MAC Me Over Overall & Recommendations

MAC Me Over hits counters on August 25th in North America, following September for international locations (I’m not given exact dates, sorry!).  It seems like a major launch for MAC, so they appear to be doing a gradual reveal of products online – some products are available for purchases, others say coming soon.

The highlight of the collection is how wearable the majority of the pieces are across skin tones.  When I went to break out products by what would work best for each skin tone, I found that smoky, dark, and vampy tones and shades will be flattering on pale skin tones as well as deeper complexions.  Even traditionally cool-toned colors when they reach a certain level of darkness still work well on warmer complexions, when more medium-in-hue shades might not.

In regards to quality, the fluidlines don’t disappoint and is a matter of what shades/colors you gravitate towards, but all four shades were nicely pigmented, creamy, and easy to work with.  I do think that while they all have some shimmer to them, much of it gets lost unless you are doing a thicker line or using it as a base.  The lipsticks–overall–are also nice, and classic shades like Rebel get a chance at the spotlight.  I did have issues with Smoked Purple, which is a PRO shade, as I do find it rather dry.

Downloadable MAC Me Over Printable Cheat Sheet

The individual eyeshadows are also worth taking a peek at, especially if you are a neutral fiend (though, MAC has an excellent permanent range of neutrals).  They may be more or less unique depending on what your stash already looks like.  I do expect Moleskin to do well, since it is similar to Urban Decay’s Naked.  Both Equilibrium and Stunner blushes were nice, but Stunner is clearly a shade more readers are interested in.

There are several brushes in this launch, but by far the most anticipated brush is the 226.  Thus far, it is not even listed on MAC’s website, but it is available for purchase Nordstrom.  I do not know why it is not listed.  The 211 is a great addition, and I think those who frequently line their eyes with liquid or gel eyeliners will find it useful.

From past reader reactions, both Cream Colour Bases are nice and work as they should, but they can be a more difficult product to work for–and a lot of their appeal is dependent on how you see yourself using them.  If you’re looking for a quick wash of cream eyeshadow, the formula is not ideal, as they do crease when worn alone.  You are better off looking at the Shadesticks for that purpose.  Shadesticks swatch decently, but I still find they tug a bit on the eyes–enough that is uncomfortable–and they tend to dry out a bit (but not completely) compared to when you initially use them.

Neither eyeshadow quad really grabbed me, though Lady Grey is infinitely better than Evil Eye, which I could not recommend at all.  I am honestly appalled that it was produced and left quality control as it did.  The fact that Palace Pedigreed is significantly less pigmented with a drier texture than its original launch in last year’s Fabulous Felines makes it all the more disappointing–as many brands let quality slide when it comes to palettes and value kits.

I wasn’t impressed with the consistencies of the formula on Fatigues or Quiet Time, but Deep Sea and Purple Majesty were nice.  There is just something about MAC’s polishes at $15 a pop and only 0.34 fl. oz. that seems hard to believe but it is so.  Perhaps Deep Sea is unique enough to warrant the price tag, but I don’t think the latter three are.  I had similar issues with the consistency of the lipglasses–a lot of milky, creamy shades that tended to apply unevenly and, as milky shades are wont to do, a tendency to settle into lip lines.  I did revise the overall score of the lipglasses up by a third, because the addition of Curvaceous and Plum Fun moved the average scores up.

I’m eager to hear your thoughts — what are you most interested in? What are you hoping to snag?  Are you passing?

Photos, Reviews, Swatches

• 211 Pointed Liner Brush
• 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush
• Blushes: Equilibrium, Stunner
• Cream Colour Bases: Seaside, Take Root
• Eyeshadows
• Evil Eye Eyeshadow Quad
• Fluidlines
• Lady Grey Eyeshadow Quad
• Lipglasses
• Lipsticks
• Nail Lacquers
• Shadesticks

Check out recommendations, what to check for, what to skip, and more! 

Temptalia’s Recommendations

must-haves: Carbonized Eyeshadow; Stunner Blush; 211 and 226 Brushes

nice-to-haves: Oh, Oh, Oh Lipstick; Creamy Bisque, Moleskin Eyeshadows; Fluidlines; Deep Sea Nail Lacquer; Equilibrium Blush; Seaside Cream Colour Base

skip: Evil Eye Eyeshadow Quad; Quiet Time Nail Lacquer

Check your stash for

PEACHSTOCK (permanent at PRO), REBEL (permanent), SMOKED PURPLE (permanent at PRO), ILLICIT (repromote), SPITE (permanent), PALACE PEDIGREED (repromote), ALL RACES (repromote), SATIN TAUPE (permanent), BUTTERNUTTY (repromote), CAKESHOP (repromote), DARK DIVERSION (repromote), 214 (permanent), and 226 (repromote).

Skip if you have…

• Skip OFFSHOOT if you have MAYBELLINE BIT OF BERRY; it’s only slightly more muted.
• Skip SMOKED PURPLE if you have MAKE UP FOR EVER #48; it’s a touch less purple than MAC’s.
• Skip MOODY if you have HINT OF SAPPHIRE; the quality of Moody is slightly better, but the colors are very similar.
• Skip CARBONIZED if you have CENTRE STAGE; the latter is more shimmery.
• Skip OUTRE if you have DOUBLE FEATURE 4; the two are fairly similar.
• Skip PURPLE MAJESTY if you have CHINA GLAZE URBAN NIGHT; the two are very close.
• Skip QUIET TIME if you have ESSIE SAND TROPEZ; the latter is slightly darker.

Recommendations by Skin Tone

Please note that this section is merely suggesting shades that would complement a particular skin tone better than other shades, but these lists are meant to be rather exhaustive of the entire collection; it’s not reflective of must-haves for your skin tone. When it comes to cooler/warmer skin tones, these are products that lean noticeably cool/warm and therefore complement the corresponding skin tone better (but it does not mean you can’t wear a warmer product if you’re cooler!).

• universally flattering shades: Secret Lover, Oh Oh Oh, Offshoot, Rebel, Prince Noir, Runaway Red, Smoked Purple Lipsticks; Plum Fun, Spite Lipglasses; All Fluidlines; All Nail Lacquers; All Shadesticks; Take Root Cream Colour Base; Stunner Blush; Carbonized, Creamy Bisque, Moleskin, Satin Taupe Eyeshadows; Curvaceous, Plum Fun, Social Light Lipglasses
• light skin tones: Evil Eye/Lady Grey Eyeshadow Quads; Equilibrium Blush; The Wee Coquette Lipglass
• medium skin tones: Equilibrium Blush
• dark skin tones: Stunner Blush
• cool undertones: Evil Eye/Lady Grey Eyeshadow Quads; Outre Eyeshadow; Good Times Lipglass
• warm undertones: Equilibrium & Stunner Blushes; Seaside Cream Colour Base; Peachstock Lipstick; Mythical Eyeshadow; Illicit Lipglass;

As you can see from the above listing, the majority of this collection’s shades should work across skin tones, and this is primarily because the collection is dominated by smoky, dark, and vampy shades.