MAC Girls vs. Sephora Girls: At the MAC Counter

--By Pearl C.

MAC Mineralize Loose Powder
$19.50
Available at: nordstrom.com

Love may be a battlefield, but makeup can be all out war. This may sound preposterous to some of you, but to others, I know you’re smirking. I’ve always felt like there were two kinds of girls. The MAC girls and the Sephora girls. Sometimes you’d see them mixing and matching, but for the most part their allegiance was strong.

I’ve always been a Sephora girl. Recently a friend convinced me to check out the local MAC store, where they had a special running: you could get your full make up done if you spent $50 on product (walk in only). This was all new to me, and I figured it was worth a shot. I could always wash it off if I came out looking like a deranged clown.

My makeup artist seemed incredibly knowledgeable and I could tell she was brushing up a storm. She used products I’ve never used before including lip liners, mists, and eyebrow shadows. When I finally got a chance to see a mirror, I barely recognized myself, but in that awesome way. I’m usually such a minimalist when it comes to my make up, but there were some essentials that I learned about during this impromptu tutorial. Just a side note, MAC makeup is particularly wonderful for darker skin tones. I’ve spent so much money on products that just don’t work with my skin tone. MAC was the exact opposite experience, I now have a very long “to buy” list!

My most cherished find: MAC Mineralize SPF 15 loose powder. This stuff floats on your skin like it’s been airbrushed (well, you must get yourself a decent brush) and it stays on all day. Today I was told that I looked fresh and glowing. After 4 hours of sleep I know that wasn’t me, it was the make up! Strobe Cream is pretty awesome too, it’s a moisturizer that you brush on lightly to give a little extra glow to your skin. Particularly good for heavy picture days. Prep and Prime Line Filler was insanely cool, and is magic (I mean it) for getting rid of my oily t-zones. And yes, they stay that way.

MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo
$19.00
Available at: nordstrom.com

And the colors, ohhhh the colors. For those of you daring peeps, check out the Pigment tubs (I want to dive into blue brown) and for the less daring, check out their shadows in a ridiculous array of shades (I am partial to the purples). I particularly love their Mineralize Eye Shadows that are two different colors mixed together in the middle (Sea & Sky is so gorgeous and I’m dying to try Earthly Riches).

I know there is so much more on my to-buy list, but I’ll let you make your own. Definitely go in and take advantage of the make up artists, they are so talented and I hope you guys learn as much as I did. I will forever love my Sephora but MAC has definitely captured my attention. I always did see two sides to every story.

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Pearl C. is the Stiletto Jungle Music Editor. Originally from the east coast, Pearl has called SoCal home for the past nine years. Currently based in glammy Los Angeles, Pearl plays amongst the stars as a digital diva for Interscope records. Pearl has a B.A. in English, a law degree, and a spot-on gift for finding the best party in town.