Reader question: Show us your MAC!

I'm building my MAC makeup stash and would like to ask you Liz as well as you guys which MAC products are your top faves. Foundation, concealer, powder, blushes and lipsticks? I have medium, combination- oily skin. Dyed my hair caramel brown with medium blonde hi-lites. Kinda like Sophia Vergara. :) Im NC 40 Studio sculpt foundie, NW 20 in concealer. This kind of puzzles me...Hope you can share your MAC stash with me. Thanks in advance! - Jen

Hi Jen! I love MAC, but I wouldn't call myself a connoiseur or a collector. I am missing some key products and colors in my collection because I don't need them yet, what with all the makeup I already have! You should definitely ask Sophie, Brigitte, and Phoebe about their MAC stash, they're avid fans.

That said, my modest collection contains pieces that I cannot live without (figuratively that is). Some of them are gifts, some I bought myself. MAC makes fantastic colors, but their neutral makeup are some of the best out there. They flatter my NC35 skintone very well; I wear them when I want to look as beautiful as I can make myself. :P You'll notice I don't have a MAC foundation. I bought one before but I broke out so I didn't try it again. Maybe I should? I think they've reformulated.

Anyway, here goes!

Ahh, lipsticks. MAC Blankety is one of my favorite nudes, ever - it would work with an NC35 or lighter skintone, but for NC40 it might be a little pale. MAC Pro Longwear Lipstick in Till Tomorrow is a nicer nude for darker tones, it has a bit more brown and plum than Blankety.

Blankety, Till Tomorrow, Viva Glam VI, Plink!, Taupe, Russian Red

Then there's the MAC Viva Glam VI, a limited edition lipstick that for me is a perfect MLBB. It has a bit of plum mixed with pink so it works for me. However it's already not for sale so best to find another alternative (maybe MAC Cosmo?). MAC Plink! is a frosty baby pink. Too light on me but I like to mix it with other pinks! MAC Taupe is a gorgeous brown lipstick. Yeah I know right, how can brown look good? Oh you'll see - I'll blog abot it soon! I only got it last week. :D

Then of course MAC Russian Red needs no further introduction. Get this, whatever your tone is. It's the best deep red I've ever tried.

MAC Blushes are also some of the best ones I've tried. They're pigmented and last a very long time on skin and on the pan! I haven't tried that many MAC blushes but I love MAC Matte Blush in Harmony (best contour powder), Mineralize Blush in Love Joy (reddish blush that looks fantastic on darker girls), and Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Peachtwist (peachy coral).

I think MAC Harmony is a must have matte blush if you're into contouring. 

Harmony, Love Joy, Peachtwist

MAC eyeliners are also (surprise, surprise) the bomb. The MAC Fluidline is the best gel eyeliner for me; the pencils are also pretty reliable in our humid weather. Here I have MAC Fluidline in Dipdown, which is a rich, deep brown shade that I also love using on my eyebrows. Yes seriously!

Then there's the MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Blue Stripe (shimmery havy blue) and Technakohl Liner in Photogravure (deep brown with a bit of shimmer).

The MAC Prep + Prime Eye Base is just okay for me. Not a must-have, but it does a great job of intensifying eyeshadows.

And here is my MAC eyeshadow collection. :D I remember waiting a couple of months for the 15-pan palette to be restocked. I went to different MAC branches several times just to ask if it's already available! But found it, I did. The last two on the rightmost side are pressed MAC pigments so I won't count them; currently I have 10 eyeshadows. Five more to go! I'm thinking of getting colorful shades for the next four, then Carbon (a matte black) to round things off nicely.

MAC Humid, a frosty forest green shade

L-R: Femme Fi, Amber Lights, Soba, Wedge, Texture, Casino, All That Glitters, Satin Taupe (swatches here)

If you were to get only one MAC eyeshadow, I would highly recommend Wedge. It's a matte light brown color that is absolutely perfect for contouring the eyes and blending out darker colors. I've seen other brands trying to make something similar but they're never quite like the versatility of MAC Wedge. 

I haven't tried the MAC Charged Water yet. To be honest I'm not that into face mists! If you have any recos on how to best maximize them or your experience in using them, let me know in the comments plz. ;)

Here are a couple of products I forgot to add in the family picture above:

MAC concealers are also some of my favorite ones. Get Studiofinish for hiding blemishes, and Studio Sculpt if you want to hide blemishes and eyebags (it's creamier). 

I didn't like the MAC Suntints SPF20 Liquid Lip Balm in Au Rosé at first, but it has grown on me. It conditions my lips ASAP, and provides a nice tint too if used alone. I like to let this sink in my lips while I'm applying my makeup, then I wipe it off before I put on lipstick. Instant soft lips. ;)

And so there you go! Hope you found this useful, Jen! And guys, please also share your MAC favorites!