No Mac make-up at Debenhams

As a black woman living in London I have become used to being able to buy premium brand cosmetics very easily.
However, I'm aware that outside of London the hair and beauty needs, of black women, are not being met.
I am about to set up a website, especially aimed at black women, selling hair and beauty products.
Premium and value brands is something that would be available.
It would be useful to have feedback to see if this would be something of interest.
Please let me know - lovely beautiful black ladies!

I am right there with you. I thought there was a huge problem only in manchester. I am telling you, mac is gone everywhere. we used to have iman in most places but thats gone to. fashionfare is all thats left and I dont really like their products that much. all these leading cosmeti manufacturers havent really noticed that there are black people living in england. get this petition up n runnin am behind you 100% so frustrating isnt it. white women can go to wilkinsons and get a foundation but we need to do a 5 hour search for what suits us.

I feel your pain as I'm suffering with a lack of black hair shops and Afro-Carribean hairdressers in Milton Keynes which is where I have just recently moved to from London. I popped into MAC in MK to pick up my In The Groove mineralize skinfinish and to be honest, if they didn't have MAC close to me I wouldve moved back to London in a jiffy. Are there any Afro-Caribbean hairdressers in N'Hampton that deal with natural hair anybody?

I feel the same, I am of Asian decent and feel MAC provides a good colour range for my skin type, I have to travel to MK everytime I need any make up. I think Northampton should have a MAC counter.

Being a make up artist for MAC I can tell you it is not debenhams in npton you should have the gripe with its MAC itself.....They are very choosy on where they open there doors and make sure there isnt too many within a certain mile radius from each other...On the scheme of things you travelling to Milton Keynes is no bug bear and if you know what you want there internet site is amazing. MAC is a trend based fashion marketed brand and it only opens doors in areas which reflect this. It took them so long to decide to put one in MK in the first place- it will never be your Clinique or your Estee Lauders as it is a Make up artistry brand hence the name make up art cosmetics. It was made for trade and its a company that has now spread to consumers. A victim of its own success? it doesnt advertise people who talk about the brand from what they use spread the word so they havent got to do much but work stores to the bone as they are so busy all the time.

the way forward is Bare Minerals, MAC is ok, but the look is natural beauty.
I am a professional Beauty Consultant,Skincare Specialist.

Try Art Deco makeup it is less expensive and has great range of colours they also have a mineral range also this is hypoalergenic and kind to your skin. they sponsor skating on ice, they do make up for all skin tones , their concelers are as good or even better than touche---E
They do a primer for the eye - holds your eye make up all day.

I'm white & don't wear foundation, but I do wear eye shadow and have a complaint about the selection of colours you normally get in a compact of 3 or 4 shades. There are always one or two very pale ones which I don't use as I have dark hair and find the very pale colours look cheap on me (being rather mature doesn't help!).

I get the feeling that Mac eye shadow compacts might not contain these pale shades, so if more shops sold them I'd probably be another customer.

I am white but I can see your problem. There are many black and Asian women who live here and wear make up so they must buy it somewhere!

It seems likely to me that, although you would assume that a large branch would hold better stocks, you might do better to try smaller neighbourhood chemists in areas with a high ethnic population.

Hi heather. I am glad you posted this.

I am a black american and I havce frankly been shocked at the lack of access to cosmetics for browned skinned people in England. All major cosmetic brands - Revlon, Mabeline, Loreal, Clinque, etc - manufacture a full range foundations for all manner of skin tones. I know this. I've seen them. But despite the fact that Beyonce and Halle Berry are in the commercials here, I only been able to find foundation for my skin colour Mac's duty free counter at Heathrow Airport! I couldn't even get anything when I was at the Birmingham International Airport, surronded by Indian and Pakistani women with skin darker than mine!

I live in Exeter and my local Boots doesn't carry a single full skin tone range of cosmetics, despite the fact that they have black people in their windows outside the door. While Exeter is not a teaming metropolis, but it is a two story Boots, and there is really not excuse for not having one shelf acknowledging my existence.

I have to agree with Heather's views. I struggle to get the shades of foundation that I need and I often have to travel to Milton Keynes or to London to search for a brand that'll give me a shot at finding a foundation that matches the colour of my skin. Mac is a wonderful brand and it's a shame they don't sell it in Northampton. To get other companies to expand their colour ranges in foundations would be a huge battle and would take years so it makes better sense to ask the companies that do already sells the shades that we need (e.g. Mac) to feature in large department stores like Debenhams in Northampton. Frankly it's the same with black hair products. Again, I can't get what I need nearby so it's a planned trip to specialist shops in London to get what I need. What's happening with the petition Heather? Have you made any progress with your quest?

Generally all the department stores in Northampton do not cater for today's make- up market, Benefit is what I use and have to go to MK or internet.