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MAC Colour Craft Collection - Backstage at the Photoshoot
MAC Cosmetics Colour Craft Collection – Backstage at the Photoshoot
Remember a few weeks ago when we were all wondering just how on earth MAC came up with the makeup used in this look?
Time for an Update!
Last week, we came across some behind-the-scenes photos from the Colour Craft photoshoot, and one of the photos showed a Ben Nye palette. After talking with MAC HQ, the Director of Makeup Artistry, Bianca Alexander, walked us through what was used for the photoshoot.
Here’s the breakdown she gave us:
- Use Brush 222 to highlight under the left brow with Passionate Eye Shadow.
- Blend Bitter Eye Shadow through the inner and center of eyelid with Brush 252.
- Use Smolder Eye Kohl to intensify the waterline, and follow with Rapidblack Penultimate Eye Liner on both upper and lower lashline.
- Use Brush 219 to blend Passionate Eye Shadow under lower lashline, diffusing the line outward for an airbrushed effect.
- Begin design on the left eye by using Brush 242 to shade a circle of Natural Flare Mineralize Eye Shadow at the browbone.
- Switch to Brush 219 to shade a circle of Fashion Patch Mineralize Eye Shadow at the temple.
- Switch to a clean Brush 242 to shade a circle of Fashion Patch Mineralize Eye Shadow on the eyelid.
- Follow by using Rapidblack Penultimate Eye Liner to outline all circle shapes with a delicate black line.
- Begin design on the right eye by using Brush 219 to shade a circle of Passionate Eye Shadow at the browbone.
- Use Brush 242 to shade a circle at the temple with Natural Flare Mineralize Eye Shadow.
- Switch to the previous Brush 242 used to apply Fashion Patch Mineralize Eye Shadow on the left eye, and shade a circle at the crease to complete the right eye.
- Follow by using Rapidblack Penultimate Eye Liner to outline all circle shapes on the right eye with a delicate black line.
- Apply a generous coat of Zoomblack Zoom Lash Mascara on both upper and lower lashes.
- Hydrate and refine lips with an application of Prep + Prime Lip with Brush 311.
- Use Beet Lip Pencil to define lips before shading Lipstick in Trimming Talk along the outer edge with Brush 316.
- Highlight the center of the lip with Lipglass in Miss Marble and Girlish Romp Mineralize Eye Shadow.
The ever-talented artist Linn recreated the Colour Craft face chart using the products suggested, and she achieved:
See the backstage photos…
So….they used paint?!*gasp*
actually they used a Ben Nye palette but the packaging looks like paint.
Thatis so bootleg. I would like to think they would stick to the colors offered by the collection is they’re going to use a different brand! I’m so glad I wasn’t that interested in this collection.
That`s a little unsettling.
Mmm I want the Lumiere palette even more now!
lol I knew there was something fishy about that image, slightly misleading. Tsk tsk
So do they have Ben Nye on the list of items needed on that face chart? lol *joke joke*
I saw that on Facebook too. I can’t believe MAC let that picture out. I did wonder where they got those gorgeous brights when the MES were such a let down. Hey, and money saver for me, I already have the Ben Nye palette! (It’s great if you love brights.)
Wow, that’s sneaky but it happens all the time. One of the artists I know used MAC for a Maybelline campaign a few years back as well.
helloooooooo.. if anyone has ever worked on a Fashion Shoot, photo session, TV, Movie or ad campaign, one knows that not only MAC, but all brands hire an artist, and as such he is free to use whatever creative tools or materials he needs to interpret and attain the desired look!!
It is not out of line to expect the promotion image to correlate with the products used. However, it is also not a surprise that a “hired” MUA would want to use something other than MAC since the line has such little credibility among the artists in the industry.
What do you mean MAC doesn’t have much artist credibility?
One month ago i had a chance to have a make over with Massimiliano della Maggesa, Mac senior mua for Italy. When he asks me what face product i’m using, i told him i use kanebo primers and sometimes foundations too, he nodded and reply that kanebo offers a great selection of face products and he also uses those for photoshots, cause many models prefer this brand than MAC or others.
So i’m not surprised at all, but i admit is disappointing, above all if you bought something in Colour craft collection hyped by the gorgeous promo picture.
Well, I know I’m not going to stop using MAC (because I can imagine other brands aren’t any better), but I definitely do not like this.
I figured those weren’t MAC colors! They were too pigmented! I can say that I couldn’t care less, that pic is AWESOME!
They could have at least used some of the new products on the shoot – it was really obvious too, given that all the CC e/s are frost/shimmer & the model is wearing all mattes.
Not attacking you, just making an observation, but if the model is wearing all mattes & the Ben Nye Grande Lumiere Palette is ANYTHING but matte (I own it, all super shimmery colors!), then what is she really wearing?
she could be wearing the lumiere 6 creme color wheel
Regardless, this makeup look is weird.
In my opinion a promo pic should have something to do with the products in the coordinating collection…
I agree with you 100%,,,when you look at the promo picture, you think you are looking at MAC products..and when you ask the MA what was used she’s going to tell and little lie..and get you to buy items that are not even for sale in their store.
Yes i feel cheated since i have been purchasing MAC products from this collection based on promo photos. It’s misleading and a fault advertising. Never again MAC. A deal breaker for me. I am never going look at your promo photos again! (next time make a little note in your promo photos where to buy products from other brands to achieve the look!)
It’s an usual thing in the ad world (especially beauty ad & food ad). They need to build an image,sometimes with a strong character,eventhough they have to “cheat” on their consumer.
Anyway, I still heart MAC & love this colour craft campaign.
I still love the Colour Craft collection and never really look at the promo images as they tend to be really ugly, imo, although this one is very pretty, but it certainly didn’t make me want to buy this collection, it was the products themselves that did.
I agree! The campaign covers don’t really bother me. Neither does this. It was all about the MSFs for me. Tee hee!
And this is why I should never look at the promo image to decide if I want to pick something up from a collection. *sigh*
typically MAC promo images are shots months in advance before the actual product is released. So it is very rare that the actual products are being used in the image.
this makes me laugh cause even they know they don;t have the best products out there..i LOVE LOVE Ben Nye
It would be one thing if they just used the promo pic as just a picture for promotional uses, not as a FACE CHART like they did on the website. What the heck?? You can’t recreate this look with the collection; it should not be a “look” chart!
actually if you look at the face chart at the mac website it is a little more subtle and different than the face chart in the picture…and it lists mac product..which i think is what was used in the face chart on the mac website..or at least that how it looks to me.. 🙂
Actually I was able to create the look with all MAC products and it was just as pigmented. I used most of the products listed, but don’t have all. I did test all and they were just as pigmented IMO. Like most said the products were not even ready when promo was done, but if you follow the face chart that was on MAC site you can achieve the look. I did. As far as the lips I used everything except the lipstick, because I had a color like it already. The MAC facechart I used is not the same as listed here….especially the lips..
I don’t know whether to feel depressed or upset. Yes, using ben nye to get a great shot okay, not saying that they did in the facechart sucks. Though I am sure you could recreate this using other MAC colours.
haha, I kinda knew MAC used other cosmetics other than their own to achieve that look for the CC collection. thanks Christine for confirming 🙂
LOL, I’m guessing many people knew MAC didn’t used the products of this collection for that look, even if they had a face chart with that colorful look. There was no way the mineralize eyeshadow was use for it.
What better way to promote Ben Nye products than to use them in a MAC photoshoot and let pics of it “slip” in the net? Hehehe
At least I’d hope they’d be honest about that – to give the MUA some lines to tell. Instead I had my MUA at MAC telling me the colors on the model were all from this CC collections… sigh.
It’s quite possible the MA you spoke to wasn’t actually aware of this. I know they certainly didn’t inform us at update training. Give him/her a break.
Ha ha, I already own this palette! Nice to know I can skip this one…
It’s weird they had to use the Ben Nye palette. After all , MAC has more than enough pigmented alternatives to achieve the same result.
Not really, the pigmentation offered by Ben Nye way higher!
I’m guessing the Colour Craft eyeshadows weren’t even made or available at the time of the shoot
I hate that in most of the promo pics, their models end up looking like dolls. Half of the time, I can’t figure out if it’s a real person or not. Like with the Rose Romance collection, I still think that was a mannequin. That isn’t pretty.
The makeup in the photo is a masterpiece! Using other products at photoshoots or even shows is common. Definately it’s not the best thing to do but it happens all the time. In any case one should try the products on at the store before buying sth.
I’m amazed by girls on here disgusted by the fact those are not the products of the collection used in the promo pic. It’d be naive to think it’s never the case: it’s always like that and who cares anyway? That’s just a promotional pic here to sell a spirit, the spirit of the collection. Nothing more. I’ve worked on several photoshoots for all kind of objects and this is rarely the final product that is used on promo shoot for the simple reason that pics are made months before the products get finished. So when mac photoshoot are done, they’re just done on a concept brief. Artists don’t even know what the collection will finally look like. 🙂
May be it is not MUA concerns but customers care. It is deceiving.
Would you but a tomato if what you want is an apple? They are both red.
How could they make a pic with actual make up when the actual make up isn’t even still available? I’m sorry your realizing reality get so deceiving. I’ve personally never given credits to promo pictures because I’ve always found them “fake” and far away from reality, far away from actual proposed products. I thought that even before I knew all this was actually fake. And you know, it’s not even a question of wrong products used, they also photoshop everything. That’s just the advertising world: it’s supposed to make you dream but don’t trust it too much. They can turn apple in tomatoes if they want it!
You totally right Diabla!
It’s just like the promo pics for a new mascara… the model looks always stunning sporting a pair of false lashes!
I agree completely, Diabla. The promo pics are just selling the theme of the collection. Why are you all surprised/disgusted that they don’t use the products from their own line? The “deception” is the exact same as photoshopping, yet no one complains about that.
Although this is not surprising, I think the photoshoot should at least resemble the products they are promoting. Even if it is not realistic to strictly use MAC products for photoshoots, the ads PORTRAY that you can achieve these looks with them. For example, before the actual line came out, I was hoping the products would be full of pigmented colors just like in the photos. But now that is not the case which leads to major disappointment in my opinion.
Exactly. It is not about using other products, but with that colorful promotion the company is implying that you can do that look with their products which is totally misleading. It’s like mascara ads. You see these pictures of ladies with super long lashes when you can clearly see the picture itself was altered or false eyelashes were used. Of course, all they want is for people to believe the fantasy and buy the products, so…
My sentiment exactly. At least MAC could have used their Pro line, if they wanted something more ‘pigmented’, but going with another brand? I don’t think so.
Cuz MAC, Ben Nye, Kryolan are all made by one company.
WHAATT?? I always thought MAC was by Estee Lauder and Ben Nye/Kryolan from Artistry… Woah. Which company is it from?
They are separate. I think she meant that the manufacturer might be the same. (I don’t know anything about that.)
interesting to learn what they actually used!
although i can see why this is unsettling to many, a large percentage of people look to the promo pics more for inspiration than to replicate the look exactly…
I think it was pretty obvious to everyone that it was not the shadow quads (that came out with the collection)that was used as makeup for the promotional picture of the Colour Craft Collection. I think the makeup in the promotional picture does not represent how the products they have would look on day to day basis on someone’s makeup, but instead the kind of theme they followed for the collection– which is a colorful theme (colour craft right?!)…so..yeah that’s my take on this issue..
P.S. actually..now i want to buy the Ben Nye palette…does someone know where i can get the Ben Nye palette from a trustworthy website or person? thanks ahead to those who’ll reply..
Hi,
Bubba’s Clown and Silly Farm. =)
(I looooove my palette! *__*)
THANKS A LOT..! i went ahead and got some Ben Nye and Mehron palettes…! i’m so excited for my order to come in.! ^_^
I don’t mind them using other products to create a image, BUT when you market that Image as a Face Chart, which is literally a ploy to entice buyers to buy the complete collection in order to re-create the look. That look has nothing to do with MAC! If MAC wants to recreate this look usiing their own colors, which they could do that would be one thing, but it has nothing to do with the Color Craft Collection.
You’re promoting Ben Nye by buying their products…for one of your OWN shoots? Sad, MAC.
ughh i don’t think i mind the makeup used for the shoot and what they are selling, i think its the artistry and creativity that matters. after all, its not called make-up art cosmetics for nothing right?
ughhh! side note, color craft colors are beautiful, just too much shimmer and glitter and shine for me. and no green! how did that happen??
WHO CARES! i never really go by macs product images anyways. i always like to see whats in the collection and by swiping it at the counter. thanx christine though for always giving us the latest info and pics about upcoming mac collections. its very interesting to learn , but oh well. the thing i like to use and go by are macs face charts online, so then i can match colors without putting thought into it. the face chart of this is pretty but not what i would wear recreate and wear out.
While it is a surprise that MAC let this info become public, it’s not at all uncommon, as some people point out. It is misleading, at best, but compare it to the fact that models for mascara ads are almost always either wearing falsies or the lashes are digitally altered, and I promise that no skincare add goes to print w/out digital editing.
Sucks, but that’s how it is.
Wow, I fell in love with all these necklaces&serre-tetes! Just fabulous.
Yea… I don’t really understand why people are all upset about this. I just absolutely LOVE this shoot – whatever the hell they used – I think the makeup/hair/costume is just gorgeous.
Though, I have to say I was a teeny bit disappointed when I didn’t see a lipstick(s) in the collection like the ones they used in the shoot. But that’s happened with several of MAC’s collections lately (like Style Warrior – omg, Brave New Bronze was such a letdown). I guess it dawned on me very early on that the makeup used for many promotional shoots isn’t necessarily the makeup being promoted. Plus… digital editing. Hasn’t anyone ever looked at Bobbi Brown ads or the Chantecaille photoshoot video?
The lip color couldn’t have been just a lipstick…It could’ve been one of the CC lip colors, but the gold would’ve come from probably one of the Ben Nye colors, or a pigment, or a completely different lip color put on top … just minus the border to make it look how it does.
Because what you see is not what you get !!!!!
wouldn’t it be a fun contest to see who can re-create this look using soley MAC products? 🙂
I don’t mind that MAC wasn’t used for the promo (the pictures are quite neat), but wish they did a secondary shoot -using- MAC (the alternate face chart) so that we could see that as well before committing to buying. As for myself, I don’t ever buy based on the promo pics. I wait for swatches and even then like to re-swatch on myself as the colors never look the same on my own skin.
tsk…and i re-created this look last weekend using my Ben Nye palette, but only saw this post today. when the collection was launched here last Saturday and saw the MAs wearing the same look, i knew the original look didn’t make use of MAC products bec. there’s no way the items in the collection can be that pigmented. and so when i got home i took out my ben nye palette and wondered if that’s the same thing they used!
I love the promo ads no matter what makeup was used BUT it should correlate with the collection the brand is trying to sell. If I see a beautiful promo ad w/ gorgeous makeup I’m going to assume they used the products for that campaign.
I LOVE this promo photo.. cool to see it being planned. but weird that they didn’t use their actual products…
The stupid thing is that they totally could’ve created this look with Mac Pro products like paint sticks, certain ccb’s, chromacakes, etc. It still wouldn’t have been part of the collection, but at least it would be their own makeup.
I can’t believe it! I’m so disappointed.
If MAC is a pro brand,why use different brand products?
What for Chroma cakes?
Sad,MAC :(((
I’m shocked, but not surprised…I knew nothing from the collection created this look. The colours on the model are so vibrant, she looks stunning. This byfar is my favorite MAC collection photo.
First of all I’d like to say that I completely agree with everyone: MAC should’ve created the look from the promo pics wigh actual products from the MAC PRO line… a bunch of paints and pigments could’ve easily replaced fhw ben nye products… Lol i think the color craft collection was disgustingly disappointing… All the colors were just colors that already exist in every MAC lover’s makeup wardrobe… But I must say, the promo pics are so inspiring that they make me wanna go out and buy bright cream color palettes from kryolan and ben nye now:] I still can’t believe that MAC of all companies would come out with such a boring collection yet give it a gorgeous name and such fantastic promo pics :/ Let’s all buy the Lumiere Palette from ben nye now!!
so what if they didnt use mac products for the look. its up to the artist that mac has hired.
and if you want to do that look you could easily do it with mac products anyway! for example., bio-green, chrome yellow, genuine orange, clear sky blue.
if you look at the backstage pictures for Euristocrats 2, the artist isnt using a mac product. here is a link to the pic
http://talkingmakeup.com/pics/news2/maci31.jpg
i knew the colours were NOT from new collection…but i thought they would some other MAC PRO products…least did i expected them from OTHER BRAND…:)
Its ok…models wear FALSE LASHES all the tym to promote a MASCARA BRAND….So deception is a part…i ges…(IMO)
Here is a picture of me doing the look with the products listed in the face chart. Not that far off, eh?
http://rocketqueens.blogg.se/images/2009/cc_46683588.jpg
This is a bummer, a while back I used online help to ask what color tendertone was in the Tendertones photo. She told me it was (whatever it waas, i don’t remember) but I was disappointed when I bought it and it looked nothing like the promo photo. I was just about to ask again, what color baby blooms lip balm is in the latest promo photo. Now I realize it is a waste of time, that color is probably NONE of them! BOOOOO MAC!
Promo photos and reality in daylight are two sliiightly different things though, whether you use the same products or not. 😉
I hate it when brands do this. It’s deceptive and bad business ethics, IMO. :/
I really didn’t even like this collection or that face chart to begin with. And the fact that they used Ben Nye and paint is just ultimately disappointing.
So basically, the artist straight out lied, because the items listed there is VERY obviously NOT what was used in that promo.
ok..so they used MAC stuff?? what was BN doin there?? lol!!
ok, guess it was ‘just kept’
I was told that artists have their own kits, so perhaps it was photographed by mistake. That’s really all I know!
LOVE Linn! She is fabulous!
I KNOW! Stunning.
I totally second that! 🙂
Oh girls, you make me blush! Thank you!! 😀
Damage Control!! 😀
i find it disappointing how MAC didn’t use their own products for this photoshoot. they’re basically promoting Ben Nye.
I agree that it’s somewhat misleading, but I really couldn’t care less about this matter. I liked the promo pictures, but I’ve never based my purchases on them! If I like the products I buy, if I don’t.. well, then I don’t. And that has absolutely nothing to do with the collection’s promo pictures.
How disapointing 🙁
The MAC people didn’t even mention the blue or green shades. On the lid there is a darker green than Bitter. HMMM…. I am glad I dodn’t buy anything fromt his collection. I would take it all back if I had!!
oh well….
Before I didn’t care, but now MAC has outright LIED saying they *did* use MAC e/s when they didn’t. Ugh.
I felt a little cheated out. yes, i do know that make up artists use whatever they feel like on models, esp runway. BUT this is a promo pic for MAC color craft promo image, I don’t understand why Ben Nye had to be involved like that. (Makes me wanna buy Ben Nye more, hehe)
I don’t think people who’re against this act is attacking MAC, rather, face this fact. I’m glad you gave us this info… Like, whena model has that freaking false lashes advertised as their new line of mascara.. (I just want to vent out at them.) This doesn’t stop me from buying mascara, and I know that poeople are not going to stop buying MAC because of this. I know i will. Just that I’m a little disappointed that MAC decided to not to use mostly color craft products for this ad. I think ben Nye was used as a base..
Anyway, I still look forward to what MAC has to come out with. However, I don’t think it’s a great idea to come out with new products every now and then. I still think so 2 years from now because new collection loses its appeal sooner or later.
this is kinda disappointing, but i agree with every1 else on here that they should have at least stuck to similar colours from this collection. its a little deceiving on their behalf. i always assumed that the models for the collections would be promoting products being released in the current collection. i guess that is not the case for mac.
It doesn’t bother me so much that I will never purchase MAC again, but it comes across as deceiving to me. The picture to me automatically tells me that I will get this much color payoff from the shadows or other colors in the collection. This is clearly not the case now that I have four of she mineralized quads. They are not this pigmented and how silly could I be, because the colors aren’t even the same. This is an advertisement for Ben Nye now. Either way, the photo and artwork is gorgeous, but to me, deceiving on the part of MAC.
I dont mind that MAC used other products, but it DOES annoy me that the MAC person didnt admit it. Its damn obvious if you look at the BN palette and the picture of the look side by side the colors match EXACTLY. So I just wish they would admit using other products in addition to MAC products.
these promo pics were actually one of the few that I liked for MAC but I cant believe that they are using other products. At least use your products and tint it to make it look brighter in photoshop lol I know thats terrible but at least you can say that you used MAC products for your own promo.
This is just amazing! I was absolutely dazzled when I saw the collection in the store. I love the all!
Publicity is about enlarging, exagerating. If you watch commercials carefully they all have this. MAC could use paint if they’d like, it’s publicity. No one is going to go out the street looking like that and people who would (in the cinema/theater) don’t buy MAC. If MAC had pigmentation like that, no regular people would buy to wear on a daily basis. This add’s purpouse is to show a concept of the collection, not the products it self!
On the other hand, it is not right for MAC to tell costumers that they could achieve that look with the products from the collection (they even show a sketch with the places to wear each tutorial.
But anyway, this doesn’t bother me!
Love this Promo Look! I also did a colour craft promo look, only with mac products LOL http://mackarrie.blogspot.com/2009/08/mac-colour-craft-promo-look.html