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    MAC Cosmetics Reviews

    Updated December 13, 2018
    1,174 reviews

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    3.3
    StarStarStarStarStar
    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    MAC Cosmetics CEO John Demsey
    John Demsey
    474 Ratings

    Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • "great discount and product gratis" (in 61 reviews)

    • "Employee discount is beyond impressive" (in 59 reviews)

    Cons

    • "The further you grow within the company the lack of a healthy work/life balance is a potential downside" (in 143 reviews)

    • "No work life balance, having to work every weekend your job becomes your life" (in 58 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. "Mav"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Retail Store Manager in Braintree, MA
      Former Employee - Retail Store Manager in Braintree, MA
      Recommends
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at MAC Cosmetics full-time (More than 10 years)

      Pros

      You will learn so much

      Best artists in the world

      Cons

      Hours are crazy
      Difficult customers
      Having to dress up every day

      Advice to Management

      None

    2. "Regional Trainer"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee

      I have been working at MAC Cosmetics full-time (More than 10 years)

      Pros

      Leading global brand with a family feel.

      Cons

      Ever changing, restructures, and sometimes difficult to grow.

      3. Join the MAC Cosmetics team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. "Okay"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Artist in Miami, FL
      Former Employee - Artist in Miami, FL
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at MAC Cosmetics part-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Discounts, cool people, artistry growth, fun work environment, vacation.

      Cons

      No opportunity for growth, hires from the outside,

      Advice to Management

      Listen to the people who work for you.

    4. Helpful (2)

      "Amazing to Awful"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Artist in Los Angeles, CA
      Former Employee - Artist in Los Angeles, CA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at MAC Cosmetics (More than a year)

      Pros

      When I first started working there it was a dream job, but as I continued and the company started to decline I noticed a huge change. Free makeup often, good discount.

      Cons

      Management is a mess. Harass employees.

      Advice to Management

      Get rid of almost all of your in store management. They do don't meet expectations, don't inspire team or treat employees fairly.

    5. Helpful (1)

      "Beauty Consultant"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Beauty Consultant in San Francisco, CA
      Former Employee - Beauty Consultant in San Francisco, CA
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook

      I worked at MAC Cosmetics full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Great benefits
      Fair pay
      Room for growth
      Lots of learning

      Cons

      Long hours
      Rude customers
      Management was a mess

      Advice to Management

      Care more about the employees, and don't show favoritism.

    6. Helpful (2)

      "Fun job"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Beauty Advisor in Boca Raton, FL
      Current Employee - Beauty Advisor in Boca Raton, FL
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at MAC Cosmetics part-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Free makeup, laid back work environment, Cool dress code

      Cons

      No matter how much blood sweat and tears you put into this company they will cut your hours without a second thought. I make my numbers and my hours still got cut to 18 hours per week which I can't survive off of with a family.

      Advice to Management

      Stop cutting hrs

    7. Helpful (1)

      "Great company to work for"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at MAC Cosmetics full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      You learn the latest artistry techniques
      Great gratis
      Meet a lot of interesting people and do a lot of makeup

      Cons

      If you’re working at a partnered MAC ie in a department store management is sometimes very difficult to work with
      Up and down schedule
      No consistency in scheduling
      Always working weekends

      Advice to Management

      Be more accepting of MAC culture. Department stores are often too conservative in their views to understand the diversity and inclusion of the brand. Stop hiring just anyone to be managers. They will get 0 respect within the industry if they don’t know anything about makeup. How can a manager help staff grow if they’re not willing to do makeup?

    8. Helpful (1)

      "Makeup Artist"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in New York, NY
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in New York, NY
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at MAC Cosmetics part-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Free makeup when new products get released

      Cons

      company sales goals are unrealistic, no weekends off even thou other retailers offer at least one weekend off a month, work life balance is horrible.

    9. Helpful (4)

      "Approach with caution"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Retail Manager in Jacksonville, FL
      Former Employee - Retail Manager in Jacksonville, FL
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at MAC Cosmetics full-time (More than 8 years)

      Pros

      Immediate team was great; made some life-long friends.

      Cons

      If Glassdoor would allow me to write a book, it would only be then that you as the reader would be able to get the full story. Cliff-notes version: this company is toxic. It is the primary goal of any business to make money and I think we all understand this very simple concept; however, M.A.C Cosmetics goes about this in a very twisted way treating their employees like robots instead of human beings. Unfortunately this is leading the once "Leader in the cosmetic world" down a very slippery slope and they are failing. With all the niche, up and coming brands out there, M.A.C is falling behind and with quality employees leaving left and right it will be very difficult for them to make a "come-back" as a leader. It would take the company at least a decade to get the trust and loyalty they once had from both their customers and employees back to make it to the top again. What a shame...

      Advice to Management

      Again, I would need more than the characters allotted in this review to fully enlighten you but I will do my best. If given the chance, I would first tell management that they are now on the level of every other sub-par, sell-out cosmetic company and to lose the 'god complex'. I would also tell them to enroll in their local elementary school and take kindergarten again. This would teach them to treat others the way you would want to be treated which is life lesson that everyone running a major corporation should learn. Again, it is the primary goal of any company to make money and turn a profit, but if you don't treat people fairly and give your employees respect, the performance of the company as a whole will fall. Learn to respect people. That is the number one piece of advice I can give. It seems like such a primitive concept but it's one that M.A.C. has been lacking for years and it shows in their performance and in the tenured employees that they are losing by the dozens. Overall, lose the attitude and shift your focus on getting your company back on track if not for your employees, for the profits which is what you ultimately care about anyway. Word has gotten out M.A.C., you're not the cool kid on the block anymore.

    10. Helpful (2)

      "Building A Career"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Resident Trainer in San Francisco, CA
      Current Employee - Resident Trainer in San Francisco, CA
      Recommends

      I have been working at MAC Cosmetics full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      - They strongly invest in education, artistry, and management skills
      - Collaboration is celebrated and encouraged
      - Opportunity to build your career all over the country--in special cases internationally.

      Cons

      - Struggles to identify changes in market/cosmetic landscape in a manor that provides proactive and solution oriented responses to employees.
      - Has no team to properly manage/groom freelance and per diem employees.
      - Remote employees or locations of less interest are ignored.

      Advice to Management

      Accept change in the industry, listen to employees, and strengthen communication for employees that are in remote locations.