don't even wear makeup. So this is all extra ridiculous. My sis laughs at me. *taunting voice* "I thought you HATED MAC?" "Shut up."
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




So, what was the question? Oh, "How did you get hooked on MAC?" Uh, Nordstrom made me wear it.


----------



## barbieismetal (May 28, 2009)

When i tried out Carbon eyeshadow and saw how easy it was to blend and how long it stayed on my eyes , with no base at all. 

And i thought the lipsticks were amazing


----------



## Twinkle_Twinkle (May 29, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *TISH1127* 

 
_^^ I think Chestnut was the standard for all WOC when I first started buying...It was like you must have Oh baby and Chestnut....I would ask what lip liner do you recommend...it was always Chestnut...LOL_

 
SOOO TRUE!  That could be why I can't stand either.


----------



## xjslx (May 29, 2009)

Youtube guru's got me into MAC... and after my first MSF i am addicted....


----------



## L1LMAMAJ (May 29, 2009)

i used to only use drugstore makeup because frankly, i couldn't afford mac. so in august of 2007, i decided to treat myself to a mac smokey eye palette. i seldom used it because i didn't wanna "waste" my precious mac on everyday looks. so i would just use the mac palette on special occasions. and that was how it started!


----------



## Zeastlake (May 29, 2009)

Aboywearingmakeup got me hooked... I ordered a 3D glass bc he used it in a video.. and I've been addicted ever since...


----------



## versace (May 30, 2009)

specktra


----------



## annegal (Jun 1, 2009)

started just buying small bits here and there..but hooked? temptalia and specktra!


----------



## Lauren1981 (Jun 1, 2009)

^^ i think specktra got me even more hooked. i loved MAC before but after coming here and seeing so many other women & men who all share the same interest/love in it made me like it even more


----------



## misha5150 (Jun 3, 2009)

TISH said:

I think Chestnut was the standard for all WOC when I first started buying...It was like you must have Oh baby and Chestnut....I would ask what lip liner do you recommend...it was always Chestnut...LOL

That was also my first MAC purchase but I also bought O lipstick that day. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  I first went to a MAC counter in 1999/2000 and some how, never really got into makeup until I started watching Youtube makeup how to's and saw how enthusiastic and knowledgeable the people on there were and it lighted the spark back up. After the Hello Kitty collection came out, my bank account hasn't been the same since and a month later I joined Specktra and now I have developed a serious and expensive obsession/hobby/LOVE!!!


----------



## brassdancer (Jun 17, 2009)

Youtube youtube youtube. URgh. Thanks alot guys


----------



## Laurie (Aug 4, 2009)

It was August 2004, we took a family vacation to Canada and I was just ambling around the mall and saw the store.. So I went in saw this girl wearing yellow and orange eyeshadow.. And I'll always remember her!!.. I was a complete dork to makeup.. I was 16 and barely wore anything.. So I asked her how she knew what to put together and she said that it's all up to you.. You can do anything!!.. She was sooo happy and bubbly!! And cute! And smiley! I love you yellow and orange eyeshadow girl!!!! I even remember what she looks like!.. Hehe.. So, my first purchases were Honey Lust, Steamy and Black Tied.. I've been hooked ever since.. Purchasing was stagnant for a while cause there was no MAC store here.. Then they opened one and my collection expanded faster than a pregnant mama!.. I love it.. It makes me happy!.. Makes me even happier when my bf buys for me!.. LOL.. So yup.. That's how it started.. YT Specktra only fuel it!


----------



## silviachic (Aug 6, 2009)

*What made you addicted to MAC?*

There's another thread that asked "how did you get hooked on MAC?" or something along those lines... so I was thinking... there's all these super cool stories about what triggered us to get addicted to MAC, but what is it about the MAC products that got us hooked? What makes MAC products different from other cosmetic lines?

For me personally,
It was how pigmented the products are, the vibrant colors, it stays on for a long period of time, the sexy packaging 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, how soft the powder products are, the edgy-ness of the store and staff, and of course new collections launching constantly! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I'm not sure if everybody's the same, but I'm sure there are a lot of other aspects I never thought of...

So tell us... What made you addicted to MAC? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



(Oh, and if there's another thread that asks the same question, sorry!! if you can kindly post the link to it I would appreciate it 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




)


----------



## hello_kitty (Aug 6, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

Like you, the pigments, colors, how long it lasts... I also like how I could put all the eyeshadows in palettes that were easy to find and buy.  Before I was buying things here and there from different companies, and I can't explain it, but that bothers me... I like my stuff to all be from the same company (at least the majority of it)


----------



## GlamQueen21 (Aug 6, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

What made me into a MAC addict was the quality of the products because they are so versatile, especially the MSFs. I love how MAC comes out with new collections every month either with new colors and special packaging in which I adore most.


----------



## silviachic (Aug 6, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

That's so true hello kitty! I love that I can make my own palettes! It allows me to become creative on how to arrange it and it especially makes me feel like a makeup artist (even if Im nowhere near that status 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 hehe)


----------



## ladyJ (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

I wish I knew. It is a mystery to me also lolz...I actually do not know how I got so addicted to MAC...it just happened.


----------



## Strawberrymold (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

I love the palettes! They have really helped me to stream line my stuff. I love all my makeup but I need it to be portable too.

Also, MAC pigments can not be topped for me. I do a lot of face and body painting so the amount that you get in these babies can't be beat. I do wish there were more matte colors though.


----------



## silviachic (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

Omg, that's so true strawberrymold, the pigments are so awesome! And no matter how many times I use those, I never seem to leave a dent in them haha 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




So, I'm trying to think of other ways to use them... my friend suggested using them on nails (like mix it in calgel and make your own color) so I'm totally going to try that when I have to redo my nails next hehe


----------



## Susanne (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

It was the wide range and very good quality of the single eyeshadows!! First had I just bought e/s before I tried other products as well.

Still today I LOVE single e/s from MAC, together with blushes and lipglasses.


----------



## kittykit (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

The variety choices of colours, the pigments, the quality... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


*I LOVE MAC*!


----------



## SakurasamaLover (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

The pigments are what get me addicted to MAC, the Pro Mattes especially. (Still can't get over the pain of seeing half the range being cut) 

I LOVE THEM 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Oh that and the service in the store, with the tips and the samples that only makes you want to come and buy more.

* I can't wait to see Magenta and Cyan*


----------



## kathyp (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

The wide range (for the time -- it was the mid-to-late 90s when I popped my MAC cherry) of foundation shades, concealers that came in more colors than light, medium and dark, wide variety of eyeshadows, the prices compared to other department store lines, the recycling program...


----------



## couturesista (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

The MAs and the bright shades! I loved that the MA wore bright, not ur run of the mill makeup and was excited about it!


----------



## AmberElizabeth (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

Seeing the girls' bright makeup at the MAC counter in Nordstrom when I was about 14. My mom told me I could pick out a few things from there and I got Digit eyeshadow, Wanderlust lip laquer and Lust lipstick. Then it snowballed from there! I thought the packaging was cool, and liked all the eyeshadow colors!


----------



## MzzRach (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

I've been into MAC for so many years now.  I think what pulled me in originally was their range of matte lipsticks. They were really pioneers in the lipstick arena when Frank first started the company.


----------



## liquidsirenhoney (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

For me it was the actually pigmentation of the shadows, i had tried a lot of other ones and couldn't get the same impact as MAC then it just somehow snowballed from there and i also really adored the MA, so that helped as well.


----------



## silviachic (Aug 7, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

I agree with you guys... the MAs are awesome! I am always amazed at how well they combine the vibrant colors and and their blending skills. I sometimes catch myself just starring at their eye makeup haha I hope they dont think I'm weird or psycho or something 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Their matte eyeshadow are so~ amazing too!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  It is because of mac that I became in-love with matte finishes. Other brands 1. dont have as many matte color selections 2. no color payoff 3. a lot more harder to blend






 <--- definitely!


----------



## La Dolce Diva (Aug 8, 2009)

I was SUCH a non-believer! I've always been into drugstore brands- I figured one didn't need to spend money to look great!  However...one of my girlfriends "lost" her eyeliner pencil in my dorm room 3 years ago and it became mine,  I became subtlely aware that there IS a difference!

Fast forward 2 1/2 years later after a mishaps with Fashion Fair, Clinique (THE WORST), and Merle Norman, I decided to visit a friend who works at MAC- I was going to a wedding and knew I needed to look impressive.  $150 later...I couldn't help but wonder WHAT HAD I BEEN THINKING ALL THOSE YEARS!?!?!?!?

I start as a MAC Artist this month!  I think it's safe to say I'm a believer now ;-)


----------



## belle89 (Aug 8, 2009)

^ My story is also about me becoming a believer, lol

In my freshman year of college, I remember the friends I made were into makeup. They were big fans of MAC. I was the drugstore girl that could not be moved. In the summer, I bought Studio Fix powder and it was MUCH better than any fdtn I had ever used before. I have these addiction cycles and makeup was something I never got into. I was getting bored with my nail polish phase and get into YouTube make up tuts and stuff. The addiction then began.


----------



## dollbaby (Aug 12, 2009)

I got into MAC back in 2000.  I was a sophomore in high school and I remember watching MTV & they were giving away Britney Spear's make-up.  Her make-up was always so incredibly gorgeous and I always wanted to get those looks. Anyway, I don't remember all the details since it was such a while back, but I do remember there being a huge basket of all MAC goodies that they were giving away. She actually presented it to the winner. It was Britney's "Fav" MAC products and they were products she used all the time, the basket was brimming. I was hooked ever since =)


----------



## TISH1124 (Aug 13, 2009)

I really have no clue....I wish I knew exactly when and why so I could fix this damn addiction for real! I made a wrong turn somewhere....I am horrible at directions!! poooh


----------



## Strawberrymold (Aug 13, 2009)

I first really got into MAC about 6 months ago ( I owned a few lipglasses prior but I do not count this seeing as how I only owned a couple and they were by no means must have items for me). A fellow MUA recommended pigments to me whist I was bitching about how little product you get with the MUFE star powders. I had never really paid much attention to MAC due to the fact that I already had so many other favorite items. Well I went into the store... saw the piggies... did some swatching... and a few hundred dollars later it was all over. After piggies came shadows ( I just love the palettes, they are so easy to carry with me and make my life sooo much easier) and then on to MSF's. The girls at my store are sooo nice and know exactly what I like. With the exception on Piggies and MSF's MAC isn't nessasarily my favorite brand, but I tend to buy it the most because of the help I get when I go there. + b2m rocks as well. Who doesn't like free makeup?

I blame Kara (my friend that told me about pigments). It's all her fault.


----------



## rockin26 (Aug 13, 2009)

My girlfriend dragged my to the Colour Forms VIP night and from there I stumbled on the tuts on YouTube and then I ended up here on Specktra and haven't looked back since!


----------



## shazzy99 (Aug 14, 2009)

I walked into a department store and bought a Diana Ross quad, have been buying MAC ever since.


----------



## bcsweetascandy (Aug 23, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

Before I ever purchased my first MAC product, I would always see the ads in magazines and wish I could get my hands on the products because of the pigmentation...I'd never seen anything close to MAC's range of color in any drugstore. There was no local MAC counter in my area up until I graduated from high school in 2001 (Think I just gave away my age :-o ). 

I purchased my first MAC shadows and lipglass my freshman year in college, and it's been an it's been an addiction ever since. And of course it doesn't help that I have friends who are JUST as addicted to MAC as myself...they are total enablers! lol


----------



## newlymaclover (Aug 23, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

Pretty much all that has been said above.

I only really use the MAC e/s pans (though I do have a couple of pigments and have recently brought my first MAC foundation, though not feeling so much love for that one) and I know every time I buy an e/s from MAC, even if it doesn't live up to the hype, it will still be pigmented, apply well and not crease. 

I also love the fact that you can get the single shadows and aren't limited to what the company thinks you want in a palette (except of course for collections)...I found with other brands I would buy a palette for one or two of the colours and neglect the rest. I also love the range of colours and the fact that you can make them into your own palette's in any combination you like.


----------



## Merry_go_round (Aug 31, 2009)

It was a year ago when I started to have a regular job, so I experienced how it is to have a credit card and shop on the internet (the first MAC counter is miles away)


----------



## Almost black. (Aug 31, 2009)

Well, since I'm a make up addict I've read about MAC a lot, but I never bought anything until December-2008. Actually, my boyfriend bought me Petticoat and since then, I'm really much more into MAC and I follow MAC collections but still don't buy a lot since I have to buy everything online and it can get quite expensive (shipping and fees) but I save money for the items I *really* want. 

Although, I must admit I got hooked on MAC 1,5 year ago when a friend of mine (who is a MAC addict) sent me about 10 MAC pigment samples (she has bunch of FS pigments and other MAC stuff) and then I realized - I gotta have more of MAC items. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Now I do, lol.


----------



## Blushbaby (Aug 31, 2009)

The truth? My MU spending was "normal" before I joined this forum!


----------



## Merry_go_round (Aug 31, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

At first I bought some MAC e/s and I saw how well pigmented they are and how long they last, longer than some of my high-end products. And than I started buying more and more MAC products


----------



## Almost black. (Aug 31, 2009)

*Re: What made you addicted to MAC?*

I'm not addicted *yet* but I love MAC pigments and MSF's.


----------



## kareno (Sep 1, 2009)

I have just recently gotten hooked on MAC. I started of course (when i was a teen) wearing revlon and then moved to clinique. I wasn't real into makeup as a teen. A few years ago I then switched to Bare Escentuals. Someone was selling some MAC shadows and since I had never tried MAC and I knew alot of gals loved it I bought a shadow. Then I could no longer use Bare Escentuals foundation so I went to MAC and got the Studio Sculpt foundation and picked up some shadows because I was tired of the minerals. From there on out i have sold off my minerals and switched over to MAC and am becoming very obsessed with it.


----------



## iaisha26 (Sep 3, 2009)

My mother started this vicious cyle. They repleaced the Fashion Fair counter with a MAC counter & it's been a wrap since. 

My mom started my sister and I...and I started my niece. Nine years old and only wears Dazzleglass, you'll never catch Lipsmacker in her purse LOL


----------



## ashtn (Sep 3, 2009)

I had bought a product here and there from mac, but it wasn't until i bought mac foundation that i really got hooked. this i because my acne completely cleared up when i started using it and it made my skin look flawless. now i dont buy anything but mac products


----------



## Tahti (Sep 3, 2009)

I first discovered MAC when I was 14, I walked into a PRO shop in Berlin... LOL I'm so embarrassed thinking about it now, I had purple dreadlocks at the time and was in my scruffy grunge phase... 

I loved everything in there, the MUA who was talking to me was nice ^_^ I thought it was so expensive though and that NO WAY would I ever pay 20 euro for a foundation xD But that began my obsession.

My first MAC item was Mi'Lady MES, my friend gave it to me. I became even more obsessed with MAC because she had some (she was in college in the city at this point, so she had access to the stores...) then when I moved to the city, I properly began collecting MAC. 

I love it, I love everything about the brand, I love my collection and I will never stop buying it as long as I have the money! ;D


----------



## Aliki (Sep 4, 2009)

I was going to Greece to meet with my boyfriend and one friend asked me to buy her Violet pigment, saying it's only about ten euros. So, i came in, bought Violet for her, Dark Soul, Kitchmas and 289 (i think) for me.
The bill was 100 euros 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I came out crying 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



My boyfriend almost went in there and asked for a refund 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Eventough the unexpected loss of 100 euros almost ruined my vacation, i was hooked 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




The rest is history


----------



## emmemma (Sep 13, 2009)

when i started doing makeup, i started using mac, and i was hooked immediately, i was 16 at the time. I'd save up to go to mac!!


----------



## saccharinity (Sep 16, 2009)

I got into makeup in high school but only wore drugstore cosmetics for a while. Maybe a year and half ago-ish a friend of mine told me about tutorials on youtube that show you better ways to apply makeup. I started watching and saw them using mac brushes its been downhill since then.


----------



## love&destroy (Sep 16, 2009)

I blame youtube. 
I also have a youtube addiction =.=


----------



## xphoenix06 (Sep 16, 2009)

Got into MAC when I was about 3-4 months pregent w/ my 2nd child, I was going through the baby blues faze from my first pregenacy and turned to makeup.  At the time MAC was the only brand of cosmetics that I knew made makeup that flattered people with golden/yellow undertones.


----------



## MacGoddess21 (Sep 19, 2009)

I was 12, addicted to fashion magazines.... 17 and the like (my mom would rip out all of the "garbage" so I could read the beauty articles) and my birthday had come and bestowed upon me a gift card to Nordstrom. I immediately went and spent it on Icebox e/s and Violet, Dear e/s, with Pink Freeze, Swish and Sprout to follow soon after. Needless to say, I was hooked and its been love for almost 11 years now!


----------



## themaczealot (Sep 20, 2009)

A couple of my friends were slightly into mac but I never strayed too far from
the cheaper drug store brands. When Rimmel came out I got into their stuff
but some how I randomly stumbled upon a youtube video by xsparkage one
day. I have no idea how the video came up with the search I was doing but I
thought, hey lets have a look. One year, several british pounds and even
more canadian dollars later I'm fully addicted (although not quite as addicted
as many on here). I'm looking forward to my second holiday collection. My
first mac product was a gift (a lipstick) from the Barbie Collection (forgive 
me for forgetting what its called it long since has left my collection when I 
lost it somewhere on vacation).


----------



## dreamscapemess (May 7, 2010)

curse Blair AKA juicystar07 on YouTube.  i solely blame her for my obsession with mac. watching other beauty gurus didn't help either...
nor did COMING ACROSS SPECKTRA AND TEMPTALIA


----------



## vintageroses (May 8, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *dreamscapemess* 

 
_curse Blair AKA juicystar07 on YouTube.  i solely blame her for my obsession with mac. watching other beauty gurus didn't help either...
nor did COMING ACROSS SPECKTRA AND TEMPTALIA_

 
HAHA i totally second that! Those were the 3 things that made me so obsessed with MAC! & i'm not even a makeup artist or anything! hahas I used to have like 1 blush & 2-3 lipglosses but now it's just out of control! HAHA & swatches oh my they make me weak!


----------

