You've probably noticed by now we have plenty o' MAC round these parts. The question is, then, why? Are we insane brand-loyal fiends out for the name? Can't be arsed to try anything else?

Well, I can speak for myself, and I'm here to do so.

I own a LOT of makeup. And yes, the vast majority of it is MAC. This is for a few reasons. First, it's the first non-drugstore makeup I was introduced to. This made it the first makeup I knew that actually, well, worked. Prior to that, I found the makeup I'd tried to lack pigmentation or blendability or... actual practical use. It made me see the light of makeup, that it could be a joy.

Follow up:

MAC is something I have locally available to me in a place where makeup selection is limited - no Sephora or Ulta to be found! It has improved lately with the addition of some Shopper's Drug Mart "beauty boutiques", but is still a far cry from what can be obtained in larger cities. I like being able to swatch things and try them out in person. I live less than a 20 minute walk from a freestanding MAC store. Mmhmm.

I love bright colours and a lot of variety. MAC has an excellent permanent line for variety and is always churning out more. But, most importantly: it's affordable for the price. At least, it was - I'm none too impressed with recent price hikes.

Being a mid-range makeup brand, there is decent quality accompanied by prices that aren't sky high; sky high prices are NOT something I have the budget for. Plus, if you know where to look online, you can often get MAC (new and old) for dirt cheap. This is what I've done, and how I've obtained the majority of my collection. On average I've spent between $5 and $10 per lipstick/eyeshadow/etc - a far cry from the ~$17 retail price tags for those things from MAC, let alone other brands. And you know what? That's the same price or less than a lot of drug store here.

This is hardly to say that I am a hardcore loyal MAC fan, let alone call them my favourite brand. I think there are a lot of wonderful brands that each has their specialty. I'm a big fan of Make Up For Ever, smashbox and theatrical brands (Ben Nye, etc). I think there is a lot of superb, affordable makeup these days. I hardly ever indulge in Make Up For Ever because it's considerably more expensive than my cheapo online purchases - though, at retail in Canada, it's hardly more expensive than MAC and generally better quality along with a whole lot more product. I spend $5 or less on my smashbox eyeshadows and lipstuffs. And you know what? I love that stuff!

So, in short, I buy what is pretty, good quality and affordable. I don't give a damn about the name. MAC can be found cheap online along with plenty of descriptions and reviews. My weakness is their more unique (often older) products. If you set two products side by each that are identical aside from the name, I'm going to want the cheaper one.

I don't think MAC makes the best of anything, nor do I assume something is going to be awesome because they made it. In fact, I find they can be very hit or miss. Some of their products are garbage, and some are stunning. I won't buy all of it, and I won't buy something just because it's "popular". I buy it because I think it's lovely, I can afford the price tag and I want it on my face.

That should give you a bit of an idea about why I have such a high proportion of MAC.