I'm a Sephora fan as well! But, at times when I get my hands on MAC foundation, it's one of my faves!

I'm going to have to go with MAC here! My fav make up - have been using it for years and have had no problems. PLUS, their recycling program is a bonus - gotta love free stuff

I would urge you not to discount drugstore brands. I am all for high end makeup... I just got a $190 Sephora shipment the other day... but there are items to splurge on and items to save on. Do you have an Ulta? They carry some high end stuff as well as tons of drugstore brand. They are open samples of everything so you can test out coloring and such. I've found great lower end eyebrow pencils, eyeshadow, eyeliners, and mascara. I however use LORAC foundation, Stila blush, MAC eyeshadow primer, and then I've accumulated lots of MAC eyeshadows. But my daily eyeshadow set is a range of $7 Ulta brand shadows. I get compliments all the time. I think eyeshadow has much more to do with application technique than high end product(granted you don't want clumping, creasing mess but lots of lower priced eye shadows can achieve this)...and what the makeup artist does to you at the counter may not be the way it should be done for you. Experiment yourself. It's the best way.

I love MaC and sephora. I agree that OTC eyeshadows can work. I have found some great color palets for $7 in cvs. Just be sure to use good applications brushes and blend blend blend. Max factor is pretty decent as well.

please for the love of all that is holy in make up do NOT use mac face products. especially studio fix. they settle into the pores more and cause horrible breakouts. plus, a lot of people use the sponge that comes with it instead of a brush and you just keep contaminating yourself! i used to be a mac junkie until i went to makeup school. now, other than eyeshadows i run for the hills. also, the drugstore brand MILANI is manufactured in the same plant that makes MAC. they are the same product!!

Yup - and doesn't Estee Lauder own Loreal? Much the same product for much cheaper.

estee lauder is the parent company for most of them, mac included