Ladies of Reddit, I am a MAC artist for 8 years and worked in 2 different countries,AMA (Men are welcomed too)

I'm going to need proof in the form of free MAC products. PM me for address.

You PM me ;)

Ok so for an actual question: I have dark under eye circles, and I've gotten a lot of different advice from Sephora/Ulta workers on how to cover it. Some say use a lighter color, and others say match your foundation. What do you recommend?

anything lighter than your under eye colour will turn ashy, imagine this, : take a black crayon and then put some white on top,it will turn grey. same concept, the person giving you a concealer has to determine what undertone your under eye is in order to recommend something warm or cool.

Guy here with a couple of questions. Do I want to know what a MAC artist is? Follow up: what is a MAC artist?

haha, MAC artist is a makeup artist :)

Ah, I see. So do you do movie makeup, or just work on making normal people look better?

i havent worked on movies YET but i work on commercials, music videos, backstage at fashion shows and ofcourse day to day people :)

I get the M and the A (MAkeup artist or Make up Artist). Where does the C come from?

Makeup Art Cosmetics

Not a woman, but somewhat interested in answers to these, and figure others might be as well.

What would you say is the most common "error" women make with their own make-up? (Error as in you opinion, not trying to say it is literally something they have done incorrect)

I would gather you have worked with a number of models and celebrities (if I understand what the term MAC artist means) so:

Which model or celebrity do you think benefited most from makeup? And how? (I don't mean who went from ugly to beautiful, at least, not necessarily. I mean who stood out as being someone that after you did their makeup, you thought "wow that really made her/his blank pop". Figure this could be helpful to people who feel they look similar in what they might want to try enhancing.)

Probably not the best person to ask, but last I heard (anecdotal, no research on my part) MAC are no longer animal cruelty free, so:

As far as you know, are MAC products animal cruelty free? If not, do you know anything about the testing? I don't expect you to, but I figure, why not ask now.

And I am pretty sure my girlfriend would ask:

What is the one MAC product you would die without?

One of the biggest mistakes i see all the time is the client/customer saying the product doesnt work, to me i dont understand why it doesnt work,if it didnt they wouldnt make it. Before purchasing some get the artist to show you how to use it before coming in and returning or throwing a fit wanting their money back. i Havent really worked on celebs per say but have worked with their producers. Only person ive personally worked with is Piers Morgan but i dont think hes a celeb,haha he was really nice and down to earth.

MAC is animal cruelty free!!!

i dont think i can live without the #217 brush (anything can be done with this brush) and brownscript shadow.

Only person ive personally worked with is Piers Morgan

I'm sorry to hear that.

he was actually really cool

Dude here.

Have you ever tried doing makeup for transsexuals? Male to female I mean, any pro tips on that?

Im asking for a... friend

Yes! because men tend to have hair on their face i would normally use a heavier concealer/foundation to cover the grey. trimmed brows help too, its all about enhancing their features.

Thanks for doing this AMA. My girlfriend is a MAC nut. I fight fires for a living. I could know the first thing about your product. SO here is my problem, I always want to buy her that stuff, or take her to a MAC store (do you guys have those?). Is there a failsafe gift I can get her that isn't a size or a number that I have to pry out of her?

Depending in the country you live in there's always Mac stores and department store counters, our stuff can be so inviting but if you are unsure of what to buy for her either you can buy her with a gift card or surprise her with prodcuts you think she will love (peek into her makeup bag and buy things close to them ;) )

brownscript, are you on the eastcoast? We live in Baltimore but travel to Manhattan. I'd be willing to pay to have her makeup done, but I am not going in that makeup bag. Those things scare me.

unfortunatly not in the eastcoast. I live in california.

Why do you prefer MAC over PC?

im a MAC ;)

How do you feel about Photoshop?

i prefer paint.net ;)

Over the years my body has decided it wants to sweat more and I do mean profusely. What foundation and powder, and whatever else I would need... Do you recommend?

Also if you're in LA, can you teach me how to do my makeup?

My Pleasure! inbox me for details!

Sweating is not necessary a bad thing, it just means you're well hydrated. However i would try to stay away from anything heavy. Try using Tinted moisturizer and or BB cream with a blot powder. None of them are heavy but still look gorgeous on the skin.

Yay!

Also, what is your opinion on eyelash extensions? My hands are too shaky to put on falsies all the time.

i wouldn't recommend eyelash extensions. They make your lashes thinner and fall. Its really easy to learn how to put lashes on, ill tech you! :)

Thanks for doing this AMA! Is lip liner necessary for every time I put lipstick on?

Yes, makes the lipstick last longer and makes your lips look clean and well put together, you dont want to look like courtney love.

What countries have you worked in?

United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and United States (Los Angeles)

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yes and no. In Dubai its mostly heavier makeup with smokey eyes because the arab women simply love it, here in los angeles depending on the city you live in they wear makeup differently, smokey eye is very very popular here too but not all of them want a pale face thats full coverage..by the beach like santa monica or hermosa beach they hardly wear makeup but have a glowing bronze skin :)

What are your worst/best experiences with customers?

Best experiences are when a customers walks in and puts all her trust in me and loves the end result and becomes my regular and brings me yummies haha and one of the worst experiences ive had was when we had our first Lady gaga pink lipstcik that she was launched for our MAC AIDS FUND and this african american lady comes in and asks me about Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday lipstcik (which was only sold online) so i explained to her that it was online only and she got really mad and offended and started yelling and calling me racists because it was at the store and said (and i quote) "You dont have Nicki's pink Friday because you're racist and white" security kindly escorted her out.

Man here with shared bank account. Why is the make-up stupidly expensive? ?

haha, its because its something that doesnt go out of style and its a want.

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Buying a foundation is secondary. If you can get your hands on a clarisonic that would change your skin drastically, use it 2 times a week make sure you hydrate and moistuize very well. You will start seeing a difference.

What's the hottest look for the season? How does the makeup industry determine what's "in" for the season and what's not?

the Fashion works together whether being cosmetics,clothings,shoes they are always speaking the same language and the best way to know whats in trend is by just goggling for examplae : spring/summer 2013 makeup trands. Hottest trend atm would be flawless skin with a bright bold lip :)

Is it alright to go with a bold lip color and heavy eye-liner on the top lid? If I'm wearing such a lip color, I shy away for most anything else. Even blush or eyeshadow paired with it comes off as too much. How much is too much though?

Also what are the best facial combos? Is it reccomended to use a tinted mosturizer with primer? Alright to use lotion with a mosturizer?

Thank you for doing this AMA!

YES, Bright lip is always best with top liner with some mascara or false lashes,if youre going to wear shadow with a bold lip,just make sure its a neutral colour. At the end of the day makeup is self expression you wear what you love. However, we always recommend a focus feature.

Primer is always recommended under anything you wear (foundation, tinted moisturizer)

l

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youtube can be very intimidating when it comes to find how to do a natural face with out alot of steps, best thing is to have a cut out and take it to a mac store/counter near you and ask the artist to give your daughter a "show and teach" with the look you want her to learn.

Any tips for making undereye concealer last as long as possible without touchups? (Ideally all day?)

apply concealer with MAC #224 brush and set it with blot powder :)

What is the best MAC product? What would you recommend to someone who hasn't used any MAC products?

Our lipstcisk, shadows and eyeliners are amazing - affordable too :)

Oh! I'm pretty new to the whole make-up thing. I just turned 22 and my friend (who IS pretty good with make-up) is taking me to the MAC store in Amsterdam upcoming friday. It's a good hour and a half drive so it's pretty special. Now I am wondering. If I want to get the whole face transformation done, how do I approach you guys? Should I just ask for specific things or.. I don't know.. Is it weird not to buy 'everything' they put on your face?

I just reaaally want to look pretty and I would love for them to fix me up but I don't know how to approach the situation. Tips would be handy! Thanks for doing this AMA!

You dont have to buy everything they use on you! buy what you LOVE. if youre new to makeup ask them to try on these products:

Tinted Moisturizer blot powder (if you have oily skiin) All that glitters eyeshadow (inner corner) Brown Down eyeshadow (outter corner) Teddy Pencil Viva Glam 5 lipstick or gloss

Hope this helps <3

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NC

How do you personally feel about animal testing in the industry?

I am against it, in this day and age we have the technology to do better. We should all love our little friends.

What do you recommend to cover up scars and bruises...

for scars just concealer that matches your skin tone and bruises you'll need orange correcter and concealers and powder to set.

Hello! Im a male. So, from one to another, what got you into this type of career? Is it the art, the actual makeup or something else?

I always knew i was creative and artsy but didnt know in what field so back in 2002 when Christina Aguilera came out with her music video "dirty"i couldnt help myself but watch it 168 times (not exaggerating) i said to myself i have for to learn how to do that look, went to out bought a cheap brush and 2 eyeshadows and started doing the look on myself, i did a crappy job but i was determined to get it right, i needed it, spoke my parents into sending me to makeup school to learn. after i graduated i stated applying to jobs and 2 years later i got a job at mac and never left. having the ability to make someone feel and look good gives me the drive and life :)

Eye shadow question! I'm asian and have double eyelids. But the top one covers the bottom completely when I open my eyes, so it looks like I have single eyelids. It sucks when I try to put on eyeshadow, because I can put on a centimeter worth of eyeshadow, only to have it all hidden once I open my eyes. What would be the best thing to do here?

Smokey eye is great for hour eye shape. Makes it look sexy and big :)

My girlfriend has a monolids and has a hell of a time with eye make up. Is there a technique to "fake" the crease or is there something even cooler that you know of for monolids? . Is there a type of brush/product you would recommend for short eye lashes?

creating a crease is one (she can use an angeled brush for this) or she can do smokey eyes which will make her eyes bigger and sexier, theres also eyelid tape if shes interested :)

I love MAC to death so I have a couple:

1. What, in your opinion, is the best thing to get from MAC if you have a tight budget?

2. When you go to work, what's the dresscode like? Is there like a code on your makeup?

3. Speaking of which, what's your daily makeup routine?

4. Did you go to a college for this, or...?

1) shadows,lipsticks or glosses 2) I dont have a dress code as long as its black,i can wear whatever look i want at work 3)cleanse,moisturize,brows,eyes,face,lashes,contour and blush and then lips. 4) sure did :)

Do you only use MAC products?

90% of my kit

what's the other 10%? curious what other brands you like.

inglot,makeup forever,limecrime,illamasqua,saucebox :)

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stick a teaspoon in the freezer for 10 mins and then put it on your eyes,normally reduces it by 50%

How did you get started? I would love to work for MAC! Even just at the counter!

Passion defiantly plays a huge role! Before i started working for MAC i worked at a crappy department store which i hated so much,i knew that i had so much to give so i went to makeup school,trained hard and accepted all criticizem in order to be better. Be humble, passionate,willing to learn and teach.

What are the best makeup schools to go to?

If you live in the United States, cinema makeup school, MUD and EI are really good ones :)

I absolutely ADORE MAC and all their products. For the last year and a half I've been using MAC's Paint as a primer on my eyelids. While it's better than nothing, my eye makeup creases after just a couple hours. Now, I have really dry skin (so it's super oily, too, especially on my eye lids).

I recently got a sample of the Urban Decay primer potion which works somewhat better. But I'm a MAC girl. Is there something other than the Paint Pot that I can use as a primer that will hold up better? Or else, how can I make the paint pots keep my makeup lasting longer?

Thanks so much for this AMA!

Try using a very small amount of primer and pat on your eyeshadow, see how that works for you :)

Biggest suggestion for women who have no idea what they hell they are doing (me) when it comes to makeup.

blend blend is your friend :)

What's been your favorite MAC LE release?

I'm a huge makeup fan, but I've never bought MAC - always gone with Urban Decay, Tarte, or Benefit instead. What's your favorite MAC product in general?

style black was my most favorite collection, and the upcoming Rihanna collaboration with mac :) shes my favorite.

Whats the worst mistake a woman can do with her makeup?

not blending :(

Is there any secret to getting MAC products at a discounted rate?

unless you're a pro industry artist or a mac employee then no :(

Would you suggest using the Face and Body foundation alone or with a powder on top? my face is so oily in the TZone I sometimes have to keep applying a powder or wiping off the oil. I love the "dewy" foundation look, just not from my oil! Would you just suggest a little of the setting powder? I love MAC products and would love to be a makeup artist one day. I do event makeup and makeup for friends and family as well, I'm just not sure how to go pro status!

face and body is an amazing foundation..apply it all over and set your tzone with blot powder to take that shine away leaving the cheeks with gorgeous dewiness, for touch ups use bloating paper from mac and it removes the oil without touching your foundation.

Dude here, and I don't think you'll be able to answer this question:

What is the deal with MAC ads? (Not like, Apple Mac ads, I mean like, MAC make up ads).

It seems like every time I walk through the mall and I walk by the MAC the giant poster is either A) Slightly more make up than a Natural look or B) Balls to the wall holy shit thats a lot of make up no one would ever have that much make up on if they weren't in a god damn play.

Also, other questions. Suppose I want to get my girlfriend a small gift or some extra filler for another present, so I don't want to spend a lot of money. What cosmetic item do you have more headway to cheap out on? Eyeliner? Mascara? Foundation? Lip... stuff? No clue.

Also, and this is completely and purely hypothetical, but say someone wanted to use MAC cosmetics to create a very good disguise, to make themself unrecognisable but still presentable, what would they need, and how would you go about doing it?

The visuals are always going to be exaggerated to show the full capability of the products, we are here to do is help woman/men adapt those colours to their needs and show them techniques on how they can use them.

If y ou ever want to buy something for your gf, buy her thing you know for sure she will use, eg: mascara,eyeliner,gloss. Never buy foundation since its such a personal product and she might like it a certain colour and coverage.

creating a disguise is possible but they person/artist has to know what they are doing. Takes a lot of time and patience :)

Thanks for the AMA!

I'm getting married in July...I'd LOVE to have a MAC artist do my makeup, but holy crap it's so expensive! I know the artists also do their own on-site stuff independently, but that's still probably out of my price range. Any advice on finding a less-expensive way to do this (aside from doing it myself; I'm just not that talented!)

(I know the real answer here is: Just pay for the talent, it's worth it...but I figured I'd give it a shot!)

It's the most special day of your life and you do it once and you wanna look your best. You don't want to look back at picture and regret not hiring a makeup artist. It's your image you wanna look and feel beautiful.

I have a wedding to attend on Saturday & would love to have my makeup done by a MAC artist. Should I make an appointment? Is there a fee? Do I have to buy products? If so, how much should I spend?

Thank-you.

Mac stores are a $50 fee but department stores are a $50 minimum purchase before tax. Appointment is required.

Not a women but still have a question. I'm a male who's always told I have pretty eye lashes because somehow they naturally look like I'm wearing eye liner and mascara. Should I take this as an insult or compliment? If its a compliment, what can I do to make them look better but not look like I did anything?

ofcourse its a compliment. go to any cosmetic counter and ask them for a clean disposable mascara want and just brush them :)

If I wear a BB cream do I still need a moisturizer and primer before applying foundation?

moisturizer yes primer no :)

I use a mineral powder (bare essentials) for every day use (as a general coverage/foundation) but I'm looking for a foundation with a bit more cover (maybe liquid, not sure) but I'm quite pale and everything always seems to be tinted - what would you recommend I ask for if I went in trying to get a new foundation?

try MACs mieralized liquid foundation, its a light weight foundation with a dewy natural finish.

I like to use a gel or cream eyeliner on my upper lid but I have slightly hooded eyelids and will sometimes form a ring on the skin on top. Anyway to stop this?

draw it as thin as possible or use a waterproof pencil liner and wing it out with an angle brush :)

I asked someone at MAC recently about getting a job with them. She told me to "wear your best black, your best face, and bring your resume." What sort of stuff was in your resume when you began working for MAC?

Besides the almighty 217, what is your favorite brush?

They gave the best advice!! my other is #188

How do I get rid of large pores? I use max factor ageless elixir and although I love everything else about it, it just seems to make the problem more obvious. I use a translucent powder on top which reduces it significantly but are there any other tips/tricks to shrink them or to reduce their appearance?

Try using clarisonic to reduce large pores. it helps! then use the products youve been using to control the oil ;)

I've been to many a MAC counter with my mom and sister and I noticed the chicks there always wear TONS of make up. Do you sport this look on your days off as well? Or only when you work?

we can wear anything we want at work, whatever you see the artist wearing is by choice. i do wear makeup on my days off because its who i am and what i represent!

As an aspiring make up artist, what is your advise for putting a client at ease?

Who is your favorite person you worked with?

Thanks for the AMA!

confidence puts your client as ease and know what youre doing. Ive met so many amazing people on my journey of being a makeup artist, all of them inspire me in different ways!