Introduction to Marc Jacobs Beauty
Introduction to Marc Jacobs Beauty
I’m new to this brand. Where should I start?
Eyeliners
Palettes
Lip Colors
Lipgloss: Their lipgloss range is average; a big reason they did not score high was that they said “maximum color” and what I’ve tried has, in general, been sheer, but they are easy to wear. Lipstick: Their Le Marc Lip Creme is fairly popular with readers from what I can tell; my experience was that they were longer-wearing at four to six hours but not the full ten (so the ratings suffered a good deal from missing the mark there) and aren’t hydrating, but they are pigmented.
Blushes: I’m not a fan of their powder formula; it seemed unnecessarily stiff/firm in the pan and really hard to get color out of them, but I have not tried any since the brand originally launched.
Base products: There is a lot of love for the newer Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation, which is a foundation that does offer a lot of coverage, but I’ve struggled to find a decent shade match (I have three shades, and the shade range itself is quite large!) and have had trouble applying it (sometimes it looks good, sometimes it makes my skin look dry). I like the Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer for adding some slip and light hydration to the skin.
Brushes: If you’re looking for a higher-end, synthetic range of brushes, particularly face/cheek brushes, these are nice. They are well-made, wash easily, retain their shape after washing, feel nice against the skin, and perform well overall.
What would you recommend to someone just trying Marc Jacobs Beauty for the first time?
WHERE TO BUY
That new foundation makes me breakout terribly!
Oh no! That’s awful 🙁
Did your skin breakout after one use Erin?
Yup. I got giant welts on my face, then over the next few days a ton of tiny whiteheads which I never get!
Couldn’t agree more about the Re(marc)able foundation. I got the set for my birthday (foundation, coconut primer, and the face III brush). I love the brush and the coconut primer, but finding a colour match with the foundation was impossible. I ended up needing both shades 10 and 12, which I have to mix in equal parts to get the right shade. Kind of annoying considering the price. I find that some days it looks absolutely flawless, and other days it looks dry, even though I use the same primer and brush to apply. No idea why it is inconsistent like that, but I have the same problem using Nars Sheer Glow.
Haven’t tried anything else from the brand yet, but I will definitely repurchase the primer and would love to get more brushes. The Face III is the best brush in my collection.
I have three full-size bottles, and I don’t think any of them are right. Mixing them doesn’t seem to work that well either! 🙁
*I love the Re (marc) able Full Coverage Foundation, been using it everyday. But I agree, it’s tricky finding a shade match and Sephora only has maybe 10 of the 22 shades on display. I had to sample 3 before finding one, and it’s still a little too light, but ok for winter. And to get the best look, my skin has to be well hydrated and exfoliated. But the MJ Foundation covers really well and lasts all day and night long, it’s the closest I can get to flawless skin. When summer comes, I might have to buy another shade. My local NM has a new MJ counter, so I’m hoping they have all shades for me to try
*I really hope MJ issues another 20 pan eye shadow palette for the holidays- I had to skip the Free Spirit one because there were too many light and midtone shades, but hoping for a nice one this year
Forgot to mention, that MJ foundation has been a lifesaver this week! Thanks to a cold and spring allergies, my whole face looks kind of gray/purple and blotchy. I’ve been covering it up with foundation, so I look at least presentable for work. This morning, my toddler saw me without any makeup, she got all worried looking, pointed to the grey/purple circles around my eyes, and said “mommy eye ouchie, ouchie”. Eeeek, I ran back back to the bathroom and threw some foundation on. Don’t want to scare anybody LOL
Any recommendations for application on that foundation, Katherine? I just feel like it doesn’t spread at all, so I either have super uneven coverage or far too much product that looks caked on!
Christine, my skin is on the drier side, so I moisturize well, let it sink in, then put the KVD Hydrating Primer on top. I shake the MJ bottle, add 1 tiny drop to the top of my hand, spread it around my hand, then use my finger to dot on my cheeks. I use the IT Velvet LBD Foundation brush to gently buff it in, as the brush covers fast and very evenly, no streaks. I repeat over other sections of the face until the first layer is on. The dots on the face can dry super fast, so I prefer to do section by section. Then I only spot re-apply over sections that need extra coverage, or I just press the brush against that area to add more coverage. I only use up 1/2 -3/4 drop for the ENTIRE face, the foundation is so pigmented! If any area looks too heavy, I press a damp beauty blender there. Then I blow dry my hair, and the warm helps dry the foundation faster, but you might be able to skip this step. IMO, the less powder I use, the better this foundation looks. I do a very light tap of a very finely milled powder (ELF Illuminating Palette is my fave!), use setting powder only on my nose, then spritz my face with MAC Prep + Prime Fix to set everything. It sounds like this takes a long time, but it’s actually pretty quick once you get the hang of it. Hope this helps!
Thank you much for this very helpful guide to a brand that I have yet to try, Christine! The two things that I have been tempted to venture into are his Highliner eye pencils, especially Blaquer and Intro(Vert). Also, one of the 7 pan palettes. Not 100% sure which one as of yet, though. Considering that I feel up to my eyeballs in neutral eyeshadows, I’d likely try something more adventurous and colorful!
My pleasure, Nancy! 🙂
The swatches button for the gel liners doesn’t work.
I just tried it, and it works for me? What happens when you click the button?
I know for me that you can’t click it. So it seems like the hyperlink isn’t there/working. I’m on a Samsung Galaxy S4, for reference. Hope that helps!
Thank you, Kim! I have made note for the team to look at this on Monday!
The Marc Jacobs synthetic brushes are the best. I waited until the Sephora sales to gradually build up my collection. I like the MJ lipsticks as well. They are creamy and nicely pigmented. The original version of the MJ foundation is one of my favorite foundations.
The gel eyeliners are just ok to me. They are not long lasting in the least – I recommend the Laura Mercier sticks. The nail polishes are beautiful variations on popular colors, but not really long lasting. At least not for me.
They are nice! I wish there were more for the eyes, though!
Marc Jacobs makeup is generally of really good quality, even though it is pricey. But it is worth it because you are not wasting your money. I don’t own any of his products because they are so hard to get here in Australia and doubly expensive.
But I would start small – a lipstick, an eyeliner and/or an eye shadow palette containing the colours you would most use.
That is a great tip, Genevieve!
Hey guys, I have to ask. I bought the peridot highliner to use in my lower waterline, but it remains really tacky. I’m a contact lens wearer so it creates a film on my lenses. Is there anything i can do to fix that, maybe set it with a translucent powder? And otherwise, any recommendations for liners for the water line that work well for contact lens wearers? I have tried the ud 24/7 liners and those are even worse.
Mine seems set in place, but I don’t wear contact lenses in the day, so it might be harder for me to notice something like that!
I haven’t used peridot but I find the highliners work best when my eyes are drier so it doesn’t transfer into my eye. I wait after putting my contacts in for the lens solution to dry a bit. Maybe blot your waterline before and after? I have also managed to draw onto my contact lens with MJ pencils when tighlining- that’s how waxy and well they stay on me! MJ are definitely the best on my waterline. Have you got other colours? I wonder if peridot has more slip.
Boy Gorgeous is one of my favourite lipcolours, it is just that, gorgeous.
I also really enjoy using eyeshadows fro The Starlet palette, easy to use and amazing colours.
My favourite eyeliners didn’t make the list, I am a bit boring with my liners, I know, but I really love (Luna)tic and (Stone)fox. Peridot is on my must have list, though.
I love the color of Lunatic, but the quality wasn’t as high for me (for the one I tried) 🙁
Recently cheated on my regular Armani mascara with Marc Jacobs Beauty
Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara and really liked it. Also use his liquid eyeliner and have no complaints.
I’m not sure why this brand has just never really grabbed my attention. Boy Gorgeous has been on my wish list for a long time and I don’t have a dupe, so I really ought to try it!
Two main thoughts on this post: a) those eyeliners come in lovely colours, and b) the bottles for the nail polish are really cute!
I love these brand overviews, Christine and have been referring to them as a guide for familiar and less familiar brands. I know nothing about Marc Jacobs except looking at the eyeshadow palettes every so often. I received a sample lipstick last year through Sephora and I liked the texture (although it is too cool-toned for me).
I haven’t tried anything from MJ but the eyeliners look good to try. I really like the colours of all the cool ones.