MAC quality

[kerasaki]

I have been reading that the quality of MAC products has declined. It's mainly makeup artists claiming they can't work with MAC shadows as well as they used to, and even the brushes aren't the same anymore.

Why would something like this happen? The prices are going up and yet the quality is going down? Is there a reason that would justify this decline? Or is this just a lie some makeup artists are trying to promote? (I find that very hard to believe.)

 

[gildedangel]

In the case of brushes I find that no two brushes are ever the same. They are all handmade, so they can vary in size and bristle density. A reason makeup artists might be saying this is because MAC is not the highest end quality. It is good quality, but there is better out there, so it may seem to MAs that the quality isn't as good because they have used better. I haven't been around MAC that long so I cannot directly compare, but there are probably many factors. Prices go up because MAC wants to be high end, it would be weird if they lowered their prices, that isn't in keeping with their image. I don't think that the prices need to be raised so much however.....

 

[kerasaki]

What I've read is that MAC used to have better quality earlier and I was just wondering whether they've changed something in the ingredients. How can the quality of an eyeshadow decline? Anyway... maybe it's all rumours, I just happened to read it a lot lately and thought I'd ask whether someone knows anything concrete about it.

 

[chocolategoddes]

I've heard that, too. I can only imagine what the quality was like before since so many of MACs current products are excellent.

I'm guessing this occured when Estee-Lauder took over for the company and it started becoming more of a consumer's line than a "makeup artists" line.
When a company's trying to make more of a profit, they've got to cut down production costs but also increase the prices, which turns into lower quality products for a higher price.

I only recently got into MAC, so I don't know much. :/

 

[Chrystia]

Another factor to consider is how regular use of a product/brand in time can make the initial excitement when you star using it decline. As a make up artist I was floored when I first started using MAC and how wonderful the products were. However, years later I still love MAC, but I have also developed my own share of frustrations with the brand's products as well.