Hello Megan!
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding
You asked me my opinions on MAC cosmetics. As a professional makeup artist, I will give my professional opinion, but that doesn't mean that you or anyone else who responds to the post has to or will agree with me. That being said, here I go!
As far as Mary Kay cosmetics, I do really like their eyeshadows. They have nice pigmentation and read beautifully on photography. As far as everything else...I would use a more professional brand of cosmetics that wear meant to withstand hot lights, long hours and unpredictable weather conditions.
Now for MAC. When MAC was first created in Canada by the "Two Franks" it was a makeup brand created by makeup artists FOR makeup artists. It was sold exclusively in Canada and at very reasonable prices. In 1997, one of the founding Franks passed away, and the the surviving Frank sold the company to Estee Lauder. Ever since Estee Lauder bought MAC, they have been fiddling with the original formulations, and I have to sadly say that the quality of MAC makeup is nowhere near the quality of what it once was. Many of their eyeshadows have very little pigment and it is hard for them to be blended, and to get a decent amount of color on the eyes you have to use alot of product. Some of their foundation formulations have been changed and they no longer seem appropriate for professional use. Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life. You should use makeup that will stay put through tears, laughing and dancing. If you are asking for my honest opinion, I would say that there are so many brands out there that have far superior products at a more reasonable price (or at least they are worth the price being asked for them.) Than MAC. Some brands I like that are great for professional as well as personal use are :
1) Makeup For Ever (can be found at
www.sephora.com) I love SO many items from this line...their foundations, eyeshadows, pigments, aqua liners...the list goes on!
2) Face Atelier (can be found at
www.faceatelier.com) thier foundations and lipglosses are amazing! You can order samples of most anything for $1.00 (yes, $1.00) and they are VERY generous. A single samples of foundations will last 4-7 applications. It's pretty concentrated, so you only need a little bit. They also send eyeshadow, concealer, lipgloss and powder samples!)
3) Nixie Cosmetics (Can be found at
www.nixiecosmetics.com) This is a great line for MAC substitution. They have VERY reasonable prices, amazing products (think beautiful eyeshadows that are so very soft and pigmented because they are made from Italian talc, and pigments so shimmery all colors of the rainbow. They also have foundations very similar to MAC's and a whipped one that is soft and matte on. Highly recommended brand!)
These are my top 3 choices because they are true professional lines that have excellent customer service and will help you with any questions that you might have.
Model in a Bottle is also a great product to help seal your makeup in place. I would of course do a test run with it before the big day so you can rule out the possibility of any allergic reactions you might have to the product. Also, it will help you test it's abilities to prevent your makeup from smearing.
Remember, makeup is always about having fun and trying new things! You can always run to your nearest Sephora (or ULTA) and purchase a couple of items and test them out at home. Compare them to what you currently wear and see if something works better for you, or not. These stores always have great return policies, and you can also ask for a makeover using certain products.
Best of luck on your "quest" and let me know if you have any more questions
MAC Cosmetics
Linear Mode
