Better than or equal to MAC

[mspixieears]

Nars - for gorgeously pigmented blushes, and equally pigmented lip colours which last a while

Shu Uemura - their e/s, especially the P (pearl) and ME (metallic) ones. Some of theirs are EVEN better than MAC's, dare I say it!

UD - lipgunks, though they vary in quality/finish greatly. Some are watery, some are 'gunky'. I have a couple of their e/s & l/s which boast excellent quality however (why they discontinued their l/s will forever remain one of beauty's unsolved mysteries).

[a914butterfly]

i love mac and it's my #1 choice, but sometimes i try dior, lorac, and chanticaille - just for variety

[joytheobscure]

Foundation: (I have oily skin so I need fairly good coverage)- Lancome Tient Idol, Mary Kay medium coverage foundation ($14 retail- its actually good if you use it lightly-great staying power)., Bare Escentuals but I 'm too lazy to buff it on every day. or Maybelline Shine free is ok for really cheap foundation.

Maybelline Volum' express mascara

Liners, I like L'Oreal liners for walmart brand... Urban decay liquid liners

Shadows and blushes- Nars for blush and Urban Decay for shadows.. I'm looking for other good neutral toned down matte shades now that my wild collection is pretty big.

[fairytale22]

Stila, NARS, and Milani e/s are often equal or better than MAC, imo.

[bocagirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fairytale22

Stila, NARS, and Milani e/s are often equal or better than MAC, imo.

I agree.

[legallyblond]

Chanel Eyeshadows are the best!.Unfortunately,they have not a lot of colours,but all i have tested were excellent.Quality,staying power,blending .....Blushes are very very good too,superb quality and beautiful shades.And well,what about glossimers:They have great colours and very good staying powder,not as mucj as Mac,but still good and very nice texture(better than Mac in my opinion).

Nars is the best in blushes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All of them are GORGEOUS!!!!!!!.Even the ones that didn,t fit me at all were kind of ok,i could maybe wear them.They are soooooooooooooooooooo natural looking,like if you are really blushing,colour comes from within.
Nars glosses are so and so:they have great shades and staying power,but some others have either a great staying power or a great colour,but not both.
For eyeshadows:they hit or miss.Some are the best shadows ever and some the worst.Get information before buying.

Guerlain!!!!!!!!!!!

Glosses are excellent,beautiful shades,but so many.Very good staying power and wonderful shine.
Eyeshadows are quite pigmented,at least for me(compared to Nars,for example) and extremelñy good quality in all terms like softness of blendability.

Dior:

This is not a very good brand in my opinion.Eyeshadows are chalky and boring,glosses don,t stay for long and blushes are also boring.Mascaras are quite nice(not the best,but good)

[Ms. Z]

I also like Prescriptives and my new love the L'Oreal HIP line eye shadows.

I agree with LegallyBlond, the Dior e/s are chalky. But I do like their eye liners.

Lipgloss: Lancome & L'Oreal

Mascara: Clinique High Impact, Lancome Définicils and the new CoverGirl Lash Exact mascara

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diviniti

Greetings...


Don't misunderstand me folks, I love MAC just as much as the rest of you (that's why we're here, right?), but I'd like to expand my horizons and try some other lines of cosmetics. Besides MAC, what other brand products do you use most, and why? Be as specific as you like...I'm using you all for my research! :-)

Thanks!!

[MACisLOVE]

i love NARS blushes, i just bought orgasm and i plan on buying more even though i still love MAC

[love-vs-lust]

I really like Lancome, especially their foundations. I find their make up lasts so much longer than MAC, but I still like MAC better, haha.

[ette]

i love stila, nars, benefit LOOOOOOOOOVE, bobbi brown, dior, and chanel.

[bAbY_cHiCkEn01]

I think Estee Lauder as a whole is fantastic altho I hav'nt used any concealer/foundation or anything. The pure color lipogloss is REALLY gorgeous texture, brillant shades and just delicious all round. I found the mascara horrible though, too chunky and clumpy for my lashes & the mascara was brand new an untouched so yea... I also find the best liquid eyeliner to be Maybellines liner pen (ya know the one in a blue tube with gold lid), its AbSoLoUtLy FaNtAsTiC!!! Dior have nice glosses too

[xxmissjennyxx]

i love mac for their eye shadows and pigments (thats all i buy from them)

as for basics such as powder, mascara, and eyeliner i buy maybelline. my face isnt really high maitenence (thank god) so im able to buy $6-$8 powders (i dont use foundation)

i really love lip glosses from clinique and lancome. but i always end up using my rosebud salve. as a result all my lip glosses are collecting dust.

for everything else i have a vast variety of brands but i tend to really gravitate to benefit, sephora, nars, smashbox, and urban decay.

[kimmy]

milani, seriously. yeah, it's a drugstore brand but it's comparable to mac. or at least, i think it is. the shadows have amazing colour payoff and they stay on pretty well without a base. i actually perfer milani's lipglosses to mac's lipglasses. they're gorgeous colours and there's a good variety, and they're not all sticky like the lipglasses are. and they blush. OMG i swear by their blushes. LOOOOVE them. i wsn't really big on blush until i got the milani blushes.

i also like pallido for lipstick it smells good and they have such gorgeous colours. the price is a bit steep, but still half the price of mac hah...so that's ALWAYS a plus.

i'm also pretty big on the FL!RT cosmetics line at kohl's. it's made by estee lauder, as mac is. only it's a bit cheaper and i guess is marketed more to the beginners, but even for people with experience, it's amazing stuff. a few of the eyeshadow shades are almost exact replicas of mac's shadows. they're very pigmented and also stay on relatively well without a base. their lipglosses are soo amazing too. they smell like almonds hah, i don't know why but i really like that. they also have some really gorgeous blushes. i really like how almost everything they make is shimmery. i like shimmery stuff.

[Becki]

I love Stila! Their eye shadows, blushes, it glosses, lip glazes, illuminating liquid and powder foundations, perfecting concealer and brushes are great!!!!

I also like Nars for blushes

[pushhupsindrag]

i like urban decay, stilla, smashbox, too faced and anna sui.

[Modil]

mac is cheaper with so many varieties

this is why imo it is uncomparable

[lizsybarite]

Aside from the usual others (UD shadow & mascara, NARS blush, etc.), I use my trusty ORRA 88 palette a lot:



Got it off of eBay for around $40. The colors have a good pigment & lasting power if I'm using a good base. Frankly this should have stemmed my appetite for buying more eyeshadow but I just moved on to my third 15-pan palette so I guess that didn't work! Nowadays it's mostly unused - sad, because I really do like it. It has prevented a lot of purchases of colors I wouldn't use enough to justify, like Chrome Yellow. So I guess it was worthwhile.

[joytheobscure]

Urban decay - revlon for their superlustrous glosses- nars blushes (I need more) B.E. shadows...

[michy_mimi]

I am an Urban Decay Junkie!

Their eye liners are brilliant and come in alot of colors. I also couldn;t live without the Eyeshadow Primer potion and my Biker Lipgunk!

[sbetsy]

In my traincase, other than MAC, you'll find:

Chanel glossimers and lipsticks (I don't care for Chanel's shadows - not enough pigment).
Smashbox brushes, foundation primer, eyebrow powder/wax duo.
Nars palettes and blushes (orgasm = yum, laguna = yum) - dolce vita l/s.
bare escentuals - powder foundation and FOILING GLIMMERS. I love those.
Estee Lauder and Lancome shadows.
Lancome make-up remover.
Clinique black honey lip gloss and naturally glossy mascara and this great smudgy eyeliner that has its own sharpener in the cap.
DuWop lip venom - but I'm thinking about trying Lip Fusion.
Shiseido eyeshadow quads (gorgeous - I have flora and fauna and sea and sky).
Dior lip gloss (nothing I put on my lips is as pretty as Dior's lychee rose).

[mima]

high end:

NARS

the blushes, both powder and cream are to die for. the e/s are hit or miss, but the ones with good pigment are wonderful, and there are some really unique colours in the line. the multiples are fun to play with. i find the lipsticks have a weird crayon smell and can be drying.

YSL

the touche eclat, faux cils mascara are totally worth the splurge. YSL also makes some gorgeous lipsticks (pure shine) and eyeshadow duos and blush

lancome

i can't live without my artliners. i am a total klutz but these are pretty much idiot-proof.

the juicy tubes are nice, but like lancome blushes, i think they're overpriced. i like the powders too, but not enough to repurchase, mainly b/c of the price tag

christian dior

i have stopped wearing foundation, but when i did, dior it was. i also LOVE their lipsticks and lipglosses -- all the different kinds and finishes, but especially the addict shiniest range. the mascaras, especially diorshow and maximeyes are HG, i alternate between YSL faux cils and dior mascaras (and lately, max factor lash perfection)



stila

i like the texture of the e/s and blush, and i like the lip glazes but couldn't tell you why. however, i only buy stila when i find it on sale. i'd never pay regular prices.

chanel

i love the blushes, they're really gorgeous, and i like the lipsticks too, especially the aqualumiere range. i think the e/s quads are very sheer, and totally not worth it, but the new duos are lovely and pigmented. chanel has lovely lipliners and eyeliners, but i don't think they're all that better than mac, especially for the price, so i won't repurchase them. i adore the tecture and finish of the glossimers, but think there are not enough colours for darker skintones/pigmented lips. the cristalle glosses are waaay too sheer, i only own one.

guerlain

everything in this line is fabulous. i especially love the lipsticks and lipglosses (the kisskiss range in particular), the annual bronzers that that come out every summer and are like works of art. the e/s are pigmented. the blushes are very nice, especially the mousse ones.

elizabeth arden

i'm not a huge fan of elizabeth arden makeup, but i like their skincare a lot. some of it is HG status

armani

i have a small collection or armani, and i'm extremely glad i have it, but i won't be getting much more, b/c i think the quality is not on par with the price. that being said, i do want to add a few more fluid sheers and an LSF to my stash. but i don't get the fuss over the e/s, sure they're nice, but...nothing special.

vincent longo

the lipsticks, lipglosses and lip stains are EXCELLENT quality. i love them!

sephora brand

i love the lipsticks and lip gloss crayons. the lipliners and eyeliners are good too.

clinique

i have fallen in love with clinique lately. they have fantastic glosses and lipsticks (butter shines!), as well as lipliners and eyeliners (the creamshapers are really wonderful). i really loved the black honey collection. i have repurchased happy heart perfume several times. i don't own but plan to purchase the blush brush, DDMGEL (not lotion), the strawberry fudge colour surge duo...

lise watier

love the lipglosses and e/s. the skincare is nice too. the lipsticks are pretty but don't seem to suit my skintone. the loose e/s rock my world

quo

once upon a time i loved almost everything -- brushes, lipsticks, lipglosses, e/s, eyeliner, blush etc etc but then they went and reforumlated everything and now i'm not feeling it, but often pick up the seasonal colour collections, especially the holiday ones

low end

revlon

the moistrous l/s and superlustrous l/g are holy grails. FACT: i own every single superlustrous l/g ever released in canada. EVERY SINGLE ONE.

l'oreal

i buy the colour juices instead of lancome's juicy tubes. i really like their blushes and lipsticks too. their eyeliners and liquid liners are not as good as lancome's but for the price, they work. i don't like the eyeshadows though. the hydrafresh moisturizer is a HG

marcelle

i love the lipglosses, e/s and blush.

rimmel

i love everything, from the lipstick to the eyemake up remover and everything in between

nyx

this is mac quality for a fraction of the price. love the e/s, l/g and the loose e/s (like pigments)

wet n wild

cheap and fantastic. i love their products as much as i love my chanel, nars or armani! love the blushes, bronzers, highlighters, e/s singles, lipliners....

nyc

some wonderful products for less than the price of a coffee! their holiday and summer collections have really great knock offs of high end products. love their glosses especially

i don't use much covergirl, but like the new lash exact mascara and the oversized lip tint/sheet lipsticks, and the LE eye make up in clickable pens

EDITED TO ADD:

lancaster is totally underrated but makes incredible blushes (love them as much as my NARS if not more)

shu uemera blushes and ME eyeshadows are to die for. totally worth the $$.

shiseido m/u is ridiculously expensive, but i love my lipsticks, the one l/g i own from them, and the hydro eyeshadows are soo fun. the regular e/s are sometimes a bit too sheer.

love cargo e/s and blush (can;t resist their l/g but it is sheer and the containers are annoying)

sally hansen has some cute m/u, as does neutrogena

recently i've been playing w/ urban decay

[kissmypinkstar]

Urban Decay. UD shadows are an amazing texture. Their primer potion is to die for too!

[justalildirrtyx]

i love:

NARS eyeshadows are sooo pretty! i also love their lipsticks they stay on pretty long.. and also their blushes are definetly good too.

Bobbi Brown's shimmer brick compact! ..there's all different colors [i use bronze for bronzer, but you can use it for eyeshadow too!]

[Janelleleo]

Nars eyeshadows, lipstick and blush are all excellent.
Dior lipglosses are great too, very sheer and they go on smooth. Good staying power for a lipgloss as well.
Cargo blushes are great, just as good as Nars or MAC plus they come in loads of interesting colors.
Lancome Mascara is the best in my opinion. Just hands down excellent.
Smashbox also has some wonderful colors and products as well.

I'm also looking to branch out from MAC. I really would love to try Armani or Chantecaille.

Stila is also wonderful as others have mentioend but I find their packaging a little faulty.

Guerlain also has some interesting products that are wonderful, like their loose kohls and meteorites powder. Like nothing else and very worth the cash.

[lindseylouike]

My favorite non-MAC products:

Face: Bare Escentuals foundation, Clinique pore minimizer instant perfector
Eyes: Lancome artliner, Clinique mascara, Hard Candy loner or eye candy shadows, Smashbox shadows, Clinique shadows in foxy and south beach
Lips: Clinique buttershines, long last soft shine, colour surge

You'll notice that there's a lot of Clinique--this was my m/u "starter" brand, and a lot of my everyday stuff comes from them, especially since they have a GWP.