{photo courtesy of Musings of a Muse}
I bet you never thought you would ever hear me utter the words 'MAC Haul' now, did you? Now, I would never buy their makeup because it is full of Parabens, but I have heard such good things about their brushes over the years, I figured I would give them a shot.
I purchased the Adoring Carmine Face set (no longer available) at Dillard's after Christmas sale for $18. They retail for around $50, so I thought it was a steal.
These are special smaller versions of regular sized MAC brushes that are only available during the holidays. I have to say that I was impressed with the packaging, carrying case and the overall beauty of the brush handles. It's a lovely color.
Included are Special Edition versions of the 187 (duo fiber), 190 (foundation brush), 168 (angled contour) and 194 (concealer).
I washed them and starting using them a couple weeks ago (yes, I'm slow). I was surprised at how many hairs came out of the 187 (known as the skunk brush) when I washed it. The rest had little to no shedding.
I've been using Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop artists brushes for about six months now and am really impressed with the quality. I wash them every week and my eyeshadow brush daily. No shedding and they look new. I wanted to put that out there so you know the quality level I am accustomed to using.
I can't believe a company as lauded as MAC would sell customers such a collection of crap brushes. I wish I could get my $18 back. The 187 is a huge disappointment and not a fan of the 168 either. The others are meh, I've bought similar quality brushes at Big Lots.
The first time I used the 187 was to stipple wet foundation. I kept pulling brush hairs off my face and onto my sink - 23 hairs in total. Every time the brush touched my face, it left a hair behind. The next time I used it with mineral foundation - got 6 that time. Then a wash, another 9 hairs. I used the 168 for blush. No shedding but I was not impressed with the performance or it's ability to keep it's shape.
I know these brushes can't be compared side-by-side with the full sizes brushes. These are machine made while the others are hand made. But, that 187 is the worst shedding brush I have ever used.
Here is a review along with other photos from Musings of a Muse. She liked them.
Reviews from Makeup Alley. Most had my experience.
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MAC Cosmetics are one of the most popular makeup brands around. A dupe of their famous lipsticks is still one of the most requested things on my local cruelty free Facebook groups! Unfortunately, MAC Cosmetics are not cruelty free – they allow animal testing to occur on their products, and they are owned by a non-cruelty free parent company.
What Is Paraben Free Products
Jan 14, 2021 9 Best paraben-, sulfate-, and phthalate-free makeup brands of 2021. Burt’s Bees is the OG clean beauty brand. They got famous for their beeswax lip and body products, but now.
Are MAC Cosmetics Cruelty Free?
Mac Cosmetics are not cruelty free. MAC Cosmetics state on their website:
- The good news is that it was much easier to find paraben free makeup in 2018! Parabens are a hot topic these days. While the medical community feels parabens are safe based upon our current level of knowledge and scientific research (Dr. Cynthia Bailey has a great post going over parabens in skin care ), there are people who want to avoid parabens.
- Han Skin Care Cosmetics, like so many clean beauty brands, is quick to list what its products are free of — synthetic fragrance, parabens, and animal cruelty, to name a few. But what it's full.
List Of Paraben Free Makeup
Along with many other popular brands, although MAC Cosmetics state that they have never tested on animals, you can see from the quote that they allow their products to be tested on animals by ‘some governments’. As we all know, true cruelty free brands do not sell their products under governments that conduct animal testing.
In addition to this, MAC Cosmetics are owned by Estée Lauder. This leads to a fairly complicated debate on whether or not an animal testing parent company can own a cruelty free brand. (Get more info here). I always say that it’s up to an individual to decide whether or not they want to buy from brands with animal testing parent companies, but either way it’s worth noting.
Do MAC Cosmetics have Vegan Products?
Crosshair overlay for mac. No MAC products can be classed as vegan because they are all subject to animal testing. Makeup Academy (MUA) is a great alternative brand that is 100% cruelty free and vegan.
Are MAC Cosmetics a Sustainable Brand?
Hidden away on their website is a link to MAC Cosmetics’ “Back to MAC” scheme, which gives you a free lipstick for every six empty MAC containers returned to store for recycling. This can only be done in-store and doesn’t seem to be particularly well advertised on their website, but at least it’s something.
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