I was quite shocked to find out today that target in australia has launched mac cosmetics into all their stores nationally. Usually target is not the place for high end cosmetics but hey i know its about getting it to the consumer. But what ticks me off as a mac pro member and a loyal artist for many years is that they are stocking the whole range and Cheaper than what it costs me to get at my pro store including my discount. So basically now any joe blow can walk into target, buy an eyeshadow for half the price of the rrp in mac counters and stores, and still works out cheaper than me going to my pro store and using my discount!
Why would any self respecting makeup artist pay the annual membership fee and use their pro discount just to pay more than just going down to target and buying off the shelf????
I know the difference is the access to the pro products but this just bewilders me has mac really abandoned their pro makeup artists ????? it doesnt seem fair???
Elizabethmakeup
Posts: 338
Hereford, England, United Kingdom
I agree with the OP that that would vex me if the same thing happened here in England but from what I hear, the cost of cosmetics in Australia is extortionate so to be able to get it cheaper is something to be happy about as well. However, I would have thought that stocking their product in Target would somehow lessen the commercial value of their cosmetics as it makes it more accessible and less 'exclusive'. If I had paid my membership fee and then discovered this, I also would not be happy. Maybe a letter to Head Office is required in order to point this out?
Illamasqua have actually started a petition to lower the cost of make-up in the Land of Oz btw.
Aaliyah I
Posts: 221
Stevenage, England, United Kingdom
Yes that sucks . The thing is with the pro discount scheme is that you don't just get a discount but you get pro parties and workshops etc. But obviously the discount is the main perk , I would write to the appropriate folk at mac. It's pretty out of order that the everyday consumer can get it cheaper when you paid for your discount that is still more expensive.
Thomas Van Dyke
Posts: 1,182
Washington, District of Columbia, US
Tara Pags wrote: ...I would be happy that I didn't have to pay my fee and could get it cheaper lol.
+1 this... MAC is the only frigging Vendor that requires us to pay their $35 annual fee (in the US) to showcase their product... yes a 40% discount is nice, but really... Professional artist should not have to pay to enroll in a "discount" program...
Elizabethmakeup
Posts: 338
Hereford, England, United Kingdom
Thomas Van Dyke wrote:
+1 this... MAC is the only frigging Vendor that requires us to pay their $35 annual fee (in the US) to showcase their product... yes a 40% discount is nice, but really... Professional artist should not have to pay to enroll in a "discount" program...
end of rant
+1 I have also thought the same thing. I actually haven't renewed my membership for the past two years for MAC. Illamasqua don't require you to pay and their discount is amazing! So what do I do? I buy from Illamasqua and not from MAC.
Denise
Posts: 1,840
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Thomas Van Dyke wrote:
+1 this... MAC is the only frigging Vendor that requires us to pay their $35 annual fee (in the US) to showcase their product... yes a 40% discount is nice, but really... Professional artist should not have to pay to enroll in a "discount" program...
end of rant
Used to be the only one, but I believe Temptu also now charges a fee for their pro discount. http://temptupro.com/art_promember.aspx I also let my MAC pro membership expire as I don't have a pro shop where I live and use so few of their products.
thankyou for your comments. all very valid points. to give some perspective of what is like out here. makeup of any kind is at least three times the price in the usa. Specifically to mac, the pro program is $60AUD per year. there have been 1 masterclass in two years. no other events. for example it takes me two hours driving plus petrol to get the the pro mac store or i can pay $9 postage. Now for example the eyeshadow pro pan refills with pro discount are $18.50 each. the eyeshadows in their containers are $33 minus the 30% pro discount making them $23.10 with pro discount.
Now target is selling the eyeshadows in their pots for $19 each, there is a target down the road and in every 5km radius around here so next to nothing in petrol.
It hardly seems like there rewarding their loyal pro members who spend thousands a year.
Majority of my kit is mac, i like their products, my clients like them. I do have other product lines as well, but the majority is with mac.
In Australia it is very hard even in a main city to get your hands on professional quality makeup at a decent price. They are all wayyy over price which i dont understand as the AUD has been on parity with the U.S for over two years now. I have made numerous orders from the U.S to here for many of my supplies as locally its just ridiculously priced. But you pay for it waiting for delivery.
Basically compared to the u.s there is a lack of competition here for the pro market dollar.
What will i do about it? I have already posted the above on the Mac Pro only forum board hoping for some kind of an explanation from a mac rep or to at least bring their attention that this decision will ultimately cost them in pro memberships unless they raise the discount for pro membership to compensate and make it worth while.
Myself looks like ill be buying certain mac products from target and depotting them, and then what i cant get from there, ill then use my pro membership..... Seems a bit silly though but what can yo do.
Elizabethmakeup wrote: I agree with the OP that that would vex me if the same thing happened here in England but from what I hear, the cost of cosmetics in Australia is extortionate so to be able to get it cheaper is something to be happy about as well. However, I would have thought that stocking their product in Target would somehow lessen the commercial value of their cosmetics as it makes it more accessible and less 'exclusive'. If I had paid my membership fee and then discovered this, I also would not be happy. Maybe a letter to Head Office is required in order to point this out?
Illamasqua have actually started a petition to lower the cost of make-up in the Land of Oz btw.
I was thinking the exact same thing about exclusivity, here mac is seen as the be all end all of makeup. it has a very exclusive reputation, and this move with target will certainly cheapen them out massively.
Napoleon perdis tried this same trick out a few years ago with target and his product quality is down the drain worse than drugstore, his sales are now stalled, and all his napoleon flagship stores are closing down due to lack of sales and in their place is the cheaper dodgier version which no one likes.... I dont see it as a good long term marketing move at all.
Im glad to see illamasqua is trying to do something about it, i look forward to seeing that outcome......
Danielle Hampton
Posts: 1,558
Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia
I seen the MAC products advertised in a Target catalogue the other day. I was a little surprised that MAC would go that route, seeing how it went so well for Napoleon products (sarcasm), but not really shocked.
I have always viewed MAC as a product that is marketed towards the everyday consumer, not the professional artists. I have never had a MAC pro membership, but I have used some of their products when I contracted for a bridal company. I have always just thought that I could get better or comparable products for less elsewhere.
Don't get me wrong! I am not knocking MAC or any artists that choose to use their products. I could just never see the point in paying for a membership, to get a discount, that most other companies will just give me. And, now that everyone and anyone can get the same thing from Target for less, I guess I was right.
kat makeup artist wrote: thankyou for your comments. all very valid points. to give some perspective of what is like out here. makeup of any kind is at least three times the price in the usa. Specifically to mac, the pro program is $60AUD per year. there have been 1 masterclass in two years. no other events. for example it takes me two hours driving plus petrol to get the the pro mac store or i can pay $9 postage. Now for example the eyeshadow pro pan refills with pro discount are $18.50 each. the eyeshadows in their containers are $33 minus the 30% pro discount making them $23.10 with pro discount.
Now target is selling the eyeshadows in their pots for $19 each, there is a target down the road and in every 5km radius around here so next to nothing in petrol.
It hardly seems like there rewarding their loyal pro members who spend thousands a year.
Majority of my kit is mac, i like their products, my clients like them. I do have other product lines as well, but the majority is with mac.
In Australia it is very hard even in a main city to get your hands on professional quality makeup at a decent price. They are all wayyy over price which i dont understand as the AUD has been on parity with the U.S for over two years now. I have made numerous orders from the U.S to here for many of my supplies as locally its just ridiculously priced. But you pay for it waiting for delivery.
Basically compared to the u.s there is a lack of competition here for the pro market dollar.
What will i do about it? I have already posted the above on the Mac Pro only forum board hoping for some kind of an explanation from a mac rep or to at least bring their attention that this decision will ultimately cost them in pro memberships unless they raise the discount for pro membership to compensate and make it worth while.
Myself looks like ill be buying certain mac products from target and depotting them, and then what i cant get from there, ill then use my pro membership..... Seems a bit silly though but what can yo do.
AUSTRALIA
ACMUSE / SCOTTY'S PRO | 233 BROADWAY | GLEBE, NSW 2037 | PH: 612 9518 9000
IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKEUP | 139 PUCKLE STREET MOONEE PONDS | PH: (03) 9370 0232
LEHVED | PO BOX 422 DARLINGHURST | NSW 1300 | PH: (02) 9212 5037
This!
All the more reason to ditch MAC . Yes it sucks you don't have access to pro brands in Australia hopefully that will change soon .
I would hardly call Mac high end . For me I carry only hard to find or pro products in my kit and or super high end products ...like you said any joe shmoe can get Mac ..it's a more luxury experience. But what works for one may not work for another ..
This is however a bad sign for the company what's next Mac in every Duane reade or boots ? Spiraling to the bottom .
You are dissapointed about something MAC has done to artists Please do a search on this site for a lot more on that subject
Anyway, MAC is finally where it belongs, in the drug store. This is NOT a pro brand, it's a consumer brand and has been since EL took over many years ago
One of my emplyees told me just yesterday that a MAC card was now $100.00 a year and they give them away like candy, as long as you pay the money...I never verified this but I asked her..."Who in their right mind would pay that to buy products?" Who would pay even $40.00 a year to buy products? and so my store no longer accepts these pro cards as proof you're a pro because what it really shows me is proof you're bending over, and thats about it.
TheMakeupMan
Posts: 3,614
Los Angeles, California, US
Very upsetting....... Not sure what to do with this info as I do like quite a few Mac products ,,,,
But just an FYI. If your a union member they just give you the pro card you don't have to pay for the discount
Very upsetting indeed
This makes me like makeup stores cosmetics even more ,same variety as Mac ( which is one thing i liked about the line )and a better quality
Man I have a lot of Mac to throw away ......
kat makeup artist wrote: So basically now any joe blow can walk into target, buy an eyeshadow for half the price of the rrp in mac counters and stores, and still works out cheaper than me going to my pro store and using my discount!
Call me cynical but when someone calls a customer "joe blow" it wasn't just about the money. They feel offended that some lowly nobody can get a better deal.
Unless you're a Reseller of MAC products, why wouldn't you be thrilled that you can also get your products cheaper without having to jump through any "Pro" hoops.
By the way, MAC developed that term to elicit the very response you're having now. It's a marketing term to make people purchasing their products feel special and unique. That they are receiving exclusive things others can't. It's CRM. Companies develop Loyalty/Subscriber Programs to make their members feel elite.
So, now you know the truth. You weren't special. And you shouldn't be mad at Target or the "joe blow" customer. You should be mad at MAC for duping you all this time. It just goes to show how badly they were gouging you all this time that they can offer it in a retail environment for cheaper than you've been paying with a " pro discount."
Call me cynical but when someone calls a customer "joe blow" it wasn't just about the money. They feel offended that some lowly nobody can get a better deal.
Unless you're a Reseller of MAC products, why wouldn't you be thrilled that you can also get your products cheaper without having to jump through any "Pro" hoops.
By the way, MAC developed that term to elicit the very response you're having now. It's a marketing term to make people purchasing their products feel special and unique. That they are receiving exclusive things others can't. It's CRM. Companies develop Loyalty/Subscriber Programs to make their members feel elite.
So, now you know the truth. You weren't special. And you shouldn't be mad at Target or the "joe blow" customer. You should be mad at MAC for duping you all this time. It just goes to show how badly they were gouging you all this time that they can offer it in a retail environment for cheaper than you've been paying with a " pro discount."
I think your seeing things quite distorted.
From a makeup artists point of view, for any cosmetics company that spcifically markets to professionals, you expect them to give you a genuine industry discount as you spend thousands a year on products compared to a retail consumer. You expect to get the best deal.
Also, here in oz as I have said before, ALL cosmetic companies price gaouge. All prices in general are over inflated.
Also I'm not complaining and winging about prices getting cheaper! Yeah its nice with a narrow mind. But it cheapens you, your clients perceptions and you as an artist feels hard done by. I can't wait to hear from some dumb ass cheap bride asking me for a discount cause mac s products have gone down in price. Really lookinh forward to seeing another compny sell out and destroy itself. I have seen at least three companies do the same move and it never ends well.
Would love some more discussion from other muas.
To the makeup man, that's exactly how I felt when I heard. Would love for you to elaborate.
Call me cynical but when someone calls a customer "joe blow" it wasn't just about the money. They feel offended that some lowly nobody can get a better deal.
Unless you're a Reseller of MAC products, why wouldn't you be thrilled that you can also get your products cheaper without having to jump through any "Pro" hoops.
By the way, MAC developed that term to elicit the very response you're having now. It's a marketing term to make people purchasing their products feel special and unique. That they are receiving exclusive things others can't. It's CRM. Companies develop Loyalty/Subscriber Programs to make their members feel elite.
So, now you know the truth. You weren't special. And you shouldn't be mad at Target or the "joe blow" customer. You should be mad at MAC for duping you all this time. It just goes to show how badly they were gouging you all this time that they can offer it in a retail environment for cheaper than you've been paying with a " pro discount."
I think your seeing things quite distorted.
From a makeup artists point of view, for any cosmetics company that spcifically markets to professionals, you expect them to give you a genuine industry discount as you spend thousands a year on products compared to a retail consumer. You expect to get the best deal.
Also, here in oz as I have said before, ALL cosmetic companies price gaouge. All prices in general are over inflated.
Also I'm not complaining and winging about prices getting cheaper! Yeah its nice with a narrow mind. But it cheapens you, your clients perceptions and you as an artist feels hard done by. I can't wait to hear from some dumb ass cheap bride asking me for a discount cause mac s products have gone down in price. Really lookinh forward to seeing another compny sell out and destroy itself. I have seen at least three companies do the same move and it never ends well.
Would love some more discussion from other muas.
To the makeup man, that's exactly how I felt when I heard. Would love for you to elaborate.
Michael Pandolfo wrote: Call me cynical but when someone calls a customer "joe blow" it wasn't just about the money. They feel offended that some lowly nobody can get a better deal.
Unless you're a Reseller of MAC products, why wouldn't you be thrilled that you can also get your products cheaper without having to jump through any "Pro" hoops.
By the way, MAC developed that term to elicit the very response you're having now. It's a marketing term to make people purchasing their products feel special and unique. That they are receiving exclusive things others can't. It's CRM. Companies develop Loyalty/Subscriber Programs to make their members feel elite.
So, now you know the truth. You weren't special. And you shouldn't be mad at Target or the "joe blow" customer. You should be mad at MAC for duping you all this time. It just goes to show how badly they were gouging you all this time that they can offer it in a retail environment for cheaper than you've been paying with a " pro discount."
wrote: From a makeup artists point of view, for any cosmetics company that spcifically markets to professionals, you expect them to give you a genuine industry discount as you spend thousands a year on products compared to a retail consumer. You expect to get the best deal.
Mac hasn't specifically marketed to professionals in years, they like you to believe they do but they don't ...pro brands don't come out with limited edition products every few weeks. And Barbie and hello kitty? What pro needs that ? It's consumer driven ever since the Lauder buyout .
wrote: Also I'm not complaining and winging about prices getting cheaper! Yeah its nice with a narrow mind. But it cheapens you, your clients perceptions and you as an artist feels hard done by. I can't wait to hear from some dumb ass cheap bride asking me for a discount cause mac s products have gone down in price. Really lookinh forward to seeing another compny sell out and destroy itself. I have seen at least three companies do the same move and it never ends well.
All the more reason to take it out of your kit. And any bride that asks for a discount cause the price of cosmetics has gone down should not be the type of client you want anyway..I mean who says that? And if they do then you say well I only carry pro products and luxury brands ..though it should never be about what's in your kit but the quality of the work ...and if you put everything in unlabeled palettes they will never know what it is .
Here is a list of brands that don't charge for a pro discount Just ask for creditials
MUFE
OCC
Nars
lorac
Urban decay
Shu uemura
Illamasqua
Eve pearl
Kett
Mehron
Ben NYe
Tarte
Benefit
Smashbox
Yaby
Face atelier
Louisa-
Posts: 19
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
There's alot of controversy and some of my friends have said that the MAC products they have purchased at Target are FAKE. One person wrote to me:
"I just wanted to let you know that the MAC makeup sold at target is fake The packging is different then original MAC (and MAC does not change packaging in any country), the boxes are slightly smaller and the colours are different, (I bought two colours from a MAC counter & two from target and compared them, they aren't the same!) as for the lipsticks they smell like chemicals not the original vanilla scent they should have."
Some are also saying it is OLD stock or EXPIRED makeup, which is why it is cheaper.
Louisa-Marie wrote: There's alot of controversy and some of my friends have said that the MAC products they have purchased at Target are FAKE. One person wrote to me:
"I just wanted to let you know that the MAC makeup sold at target is fake The packging is different then original MAC (and MAC does not change packaging in any country), the boxes are slightly smaller and the colours are different, (I bought two colours from a MAC counter & two from target and compared them, they aren't the same!) as for the lipsticks they smell like chemicals not the original vanilla scent they should have."
Some are also saying it is OLD stock or EXPIRED makeup, which is why it is cheaper.
Personally, I think it's either fake knock-offs, or almost expired makeup.
I don't know about all that I doubt a large billion dollar company like target would buy let alone sell fake or counterfeit products, I mean anything is possible but the lawsuits alone from Mac would be huge. And expired? I highly doubt that too ...more lawsuits . did any one in austrailia think of contacting Mac and ask ? Maybe they have a licensing agreement with target to use their name and sell their own products using the Mac name ..again highly unlikely but you never know .
Louisa-
Posts: 19
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Well apparently alot of the stock is from the Tartan Tale collection, which is from 2010 and didn't sell too well. Eyeshadows have an expiry of around two years... so these shadows would be close to expiring. Thus OLD stock.
Louisa-
Posts: 19
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
PS Here is a MAC response
Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in M.A.C.
MAC products are only distributed for sale at our authorised retail store accounts, or at our free-standing stores. Products purchased at one of our authorised accounts are genuine MAC merchandise of recent production. In addition, consumers can feel confident when they are serviced by one of our trained representatives, who are familiar with our product line. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
We hope that we have the opportunity to serve you in the near future.
Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in M.A.C.
MAC products are only distributed for sale at our authorised retail store accounts, or at our free-standing stores. Products purchased at one of our authorised accounts are genuine MAC merchandise of recent production. In addition, consumers can feel confident when they are serviced by one of our trained representatives, who are familiar with our product line. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
We hope that we have the opportunity to serve you in the near future.
Sincerely,
You did mention Target in your query, right? So they aren't denying this at all. If they were concerned, they would have said "Thank you for the heads up."
And Target is not so stupid as to sell a major label without fact-checking first.
I have to wonder, though, with the packaging, smell, and colors being different - occasionally brands sell one version in certain stores, and a better version at their own stores and counters. I believe Iman did that, maybe others. Maybe they are (ahem) reaching out to a certain clientele with these products that they can't otherwise get due to cost. Surely there must be a press release somewhere.
And for those who don't know, this is not the first time MAC has been seen like this. MAC got started in drug stores in Canada.
Elizabethmakeup
Posts: 338
Hereford, England, United Kingdom
I don't know if this is quite the same but there was a case in the UK where expensive face creams from Boots were being re-labelled (a different label was just slapped over the top) and then sold in Pound Stretchers for about £3 each! When it became known, a lot of people then went to their local store, bought a bulk and then soaked the labels off. Sure enough, a company had bought stock from Boots and re-labelled it as their own product.
It may be that MAC had these cosmetics in stock still and sold them on. As a previous poster has said, I'm sure that Target would very quickly be discovered for selling knock-off or counterfeit makeup from such a high-profile brand.
ArtistryImage
Posts: 2,293
Washington, District of Columbia, US
btw, MAC Pro brushes are actually very well made... and hold up under heavy commercial use (daily)... Bristle density is superb... the sad thing is ebay is full of FAUX MAC brush sets at ridiculous prices...
MAC only produced a couple of full-sized brush sets and they were quite expensive. The Prêt-A-Porter Brush set had 8 full-sized brushes (190, 187, 129, 316, 231, 224, 266 & 219)... it came in a black satin brush roll.
There was another full-sized brush set release in 2008 as part of a Nordstrom’s exclusive that included (168, 187, 208 & 222). It came in a black makeup case with MAC written on it.
If you do happen see a MAC brush set on sale for under $200 it is most likely fake...
I do like MAC gloss creme brillance, works extremely well on camera, carry it in my set bag...
food for thought... for those working primarily in a consumer market there is a latent perceived worth associated with MAC branding... what little MAC product one can afford it might be wise to strategically showcase same... however in a commercial setting it is probably irrelevant... there only the resulting quality of the look matters...
Rawan91
Posts: 13
Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
I think that Illamasqua are running a campaign in Australia for fair pricing..
they will shortly sell their products with the same price as in UK..
so.. same price as UK + discount code? its a win-win situation ..
for some reason i do like Illamasqua more than mac .. their products seem more professional .. not to mention that 60% of their products are manufactured by Kryolan.. which is one of the theatrical brands ..
only the range of lipsticks and pigments/glitters need to be expanded .. but that would come along with the process of launching new collections ..
Ok I went to target the other day to check it out and yes they don't carry a large range, about five shades of lipglass, lipsticks, ten shades of eyeshadows and five shades of foundation. That's it. As for packaging and quality I examined them carefully and I know how to pick a reproduction or fake its in the small details, the packaging and quality is the same. The eyeshadow colours are spot on and they're not close to expriring.
But, and this is a big but, the colours being stocked are subject to constant change and every store has different stock.
So I think mac is using target as a discount outlet to move excess stock that has not moved from their counters.
So I hardly see this as a major move for mac allbeit an interesting one that has made for good discussion. Also there are no testers and they are not behind any counter which I can see them being an easy target for shoplifters. I assumed when I went they would be behind locked in a cabinet.
A while ago (couple years ago) I saw MAC at my local Costco. I think the way that stores like Costco and Target get extra MAC stock is the same way they wind up at CCOs.
Just for an interesting thought. I went down to my local target (or two or three) and they have all pulled all of he mac off the shelves. When i asked why to the sales girls they said simply they got a call from head office pulling them off the shelves and there not allowed to sell it till further notice. No explanation why.
I did send through a complaint as i love mac but my issue is with my pro discount being inferior to the heavy discounting offered by target.
Seems like i wasnt the only one and enough of a backlash made them pull it out.....
if this is the case then it is a win for local makeup artists!
kat makeup artist wrote: Just for an interesting thought. I went down to my local target (or two or three) and they have all pulled all of he mac off the shelves. When i asked why to the sales girls they said simply they got a call from head office pulling them off the shelves and there not allowed to sell it till further notice. No explanation why.
I did send through a complaint as i love mac but my issue is with my pro discount being inferior to the heavy discounting offered by target.
Seems like i wasnt the only one and enough of a backlash made them pull it out.....
if this is the case then it is a win for local makeup artists!
Very interesting... this whole thing
How is that a win? It was cheaper at target then with your discount ...so now you will be paying more for the same thing no??
Danielle Moore
Posts: 310
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Just wanted to say I HAD to go to Target to see this nonsense the other week. My local one did not have any Mac on the shelves but the CBD one did. and it was ghetto as hell, girl. Open containers all over the place, 1 left of each product. Complete turn off and the color options were terrible. I did not swatch but they had a handful of Bobbi Brown lipglosses on the same display at the bottom just rolling around; I'm thinking it's all counterfeit and/or Target has lost it's mind. Bobbi brown at TARGET? Let alone mac?
holy moly look at whats on macs website. My rep told me there pursuing legal action against target!! she said that all the makeup artists tipped off mac enough to do something about it.
M·A·C Cosmetics has conducted extensive testing in our US laboratories and found that M·A·C marked products that were, until recently, being sold at Target Australia are counterfeit. We notified Target Australia and they have withdrawn the products from their shelves and website. We cannot guarantee the quality or safety of products not purchased from an authorized retailer of M·A·C Cosmetics. Target Australia is not an authorized retailer of M·A·C Cosmetics and we did not supply any M·A·C products to Target Australia. We urge our customers to shop at our authorized retailers to ensure the M·A·C Cosmetics products they buy are authentic and meet the quality and safety standards that we promise.
In Australia, our authorized retailers are M·A·C freestanding stores, www.maccosmetics.com.au, M·A·C Pro stores, MYER and David Jones or call our customer care line on toll free at 1800 613 828.
M·A·C Cosmetics is committed to providing the highest quality, on-trend products to our consumers around the globe. We take this responsibility very seriously and are unwavering in our commitment to provide consumers with products that meet our quality and safety standards.
Counterfeit
wow.... Some buyer at Target just lost their job! what were they thinking?
There are fake MAC products all over the internet, this stuff is so easy to get and so cheap...staight from China. I just can't believe that Target fell for a fake. I did believe the whole story however because MAC did start in a drug store from what I understand and it has moved away from the pro market...
I do remember the day when you could NEVER touch Paul Mitchell anywhere but a salon, now you can get it through Target. Paul Mitchell will still tell you to buy at salons to assure quality blah blah blah... but thats crazy, you know Target has had the OK for years now to sell this. Salons move away from it now because you can't make money if targets selling it cheaper...but the company will sell a lot more out of target then they will out of a salon
The packging is different then original MAC (and MAC does not change packaging in any country), the boxes are slightly smaller and the colours are different, (I bought two colours from a MAC counter & two from target and compared them, they aren't the same!) as for the lipsticks they smell like chemicals not the original vanilla scent they should have."
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