Tuesday, April 23, 2013

MAC Pro Makeup Tips


have you ever wanted to sit down with a MAC Pro artist and get some tips? well guess what? i did.

MAC Pro artists are like those girls from high school that were everything. you know the ones - they were edgy, they were artsy and most of all they were nice. their coolness came from their confidence in who they were and where they were going. you admired them for that.

meeting with MAC Pro Caitlin was like reconnecting with an old friend, she just gets you. more than that she sees the best in you and wants you to see it also. she embodies the spirit of what MAC cosmetics is all about, being the best you.

some stats on Caitlin:

Hometown: Vancouver, BC

Time with MAC: 20+ years

Makeup Style: edgy and experimental

Mother: 1 boy + 1 girl

i showed up to our interview with my son in tow (sick day) and was immediately greeted with a friendly smiley and a few moments of chit chat about Diary of a Wimpy Kid (book of choice brought along by Cohen). meeting another mom who could tell me about the most recent DofaWK put me instantly at ease.

we headed back to the private makeup room (i didn't even know these existed in MAC stores!) to discuss all things makeup.

first, i wanted to know how one becomes a MAC Pro artist? turns out, 20+ years with the company just might do it. Caitlyn explained how she began working in-store and proceeded to be promoted as an educational trainer throughout Asia. she moved to LA to continue as a trainer and eventually made the move to NY to work in the International Training Department which covered over 44 countries. educating MAC employees is important and MAC's thorough employee training is what makes them so successful.

Caitlin shared with me a story of an experience she had at Paris Fashion Week. she was working backstage and rounding up the models for their makeup. (note to the reader, MAC practically owns the runway when it comes to Fashion Week makeup) there were three models flipping through Vogue and she overheard them saying things like "her hair is so silky", "this skin is flawless" & "i wish i had that butt". the ironic thing was, the model who "wished she had that butt" was looking at a picture of herself. a picture that had been touched up and reshaped to become a person unattainable, even to that person themselves.

welcome to the world of beauty.

a world that projects images of women, bodies and beauty that is completely unrealistic.

Caitlin went on to explain that MAC embraces the idea of there is no single woman who represents MAC Cosmetics. sure there are the big names who endorse the Viva Glam campaigns (MAC AIDS Fund supporting those living with HIV & AIDS) but MAC wants you to know that you are perfect for MAC because you are YOU. they aren't pushing makeup as the key to making you beautiful, they are pushing makeup as a blend of art + fashion. kind of refreshing, isn't it?

MAC, short for Makeup Art Cosmetics, is an extension of the artistic palette except the canvas happens to be you. Caitlin says mix it up. be willing to change it up so that you are not relying on makeup. instead you are having fun with it. fashion is fluidity and MAC is consistently introducing new lines and new colors allowing you to experiment with trends and discover new things. "Makeup is fashion," says Caitlin.

it was then she brought out the book. the coveted seasonal lookbook that MAC puts out for fall/winter and spring/summer. included in this book are the four key trends to the season and beautiful high resolution images (untouched, which is practically unheard of) demonstrating each of these trends and which runways they were seen on. i have only ever seen PDF's and images of this impressive book and here was one just for me. i think my heart may have skipped a beat.

we discussed some of her favorite looks of the season which happened to be Sci-chedelic; daring pops of color and using makeup to make a statement. most popular are the Pur-itan bronze looks which happen to be the most 'marketable' of looks.

my last request was that she share her five favorite products from the MAC core line. they were:

  • Natural Radiance, a primer with highlighting properties built in. pat it on your cheekbones and temples after makeup for fresh bounce to your skin.
  • Highlighter Pens. apply product and give them a few seconds of drying time. this will make all the difference in their coverage.
  • Bronzer in Refined Golden, her perfect hue.
  • Pearl Creme Colour Base, a product i think i have raved about, vlogged about and use about a million times. 
  • 217 makeup brush, the perfect brush for eyeshadow application.
after listening to Caitlin with intense attention i realized an hour had passed. while i could have talked to her all day, this cool girl was on her way to New York to shoot a tutorial video. i clutched the beloved lookbook and thanked her for the wealth of knowledge, Caitlin now has a fan for life. grabbing Cohen's hand we made our way out of the MAC store, but not without purchasing a few must-haves of course!



my MAC Spring Summer 2013 Lookbook with Refined Golden Bronzer & 217 makeup brush
xo,
kristie

1 comment:

  1. I love MAC products. Its one of my personal choice when it comes to makeup products.

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