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L'Oreal vs MAC ......Pick one only!!!
If you were an MUA that is just starting out... would you choose to freelance for 2 labels under the L'OREAL Group, working once or twice a week making around $150 a week. And have more time to do photoshoots and build your book. No discount on products, and no steady income. or work at MAC part time, around $400 a week, have the discount and gratis to build you kit. but less time to build your book. And its less pay/h but you get more hours. but steady income. Mar 30 06 10:09 pm Link MAC - I am not a MUA, but my MUA friend is with MAC! A whole different world!!!! Then again, only you can decide what is important to YOU, and based on that, go start paving your path! Best of luck!!!! M-onika Mar 30 06 10:19 pm Link MAC! Mar 30 06 10:21 pm Link Hmm... That's a tuffy. Both are appealing for very different reasons. I would personally go with L'oreal. With my current situation, I only need a bit of extra money, and I would really appreciate the extra free time. But MAC is tempting too.... Good luck with whatever you pick! xoxo Mar 30 06 10:25 pm Link I would go with MAC for a limited time. The reasons training and certificication, gratis and you could use their" name" to build your credibility in the area! Not saying that other lines are not great but for some reason their is name brand recognition with MAC. Also should your situation change you could always freelance for them and I think that pays better than the options that you are looking at. Make sure you have all of the information from both first! Best of Luck Feme Mar 30 06 10:30 pm Link MAC products are superior in terms of pigment and a whole variety of other things. Better product, better training program. Go with MAC. Mar 30 06 10:50 pm Link Mac Mar 30 06 10:59 pm Link Feme Turner wrote: I would go with MAC.. for the benefits.. Also, MAC pays their freelancers more than their permanent employees and you can hustle by working different locations or lay low and do your own thing by working only 6-12 hours a week so that you can do your own thing. you can get (6)110- (12)220, depending on the areas pay scale of course. Mar 30 06 11:39 pm Link Feme Turner wrote: MAC is ranked number 1 in the world right now, used in over 70% of all fashion week shows, that is why they cary so much weight... Mar 30 06 11:45 pm Link Ivy Lam wrote: You are in Ontario- so my answer is niether. Test- shoot- build your book- and network. You can get plenty of connections that will take you farther than either of those companies can. Get a job that can make you money in the interum (ie- waiting tables, being a secretary etc.- just because you love makeup art doesn't mean you have to be poor or have your art exploited.) Mar 31 06 12:02 am Link What is your end goal in this industry? If you want to be a full time freelancer you are better off working less & having more time to take jobs & build your book. Mar 31 06 12:04 am Link Talitha Williams wrote: yeah, because they pay to be!!! Mar 31 06 10:17 am Link if you can freelance for mac, that would be good. but i wouldnt take a counter position anywhere, because it will monopolize all your time. loreal has good companies too, they own kheils. estee lauder (who owns mac) also owns clinique, a brand i would never want to work for. yeah they use mac at fashion shows, they also use smashbox too. a lot of artists might use mac, but its not the best brand of makeup out there. it is cheap and conviniet and thats why you see it a lot out there. i work PT at banana republic (gap inc.) and it is a lot easier to call out and get shifts covered at a non makeup job than it is at a counter. Mar 31 06 12:35 pm Link Ivy Lam wrote: L'Oreal. Apr 01 06 12:00 am Link Thank you for everyone's feed back! Apr 13 06 09:30 am Link Kinda late in on this topic, but if I were to MUA, I'd go for MAC. L'Oreal Paris (maybe USA too, not sure), tests product on animals. (Or as I believe they legally get around, the don't test FINAL product on animals...but test ingredients(?)) Apr 13 06 04:22 pm Link MAC -- go for the money. Apr 13 06 10:02 pm Link I have worked for MAC for 2 years and it is well worth it. The trainging itself is priceless and will make you a stronger artist. I love not having any creative barriers. If I want to come to work with a butterfly on half my face with glossy cherry red lips...it not only acceptable but encouraged. It's great for networking with others who are talented and have a passion for the industry. The trainers are the ones who come up with the themes for Fashion Week around the world. I have done freelance work the entire time I've been with the company and the association with the name gives you a certain amount of credibility, not to mentions 2 weeks of vaction even if you only work 15 hour a week. I hope this helped. Kussy, Visual Rhetoric Apr 13 06 10:10 pm Link MAC Apr 13 06 10:12 pm Link L'oreal group owns quite a few companies. Lancome, Kiehls, Armani, Maybelline,Shu Uemura,for starters. Very well respected in the industry (perhaps not so much here on MM). MAC is owned by Lauder (who also owns most of the rest of the industry). There are quite a few artists who boycott MAC for multiple reasons. As far as fashion week, thats because they've bought it. Better yet, Don't start retail if you can help it. Get an unrelated job if the purpose is to pay bills. You'll stay hungrier for this career. check this out before you make any decisions: http://p082.ezboard.com/fmakeupandrelat … 7896.topic Apr 13 06 10:16 pm Link CRAYONS!!!!!!!!!!! oops wasnt one of the choices huh?  Apr 13 06 10:25 pm Link MAC MAC MAC!!!! they have a far superior color palate and it is by far the longest wearing makeup i have ever used. fabulous product line. Apr 13 06 10:27 pm Link MAC.... My MUA is a MAC Makeup Artist. I hear that the MAC artist can make a nice amount of money too! 2005 staring sal. was $15.00 an hour plus tips. Plus freelancing MUA rate (after hours). Apr 13 06 10:32 pm Link Hmm MAC is cool, but you might be labeled. Apr 13 06 10:57 pm Link I agree with Feme Turner Apr 13 06 11:35 pm Link I agree with Feme Turner Apr 13 06 11:35 pm Link MAC IS AMAZING... Apr 13 06 11:40 pm Link Mac and L'oreal have two different reputations. Mac's quality was at one time of higher standard, and was specifically made for mua's etc. Now it's quality has become less what is was once. L'oreal from what I can gather always remain the same just introducing new products and trends to help them stay current. My answer is Mac, simply because you can still learn things from them, and have an opportunity to build your kit, they still produce some excellent older products my kit can't live without. Good luck to you. Apr 15 06 09:36 am Link Every good make-up artist has MAC. Defentally MAC! Apr 15 06 09:54 am Link My MUA is always talking about Max, Mac whatever it is Apr 15 06 10:24 am Link Ivy, I would choose L'Oreal, that's the route I took and was still able to build my book and take on other feerance positions. Think of what will benefit you in the long run. Victoria Apr 15 06 10:33 am Link MAC! most definitely. xx Apr 17 06 08:32 am Link Okay I have to disagree with the majority of the posts. I do agree with Melissa Elliott & Mary Irwin. I personally would NOT go with MAC. Besides all the political reasons. The bottom line it's retail. You will get stuck in a retail rut, and it will delay your goal to be a "TRUE" makeup artist. You won't have much time at all to build your book. MAC is not all it's cracked up to be. Estee Lauder owns them and the quality of their products are really not that great! I worked for MAC over 10 years ago, and at that time the quality was better and their selection of artists was much better. SO MUCH has changed!!! Since EL took over they have re formulated the products, not as good quality - *don't get me wrong they do have some good stuff. BUT their is so much more out there that is much better quality. It cracks me up that there are so many people still out there that are un educated on the true facts about MAC. If you work for MAC that would not impress me at all - as far as "makeup artistry", and majority of my Makeup Artist collegues would agree. Of course everyone has their own path and if you want to work in retail and sell cosmetics then that is definitley your perogative. There is nothing wrong with working in retail but those wanting to be an artist, there are other options.  To each is own. I am just commenting on a Makeup Artist's point of view here. It depends on your long term goal. I would freelance for them BEFORE taking a counter position. If you are just wanting to make a little $$$....you need to put in your dues to become a makeup artist and do freelance work and test like crazy! Apr 18 06 10:18 am Link Ok, Sharon (ST) put that in a nutshell. Totally agree. Kathy Apr 18 06 10:39 am Link What aspiring makeup artists don't understand is that MAC is no longer the choice of working makeup artists. As ST said ... it's changed! Both the product and the way they do business. And then on top of it, MAC artists work free at the big gigs like Fashion Week. That's how MAC gets into all these big gigs and get the free publicity ... the offer their teams for FREE! And that takes work away from all the artists that used to get paid for this. It's a shame ... they are undermining working artists ... the same artists that used to support them. MAC's focus is the consumer ... they no longer support the artist. The artists that I work with (I'm a fashion stylist and I work with an artist on every shoot) no longer have MAC in their kits ... or if they do, it's only a very few items. It's losing the reputation of being a line for makeup artists. Also, if you go to any counter position ... realize that what they want from you is for you to sell the products. You will be given sales goals and if you don't make it ... you won't have a job. Sales skills are important, talent and creativity are not. So choose where you want your career to go. If you love retail and making sales, then retail is where you need to be. If you want to be an artist in the print/vieo/film world ... then I'd do what the others suggest ... freelance for L'Oreal and test, test, test to build your portfolio and network to make contacts. Apr 18 06 12:44 pm Link Ditto to what Mary Irwin, Melissa Elliot, ST, Bette all said. I don't know many artists (especially celeb artists) that use MAC in their kit anymore. Apr 18 06 01:47 pm Link I agree. I would freelance with Loreal first, get as much testing done as possible, and work on your book. Test out products...not just Mac or Loreal, but find out what the celeb artists are using, and see if that works for you. You don't have to reform to everyone else's standards...do your own thing, but figure out where you will get the most out of your career. Apr 18 06 03:06 pm Link And may I just add that I was in a MAC pro store the other day and asked one of the girls if they still sold set bags and she looks at me and says "a what? what's a set bag" so I ask her to ask the manager and the manager comes out and says "A set bag? we don't make those anymore "..... LMAO. pro store indeed. Apr 18 06 09:48 pm Link ~Krista~ wrote: A bit off topic but I don't see how spending 20 bucks on lip liner makes it "superior" The $1.50 one at Target by CoverGirl works for me Apr 20 06 01:06 pm Link ~Krista~ wrote: Apr 20 06 01:09 pm Link |
