MAC reflects glitter

Hello--
I just got back from a convention, and several instructors were using this amazing looking glitter--MAC Reflects--in pearl and gold, to add a really cool glowing sparkle to a finished design. So I went to order some, and not only is it hideously expensive, which they warned me about, (anywhere from $28 to $42 per small bottle), but it clearly states it's not safe for use on the eyes. I'm puzzled. Are people using this glitter for real out in the field, or do you think they were just using it for an extra "wow" factor at the convention? I mean, I do use neon paints (away from the eyes & lips), but to use a product that clearly says not safe for eyes over the whole face, seems...a little dangerous? Especially on a kid. What do you think? Thanks!

If you use a MAC Pro card, you get 40% off. The glitter IS hexagonal polyester glitter. I believe the warning is to help keep litigious purchasers at bay.
I used to love MAC. I am allergic to perfumes, makeup… and some face paints. I seem to be getting more sensitive all the time. I cannot use some of the MAC products I have been using for years. They have changed. And… I have changed. My skin is more "vintage" (Miss Ronnie's fabulous verbiage.)

I will go out and check this week to see if the glitter has changed to a metallic base and get back to you.

Happy, Glittery Painting!

If you search, there are posts that talk about why some thing aren't labeled as safe around eyes, for example, our neon paints. However, sometimes labeling is a legal matter, not necessarily a safety one. Another example is that very few blue pigments are approved for use around the mouth or lips and very few red pigments are approved for use around the eyes. For the most part, that's a testing and labeling issue, not a safety one.

It's hard to know the difference, but you can always google the FDA safety information about a specific pigment or type of product to find out whether it's truly a safety issue or a labeling & testing one.

Glitter, in general, isn't subject to FDA testing and "cosmetic grade" is not a legal term, so a big company like MAC can't afford to make those claims.

Thanks for your help, Lisa and Julie. I will look up the ingredients and make a decision based on that. But I'll probably stick with my Mama Clown white glitter for most of my work, if only for the cost aspect, and save the MAC for extra-special occasions, away from the eyes!

ALL glitter says to keep away from the eyes.

And really, it is common sense. But, it is glitter ... fling it everywhere!  

Shannon Fennell wrote:ALL glitter says to keep away from the eyes.

And really, it is common sense.  But, it is glitter ... fling it everywhere!  

Cosmetic glitter of course.

TheGildedCat wrote:If you search, there are posts that talk about why some thing aren't labeled as safe around eyes, for example, our neon paints. However, sometimes labeling is a legal matter, not necessarily a safety one. Another example is that very few blue pigments are approved for use around the mouth or lips and very few red pigments are approved for use around the eyes. For the most part, that's a testing and labeling issue, not a safety one.

It's hard to know the difference, but you can always google the FDA safety information about a specific pigment or type of product to find out whether it's truly a safety issue or a labeling & testing one.

Glitter, in general, isn't subject to FDA testing and "cosmetic grade" is not a legal term, so a big company like MAC can't afford to make those claims.

If I recall, the deal with blue around the lips is because some emergency medical conditions cause the lips to turn blue and a paramedic might become confused. The same applies to red and eyes. In other words, it sounds more like someone with a bit of medical trivia creating a rule and everyone just going with it.

You know, the only place I've ever seen that written was on this forum, no legit fda sites, but could well be. If that were the case, one would expect yellow to be not approved for skin use either due to icterus.