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Estée Lauder vs MAC

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Estée Lauder and MAC are established beauty brands under the same corporate umbrella, yet they serve distinct skincare needs. The American pioneer is celebrated for hydrating moisturizers, serums, eye products, and cleansers enriched with hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting mature and sensitive skin best. Meanwhile, the Canadian sibling focuses on reliable daily moisturizers and makeup removers crafted for balanced complexions. While the former relies on nourishing compositions to support aging or reactive skin, the latter offers measured foundations for everyday maintenance.

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

MAC is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 1984 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 1994.

elcompanies.comen.wikipedia.org

This page compares some of the most popular Estée Lauder and MAC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Estée Lauder vs MAC products

People Say

Estée LauderMAC
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “Sits beautifully under makeup — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
    • “Removes waterproof mascara completely without needing a separate remover. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
  • High price and expensive products Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “too pricey — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “too expensive — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “A bit expensive — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or MAC: which is better?

Estée Lauder offers a much wider range of products on this page than MAC, with strong options fitting mature, sensitive, and acne-prone skin best. Reviewers note that both brands share a high price point, but Estée Lauder stands out for deep hydration backed by ingredients like glycerin.

Estée Lauder or MAC: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, Estée Lauder offers a wider variety of products on this page for different skin types, featuring options with a High or Superior Lovi fit like DayWear Moisturizer, whereas MAC provides fewer choices with Average fits. Reviewers note that both brands share similar drawbacks regarding a high price point.

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or MAC?

Both Estée Lauder and MAC are tied on affordability, as reviewers for the products on this page mostly mention a high price point for each brand.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Estée Lauder or MAC?

The products on this page from Estée Lauder and MAC both offer options that suit acne-prone skin, such as Estée Lauder's Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée which achieves a High fit level for acne-prone skin. However, Estée Lauder features a wider variety of specialized cleansers and treatments tailored for keeping breakouts at bay compared to the limited range shown for MAC.

Which brand has been around longer and was founded in the United States rather than Canada?

Estée Lauder has been around longer, having been founded in the United States in 1946, whereas MAC was founded in Canada in 1984.

How many products contain fragrance in Estée Lauder compared to MAC according to the page?

According to the products on this page, 2 out of 14 Estée Lauder products contain fragrance, whereas all 3 MAC products contain fragrance.

What skin types do brand-focused routines show Estée Lauder fits best?

Brand-focused routines show that Estée Lauder fits mature skin, sensitive skin, and acne-prone skin best.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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