Mac vs Sephora

Mar 12, 2014

Lindsey M.

I love both. Sephora just has more variety.

Jun 6, 2013

Chrysanthemum D.

Sephora all the way! many more brands, products, and sales.

Jun 6, 2013

Erin C.

MAC is actually one of the cheaper high end brands out there. So many people have said it is expensive but it is not. Just check the prices on the website. And I personally don't think that MAC and sephora are comparable. MAC is just one brand and one line. Sephora is a store with many brands and lines to look and choose from. MAC is a great company with to a of variety, but sephora offers many brands to look at.

Mar 24, 2013

R B.

MAC??

Mar 24, 2013

R B.

M? A? C

Oct 30, 2012

Liza G.

sephora hands down you'll have so many more choices and they have great sales! 

Oct 29, 2012

Christine B.

I look at them the same actually. Sephora is probably better for a newbie though because of the wide variety of brands.

Oct 29, 2012

Cameron R.

I second Shelly.

MAC's prices are going to be more reasonable side by side to many labels carried at Sephora, and won't make you cringe at the checkout as much. They have a plethora of different types of stuff to choose from, and they also have different formulations of many of their products. So with MAC it would be easier to build a collection with.

Sephora has a multitude of lines to choose from and it really broadens your horizon and allows you to pick your favorites from multiple brands instead of just one company. That said, Sephora's prices are more expensive. I pay on average anywhere from $25.00 all the way up to $70.00 for a foundation at Sephora vs $25-$35 at a MAC counter.

I will tell you that MAC foundations are NOT kind to sensitive/acne-prone skin, so I would probably head to Sephora for foundation needs. The only face product I can wear from MAC as a matter of fact is their strobe cream, Fix + Spray, and their mineralized skin finishes. Eye products, Lip Products, etc should all be fine though.

MAC is nicer if you want kind of a streamlined/organized look to your collection as opposed to different brands with all different packaging etc.

If you invest in Brushes as Shelly said, I would probably get them from MAC, because they look nicer, are of better quality, and cost just as much as Sephora's.

MAC has a Back to MAC program where you can take 6 empty lipsticks,foundations, eyeshadows containers etc. back and get a free full-sized lipstick of your choice, If you plan on creating an Eyeshadow Pallette, you can just depot all your shadows and put them in the palette, and then take the original containers and use them instead of having to wait til the shadows are completely gone. Sephora only has a beauty insider program where you accrue points for purchases and can use them to get deluxe sized samples, etc.


I would also recommend Ulta if you have one near you! They carry more obscure cosmetic brands than even Sephora doesn't have. The price there for products is going to range from really inexpensive to really high also, so there is more to choose from.


I know that was a lot, just thought I would answer fully and give you all the info I could! Good luck!  

=D

Oct 28, 2012

Tia B.

Sephora hands down
More Options and a Open Sell Environment 

Oct 28, 2012

Megan D.

I personally favor Sephora, and if I am correct, their prices are cheaper. Sorry if I'm wrong.

Oct 28, 2012

Chrissy S.

Why can't there just be peace between MAC and Sephora!? I honestly like both equally. If you want simplicity, go for MAC. If you want a bigger variety, go Sephora.

Oct 27, 2012

Gillian T.

Sephora. A lot more brands to pick from and I I love the sales online :)

Oct 27, 2012

Amy T.

I use to be OBSESSED with Mac but I prefer sephora. I like the variety of brands that sephora has where as Mac is just the brand itself. Also try ULTA...they have a HUGE variety of all things beauty related :)

Oct 27, 2012

Alma M.

They're both great, do you have An Ulta store? That place is good and if Mac is to pricey try their sister product Flirt at Kohls.

Oct 26, 2012

tyharshman I.

MAC is amazing...face and body is da shit

Oct 26, 2012

Lyndsey H.

Although I do love the MAC products that I own, I must go with Sephora just because it has way more brands to choose from. It may be a tad more expensive but I never am disappointed when I purchase from Sephora

Oct 26, 2012

Niki C.

I am a sephora junkie. I like MAC for specific things: my bronzer, eye liner, lip gloss and lip stick. Everything else is from sephpra 

Oct 26, 2012

Jennifer L.

Elf

Apr 13, 2011

Rai C.

Definitely depends on your budget and what you're looking for. MAC only offers their brand while Sephora offers several. The cheapest line in the Sephora store is their actual brand, but everything else is high end.

But since you're just getting started in makeup I recommend checking out the drug store or more low budget makeup. You wouldn't want to go spend money on high end products when you're new to makeup. 

Apr 6, 2011

Sydney R.

I used to be a die hard MAC fan but when I started going to Sephora I was exposed to so many other makeup brands. I do still go to MAC but not nearly as often. So, I'd suggest you go to Sephora because you may find some other brand that you'll love. Especially if you're a newbie Sephora is like the best place to go and try out the brands before purchasing :) Hope this helps! 

Xo,
Sydney

Apr 4, 2011

Christine R.

p.s. and if your a newbie start with good quality makeup from drugstore brands, because you tend to "waste" a lot trying new things and figuring out makeup. (not that its a waste doing that, but if your gonna by a $20 eyeshadow you might not wanna just use it on experiments)

Apr 4, 2011

Christine R.

Personally whenever i go into sephora or mac i feel like a lot of people who work there are a bit clueless about actual makeup techniques and such. i tend to go and pick up what i need and leave. MAC's quality has gone down A LOT since I first started shopping there and I feel like brands in Sephora that are actually good quality are so over priced its ridiculous. I dunno, thats just me. I do have a lot of high end makeup in my kit, but sometimes I feel like there's no point in spending the extra money when you can get the same, if not better quality for less $$. 

Apr 4, 2011

Ana C.

MAC was my first love. The color stories for the past.. two years (?) have been less-than-impressive for me. I shop at Sephora more now. I've loved both for years now. ;]

http://she-said.org

Apr 2, 2011

Stephanie M.

when i first started wearing makeup i pretty much only wore sephora... not because i didnt like mac, its just that mac can be overwhelming. mac has so many colors of everything and its REALLY expensive. now as a "pro" i know what colors look best on me. definitely start off at sephora and try out multiple brands, and then work your way to mac!

Mar 28, 2011

Daphne R.

I adore Sephora!! I love the VIB Perks and I am impressed with their customer service in-store. I love the fact that when I go into the store the regular staff is all jazzed - and offer great suggestions based on what I like!!

I know that Ulta is supposed to be the same kind of store but I've yet to find an employee who has any in depth knowledge about what they are selling.

MAC is...well MAC. I adore them, the innovation the obvious training the Makeup Artists get/have and adore how willing they are to slap your ass in a chair to play with the makeup.

Okay, on the subject of grocery store brands... I really do see a difference in terms of the quality. It might be an age thing... my skin is less forgiving and I have found that a lot of the lipsticks fade and then change color. I'm willing to consider confirmation bias as a reason I'm not enamored of the drugstore lipsticks. :)  

D