MAC was the coolest little Canadian company, Toronto based, so I know and shopped there from the get go (in the '80s!) when they were just one little store. They had the biggest heart and the products were for makeup professionals (all sexes, all races, all ages ) and the prices were low and they had these huge Fashion Cares events in Toronto, to fund-raise for people living with HIV a unique thing at the time.. as was the colour range. The stores were limited, but still accessible in big cities in the States and Canada.
Anyway, they sold to Estée Lauder and you know what happens when the creative directors step down and the money flows and it's just not the same company anymore. Too many launches, too many uninspired products, the low-wage retail sales people don't have the training and aren't the skilled artists they once were. The products are less original and copies of every other Estée Lauder owned company.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
They are also no longer cruelty free.