MAC is the only makeup brand I use and I don't mind paying a pretty penny for the three things I normally buy...in Canada.
But in Canada I lost an eyeliner brush and figured it was no big deal/sacrifice of my first child to get a new one. I hit up the MAC counter in De Bijenkorf (not the one on Heiligeweg!) and plunked down €21 for an eyeliner brush. In Canada I think it's $17, which I thought was expensive, but I was pretty blown away by Amsterdam prices.
That said, I did go to two other stores in search of said brush. First I hit up Ingflot, which said they were out of stock for two weeks and had an off-putting sales person, and then some store on Kalverstraat, which also had off-putting staff and lower quality brushes. The person at De Bijenkorf was kind, quick, helpful, and not off-putting. Thanks, MAC!
Update: I recently learned about Hema. I wish you could have seen my face when I saw their brush is €2.50. Oh well. MAC still rules. read more