MAC and Gareth Pugh Discussion

Mac-Guy

Well-known member
Do not copy or link this review to any other website, blog or forum w/o my explicit permission!

The 182 GP kabuki has very soft hair that is perfectly shaped in a tapered doom. While new MAC brushes usually shed a few hairs when they are new, this one has not lost a single hair (yet) despite daily use and cleansing with water and baby shampoo. The bristles are rather soft but firm enough allow a firm grip that does not bend completely when it touches the skin. It has the right amount of bounce to buff out an MSF or a b/p. If applying Elude directly with it, you need to be careful as it will pick up a lot of product. For that reason, I do not recommend applying Elude directly with the 182 GP, but using the 131 followed by the kabuki to buff it out. The bristles are more stiff than the 179, but they are not scratchy at all. The bristles seems to be a bit shorter than the regular 182, which is an added bonus as it justifies buying another kabuki.

The handle is stunning and due to the quadrangle socket, it's easier to hold than a round version. However, the material is more prone to fingerprints than the regular 182. Please note that the brush is produced in China, which is labeled on the side of the handle.

In terms of pricing, I find the kabuki the most affordable product of this collection. Yes, it still costs $60 bucks, but when you compare the regular 182 at a price of $50, the added 10 bucks seem to be a piece of cake featuring the smallest mark-up of all the GP products.
 

XxMoOmOoxX

Well-known member
The CCO that I went to didn't put any of the brushes on display. I had to ask the Sales Assistant if she had any brushes for sale and then she took the testers out from the back of the register. So, if you don't see it on display in Vegas, just remember to ask the SA to make sure.
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Haven

Well-known member
I have been seriously considering the brush simply b/c I like to buy all of the LE "special" brushes. Plus I need to order MPP before it dissapears, so I may add it to my cart. I must admit that the price has been stopping me to this point, and I would rather get it at a CCO. But then that is such a gamble.

I would consider elude as well, but I am NW 20 and don't need a yellowing effect. I will have to somehow try to get to MAC (work has been kicking my arse lately so it probably won't happen - too busy) over the next week to swatch it in person. I am trying to ignore the lipglosses....
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From Left to Right: MAC 182 Brush (2006 Couture Limited Edition), MAC Gareth Pugh 182 Brush (Couture Limited Edition), MAC 109 Brush
I haven't heard much love for the Gareth Pugh buffer brush. Am I the only crazy one who bought it?
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I have no regrets buying it. It feels super duper soft and is slightly denser than the MAC 182 2006 couture version.
I love using it to apply setting powder and to buff out over-applied products, such as blush.
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Haven

Well-known member
I have read that elude is much more flattering for NC vs. NW skintones. I don't know if this is true, but I plan to swatch it before buying. I don't want to make $60 mistake that I have to fight with MAC.com to return. I hate sending in returns b/c something always seems to get messed up.
 

liba

Well-known member
I have read that elude is much more flattering for NC vs. NW skintones. I don't know if this is true, but I plan to swatch it before buying. I don't want to make $60 mistake that I have to fight with MAC.com to return. I hate sending in returns b/c something always seems to get messed up.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. DO NOT spend $60 on Elude, no matter what skin tone you are, unless you've tried it in person. Even if it works for your skin tone, it's a very dramatic effect and not the sort of thing that'd work for everyone for regular use, even if it looks great on your skin, since it might be too avant guard or formal for anything but a big night on the town for some people's style. I have a pretty extreme fashion style and look great in Elude and even I won't wear it every single day - it's just not the sort of product for t-shirt and jeans kinds of days, hehe. If you're young and already have porcelain pale skin, it also might be somewhat aging on you, since instead of gilding the lilly, it'd just be adding an extra layer of what you already have.

Better to try it first rather than buy it then return it, which is a hassle and also deprives someone who might have really wanted it badly from getting it. They have to toss out returns, even if you haven't opened the box, so it's just an all-around waste.
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TRY BEFORE YOU BUY is the mantra here.
 

mac_aiken

Well-known member
I am NW15 and have not had a problem with it.

I have read that elude is much more flattering for NC vs. NW skintones. I don't know if this is true, but I plan to swatch it before buying. I don't want to make $60 mistake that I have to fight with MAC.com to return. I hate sending in returns b/c something always seems to get messed up.
 

elegant-one

Well-known member
Hi April my skin twin
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Did you post what you thought of Elude & Restrict? If you did I missed it. So say it again Sam ;)

Yellow??? No way...no yellow.
 

liba

Well-known member
Hi April my skin twin
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Did you post what you thought of Elude & Restrict? If you did I missed it. So say it again Sam ;)
Yellow??? No way...no yellow.
I think it was Ansimi who thought it made her look too yellow when she tried it on. I remember her post about her MA laughing after she applied it in the store as just a big no no.

You might be interested to hear I tore myself away from Elude/Restrict yesterday and went with Elude/Fervent/Outrage. It looked good with some simple For Effect on the eyes with a blue, grey and green outfit, but my heart still belongs to Elude/Restrict!!!
 

Mac-Guy

Well-known member
I've said it before and I'll say it again. DO NOT spend $60 on Elude, no matter what skin tone you are, unless you've tried it in person. Even if it works for your skin tone, it's a very dramatic effect and not the sort of thing that'd work for everyone for regular use, even if it looks great on your skin, since it might be too avant guard or formal for anything but a big night on the town for some people's style. I have a pretty extreme fashion style and look great in Elude and even I won't wear it every single day - it's just not the sort of product for t-shirt and jeans kinds of days, hehe. If you're young and already have porcelain pale skin, it also might be somewhat aging on you, since instead of gilding the lilly, it'd just be adding an extra layer of what you already have.
Better to try it first rather than buy it then return it, which is a hassle and also deprives someone who might have really wanted it badly from getting it. They have to toss out returns, even if you haven't opened the box, so it's just an all-around waste.
nope.gif
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY is the mantra here.
While I agree - in general - that one should try out a product before committing to buy rather than returning it, I wouldn't necessarily call Elude dramatic. Yes, it has certainly the potential to go full on dramatic, but it can also be applied so lightly that it just brightens the complexion in a very natural way, especially if you are in the NW10 - 20 range.

I second your thoughts on aging, though that goes for any matte powder that is applied with a heavy hand. IMO, any sort of thick layer - if it is not blended out - will age the skin, as it just looks dry and too powdery.

Personally, I love Elude over the BB cream and/or F&B as the dewy character is sustained due to the soft focus finish of Elude.

But as liba said, if you are in doubt, test it out before you buy.
 

Mac-Guy

Well-known member
I think it was Ansimi who thought it made her look too yellow when she tried it on. I remember her post about her MA laughing after she applied it in the store as just a big no no.
You might be interested to hear I tore myself away from Elude/Restrict yesterday and went with Elude/Fervent/Outrage. It looked good with some simple For Effect on the eyes with a blue, grey and green outfit, but my heart still belongs to Elude/Restrict!!!

Have you tried Crystal Pink over Elude? Especially with Let's Skate on the lid. It's a Sugarplum dream.
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elegant-one

Well-known member
You might be interested to hear I tore myself away from Elude/Restrict yesterday and went with Elude/Fervent/Outrage. It looked good with some simple For Effect on the eyes with a blue, grey and green outfit, but my heart still belongs to Elude/Restrict!!!

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Switching it up eh. I agree, I love the Elude Restrict combo so much, but your new mix sounds lovely too.

I love Restrict so much that I put it on just to wear with my nightgown
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Mac-Guy

Well-known member
I've also been falling into a serious Restrict addiction and the fact that the free overnight shipping still works does not help me at all.
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liba

Well-known member
Not aging in the sense of looking too heavy, but aging in the sense of reaching for an unnecessary or redundant effect. I rocked white matte powder of much lower quality when I was in my teens and 20's, but I wanted a really extreme look and was in the 80's where dramatic makeup was more mainstream than it is now for younger gals.

Elude has enough pigmentation and skin retexturing effects that I'd call the look on par with medium+ coverage foundation, even though it doesn't actually have that same level of coverage, and that's with a light application. You can apply it and then tone it down a little more with some Fix+, but that's an extra step right there. If you have perfect pale skin and are just looking for a brightening effect without any sort of style statement going along with it, there are easier choices. If you want to recapture Snow White perfection, though, Elude is like manna from heaven.

Then again, I'm the anti-enabler and I have a strong feeling about young women with gorgeous skin hiding their natural beauty more than they realize. We all see every tiny imperfection so much more obviously than anyone else can. Sometimes even lightly covering what ought to be flaunted doesn't look as beautiful to an outside observer and puts extra stress on your skin. Call it personal opinion, but I feel like if you are 20 years old and have perfect pale skin, you only need something like Elude or anything beyond tinted moisturizer if you're trying to make a glamorous statement. If you're naturally so pale that most other products are too dark on you and highlighters look like blush or are too shimmery for your taste, Elude might be perfect, but I can't help but say that if you're already that naturally pale, FLAUNT IT, GORGEOUS! and always think twice about covering it up!
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liba

Well-known member
Have you tried Crystal Pink over Elude? Especially with Let's Skate on the lid. It's a Sugarplum dream.
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Every time I use Elude, I love the perfect pallor so much that I wind up putting down every highlighter and blush my hand grabs before I can apply them, hahaha. I was just noticing that yesterday as I put yet another blush down after dolling myself up with Elude. I think I might give Crystal Pink a chance by putting it on then putting the Elude over it - I might not be able to get my hands to do it any other way ;) 'Sounds like what I'd call the Cyberplum Fairy look!!!
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elegant-one

Well-known member
Oh, I had to share a funny. We went to lunch & then did some light shopping
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& I kept setting off every detector in every store
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We couldn't figure out what it was, not my purse, not my coat, shirt....when I got home I realized that there was a small magnet thingy sewn into the seam of my newer pants that I couldn't feel when I was wearing them today
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I'm always good for some kind of entertainment.
 

liba

Well-known member
Oh, I had to share a funny. We went to lunch & then did some light shopping
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& I kept setting off every detector in every store
girlhaha.gif
We couldn't figure out what it was, not my purse, not my coat, shirt....when I got home I realized that there was a small magnet thingy sewn into the seam of my newer pants that I couldn't feel when I was wearing them today
rofl.gif
I'm always good for some kind of entertainment.
Next time, blame it on animal magnetism, you heart breaker!
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