MAC Wonder Woman: Overall & Recommendations
Saturday, January 29th, 2011
MAC Wonder Woman Collection
MAC Wonder Woman: Overall & Recommendations
OVERALL, I found the collection rather underwhelming, and I was particularly disappointed in the quality of the eyeshadow quads. I had a few readers ask me what I would purchase if I was normal consumer and not a beauty blogger… and I really don’t know if I’d purchase anything. At best, one or both of the blush duos. There are a few too many repromotes from the permanent range, which is more frustrating because all of the prices are increased with the collaboration than they are normally. I’m surprised they did not create any new shades of pigments for the launch.
Heroine lipstick is actually a very lovely shade, but I can see it being difficult to wear. Spitfire is a shade that we’ve been seeing in slightly different variations over the past six months. Wonder Woman lipglass had promise but the sheerness seemed off–this is Wonder Woman, where the packaging is bold and bright! Both blushes had nice pigmentation and were smooth, so I did like those. I’m just not thrilled to see the $24 price tag accompany them–at least you do get more for your money. Golden Lariat mineralize skinfinish pulls rather orange, so it is a more limited shade; it should work lovely on warm, medium to dark skin tones. Pink Power mineralize skinfinish is more universally wearable, but it is awkward to hold and feels gigantic.
I’m not sure which product disappointed me more: the eyeshadow quads or the oversized (but now awkward to use) Penultimate eyeliner. Ultimately, the pigmentation and texture are lacking in all three eyeshadow quads, with Defiance being the least pigmented. Some shades are almost chalky, but the texture is thin–almost had. I felt like I had to scrape out product in order to build up a swatch. Each palette had one, maybe two, shades that did have a soft, smooth texture and decent pigmentation, but one shade does not a palette make.
I tihnk the packaging is fine–you either love it or hate it. It’s certainly not packaging that will appeal to all. I have no emotional attachment to Wonder Woman (didn’t watch her, don’t know her back story, etc.), and it’s not my aesthetic, but I don’t carry around my makeup, so it wouldn’t matter to me that I don’t love it if the product inside high quality–but the packaging would compel me to buy just to have it.
Photos, Reviews, Swatches
- Blushes: Amazon Princess, Mighty Aphrodite
- Eyeshadow Quads: Defiance, Lady Justice, Valiant
- Lipglasses
- Lipsticks
- Mineralize Skinfinishes: Golden Lariat, Pink Power
- Opulash Mascara
- Packaging (Boxes)
- Penultimate Eyeliner
- Pigments/Reflects Glitters
- Video: Part 1 (Eyes), Part 2 (Cheeks/Lips)
- Comparison/Dupe Swatches: Blush/Mineralize Skinfinish Comparisons, Eyeshadow Quad Comparisons, Lipstick/Lipglass Comparisons
Check out my recommendations, what to check your stash for, what to skip, and recommendations by skin tone!
Temptalia’s Recommendations
must-haves: –
nice-to-haves: Amazon Princess/Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duos, Pink Power Mineralize Skinfinish, Opulash Mascara (all shades)
skip: Rapidblack Penultimate Eyeliner (the jumbo size makes it difficult to use), Defiance Eyeshadow Quad (poor pigmentation), Lady Justice Eyeshadow Quad (average pigmentation), Valiant Eyeshadow Quad (average pigmentation)
Check your stash for…
MARQUISE D’ (repromote), RUSSIAN RED (permanent), RAPIDBLACK (permanent), DEEP TRUTH (permanent), MANILA PAPER (repromote from Spring Colour Forecast), REFLeCTS BRONZE (permanent at PRO), REFLECTS PEARL (permanent at PRO), BRIGHT FUCHSIA (permanent at PRO), MARINE ULTRA (permanent at PRO).
Skip if you have…
- Skip AMAZON PRINCESS if you have BAND OF ROSES; though not exactly dupes, both shades of the duo are remarkably to this duo.
- Skip MIGHTY APHRODITE if you have GUERLAIN BLUSH G; if you have the latter, the pink shade is nearly the same as the lighter side of Mighty Aphrodite.
- Skip GOLDEN LARIAT (blushing side) if you have A LITTLE BIT OF SUNSHINE; the blush duo is similar to both the bronzing side (but darker, not a dupe), while the lighter side of the duo is only a touch lighter than the blushing side of Golden Lariat.
- Skip DEFIANCE if you have EGO; slightly less pale but close.
- Skip REAL DRAMA if you have SKETCH, which is only a smidgen redder.
- Skip LADY JUSTICE if you have FORGERY or URBAN DECYA UZI; they are nearly indistinguishable from each other.
- Skip BOLD BABE if you have LOVE LACE or HOURGLASS PRISM; they are both better versions of Bold Babe.
- Skip MANILA PAPER if you have NYLON; they are very, very close.
- Skip VALIANT if you have KORRES #44S, which is only slightly greener.
- Skip ATHENA’S KISS if you have MAGNETIQUE; the latter is a little darker.
- Skip EMANCIPATION if you have BARE NECESSITIES or DEVILISHLY STYLISH; both are a little less pink but the effect is barely noticeable when worn.
- Skip MARQUISE D’ if you have SANDY B, which is a little frostier.
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!).
- light skin tones: Amazon Princess/Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duos, Pink Power Mineralize Skinfinish, Defiance Eyeshadow Quad, Spitfire Lipstick, Athena’s Kiss Lipglass
- medium skin tones: Amazon Princess/Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duos, Pink Power Mineralize Skinfinish, Lady Justice/Valiant Eyeshadow Quad, Russian Red/Spitfire Lipsticks, Secret Identity Lipglass
- dark skin tones: Amazon Princess/Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duos, Golden Lariat Mineralize Skinfinish, Lady Justice Eyeshadow Quad, Russian Red/Spitfire Lipsticks, Athena’s Kiss Lipglass
- cool undertones: Amazon Princess Blush Duo, Defiance/Lady Justice Eyeshadow Quad, Russian Red/Spitfire Lipsticks, Athena’s Kiss Lipglass
- warm undertones: Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duo, Golden Lariat Mineralize Skinfinish, Valiant Eyeshadow Quad, Heroine Lipstick, Secret Identity Lipglass
- universally flattering shades: Pink Power Mineralize Skinfinish, Bright Fuchsia/Marine Ultra Pigments, Reflects Bronze/Reflects Pearl Glitters, Marquise d’ Lipstick, Emancipation/Wonder Woman Lipglass, Opulash Mascara (all shades)
Disclosure
This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by the brand or its PR firm. Our priority is to you, and we honor that commitment by being honest! We don't do paid reviews or guarantee reviews. We're going to give you the truth and nothing but! For more information, please read our editorial/review policies.
Hi Christine! Love your blog, and love you on youtube! You are always so informative! Thanks for all your hard work, and all your GREAT tips! I love the Wonderwoam Collection, and I bought a couple back-ups (Pink Power, Russian Red, and Athena's kisses). How long do you think they will be good for???
Thanks! If you don't open them, they really should be fine for a few years.
I actually liked the collection. The only thing I disliked was the nail polishes, I'd never wear those colors. I bought golden lariat, the black mascara, the black eye liner, the pearl glitter the green eye shadows, and the blue makeupbag. I can never remember the actual names, lol. My little sisters even loved it. They're 11 and 13, so I bought them each a nail polish (they like bright/odd colors on their nails). So all in all, I liked the make up and the packaging. My favorite collection they ever had though, was hello kitty. I wish that was permanant, I've ran out of all the hello kitty items I'd bought, and I miss them! And all the hk makeup they sell online is fake..fake mac makeup..insane!
I just received my 3 Wonder Woman items yesterday…Emancipation Lip Glass, Amazon Princess blush, and Satin Spitfire lipstick. I for one LOVE the packaging. It bring us back to a time when cartoons and heroins were an important part of life. Plus with the bright red/blue, my lipstick and blush will not be lost in the sea of black compacts in my drawer. The supersize lipglass – OMG I LOVE it, the consistency, the large sponge applicator, the color – I am going out this afternoon to buy another one cuz I never want to be without itj!! Maybe I’ll try the colored mascara too….
i know i'm in the minority, but i too loved this collection!!! i found out about it late and had to hunt around for the last pieces left, but i got wonder woman shade lipglass with the gigantic glamazon applicator. i carry it in my purse and show it to everyone. it makes me feel powerful and strong. i so wanted wonderwoman russian red, but it's sold out. i started wearing make-up for my 33rd birthday. this website is awesome! the mac database is amazing. helps weed out counterfeit products!! great work! a combination of passion, intelligence and hard work.
Wow just wanted today thank you Christine. Your reviews help me buy what looks good and helps me save money on what doesn't. I used to go craZy at mac during launches such as this and buy things that to this day I have never worn. I picked up mighty Aphrodite and pink power and they are both beautiful. I don't feel guilty at all :) thanks
Aww, yay!!
I have to say, i was excited about this collection from the postings you had put up here. When I saw it in person, it is amazing! The packaging is absolutely fabulous! I would recommend it to anyone who is a Mac fan as well as a wonder woman fan. Thanks for staying true to the original wonder woman, MAC!
Thank you. Your comments were extremely helpful for me.I'll hold my consumerism.
I cannot decide if i want the Athena's Kiss/Emancipation Lipglass or to just skip the collection all toghether. What do people think? Hmmm..
It seems like MAC is getting a bit carried away w/ focusing too much on packaging and not as much as what's INSIDE of the package lol. I'd rather them keep it simple, and get back to their creative roots!
Hi Christine! Thanks so much for your reviews and recommendations, it was very helpful! I just wanted to know if the two brush sets were worth buying, because I was going to buy some of the brushes anyway. Are they worth buying or should I just buy the brushes separately? Thank you so much!
I would pass on the brush sets based on prior experience with their sets - poorly made in comparison to their full-sized ones!
I have a really important question, do they restock online sold out items i'm scarred out of no where my mac counter will be out of something :( (even though i'll be going to the mall as soon as it opens on the 10th)
Usually they do not!
awee man i'm going to claw my way to the front of the counter lol thank you!!
I managed to score some at a PRO shop yesterday. I bought Victorious, which is a much more subtle purple than I expected, and Heroine, which looks nice and very gold on me, despite my NC10 skin. I'm tempted to go back and get Wonder Woman gloss.
hi christine! do you think i could layer golden lariat under mighty aphrodite? im tan/with a yellow undertone. nc45-ish but keep in mind i do not wear any sort of face powder or wear any foundation.
Sure!
Thanks for the review! What do you do with alle the make-up you don’t use? I was just wondering because you probably have tons of make-up!
It just depends on what it is :)
hey christine..... love the review! i thought i was a medium skin-tone person.....but i am not as fair as you are.....and my skin-tone isn't too dark as well....i am an NC-43 which is not as dark and not as light as well....i then figured out that i was a medium dark kinda skin-tone with a neutral undertone.....i checked your overall review and recommendations blog post for this collection and you haven't given any recommendations for my skin colour......i would really like to know what you would recommend for my skin type.... LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE!
I have given reviews for darker skin tones here :)
i am confused here: it this collection already on the market?
Online, yes.
i went to the unveiling party at my MAC tonight... and i was totally underwhelmed by the products. Thank god for my wallet! Bought nothing from the collection but went away with a new blush (Peachtwist) and Pro palette shadow pan (Stars N Rockets). Also got some tasty cupcakes and cocktails for free so it wasn't a total waste!
I love Stars 'n Rockets!! :D
Congratulations. You are all basing your opinions on the review by one insignificant person. Which makes you sheep. What you fail to realize is that this line is probably intended for women who are die hard fans of Wonder Woman. If you aren't a fan, of course you aren't going to like the packaging. Not to mention that this is a review done by a woman with ONE specific skin tone. So of course some of the colors might not look quite right. I am not defending the makeup itself, but the method of reviewing. The only fair way to review makeup would be to have a group of women of varying types of skin to use the makeup. Disguise the make with generic packaging and do not inform them of the brand name. They will try the makeup and give an honest opinion without forming a bias.
This is an independent blog, not a corporate affair - I am only one woman and have never pretended otherwise. It is a little harsh of you to call me insignificant (or anyone, for that matter - that really seems to discount one's value, when we all have value). Reviewing makeup in a helpful way surely does not require double blind testing and clinical trials - I personally disagree. I also think it's in poor taste that you call others sheep - you again insult without knowing people.
Wow how downright rude can you be its just to showcase how the products look Christine never has tried make out that the products will suit everyone its just a way of seeing the products before you buy, dont need to be so darn right rude.
The good thing is I don't own any mac well a couple here and there I think I think i want to check out the Valiant quad because I love greens the olive color looks amazing and so does the spinning transformation.. and your paying 10 dollars an eyeshadow which i think is a good deal, and eyeshadows for me even coastal scents and drugstore ones i've never had problems with especially with a painterly under. Then since my mom said i needed blushes i want to get mighty aphrodite duo and the pink power msf, then marquise d' lipstick i love nudes but don't have enough one for me and one for my momma she used to watch wonderwomen and she likes nudes so it'll be a little surprise for her and after that i'm think a lipgloss, in emancipation to match marquise d'. of course i will swatch and try everything out in store fist. i will not wast money if it is not necessary :) thanks Christine you take the time to do all of this for us makeup addicts :)
only going to get russian red. i've been wanting that one for a while, and i actually kind of like the packaging... i'll feel like a superhero when i'm pulling this out to reapply at court, haha.
SO Christine, which product do you feel would be the one that everyone will croon over?
Probably the MSFs :)
I actually like this packaging, it reminds me of that comic book look which I find interesting..as for my lemmings..it would be Golden lariate msf, mighty aphrodite blush, and maybe the nuetral pink lipglass...Im excited about it!!!
Thanks for your great reviews, Christine! Although I'm not thrilled about any product in particular (thank god for my wallet) I'm still going to the unveiling party at my MAC store tomorrow just for fun (and cuz the cocktails and food were great at the VV unveiling!) I might pick up just Marquise D' lipstick or Wonder Woman lipglass.
Thanks Christine! This was extremely helpful!
I'm the one who asked for your viewpoint as a consumer towards the Wonder Woman collection! I got a semi-mention, (: Thank you again for your unbiased opinions.
Cristine I love your blog I refer to it all the time. Thanks honey I love you!!!
Thank you, Corliss!
Can you do a tutorial on the look you did with army of amazon green mascara and the valiant quad, i'm in love with it!
I'm not doing any tutorials, but I will do a post on it!
What a disappointment. I only want a lipstick from this collection. I like the boxes that the products came in, better than the actual packaging/product itself...thats kinda sad. I'm holding out hopes for the Lady Gaga 2 lipstick and the sheen supreme lipsticks. Thanks for the great work and honesty Christine.
I agree I liked the boxes better than the packaging. How about that?
This review was really helpful, I think without it I would have purchased something, and probably regretted it. I'm rather disappointed with this collection, I hope MAC doesn't come out with such a get-your-hopes-up-but-then-be-sad-about-a-new-collection collection. :(
I think I'm just gonna get a lipstick and that's it, the packaging doesn't really do anything for me since I never take out my makeup in public either
I want so much of this collection. I don't mind the packaging like most people do, plus to me its more about the product itself that matters. Now if only I could afford my make-up wants lol.
I really appreciate your overall recommendations - so helpful! I think I'll probably just be purchasing the two blush duos and maybe Spitfire since all three are something I don't have in my collection.
Hi, just wanted to say I love your site, and how much hard work and effort you put in so artists, and consumers, can take a look at collections before hand! As a former MAC employee, and an artist myself, I can try to help clear up the confusion. NW stands for neutral-warm for people with warm undertones to their skin, meaning, pink/red undertones, hence the 'W' in 'NW.' 'NC' stands for neutral-cool, and is used on people with cool undertones to their skin such as blue/green undertones, hence the 'C' in 'NC. Olive skinned people have more blue in their skin which is why they are classified as cool. An easy way to remember is if you think of warm, you can think of fire, and heat being red. If you think of cool, think of ice/ocean/water being blue. Many asians, and hispanics are generally cool-toned. Cool toned colors such as grayish-purples, greens, blues, ashy browns, look good on cool toned people, where as warm colors such as pinks, warm-red browns, and oranges look good on warm toned people. As always, there are exceptions. You ideally want to match foundation with the exact shade that you are, so if you are a very fair, cool-toned person, you would use a NC15 or NC20 when it comes to MAC. With concealing under eyes or blemishes however, you want to counteract the color. So as most people have dark circles with bluish undertones (cool undertone), you would then use a NW to warm it up and neutralize. And for blemishes that are red (warm) you would use a cool toned concealer (yellow based) such as a NC. I hope that clears it up! Nicole Kidman is warm, whereas Catherine Zeta Jones is cool. :)
Thanks for all the great pictures, vids & swatches. More importantly your thurough reviews and honesty!!
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