Cosmetics Thread,, We've got fashion, but no makeup Options

[*Shelby-Zu*]

Have you tried using a different way to apply foundation? Just by changing technique you can use a lot less of it.

i think this is the best idea,
stick with the makeup you like- mac/makeup forever

and just apply it differently since you use very little x

[Gypsy Eyes]

Oh yeah I only use liquid and apply it with a decent sized brush. I was just looking for a brand. I don't like the mac.

[*Shelby-Zu*]

Oh yeah I only use liquid and apply it with a decent sized brush. I was just looking for a brand. I don't like the mac.

try the stila,
and a brush? and you use little?
MMMMM....maybe dabbing it with a sponge instead.
put a dot on your face- forehead, two cheeks, nose, and chin, and dab it with a sponge rather than apply with a brush, you might put on less that way.
but you never know because everyone is different and im not EXACT with how you put it on, you may use less the way you do it,
but i use less doing it the other way- spesh if your face is clear, then you dont use so much anyway. which is good!

you also never know, because doing it with the sponge doesnt exactly offer COMPLETE coverage, which is why i recommend it if your face is clear. you may want all around coverage and use the brush still. i kinda feel like im getting off topic again because you want a BRAND. but im just offering my opinion lol.

xx

ps: i also got all the makeup i ordered today everyone!!!!
i will post pictures later tonight x


pss: im looking for MINT coloured nail varnish, anyone know where i could get some? im not looking for any specific or "big" brand


EDIT:
so about 5 hours later ** i finally got around to taking a pic of all the new makeup i got :3

[Gigi]

No offense, but the 4 MAC brushes on the left (not including 187) look FAKE. I was told that the ferrule is always silver (except SE ones, I think some come in gold?). A black plastic instead of a silver ferrule is usually an indicator of fake M.A.C. brushes. You should probably contact the seller who sold it to you. In addition, there are no brush numbers.

Agreed, did you get these off eBay? Rule of thumb: brushes sold on eBay claiming to be MAC are FAKE FAKE FAKE.

ALL MAC brushes have numbers. All full-size brushes have silver ferrules. Also, MAC doesn't make a sponge applicator "brush", and the first powder/blush brush doesn't look like anything MAC does at all.

The 187 brush looks semi-authentic though.

[Just_Dream]

The 187 brush looks semi-authentic though.

The only way to know is by the ferrule and the logo, but your (Shelby-Zu) picture of the brush makes it blurry, so that's why it looks semi-authentic. In addition, the fibres are a little off in terms of shaping. If that brush is "new", it shouldn't lose its shape so easily, especially since it's supposed to be really dense.

I don't own any MAC brushes because I've seen them in person and didn't think they were that great (sorry Gigi ). Most of the ones I've seen are for eyes, and I've found equally good ones in lower-end brands. I'm considering getting the 208 though. As for face ones - my kabuki feels amazing, so maybe I'll get the 187 when MAC's F&F rolls around.

p.s. Gigi, omg I didn't know that there's fakes of all kinds of MAC products. WTF I thought it was only limited to brushes, e/s, and pigment. There's blushes, powder, fluidline, liquid eyeliner, mascara... EVERYTHING! ;'[ I'm glad there aren't any fake UD products... Can you believe using fake UDPP or 24/7 liner?! hahah.

[Gigi]

Yeah some MAC brushes aren't that great (the cheaper face brushes, generally, like the 150 and 129). I LOVE the 182 kabuki though, although there are some good drugstore alternatives (the retractable Eco Tools kabuki is great! I brought it with me to HK). But the 217, I have never been able to find a good dupe. That one is definitely irreplaceable...the way it blends colour upon impact is amazing, plus it's super soft! The 187 is pretty good too, for pigmented blushes and especially brilliant with liquid foundation. Sadly I rarely use liquid foundation :(

You could probably get a drugstore angle brush though, Christina, cus the MAC ones are pretty expensive but perform just as well as drugstore brands.

I remember than my 187 has really deep indentations in the ferrule, so deep that it creates almost a semi-circle shape, and the one in the photo looks a bit shallow. Yes there's so much fake stuff on eBay! Especially MAC brushes and popular LE stuff like Fafi and Hello Kitty. That's why I'm wary of eBay...

[Just_Dream]

That's why I'm wary of eBay...

Ebay's definitely good for other brands though - I've seen my mineral powder (gloMinerals) much cheaper on there than anywhere else! $25 vs. $45, you do the math. Ahaha is always looking for the best deals.

p.s. I can't wait to meat meet you and yanyan, julia, and toby

[Gigi]

I would definitely stay away from any more well-known high end brands (Dior, Chanel etc) and esp MAC and Nars...tons of fakes! But I've seen tons of good deals on eBay for lesser known brands too. Just know what you're buying, that's all.

I CAN'T WAIT EITHER!!! I think I'm gonna make a Facebook message for all of us soon so we can discuss where to go and when! <33

[*Shelby-Zu*]

the four on the left are fake,

everything i got is real except the three brushes,
those three were bought from an online seller of myspace, not off the mac site.
some of the other makeup i got she gave me as a free gift,
i know those are fake, as they do not have a number next to the logo, and i dont THINK mac brushes have black metal on them, but i wouldnt know, like i said i just got into makeup and all around last august so this would be my first pretty big purchase :P

EDIT::::fake mac and brushes can be found at;
www.brush111.com

makeup brushes similar to mac for a cheaper price can be found at:
www.sigmamakeup.com

and there are loads of sellers on ebay and mypace that sell fake mac, as in:
Baily's boutique
Thread On It
..and a few others that i cant name off the top of my head right now.

i have owned fake mac in the past. A myspace shop called Designer Diva Consignment sold them to me (i dont think she exists any longer). At the time, I thought the pigments i had bought off her were real, but i knew the e/s wasnt. Then i was really disappointed when i got them and found they werent.

as far as fake e/s goes, or any makeup really- everyone is scared that fake mac, or any fake makeup has lead in it. IT DOESNT. the only thing in it that most people dont fancy is that it contains loads of talc because its cheap, and thats what makes fake mac so cheap. and i dont think real makeup contains a lot, or any at all, im not sure, i havent looked into it as much yet.

after owning the two- fake pigments and e/s AND authentic pigments and e/s, you can definitely see the difference in packaging, although the makeup quality ITSELF is almost no different. IMO. I DO prefer authentic though, but that makes sense, as everyone would rather have an authentic Juicy purse over a fake one, right? same applies with makeup. But thats why i dont mind the fake brushes. The quality is almost exactly the same. I WILL say that of course its not AS great as authentic, but the fake mac brushes are 100x better than drugstore ones :3

part of the reason i got the fake brushes (yes i did know they were fake, not sure if i mentioned that already or not) was because the four you see are similiar to the next REAL brushes im getting, and im going to check out the difference in quality, etc. My best friend is going to take the fake brushes off my hands after i get the real ones :)) so it was kinda a win-win for us both. ANYWAY, thats another story. (also hence why i was in a hurry to buy brush cleaner :) )

and as far as other fake brands, Gigi- Dior, chanel, etc. Its been very hard for me to actually find fakes of those brands. Mostly because if i look into buy them personally off someone over the web, its someone i know and trust over in england where its easy to buy that stuff. Where I live, there are NO mac counters, NO dior, NO chanel, no nothing. I'm surprised if you find people around here who even KNOW what that stuff is.

Just_Dream: Oh there are fakes EVERYWHERE. They now have LOADS of fake Hello Kitty Mac items. Anyone who does know mac could easily tell that mac doesnt sell it. But my friend almost bought a fake HK pallet thinking it was real, when she showed it to me i was like WTF??! mac doesnt sell that!...............tbh, i was kinda surprised :P because i've found it hard to find other fake mac of a specific collection, but the HK collection took off like crazy..now everyone wants it and fake HK mac is already out.. it kinda disgusts me >.<'

JUST SO IM CLEAR :P,
I'm new to this whole "makeup" thing. well i wouldnt say im new but people here like Gigi and tons of other people have had way more makeup experience than i do >.<' i spend almost all my time, reading, looking, comparing, and buying makeup. i'm not bad with advice on it, and i dont wanna sound full of myself for saying- but all my friends come to me with their questions, and i do peoples makeup for things all the time >.<' im not bad at it! and im knowledgeable when it comes to it, but so are the rest of you :3 when it becomes our passion, what else are we to do but obsess?? :DD But i plan on trying TONS of things out, which is why i've bought so much this summer, and in such a large variety. INCLUDING the fake mac and fake brushes (fake mac i bought a while ago is not pictured btw)

We all have tried products we love and like, and we all have tried methods that work for us and some that dont :) so thats sorta what im doing. I guess i feel like im kinda justifying my purchases right now but maybe i should just make it clear that i was aware they were fake :) but thank you for telling me anyway. you guys are great :) and its good to finally talk to people who obsess over this stuff as much as i do ^_^

hahah, too many words;
cutting this short- I'M TRYING TO LEARN :)


EDIT: BTW, I tried most the stuff out, and as far as "reviewing" goes, a quick sum up:

I am not very happy with the VJ Bronzer Brush thing, its too hard to put the cap back on without messing up the brush and..its just a hassle. That was one of the free gifts i got, i didnt buy that.

I am also not happy with the orange coloured Two Faced Kiss Stick. I dont remember the name of the colour, and im not at my room to check (im at work lol).

Out of all the mac lip stuff i got im most happy with the pink/nude coloured one called Underage. its my favourite and my next purchase is going to be some nude lipstick :3

[Gigi]

Oh okay, so you knew they were fakes...I get where you're coming from. Thanks for being understanding btw :) Also, Christina and I never doubted that you were knowledgeable about makeup and stuff, I hope you don't misunderstand.

However, first off I'd like to point out that Sigma brushes ARE NOT fake MAC brushes, they're Sigma brand brushes that utilise the same labeling system as MAC - which gives their customers the general idea of what the brush does, or which brush it's supposed to dupe. just an fyi ;) I know a lot of people at Sigma who would be pissed off to hear that they were fake MAC.

And also, I believe in the possibility that fake cosmetics have legitimate cosmetic properties, but that's not the real issue here. I mean, if I could get a MAC eyeshadow without the MAC branding that works just as well as the real thing for WAY cheaper, I am so on board for that! But buying fake cosmetics doesn't just give rise to the questions of how safe the product is (seeing as how there may as well be no checks on quality), but also the issue of where these products come from in the first place.

When you purchase fake products, you're also supporting whoever makes these fake products. Whether it be factories in China trying to make quick money. Or the gangs responsible for running the black market, producing fake products (bags, makeup, clothes) in these factories to make a quick buck. The point is, you simply don't know who you're supporting when you're buying these products. To run the risk of encouraging a criminal organization to continue these activities is no different than supporting brands that use child labour.

The difference between Sigma and a random eBay seller is that Sigma is a legitimate company, with people who (usually) have a passion for what it is they're selling, and in turn feel a sense of responsibility for the products that they put out. A random eBay seller could well be making money to fuel illegal activities. It is all good and well trying new products and being open, but supporting counterfeit products crosses the line. Unless, that is, you are okay with being an irresponsible consumer.

I'm not saying that you've bought these products with that intention in mind, but in the end that's what's actually happening. I would strongly urge you to not buy fake products in the future. Hopefully you don't misunderstand my post there; I'm not attacking you, I'm just trying to educate you on the possible repercussions of buying counterfeit anything.


If you do not have access to certain brands where you live, a great place to check out is http://www.specktra.net/forum, a makeup forum bursting with people full of knowledge and WAY MORE years of makeup experience than all of us on cB combined (and also have a full subforum devoted to ID-ing counterfeit makeup). There's a lot of product swatches and reviews as well as cosmetic discussions so if you ever want some detailed answers, it's a good place to check out.

[*Shelby-Zu*]

haha, thanks for the "fyi"
i'll edit my previous post then :)

thanks for all the new infooo ^______^
*i like learning new things :3 * haha *nerd*


and i did not have those intentions in mind >.<'

thanks lots guys :3


oh! i didnt meantion,
with some of the fake mac/makeup that i have, i get over in thailand off the markets.
but its still supporting all that stuff you said isnt it? i guess i should stop getting it from there / anywhere else. =O thats crazy hahaha

i kinda feel bad now tho

[iDecay]

Speaking of fake products.. So there's this store around here that sells legit products from MAC, Stila, Shiseido, all the good stuff. I told a few Specktra girls about it so a few of them went there and found some fake pigments. The owner was so shocked because he had no idea that some of his products weren't the real deal. Hm..

[*Shelby-Zu*]

Speaking of fake products.. So there's this store around here that sells legit products from MAC, Stila, Shiseido, all the good stuff. I told a few Specktra girls about it so a few of them went there and found some fake pigments. The owner was so shocked because he had no idea that some of his products weren't the real deal. Hm..

was he even legit??
..most people know when they're selling fakes (from my experience)

[iDecay]

Yeah, he was lol. I bought a few things and compared them to products I know are definitely real. Plus the store had other products that nobody really makes fakes of like Smashbox and Clinique, haha.

And Christina, LOL @ the fake UD 24/7 liner thing. :3

[*Shelby-Zu*]

Yeah, he was lol. I bought a few things and compared them to products I know are definitely real. Plus the store had other products that nobody really makes fakes of like Smashbox and Clinique, haha.

And Christina, LOL @ the fake UD 24/7 liner thing. :3

wows >.<'
and yeah that is funny @ the christina thing, i just didnt comment on it *yet* now i have lol


oooh! there was a question i was going to ask everyone but i dont remember what it was :/

[Just_Dream]

Um, no, quality is significantly different in fake products. Some people "say" they don't see the difference in quality, but after multiple uses, they can tell. In fact, I've read in some comments on a fake mac post (a lot of makeup blogs have them) and a mua actually used it on a customer - that's really bad. You DON'T know what is truly in the packaging! If it's fake, you CANNOT trust what the packaging says. The boxes will try to imitate or reprint the REAL products' ingredients onto the packaging. Like Gigi said, if it was a fake or generic brand and the quality is the same, then heck I would jump the bandwagon as well! But truly, it is not, and plenty of people have tried. I am not willing to risk it because seriously, A LOT of these fakes are charging ridiculous amounts on eBay and websites for this CRAP. I wouldn't even wear it either. Packaging is different because factories are just making them without considering their real design, so it's made and sold in a hurried fashion.

In addition, no the quality of the brushes are NOT the same, based off of what I have seen online. In fact, even the REAL limited edition (or holiday) MAC brushes (labeled SE) are almost always of lower quality, because some of them have shorter handles, and the fibers/hairs themselves are smaller or less dense. Some people say they feel almost the same. Why would you buy them if they were fake? I'm just saying that, if you can't afford the real ones, and you knew they were fake before buying them, how can you trust that they are as soft as the real ones? Your words are confusing me because why would you waste money on fake brushes, to check the difference in quality? You can always read up about them online. I know you might be "new" at this, but if you're capable of ordering products online, then I am just a little surprised you haven't done any research on them, that's all. Okay, not everyone researches everything, but if you knew they were fake, why bother buying?

Also, there are PLENTY of drugstore brands and generic (not well known) companies that sell brushes that people say are up to par or even better than some MAC brushes. lol some people will ONLY buy MAC face brushes because the dislike the eye ones, while others only own eye ones, and have much better alternatives. It depends on the person. I.E. crown brushes, coastal scents, Sonia Kashuk, even Urban Decay brushes. That's why it's always great to broaden your horizons in terms of branded goods. P.S. I heard Sephora brushes suck.

Sorry, I'm not trying to attack you; I'm just really confused, I guess, but trust me I've only gotten into makeup like... THIS YEAR. I wore eyeliner and eyeshadow in the past, but it was basically just drawing a line, and a dab of color, which eventually disappeared because I never applied eyeshadow correctly. I wore powder in the past because my sister bought it for me, but I didn't really apply it correctly either, so I hardly wore it. I'm not even going to lie - Gigi was the one who got me into makeup, so actually, I'm more new at this than you are.

What I'm trying to say is that I am a little concerned because I also feel discontented about anyone supporting those companies (in China) who create fake products. I'm already concerned when my boyfriend's sister kept trying to give me or sell to me fake named brand jeans (yes they exist). The quality is significantly different as well. I AM CHINESE, but I think it just looks bad on our part that these exist. I for one, wouldn't support them. But, I'm glad that you're looking into buying the real ones.

[*Shelby-Zu*]

Okay Hun,

First of all, i TOLD you why i bought them.
sorry not trying to attack you? i justified all my purchases,
then i said i felt bad for doing so because gigi informed me about all the labor and everything that comes out of it.

PSSH. Im so ignorant. mac is made in canada, i never stopped to think that the fake stuff was made by some little kid in china. SORRRRRRRRRRRRY. but im not gunna throw away the brushes after i bought them. what else am i to do with them but use them now, right? i bought them to see the difference between the two: real and fake.
I TOLD YOU. why ask.

secondly, you have SEEN on the internet of other consumers that have found a great difference in their quality? THATS THEIR OPINION, AND THIS IS MINE. I grew up, and am still growing up in the middle of hick-ville Montana. No one here knows what mac is, or Juicy, chanel, UD, ANYTHING, Im surprised people here know the difference between eye shadow and eye liner, and i can say- SOME DONT HERE. We dont have big fancy stores here or a big fancy mall, kay? we have lacome and clinque here as far as any HIGH makeup brands go... and none of us here even own it because we have to travel 3 hours to get to macys to get that stuff. People i grew up with including my self are ignorant, young, sheltered, kids, who dont know shit about what real opportunities are. All we know are rodeos, pigs, and drugs. Kay? I feel pretty lucky to have expanded my interests into so many things, one of them being makeup. yeah im not a guru, but i try and learn.

for some people, they dont mind buying fake mac, its no different to them than buying makeup at our ONE drugstore we have here. I bought it for another reason and didnt stop to even think about some poor kid in china.

i hate using forums for this very reason.
i say things, and everything gets turned around like it is now

"oh shelby-zu, go cry a river" yup thats what its gunna turn into. I just hate this kinda shit. its like two highschool girls going at it about who had the same pair of shoes first. its ridiculous.


so now i know why NOT to buy fake mac again, simply because gigi stated it nicely.
who the f*ck ever said i was supporting the companies? i bought the fake mac knowingly- but never once did i stop to think about WHO was making the products. is that my fault? sure. Am i going to do it again? no.

i only enjoyed the very last sentence of your post.
a lot of what you said before hand made it sound like you thought i was not aware of most it...packaging is different? thats a "duh" thing.
the fake e/s i have has little compartments underneath that you can open up and it has a small applicator and mirror inside, real mac obv does not. the top of the packaging is even different. why am i even explaining this to you? you already know it apparently. But wait, that does go back to me explaining why i bought it in the first place- TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE?
im sorry my opinion on the difference is much different than yours and apparently other people you've seen on the interent.

haha, whatever, im not saying any more about your post,
i justified myself, and said sorry for the fact that i was completely ignorant of some of the factors put into my purchases.
this obviously offends you. so sorry for that too.

your post completely offends me, too. so
im done here.

EDIT:

AND JUST SO YOU KNOW;
I HAVE FOUND A DIFFERENCE IN THE PIGMENT QUALITY WITH FAKE VS. AUTHENTIC. AUTHENTIC OBV IS MUCH BETTER.
AS FAR AS E/S AND BRUSHES- I STATED MY OPINION AND THATS IT.

[Just_Dream]

For the record, I don't care if people where you live don't "know" about this stuff. Frankly, I really don't need your life story on it, as I've heard it quite a few times before. You wanted to discuss cosmetics, well here I am to discuss them. I'm also not here to brag about how much makeup I have either, as I don't have a lot because I've very selective about what I buy.

Anyway, The reason why I am confused is because you stated that the fake products are practically the same as real ones.

Although the makeup quality ITSELF is almost no different... but thats why i dont mind the fake brushes. The quality is almost exactly the same.

And now you're saying that it's very different. Hey, it's your choice, but it seems like you're not really answering my question.

I'm not turning around your entire post. In fact, I never said you were ignorant. Quote me where I have stated that? I am not requesting for your knowledge about MAC, as MAC is not even my favorite brand of makeup. No need to get emotional about it, "Kay?"
Like I said, if you knew they weren't real, why bother? To check the difference in quality? Is it really worth the time and money? If so, then I guess I understand a little better what kind of person you are. No, it doesn't offend me, because I'm mature about it. Also, drugstore brands are legit and some of the brushes are also up-to-par with a more expensive brands.

Anyways, Gigi, I've been using my EcoTools eyeliner brush and it works pretty well for the fluidline! However, I'm thinking of just buying another angled brush specifically for the fluidline, so that I can keep using the EcoTools one for lining with shadow.

[FizzyMilk]

I just use cover girl.
revlon...rimmel..I'm not that picky.
I LOVE Olay, but eet's expensive!

[FizzyMilk]

Victoria's Secret Make up too.
but that is also expensive.
They're waterproof eyeliner is amaazzingg.

[Just_Dream]

Victoria's Secret Make up too. but that is also expensive.

Actually, during semi=annual sales, if you're quick and have access VS retail stores, some of the makeup is 50-75% off! I got a lipgloss for $1.75 (instead of $7) and I really like it. ;D

[FizzyMilk]

oh yeahhh I hit the sales. :)

[Gigi]

I'm not even going to lie - Gigi was the one who got me into makeup, so actually, I'm more new at this than you are.

Anyways, Gigi, I've been using my EcoTools eyeliner brush and it works pretty well for the fluidline! However, I'm thinking of just buying another angled brush specifically for the fluidline, so that I can keep using the EcoTools one for lining with shadow.

Oh yeah that's a good idea, it's such a pain to keep cleaning and waiting for brushes to dry!

[*Shelby-Zu*]

For the record, I don't care if people where you live don't "know" about this stuff. Frankly, I really don't need your life story on it, as I've heard it quite a few times before. You wanted to discuss cosmetics, well here I am to discuss them. I'm also not here to brag about how much makeup I have either, as I don't have a lot because I've very selective about what I buy.

Anyway, The reason why I am confused is because you stated that the fake products are practically the same as real ones.

And now you're saying that it's very different. Hey, it's your choice, but it seems like you're not really answering my question.

I'm not turning around your entire post. In fact, I never said you were ignorant. Quote me where I have stated that? I am not requesting for your knowledge about MAC, as MAC is not even my favorite brand of makeup. No need to get emotional about it, "Kay?"
Like I said, if you knew they weren't real, why bother? To check the difference in quality? Is it really worth the time and money? If so, then I guess I understand a little better what kind of person you are. No, it doesn't offend me, because I'm mature about it. Also, drugstore brands are legit and some of the brushes are also up-to-par with a more expensive brands.

okay, so i just wrote the longest post ever :/ but deleted it >.<'
im starting over with it:

okay, so i guess i misunderstood your 'tone' and what you were trying to say in that post. so im sorry.
also- you said there was a question i didnt answer? what would it be? i guess i missed it :/

...............and idk what kind of person you think i am, but im not trying to show off :/ im trying to........*cant find the words*...i was just trying to have fun with this. I honestly dont get a chance to speak about makeup with ANYONE but you guys. And even that is not going so well atm.

[Gigi]

^ Again, http://www.specktra.net/forum/, the girls there are infinitely more talented than us and much more knowledgeable! You'll have more fun there, promise.