Miles of MAC by James Gager and Miles Aldridge Review & Photos

Christine — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 17:12:25 +0000

Miles of MAC by James Gager and Miles Aldridge

MAC has always held a very special place in my heart. I fell in love with makeup when I was a freshman in college after trying MAC’s Pigments. I was obsessed with them! The way they sparkled and shimmered, the intensity one could achieve when using them with Mixing Medium, and so I found my way down the rabbit-hole that is the world of MAC. They say that MAC is often a makeup enthusiast’s gateway drug, and it was certainly true for me.

I’ve been blogging for eight years now (October marks Temptalia’s 8th anniversary), and it never occurred to me that the blog could be much more than a hobby until MAC’s PR team sent me (little ol’ me!) an e-mail, inviting me to go backstage at San Francisco Fashion Week and attend a special press dinner for the event. When I received Miles of MAC by James Gager and Miles Aldridge ($45.00, available for $30.46 at Amazon and $32.66 at Barnes & Noble) yesterday, it really struck a chord with me, because it reminded me of the journey I’ve been on since falling head-over-heels in love with all things beauty and makeup. I remembered my time as an active member of the mac_cosmetics Livejournal community, where I learned so much about makeup and technique, and it was where I could “be” with people who also loved MAC and makeup.

Makeup is truly transformative medium, as who I am and the direction my life has gone in, would be very different had I not fallen in love when I did. It made me feel pretty and feminine when I didn’t know I could. It helped me fake it until I made it–until I had the self-confidence with or without makeup, and it felt so empowering to be able to enjoy makeup as a source of art and self-expression. It gave me an outlet for creativity when I was knee-deep in academia. It gave me the opportunity to find and carve out my dream job–one I am extremely humbled and blessed to do.

I enjoyed flipping through and seeing the promotional imagery that MAC has used throughout the years and recognizing many of them (the majority are from 2007 to present). The book is as much an ode to the creativity and stories MAC has told over the years as it is to the talent of Miles Adridge, a photographer that has been responsible for many of MAC’s campaign visuals over the years.

As someone with a very personal connection with the brand, this book is a beautiful addition to my collection of beauty “memorabilia.” The book has a hardcover with 240 pages, over 200 of them are color photographs (and the remaining pages are often black with white text but still with the same quality with a light, glossy sheen and feel thick and weight between the fingertips), and there is a clear plastic jacket that protects the book itself. It seems very well-done to me with high quality printing, a variety of photos from over-the-top, avant garde makeup to more traditional beauty shots to themed collections (like A Novel Romance).

I’ve actually saved every press release MAC has sent me (hard copies) since they first reached out in 2007 (I believe MAC Smoke Signals & MAC Blue Storm were the first press samples I ever received). This is so much better, since the quality is higher with everything bound together. But truly, if one enjoys visuals from beauty campaigns, it is an interesting book and would be a great source of inspiration as it features work from some of the most well-known makeup artists in the industry, like Alex Box, Val Garland, Charlotte Tilbury, Ellis Faas. I appreciated that MAC credited these artists throughout the book but also in the “index” (of sorts), where you can see who did which promotional image and the year (I do wish they included the collection name, though). It seemed like a nice touch to me.

I thought the price was surprisingly reasonable for something as large, lengthy, and filled with color as this (plus, it’s hardcover). For the makeup lover in your life who already has all the palettes and lipsticks they could ever wear (and for a few more lifetimes), this just might be an excellent gift to give.

See more photos!

Miles of MAC by James Gager and Miles Aldridge