M.A.C

M.A.C

MAC was founded in 1984 by two Canadian chaps named Frank - make-up artist and photographer Frank Toskan and beauty salon owner Frank Angelo. Born from a desire to create make-up which held its own under the glare and heat of photography studio lights, it was originally created for professionals but soon gained such a popularity that it was launched to the general public soon after. In 1995, Estée Lauder Companies purchased 51% of the company and then in 1998, after the death of one of the founding Franks, they bought the remaining share. Estée Lauder, being the massive global beauty company it is, helped M.A.C grow even further and there are now a whopping 1500 locations selling the brand in 78 different countries worldwide. It's probably their attitude as much as anything. M.A.C's motto is 'All ages. All races. All sexes' and so their make-up is designed to be accessible for all. I'd argue that the majority of their seasonal launches are a little, well, 'out there'. But they're fun and often full of colour giving M.A.C an edgy yet playful feel appealing to a younger crowd. M.A.C also pay a lot of attention to the whole spectrum of skin shades making them a hugely popular brand for women (and men - see 'all sexes') with darker skin. On top of this, they are big on charity – particularly their Viva Glam campaigns which have helped raise $224 million for the M.A.C AIDS Fund. As a serious proponent of black eyeliner, I have spent years on the hunt for the perfect eyeliner. Having tried umpteen pencils, pens and liquids I can now proudly announce that the search is over. For me, the M.A.C fluidline is the perfect product. It's a gel eyeliner in a little pot that may seem a tad daunting at first but applying a smooth line along the lids with a brush is surprisingly easy. It even passed the applying-it-to-a-friend-on-a-moving-train test last weekend.