Building up a MAC collection the intelligent way

[LASHionista]

Hey Ladies,
i recently started buying my first mac products. Until now I own steamy, pincurl, woodwinked, satellite dreams and greensmoke e/s, chatterbox l/s and 266 brush (thanks to peachy pink, my love

).
Now I need some help where to start building it up or what products are REALLY good. I have no idea cuz the amount of amazing must have products seems to be HUGE and I can't test them in person cuz the next mac counter is 170 kilometres away.
I know I want to start a 15 pan e/s palette because it's flat and I don't have to carry around lots of pots. I already looked for some colors I like and I know I want deep truth, carbon, silver ring, electra, satin taupe and maybe shroom but I'm not sure about the neutrals so recommendations needed here

and please tell me about other e/s must haves, I really appreciate experienced MAC addicts sharing info.
Next thing I'll buy for sure is blacktrack fluidline. I'm a black liner addict, can't live without some.
In the last weeks I just discovered that i'm a freakin e/s lover and it needs proper application, so which brushes do I need? I think I need something fluffy and something to blend (blending looks just gorgeous...)
Another stuff thats not so important now are lip and face products and pigments. What's great and absolutely important there?
I'm thankful for every tip cuz it would really help me to spend my money for the right products the times I am at a mac store which doesn't happen very often

:
24.5.-30.5. London
2.-7.7. Stockholm

 

[anita22]

Hello and welcome to MAC addiction

My advice for you is to build slowly, and take the time to work out what will work for *you* personally. I'm sure a lot of other people here will agree with me when I say that on several occasions I've bought raved-about products and regretted it (either because they were impulse buys, or just something that plain just didn't suit me, and I should have known better). Doing research (which it sounds like you are!) and also thinking about what your own style is and what you would actually get most wear out of is important if you don't want to get carried away. (Of course, if you want to get carried away, don't let me stop you!

).

Regarding product recommendations, you will get the most valuable information by being very specific when asking for recommendations. For example, if you ask "What's the best foundation?" you will probably not get a valuable answer because everyone uses different criteria to judge what is a good foundation. Instead, tell us about your skin type, colour, what you are looking for in a good foundation (coverage? oil control? what type of finish?) and the replies you get will be so much more helpful. Also, the search function in this thread is a really useful source of info - most of the time when I think of a question, someone has already asked it before. For example, you might find these useful:

http://www.specktra.net/forum/f188/i...ws-mac-128752/
http://www.specktra.net/forum/f188/h...colors-118862/
http://www.specktra.net/forum/f188/n...w-help-112043/

I hope that helps! I don't have a large collection compared to many people on here, but if I had to start collecting over again, this is what I would tell myself

 

[VintageAqua]

It sounds like you are off to a REALLY great start so far actually! You are buying fun yet really versatile products so I'll just pop in a few more. It really depends what skin tone you are, what textures of products you like (frost, satin, matte) and the function you would like to achieve (everyday/work, clubbing, avant garde, etc) but here's a few to get you started without being overwhelmed!

Eyeshadows: Consider purchasing these in the pan form as they are less expensive and you won't have to worry about depotting to start out (unless they are LE). I wholeheartedly think that the colors you picked are fabulous so I would stick with those and consider:
Cork-Medium neutral brown for blending
Copperplate-Taupe grey great for smokey eyes
Humid- Shimmering forest green that looks fab on every skin tone
Sketch- Darkened burgandy with subtle shimmer, use as liner or crease

Bases: Everyone needs at least one base color to allow shadows to adhere to the lid better. This will increase the vibrancy and staying power. I would start out with a matte color that works well with your skin tone.
Painterly Paintpot OR Bare Canvas Paint-matte ivory for light to med skin
Groundwork Paintpot OR Sublime Nature Paint-matte caramel for darker

Eyeliner: Highly recommend Blacktrack Fluidline.

Mascara: To be honest, MAC mascara is wonderful but not the best. If you're interested check out zoomlash (lengthening) or plushlash (thickening).

Cheeks: I would highly recommend looking at the swatches section for better views of blushes. While starting your collection I would probably stay with powder formulas but don't be afraid to try their lovely cream selection as well! My personal faves include (NC25-NC30 skin):
Blushbaby-neutral pink matte
Springsheen- softer version of NARS orgasm shimmer
Sunbasque- gives everyone a sun-kissed glow shimmer
Pearl cream color base- great as a highlighter for everywhere

Lipsticks: Get a few colors that you can wear everyday and then one fun one for going out.
Viva Glam V-beautiful nude pink and 100% proceeds go toMAC AIDS Fund
Russian Red or Rebel- a bright matte red and a satin berry for fun nights

Glosses: Both of these colors I've used on countless shoots and weddings.
Ample pink-slicked pink without shimmer
Love nectar-pinky peach duochrome

Brushes: People all over the industry will say two things about MAC brushes: they are an investment and they have fabulous durability. That being said, an artist with good brushes makes for a much easier and flawless application.
#266 is a great place to start so YAY! A few others you may want to look into are:
#217 AND/OR #224: These are both great for applying subtle color and blending on the lids. The 217 will pack color more densely and is a bit shorter while the 224 will blend softer and will apply a more sheer amount of color. I have both and use them all the time (even for undereye concealer) but it depends on your funds.
#242 AND/OR #239: Similarly to the battle of the blending brushes, these are both flat shaders to apply color. I'd go with the #242 as it packs color easier and it won't stain as easily.
#263: I know you stated that you own the #266 and this is basically the synthetic version on that brush, however for extremely thin, crisp lines this is Ahh-ma-zing!
#187: This little guy is literally a do-it-all face brush. There are several threads on this site about the wonders of the #187.
#316: If you don't have a lip brush, now's the time to invest. This one is metal and has a casing so its great for travel.

And last but not least: Brush Cleanser!

Whew, looks like a great haul I see in the future! Keep us posted on what you get. Hope that helps

 

[rbella]

If I could only own a few products it would be these:
Brule
Sketch
Carbon
Magnetic Fields (LE-clearance bin)
Vanilla Pigment
Mulch
Satin Taupe


Feline Kohl Liner

Bare Study p/p
Beige-ing Shade Stick
Pearl CCB (I use on eyes as base)

MSF Natural

239 and 217 or 224 brush
187 brush
188 kabuki

Blushbaby
Prism

Soft and Gentle MSF

Spice Lip Liner

High Tea or 3n depending on if you like nude lips and what color

 

[LASHionista]

Thanks very much, every tip was helpful

Does anyone know a tone that fits nicely between satin taupe and naked lunch to make a nice smokey trio?

 

[VintageAqua]

I would try copperplate, since it's a matte2 it will be incredible easy to blend.

 

[pumpkincat210]

what color are your eyes?

 

[LASHionista]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumpkincat210 what color are your eyes?

deep brown with a tiny bit of green