What product range would you like to see the brand overhaul?

MAC eyeshadows, to me, are in desperate need of a re-do… not just because I feel like many shades could benefit from an improved formula, but the shade range itself has so many gaps as they’ve discontinued shades over the years (without adding that many into it).

— Christine

53 Comments

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Veronica Avatar

I agree, MAC eye shadows. They have discontinued amazing colors and those that have been brought back have not been as great. Redo the finishes too, keep mattes, satins, frosts and veluxe pearls, and get rid of lustres! Lustre eye shadows have the worst payoff and the most problems.

Also, redo the core of neutrals, but please never discontinue such greats as Shroom, Patina and Brun. And bring back more darks such as Femme Noir (most perect eye shadow ever!), Nehru and Typographic.

Mariella Avatar

There are a few (very few) lustres that are pretty good – Tempting and Goldbit are 2 that I love and would miss – but I so agree about Matte2. Talk about stupid – one of their most highly rated shadows (Copperplate) is Matte2. Mind you, I have seen Blanc Type available again online, I think. Personally, I found Shroom to be really disappointing. I had such high hopes for it and I hardly ever reach for it, preferring Phloof and a few other similar shades for their better payoff/pigmentation.

Veronica Avatar

Shroom is one of my go-tos! I love it for highlight and packing on the lid!

Another I’m having trouble finding is Bottle Green. I want it so bad, but then again, discontinued. Grrrrrr

Mariella Avatar

I have Kush in a UD palette (the UD Loves NYC one, I think) and it’s not at all like Bottle Green (Kush is more shimmery and bright, if I’m recalling it correctly) but I do think there are a lot of matte spruce green type shades like Bottle Green out there).

Joyce Avatar

What are some ways you use Patina? After such rave reviews I purchased it, but it looks sad on me. I have light to medium skin with yellow undertones and dark brown eyes.

AB Avatar

MUFE has a point in time opportunity to fix their eyeshadow situation, go back to the better formula before they settle in as an “also ran”/in the crowd. It would show they listen to customers which always improves a brand standing, also.

MJ Avatar

Yes! MAC shadows need a revamp.
Also, I’d love for Givenchy to do some good eyeshadows : their powders and blushes are great but their shadows suck.
And finally, if Benefit could stop the gimmicks and give us some good new (workable) staple products, I might buy something from them again!

Joyce Avatar

I think NYX needs to edit their lip products. There are just way too many different lines that are only marginally different from one another.

AJ Avatar

I completely agree! The last time I looked at the NYX display at Ulta when they had a sale, there were so many different lip options that I got decision paralysis and didn’t end up buying anything. I mean what is the difference between the SMLC and Liquid Suede? Cosmic Metals and Metallic Liquid Suede? I DON’T KNOW.

Susan Avatar

Yes! Way too many different products that really aren’t that different. The Nyx display at Ulta is like the world’s worst puzzle.

Yara Avatar

Agreed!

Every time I look at the lip display I get overwhelmed and end up walking away – it’s just too much. I know the butter gloss shade I like, but it’s unlikely that I’ll ever try any of the other options because of how confusing the display is.

Alecto Avatar

I’ve learned through random sampling (think: throwing a dart blindfolded) that I really like their Slip Tease product, am okay with Lip Lingerie, but I’m not fond of the rest of the liquids. In the bullet lipsticks I have a couple mattes (nice) and a couple Wicked Lippies (the Wickeds are actually *really* nice, IMO). But … yeah … they’re overdue for an edit.

Beth Avatar

This!!! A side from MAC ( which to my understanding they are reformulated their blush and eyeshadows ) Urban Decay! Stop with all the LE, Electric Palette colors. No more Naked-anything palettes. Change the dark purple, 80’s theme -ish packaging and look.
Benefit- fire the daughters who took the reigns from their mothers and bring the founders back. Go back to the original packaging and bring on quality. Get rid of the fragrance in their blushes
_
Kat Von D- going vegan completely was too rushed. She should have taken more time to develop better quality and see what works . Her new items are boring and uninspired

ES Avatar

I’d love to see a formula overhaul of the Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipsticks. I love the color range and finish, but it would be great if the formula was less drying.

Jujubes Avatar

Too Faced—all the eye palettes had become gimmicky with the scents and the quality just wasn’t there anymore. I wish other brands do more cool toned shadows also, you only need so many brown and gold palettes!

Ashleigh Avatar

The thing that comes to mind is the It Cosmetics CC cream- they (sort of) addressed the issue of only have a handful of shades… by coming out with a foundation version of it that only has a handful of shades.
They have to be rolling in the $$ and ability to expand their shade range, it’s such a popular line! Even expanding it to 15 or 20 shades would be a start…

Nancy T Avatar

Amen to a MAJOR redo of MAC permanent eyeshadow range, Christine!
I am very upset with their stupid decision to get rid of Matte and Veluxe finishes, as those 2 formulas were some of their BEST matte eyeshadows ever. Also, that they went and DC’d some of my favorite shades has been a bone of contention that I’d pick with them!
MAC: bring back Folie, Nehru, Typographic, Aquadisiac, Copperplate, Handwritten, Fig1, and Digit. And a more opaque version of Crystal, too.
I honestly believe that MAC would be doing themselves a huge favor, as well as us, if they redid their entire matte line as Matte² and Veluxe!

Seraphine Avatar

It’s hard to say what needs an overhaul because when a brand changes its formulas, it risks upsetting some of its fans. For example, I agree that MAC needs to add new shades, but I love their formulas and would hate to see my old favorites changed.

On the other hand, I wish ABH would redo their bullet lipsticks. I found them way too drying, especially in their appearance. (Or maybe they just need to come out with a satin line of lipsticks.)

I’d also like if TF would drop the cloying sweet scents from its eyeshadows. (Or maybe they should just release two versions: scented and unscented.)

Alecto Avatar

Yes to the ABH lipsticks! I really like the unusual shades I got from that line, but they’re immediately drying. I’d take a satin in those colors as well, though I was hoping for really good mattes as that finish is my preference.

Mariella Avatar

Both MAC and Nars eyeshadows. I don’t understand the thinking behind MAC once again getting rid of some of their best eyeshadows (while retaining some well-known stinkers) and also failing to bring back and make permanent some great and very coveted ones (Moth Brown, Extra Dimension Soul Serenade); Nars is only available to me via Sephora and so many of their eyeshadows (singles and duos) are being phased out from the stores as well. Some real faves – Lhasa, Nouveau Monde, Habanera – are gone. I think some Bay stores and Holt Renfrew carry Nars but none near me.

Erica Avatar

MAC, although I hate much of the lustres except Tempting, are still very good and some of the best. They need to bring back Matte2 too. And their extra dimension shadows are fantastic. Most brands don’t have as good. But they could benefit from adding unique shades which they used to be known for.

I’d say UD needs an overhaul. A terrible dry formula that fades no matter what primer. The Naked palette down right sucks and although, they have fun colors, most are just glitter bombs. Over priced junk products imo. I’ve yet to buy an UD eyeshadow that was amazing. Sorry about it

Rachel R. Avatar

*Foundation and concealer color/undertone range — almost all brands.

*Eyeshadows — MAC, Tarte, Too Faced, and MUG, and most drug store brands.

*I wish ColourPop would reformulate the Ultra Mattes so that they’re way less drying and prone to peeling, and more consistent in quality.

*Kat von D needs to reformulate the Studded Kiss Lipsticks she just reformulated.

Lisa H Avatar

MAC definitely! They use to be the standard of eyeshadows 10 years ago when makeup companies blew up with the advent of digital platforms. I remember make up tutorials were almost 100% MAC because it was really the only thing on the market and drug store shadows were pretty much always a joke. Palettes burst onto the scene with UD Naked and the rest was history for MAC; their attempts to keep up have been dismal which baffles me. Did they not want to because I feel they still have MUA favorites and done want to necessarily cater to the average make up user. They have loads of LE products but nothing is really new or innovative.

Iron Maiden Avatar

Stila really needs to bring back their whole lipstick range. They had great shades and great formulas. Now that the matte trend is fading. they should try to produce a quality product again.

Genevieve Avatar

I would like to see a revamp of Naked 2 with seriously cool toned shades in it – preferably containing mushroom and none of those warmer shades in the first half.
I would like them to add more satins, no glitter or sparkles, a couple of good mattes and very light shimmers.

Lea Avatar

Not sure this is so much a revamp so much as a revival – Armani lip glosses. They were my favorite gloss line ever and I was crushed when they dc’d it. Now that we are finally seeing glosses come back to the market, I’d love to see these get relaunched. In the meantime, I continue to use my hoarded stash.

Lea Avatar

They do and I have a few of them, but they are a gloss/stain hybrid and not nearly the same shade range. I think it was partly due to the matte trend we’ve been so entrenched in. I’m glad to see glosses coming back though. Much appreciated though!!!

Amy E Henry Avatar

Too Faced: SERIOUSLY, I’m not 12! Chocolate chip? Sweet Peach? Seriously, these look like children’s pretend makeup. I do not buy simply because the packaging is so cheesy.

Also, NARS is all or nothing, too many mattes or too many shimmers. Nothing in the middle.

Nikki Avatar

There aren’t really many product ranges I can think of that need an overhaul so much as my favorite shades keep getting discontinued. Exhibit A: Urban Decay Electric palette. Exhibit B: Kat Von D taking Thin Lizzy out of the Studded Kiss line with the creme reformulation.

Tracey E. Avatar

Bobbi Brown needs to overhaul their non-matte eyeshadows. There’s too much fallout from the shimmer & glitter shades and the shades in their customized palettes lack pigmentation. I stopped buying BB eyeshadown palettes except at Christmas when the quality seems much higher.

Anime Avatar

I want to see more drugstore, cruelty-free foundation offerings. I would love to see Wet N’ Wild’s CoverAll range make a reformulated comeback with a new concealer to join it. I’d also love to see shade extensions on Wet N’ Wild’s PhotoFocus Concealer. The PhotoFocus Foundation doesn’t really work for me personally, but their complexion products have never broken me out so I would love to see a different foundation from them!!!

Speaking of product lines being revamped, have you seen the Sonia Kashuk line was totally overhauled? She came out with two full separate brush lines! I’ve tried a couple of the gold-handled ones, and I like them!

jel888 Avatar

Ditto Christine! I think of all the brands that need to overhaul their products in MAC and in particular their eyeshadows. I don’t care for them at all.

MacKenzie G. Avatar

Too Faced: fix your eyeshadows. please. I’m begging you.
Tarte: please come up with something new. I don’t need more warm browns.
MUG: PLEASE start releasing eyeshadows again. I don’t want your lip products.
UD: revamp your singles, come out with new shades, sell them in pan form. I don’t need the bulky compact.
MAC: 1.) GO CRUELTY FREE. 2.) reformulate your eyeshadows, you’re not the brand standard anymore, catch up.
Stila/Smashbox: release something new/interesting, I’m begging you. Revamp your whole line to catch up.

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