UKers... where do you go to buy your mac?

[cutandrun]

I need a store/counter where the service is good and where the SA's are talented. I live near Brent Cross but I find that the service is really not that great, sometimes the SAs are kinda rude too. was thinking of maybe going to the pro store instead. Someone on mua mentioned the mac store on kensington church street, if anyone has been to either of these two places can you tell me what's it's like? Or if not, where do you go to buy your mac? TIA!

[Pimptress]

I went to the pro store in london last year and they were super nice. that's all i can add to this

[cutandrun]

Ok, cool! I just need to find my way there now...

[Pimptress]

it was SO glorious (and so cute on those little cute cobblestone london streets!) that I just *had* to take a picture!!!!! out of a group of 65 of us americans, i was the only one who wanted to go and i figured out my own way there and made a whole daytrip of it.

[cutandrun]

That photo's gonna be really useful, since I'm gonna try and find my way there tomorrow! I can't believe you were the only one that wanted to go in, ah well it's their loss I guess :P
Do you remember what shops were nearby? It's in a little lane right, which means I might walk pass it 10 times without noticing!

[cloverette]

hey, i was thinking of opening this thread a few days ago, too

i'm trying to find a nice MAC store where the MAs are friendly and helpful.

here's what i think so far:

* high street kensington: been there only once. it was quite empty, maybe cause it's a bit hidden. i quite like it, but i have to go there, again, to see if that will become *my* MAC store

* selfridges: i go there most of the times, cause it's the most convenient one. but i'm not too crazy about the MAs there. when i find *my* MAC store, i will stop going there. oh yeah, and there are always too many people there, too

* king's road: that's a really cute one. the MAs also seem to be nice and helpful. but it's a drag to get there. i take the bus after getting off at sloane square station

* carnaby street (PRO store): unfortunately, i don't think that will become *my* MAC. the MAs weren't as helpful/friendly as i would've hoped for. i only went twice, can't remember what it was like the first time, but the second time was so busy & i didn't really get much attention for my questions- maybe i went the wrong day (last saturday)?
HOW TO GET THERE: do you know where MISS SIXTY is in carnaby street? take the first left after you pass it, and you'll be walking the little road you see in the picture above.

anyway, i will have to go a few more times to high street kensington & king's road to decide which one of the two will become *my* MAC.

i would still consider the other MACs if anyone here can name me a good/nice/friendly/helpful MA...

[Sarah]

Personally my favourite is house of fraser counter at bluewater, a couple of the MA's aint over friendly but there are some really nice ones, its a pretty small counter but IMO one of the best ones i've been to for service/friendlyness etc my fave MA in there is Carly shes so nice always so helpful and has great ideas of how to use products etc, theres also another couple of really nice MA's in there with blonde hair but im unsure of there names.

The counter in Selfridges I wont ever return to unless im desperate the staff are unhelpful, its always so busy and once which was actually the last time I ever went in there was when I was trying to get Leasuiretime e/s from belle azure collection sadly my counter had run out by the time I decided I wanted it so I went to selfridges to pick one up, this was all I needed but ended up picking up another e/s and a couple of pencils but in the rudest way I was asked is that it? like I should be buying loads more. I was left stood at the till waiting to pay while to MA's were to busy talking amongst theirselves to serve me.

As for the pro store its nice enough and obviously theres things you can only buy in there but I dont often go there unless its for a PRO item, the staff are nice and not at all rude but I dont find them the most freindly and helpful which to me is important

House of fraser counter in the city (probably my nearest store) - well I went there for the first time a couple of weeks ago to pick up Naked you MSF *only counter that had any left* and I must say I was impressed, the counter was a nice one not to busy, nice size and helpful & friendly staff the only thing I dont like about it is its in the city and im not much of a fan of central London but I will probably be returning here again

If you need any help/directions with knowing how to get to the PRO store feel free to PM me

[cloverette]

@ sarah

"House of fraser counter in the city"- where is that exactly? somehow i'm thinking that's by bank station, but i'm not sure :confused:
hm, i think that one might actually be the closest one to me, then!



oh, and how could i forget the MACs in covent garden & harvey nichols?!
* covent garden: i don't remember coming across a rude MA there. they're nice, friendly etc. nice atmosphere in the store, too!
* harvey nichols: quite small, somewhat busy. nothing special. i only go there if i'm in the area



so, i think for me it might be 1) high street kensington, 2) king's road, 3) covent garden, or 4) house of fraser in city (depending on where it is).

[poddygirl]

My closest counter is in Fenwicks at Brent Cross and there is one SA there who is a bit rude. I just meander around until someone else helps me I like HOF at Bluewater the best I think - gone to several events there and they were all really nice, helpful and fun. Selfridges Oxford St counter is way too hectic most of the time and because of that (and the location) I think the SAs there are a bit full of themselves The ones at Harvey Nicks Knightbridge are really nice.

[Sarah]

Yep the one in the city is the one near bank station but you are better of leaving the station via Monument station as the house of fraser is next to the entrance/exit, its sign posted from the station what exit to take, its litrally as you go over London bridge and as you come to the end of the bridge its straight in front of you

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloverette

@ sarah

"House of fraser counter in the city"- where is that exactly? somehow i'm thinking that's by bank station, but i'm not sure :confused:
hm, i think that one might actually be the closest one to me, then!



oh, and how could i forget the MACs in covent garden & harvey nichols?!
* covent garden: i don't remember coming across a rude MA there. they're nice, friendly etc. nice atmosphere in the store, too!
* harvey nichols: quite small, somewhat busy. nothing special. i only go there if i'm in the area



so, i think for me it might be 1) high street kensington, 2) king's road, 3) covent garden, or 4) house of fraser in city (depending on where it is).

[Sarah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by poddygirl

My closest counter is in Fenwicks at Brent Cross and there is one SA there who is a bit rude. I just meander around until someone else helps me I like HOF at Bluewater the best I think - gone to several events there and they were all really nice, helpful and fun. Selfridges Oxford St counter is way too hectic most of the time and because of that (and the location) I think the SAs there are a bit full of themselves The ones at Harvey Nicks Knightbridge are really nice.

I feel annoyed now, I never know about the events at Bluewater I presumed they didnt have any ohh I love Mac events and only ever been to one, want to go to more they are just so fun

[Pimptress]

Can I PLEASE come live with one of you? I'll find a job and pay rent, I promise!

[Sarah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pimptress

Can I PLEASE come live with one of you? I'll find a job and pay rent, I promise!

Are you in America?? if so i'll happily swap places with you haha I want out of London, I fell in love with the MAC stores over there

[cloverette]

@ pimtress

why :confused: we have problems finding a decent MA here, whereas in the states, there seem to be LOADS of nice MAs!

[Pimptress]

We can just do a student exchange type of thing..... you can come visit me and stay in my house, if I can come visit you all and stay in your houses. And I'll even try not to be weird

[Sarah]

sounds perfect to me haha, only I wont want to coem back home.

[Pimptress]

That's okay. Do you know anything about being a dental assistant? We are hiring one at my work

[Sarah]

I dont know a thing, but hey im a quick learner

[modernclassics]

The counter at Selfridges is waaay too crowded most of the time, and the MA's are often too busy to really spend time with any one customer I find. But if I'm feeling anti-social and don't feel like talking much, I go there to browse around. I just moved to the UK so that's the only MAC counter I've been to. How is the MAC store in Kingston?

[cutandrun]

Wow, thanks everyone for the feedback! Lol I thought this was only gonna get like three replies! Cloverette, thanks so much for the directions, I know where it is now! I might just go there to get some pro pigments. poddygirl my nearest counter is also brent cross, but I don't like it at all! So far I have met 2 nice ma's there, think one of them is a freelancer though, and the other one I don't think I have seen again. I agree with all of you that selfridges is way too busy, there is one girl there who's quite nice, her name's Marjorie I think, she's got an american accent.

I've been to the one in Convent Garden, I think they're quite nice there, but there was one ma who put chromeglass on me and when I said I thought it looked a bit weird she sounded a bit annoyed...

Harvey Nicks isn't bad, but I only went there looking at lipgloss, so I can't really say.

For me, I need the MAs to be friendly, but also to be talented. This is because when I went to Brent Cross, I asked the girl how to make my brown eyes stand out. I have small asian eyes, and the way she applied violet pigment on me just seemed weird. I have asked other MAC MAs this and they haven't been very helpful either!

On MUA someone recommended Kensington to me, apparently there is a man there who's always happy who's good? Lol. Tomorrow I am going to go to various MAC stores and will post comments on my experience, lol.

Are any of you guys friends with MAs, I wish I was, it would make things so much easier...

[Turbokittykat]

Directions to the Pro Store: From Oxford Circus tube, walk down Regent Street until you reach the corner of Liberty. Turn left and walk along Gt. Marlborough Street (I think), for a little way, past the zebra crossing, until you get to an opened out area on your right, which leads into the top end of Carnaby Street. Turn right, walking past the end of Liberty, until you get to the first road on the left. This is right by the overhead sign that says Carnaby Street and is called Foubert's Place; it's the little road shown in the photo. The Pro store is at the end of the block on the right. You should be able to see the sign from the Carnaby Street end of the road.

I've been to the London Pro store a zillion times, so please let me know if you have any more questions, or if anything I've said isn't clear.

[tiff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pimptress

it was SO glorious (and so cute on those little cute cobblestone london streets!) that I just *had* to take a picture!!!!! out of a group of 65 of us americans, i was the only one who wanted to go and i figured out my own way there and made a whole daytrip of it.

Good for you!

Anyone know anything about Macs in the South West, we only have one in Debenhams in Bristol and one in Jollys in Bath, dont know of any others.

[cloverette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cutandrun

Tomorrow I am going to go to various MAC stores and will post comments on my experience, lol.

oh, please do! and let us know

[cutandrun]

cloverette, are all the MAs at the kensington branch in general nice, or only a few? And what number bus do you take to get to the king's road one? Haha I think I'm going to be visiting about 5 different MAC stores/counters in one day, as well as going to selfridges maybe

[cloverette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cutandrun

cloverette, are all the MAs at the kensington branch in general nice, or only a few? And what number bus do you take to get to the king's road one? Haha I think I'm going to be visiting about 5 different MAC stores/counters in one day, as well as going to selfridges maybe

hm, only been to the kensington one once, but i really liked it. the MA who was helping me was very nice. i have a feeling all the MAs there are nice & helpful, because the store is quite empty.

the king's road one... ... well, i walk from the station to sloane square and get a bus from there. i forgot the bus numbers, but i always look at the bus plan: take a bus that goes down king's road. i think only 2 of the buses turn into another street. when you see Marks & Spencers to your left, get off the bus, as the MAC store is just a few metres away from it.

i can't believe you're thinking of going to the MAC counter in selfridges when you're going to experience the other (better) MAC counters/stores. do you really want to do that to yourself?