Better than or equal to MAC

[tiramisu_kake]

wow good input all of yoU! thanks =]

[Twinkle_Twinkle]

I think MAC has the best range of eye shadows around, but quite a few companies surpass them in quality:
* Ben Nye Lumiere Shadows
* Urban Decay (only the non-glitter shades)
* Stila (huge pots, amazing neutrals a couple of surprise colors too)
* Bobbi Brown (basic colors, but very high quality)
* Lancome
* NARS (pricey but great)

On blushes, only a few others compare, IMO:
* NARS (hands down the best blushes money can buy)
* Prescriptives
* CARGO (gives MAC's selection a bit of a run for it's money)

Face Products, A lot of companies do it better, IMO:
* Prescriptives (can't beat their Custom Blend)
* Bobbi Brown (great if you have yellow undertones)
* Clinique (generally good for a lot of people)

[Twinkle_Twinkle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaizyDeath

i LOVE LOVE LOVE the urban deay DELUX collection i think its LE but i own all the colors they go on like a velvet really smooth and bright. its the only thing that i own out of the urban decay line i dont care much for their regular shadows but these are definitly worth trying.

They have been out for over a year and the a couple of colors have been added, I don't think they are going anywhere.

[Desdemone]

imho fyrinnae loose eyeshadows are a lot more vibrant than mac pigments and I prefer the texture.

mac also has very bad mascara products, ysl is the best one around.

also blushes. nars is THE brand.

[Love Always Ivy]

UD - UDPP and their e/s will always be my first love regardless of the fallout, my imperfectly perfect mildly abusive relationship with them haha

NARS - abfabfave of the late. lovethe duos, singles, creams, l/g l/s and multiples. abfabfave.

Smashbox - love the brushes. the e/s are hit or miss. the l/g is okay, super thick.

MUFE - love love love the star powders. and their Mat Velvet + foundation is FABULOUS for people with super oily skin AND its waterproof. (it keeps me perfectly matte all day and regardless of sweating, eating greasy food, getting splashed int he face, touching, everything you can do to your face. i think you can get atom bombed in the face and your MUFe foundation will still be perfect.)

[Skan]

I use so many different brands that I cannot say that just this particular brand or that particular brand is better than this one or whatever. So many different brands have amazing gems.

[L281173]

Another favorte line of mines is Milan Minerals.
The colors are gorgeous.

[tsukiyomi]

Too Faced and Urban Decay are nice. I also like Smashbox, although I can't use their facial products because they break me out. I love Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer but alas, it does break me out.

[rabideloise]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimmy

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.

I have one of the FLIRT! shadows (Limelight) and it looks just like Vex from MAC.

[SparklingWaves]

I'm very moody with makeup. :conscience:I get bored with just the same old thing, soooooo I have tried eye shadows and blushes from Chanel, Elizabeth Arden, Clarins, Guelain, Estee Lauder, Shiseido, and Lancome. All of them have very good shadows and blushes. As usually, I wanted to start anew.

Now, I own MAC and Bobbie Brown eye shadows and blushes.

Eyeliners are Urban Decay, Bobbie Brown, and few old timers from Lancome and Clarins.

Mascara is Dior and BeneFit.

MAC is exciting and comes out with new stuff frequently. Some of the others that I tried don't come out with as much new stuff. I mean how could I pass up Barbie.

I like Bobbie Brown's case for shadows and blushes and I like her matte eye shadows. I like them better than MAC. I don't like the idea of having to go to a PRO shop. I don't have one in my state. (MAC put a PRO shop in New Orleans or just put everything in one store. Please, I am begging you.)

Chanel has some fantastic blushes, but the price is just plain stupid. Maybe, they could loose the fancy package and mirror and cut the freaky price tag. "Chanel are you listening! Also, please make some foundation for fair. I mean really fair people. We do exist." Opps, where was I?:confused:


Oh, I almost forgot. I love Prescriptives eye shadows too. I think they should have more eye shadows and blushes for B/R people.

NARS and Urban Decay are not available in my malls, so I have to go on to Sephora. I haven't tried NARS (yet).

[StelliR]

I love Chanel's single Ombre Essentielle eye shadows and their Joues Contraste blushes. I also adore Shu Uemura's blushes. I have a ton of MAC stuff but I don't have a single MAC blush anymore (well, I do have a Petticoat I use for blush sometimes). Urban Decay also makes lovely, highly pigmented and smooth eye shadows. My favorite MAC products are their Fluidlines - I don't use any other brand for eyeliners! And while I love MAC's lipsticks, for lip gloss I prefer Dior Addict Ultra glosses or Chanel's Glossimers.

[justanothergirl]

Shu Uemura brushes are heavenly.

NARS Blushes and Eyeshadows - More expensive but also more product.
NYX/Milani Eyeshadows for some mac dupes
I love Sheisdo for skin products (Cleaning, Foundation, Creams, etc)
Lancome and YSL for Mascara

[Love Always Ivy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by justanothergirl

Shu Uemura brushes are heavenly.

NARS Blushes and Eyeshadows - More expensive but also more product.

YES! everyone complains about how expensive NARS is but you do get alot more product and IMO the quality is alot better and more consistent than MAC shadows

[frocher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love Always Ivy

YES! everyone complains about how expensive NARS is but you do get alot more product and IMO the quality is alot better and more consistent than MAC shadows

It's true, if you do the math Nars and Mac are almost the same price.

Nars is best for e/s and blushes, imo.

[_trimm_trabb]

I'm surprised nobody here has mentioned Lola. I think it's a relatively new brand, but their products are so high quality, have very functional packaging, and have gorgeous shades. As somebody with fair skin, their creme foundation duo in "light" set with pressed powder in "sand" is heaven on earth. Also, their Pearl Luminous highlighter is amazing. And their lip cremes, in my very humble opinion, are the softest, richest, most comfortable and overall best lipsticks you can buy (they're the only lipsticks I'll wear).

I also love NARS for blushes, Too Faced just because their products are adorable (specifically love the teddy bear hair brushes and the pink leopard bronzer), and a few urban decay products here and there.

[frocher]

^^ Lola makes some great stuff, they have been around for years. The founder sold makeup through TV infomercials in the 80s.

[bella07]

WNW aint bad at all either

[Kuuipo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

Palettes like these are a great way of finding what colors look good on you without an enormous expense....

[Kuuipo]

I have a ton of Sephora Professional brushes. They are a really nice quality,I prefer them over most every brand. For foundation, I love oilfree Laura Mercier and NARS. For primer,its smashbox,for eye base it's Too Faced First Base (not as drying or dulling as Urban Decay,no dust on the eyeglasses,either) Lipstick goes to NARS,Laura Mercier and Vincent Longo,Blush-NARS,mascara-Smashbox,liquid eyeliner Wet and Wild or L'Oreal,Mineral foundation-Bare Essentials,skin bleach-Peter Thomas Roth Extra Gentle (because in Hawaii,pale skin means you are a local who doesn't have an outdoor job)retinol product -ROC (also makes a good primer because of the dimethicone),eye pencils-MAC or Sephora,Lip liner-Revlon,Maybelline,or Sephora,lipgloss-NARS-unbeatable texture and last-ability,lip plumper-Sally Hanson or Bare Essentuals,eye crayons-Rimmel.Best premade palettes are Lorac-really rich chocolate colors season after season,best all over product would be the multiples by NARS (I have a dozen shades,can't travel without them),best shades of neutral eyeshadows would be the bronzes and browns from MAC with Urban Decay's in close second. I also love Estee Lauder eye shadow,and lip pencils-very creamy. NARS,hands down for powder.

[alien21xx]

For my barely there make-up and for when I'm lazy, I have all of the Benefit Limited Edition palettes. They're the shizz.

For mascara, it's Chanel Inimitable or nothing.

[ndn-ista]

Nars blushes and bronzers.
Lorac eyeshadows.
Stila eyeshadows.
Dior lipglosses.
L'oreal Voluminies Mascara and Rimmel.
Sephora brand pressed powder.
Revlon eyeliner.
Stila eyeshadows.
Make Up Forever eyeliner.
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner and glitter liners.
Shu Umera eyelash curler.
Fresh mascara.

That's all I can think of right now...

[lnancy]

I would say that NYX eyeshadows are my 2nd choice after MAC. They have a wide selection of colors that are highly pigmented. The single shadows are a great deal that cost about $3. You can take a look on their website www.nyxcosmetics.com or www.cherryculture.com

Hope that helps. =)

[luvmkup]

NARS blush.
Too Faced Ooh la rouge blush.
Too Faced eyeshadows.
NYX eyeshadows.
88 eyeshadow palette sold on ebay and at Coastal Scents.
Diorshow mascara.
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners.
Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer.
Makeup Forever foundation.
Too Faced Lip of Luxury lipsticks.
Too Faced lipgloss (sparkler glamour gloss or diamond gloss)
NYX jumbo eye pencils.
The Body Shop eyebrow pencil.

[blindpassion]

MUFE is not getting as much love as it deserves in this thread.

Make Up For Ever - in my honest MAC addict for years opinion - is just as good as MAC. (ahhh shocking!? I know right.)

Their eyeshadow quality well, better in my opinion (coming from a girl who owns over 80 MAC shadows, so thats saying something). They dont have as many colors though.

MUFE's foundations are 100 times better.

But both are amazing brands. With MUFE, you really get what you pay for, amazing quality.

[kittykit]

Most of my stuffs are from MAC but I also love...

Face:
Bobbi Brown sheer powder and concealer.
Sephora Blush Me! Mono in Framboise Attraction - I really like this one and it stays on all day
Smashbox Soft Lights
Too Faced Beach Bunny

Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer
NARS eye liners
Lancome Brow Pencils

Brushes:
Sephora Professional - I own a few of their brushes and they're very good quality