MAC Fashion Flower: Overall & Recommendations

Fashion Flower feels like a nice-sized collection–enough to mix and match, but it’s not so large that it’s overwhelming.  MAC’s matte eyeshadows can be great, but they have a few duds in the mix and some that just work infinitely better when applied to the eye with a brush than in a mere arm swatch–and this is true with the mattes in this launch.

I did feel that Aqua and Free to Be seemed stiffer here than the pans I have (as both are permanent), so you might consider getting the non-imprinted ones if that’s the case.  Lucky Green is also permanent, but it’s definitely the standout shade–luxuriously smooth and richly pigmented; it represents when MAC really nails an eyeshadow.

The lipgelees felt a bit sticky this time around, with Now in Season feeling quite tacky, which was unexpected (as lipgelees are known for being non-sticky!).  Ever Hip, as a coral, will sell well, while Summer Shower will add depth as a layering lip product.  Mlle and Growing Trend are more similar to existing permanent shades out of the four lipsticks in the launch.  If you missed out on Ever Hip on MAC’s website, Nordstrom still has it in stock ($5 shipping on $50+ beauty purchases).

Both beauty powders felt powdery to me, so I didn’t think they were exceptional, based on texture.  Alpha Girl works better applied (more color shows up) than when swatched, but both Alpha Girl and Light Sunshine are more suitable for lighter skin tones because of their light/sheer color.

P.S. — Ignore the mascaras, they’re part of Flighty.  That’s what happens when you don’t have coffee in the morning!

Photos, Reviews, Swatches

• Beauty Powders: Alpha Girl, Light Sunshine
• Eyeshadows
• Lipgelees
• Lipsticks

Check out my recommendations, what to check your stash for, what to skip, and recommendations by skin tone!

Temptalia’s Recommendations

must-haves: Lucky Green eyeshadow, Ever Hip lipstick

nice-to-haves: Bows & Curtseys eyeshadow

skip: Mlle lipstick

Check your stash for…

ALPHA GIRL (repromote), EVER HIP (repromote), AQUA (permanent), FREE TO BE (permanent), LUCKY GREEN (permanent).

Skip if you have…

• Skip FASHION FLOWER if you have LUXURE; Fashion Flower is slightly pinker but it’s hard to tell the difference when worn.
• Skip FRESH DAISY if you have NYLON; Fresh Daisy is less golden, but they’re similar enough to merit a skip.

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: Ever Hip, Growing Trend, Mlle, Summer Shower lipsticks; Aqua, Free to Be eyeshadows; Alpha Girl, Light Sunshine beauty powders
• medium skin tones: Ever Hip lipstick;
• dark skin tones: Ever Hip lipstick;
• cool undertones: Growing Trend, Mlle, Summer Shower lipsticks;
• warm undertones: Ever Hip lipstick;
• universally flattering shades: Budding Beauty, Fashion Flower, Now in Season lipgelees; Bows & Curtseys, Groundcover, Fresh Daisy, Lucky Green eyeshadows

MAC Fashion Flower: Lipsticks

The collection features four shades of Lipstick (each $14.50 for 0.10 oz.) — Ever Hip (bright creamy coral), Growing Trend (mid-tone taupe nude), Mlle (light white pink), and Summer Shower (light aqua).

• Ever Hip is a pink-based coral with a creamy, slightly glossy finish.  It’s semi-opaque to opaque on lips, depending on how much you layer it. It has a cremesheen finish.  MAC doesn’t have a comparable permanent dupe to it, unfortunately.
• Growing Trend is a medium dark beige nude with a creamy finish.  It has an amplified finish.  It’s a shade or two darker than Viva Glam Gaga 2 and has less peach (this almost looks a touch pink next to it).
• Mlle is a pale, blue-based light pink. It looks a little dry on lips (perhaps more like a frost finish, except it lacks the shimmer part of a frost), but it didn’t feel drying. It has a glaze finish, and it is a repromote–but from many, many years ago. It seems like a paler version of Pink Plaid, cooler version of Creme Cup. This would work best on cooler skin tones.
• Summer Shower is very much a near-to-clear base with teal, fuchsia-purple, and white shimmer and sparkle. It’s more of layering lip product than one you’d wear on its own (in general). I can’t think of a permanent dupe for it. It has a glaze finish. This would work across skin tones.

my thoughts on the formula: MAC Lipsticks are vanilla-scented but taste-free. I typically get four hours of wear, but some of the lighter lustre and glaze finishes tend to disappear by hour three. Amplified cremes and amplified finishes, however, tend to go beyond four. I find the formula comfortable to wear and not drying (but not moisturizing–a couple of the matte shades can be drying).

The Glossover

	MAC Fashion Flower Lipstick Swatches, Photos, Reviews B
	Mlle doesn't look as flattering as worn as one would like--it has a drier look, even though the texture itself was smooth and applied evenly. Summer Shower looks fun in the tube but keep in mind it is more about the multi-colored reflective shimmer than the actual color!
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 8.5/10 Longevity 8.5/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Ever Hip Lipstick

MAC Ever Hip Lipstick

MAC Ever Hip / Growing Trend Lipstick

MAC Mlle Lipstick

MAC Mlle Lipstick

MAC Summer Shower Lipstick

MAC Summer Shower Lipstick

MAC Summer Shower Lipstick

MAC Summer Shower Lipstick

MAC Growing Trend Lipstick

MAC Growing Trend Lipstick

MAC Growing Trend Lipstick

Mlle, Ever Hip (Fashion Flower), Ever Hip (Liberty of London), Growing Trend, Summer Shower

MAC Fashion Flower: Lipgelees

The collection features three shades of Lipgelee (each $14.50 for 0.10 oz.) — Budding Beauty (pale coral with pearl pigment), Fashion Flower (pale pink with pearl pigment), and Now in Season (pale yellow with pearl pigment).

• Budding Beauty is a coral melon with pink and gold shimmer.  It has more of a shimmery finish than the glittery texture of Fashion Flower and Now in Season.  When applied, it has a very milky melon look–semi-sheer for sure, though.  Love Nectar lustreglass seems like the closest permanent dupe.
• Fashion Flower is a pink-tinged gloss with lots of pink and silver glitter. It’s a lot like the previous launches of Lipgelees (Lillyland, Cham-Pale) — super glittery, little color, lots of sparkle. I’d say it’s most like Luxure, but applied, Fashion Flower pulls pinker.
• Now in Season is a pale yellow gold with multicolored shimmer of teal, gold, and silver.  This felt so sticky, which is uncharacteristic of lipgelees.  When worn, it doesn’t deliver much color, just lots of shimmer/glitter.  It’s surprisingly similar to Bubble Lounge when worn, since the color base doesn’t show up.

my thoughts on the formula: MAC Lipgelees are moisturizing, easy to apply, and last three to four hours on me. They are a thicker formula, more like a gel, and come in squeeze tubes. They have a non-sticky texture, are vanilla-scented, and a sheer formula, but these are noticeably sticky. There is some glitter migration (maybe four or five flecks), but it didn’t seem like rapid migration nor did it stray into the far reaches of my face or hair or somehow wander to my feet. I have always loved that the Lipgelees come with 0.5 oz. of product–nearly double even large-sized glosses. After they wear away, they can sometimes feel gritty, because of the abundance of glitter.

The Glossover

	MAC Fashion Flower Lipgelees Swatches, Photos, Reviews B
	If you love your lips to sparkle beyond belief, you'll likely enjoy these Lipgelees--they are sparkle-tastic! Though the glitter doesn't seem to travel and migrate throughout the day, it may feel gritty after the gloss wears away and the glitter remains.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 8.5/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 8.5/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Fashion Flower Lipgelee

MAC Fashion Flower Lipgelee

MAC Fashion Flower Lipgelee

MAC Fashion Flower Lipgelee

MAC Fashion Flower Lipgelee

MAC Budding Beauty Lipgelee

MAC Budding Beauty Lipgelee

MAC Budding Beauty Lipgelee

MAC Now in Season Lipgelee

MAC Now in Season Lipgelee

MAC Now in Season Lipgelee

Budding Beauty, Now in Season, Fashion Flower

MAC Fashion Flower: Eyeshadows

The collection features six shades of Eyeshadows (each $14.50 for 0.05 oz.) — three are limited edition, while three are available in the permanent range; though, all of the editions in this launch are imprinted with the flower design, while permanent editions will be normal. The six shades include: Aqua (aqua blue), Bows & Curtseys (metallic hunter green), Free to Be (bright true coral), Fresh Daisy (frosty white yellow), Groundcover (mid-tone warm grey), and Lucky Green (frosted mid-tone lime).

• Aqua is a bluish aqua with a matte finish. This is a permanent shade but I felt like it was a little less pigmented here than my permanent pan.
• Bows & Curtseys is a blackened forest green with bluish shimmer. It looks nearly black when swatched on my arm with the green being hinted at as the color plays with light. When I wore it in a look (albeit with a sheer green base), it seemed to pull out the forest green more. This has a satin finish.
• Free to Be is a medium-dark coral-red with a matte finish. This is a permanent shade, but I felt like it was a little less pigmented here than my permanent pan.
• Fresh Daisy is a very bright white with only a hint of warmth. It has a frost finish, but it really looks rather metallic. I tried to wear it as a highlighter, but it’s too frosted and stark on me–I imagine it would be more appropriate on someone with a lighter skin tone. It is, however, very pigmented.
• Groundcover is a matte, taupe-ish brown gray. It is nicely pigmented but lacks the buttery texture that makes mattes easier to use.
• Lucky Green is a bright, chartreuse-shimmered grass green with strong yellow undertones. It has a veluxe pearl finish. This is a permanent shade. It’s one of my favorite colors, because it is so pigmented and soft.

The Glossover

	MAC Fashion Flower Eyeshadows Swatches, Photos, Review B+
	I took an average of each eyeshadow to get actual scores for each characteristic, so while shades like Fresh Daisy and Lucky Green are much better than shades like Aqua and Free to Be, it rounds out to the scores seen here. I'd recommend reading through the individual review for each shade!
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 8.5/10 Texture 8.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Aqua Eyeshadow

MAC Aqua Eyeshadow

MAC Aqua Eyeshadow

MAC Aqua Eyeshadow

MAC Bows & Curtseys Eyeshadow

MAC Bows & Curtseys Eyeshadow

MAC Bows & Curtseys Eyeshadow

MAC Bows & Curtseys Eyeshadow

MAC Free to Be Eyeshadow

MAC Free to Be Eyeshadow

MAC Free to Be Eyeshadow

MAC Free to Be Eyeshadow

MAC Fresh Daisy Eyeshadow

MAC Fresh Daisy Eyeshadow

MAC Fresh Daisy Eyeshadow

MAC Fresh Daisy Eyeshadow

MAC Groundcover Eyeshadow

MAC Groundcover Eyeshadow

MAC Groundcover Eyeshadow

MAC Groundcover Eyeshadow

MAC Lucky Green Eyeshadow

MAC Lucky Green Eyeshadow

MAC Lucky Green Eyeshadow

MAC Lucky Green Eyeshadow

MAC Aqua Eyeshadow

Aqua, Bows & Curtseys, Free to Be, Fresh Daisy, Groundcover, Lucky Green

Aqua, Bows & Curtseys, Free to Be

Fresh Daisy, Groundcover, Lucky Green

MAC Fashion Flower Collection for Summer 2011

U.S. Launch Date: April 28th, 2011
International Launch Date: July 2011

Bloom brightly with a stylish fusion of the floral and the fashionable in the summer color collection that evoke the cool side of the hottest season. Fashion Flower girls are free to be, each one with cultivated connection to the green house and the fashion house. Unfolding and flourishing these perennial prima donna embrace the growing tend of cheeks and eyes lightly dusted with daisy debossed beauty powder and shadows.

Their confidence steams from petal-light lashes that sprout dramatically with studio fix bold-black lashes dew lips that sparkle sweetly in Budding Beauty Lipgelee and Summer Shower, a softly sheer aqua blue lipstick. Ever him join these rare blossoms and succumb horticulturally to bouquet that’s equal parts of fleur and couture.

Lipstick ($14.50 U.S. / $17.50 CDN)

• Summer Shower Light aqua (Glaze) (Limited Edition)
• Mlle Light white pink (Glaze) )(Repromote) (Limited Edition)
• Ever Hip Bright creamy coral (Cremesheen) (Repromote) (Limited Edition)
• Growing Trend Mid-tone taupe nude (Amplified Creme) (Limited Edition)

Lipgelee ($14.50 U.S. / $17.50 CDN)

• Now in Season Pale yellow with pearl pigment (Limited Edition)
• Fashion Flower Pale pink with pearl pigment (Limited Edition)
• Budding Beauty Pale coral with pearl pigment (Limited Edition)

Eyeshadow ($14.50 U.S. / $17.50 CDN)

• Lucky Green Frosted mid-tone lime (Veluxe Pearl) (Permanent)
• Fresh Daisy Frosted mid-tone yellow white (Frost) (Limited Edition)
• Bows & Curtseys Metallic hunter green (Satin) (Limited Edition)
• Aqua Aqua blue (Matte) (Permanent)
• Free to Be Bright true coral (Matte) (Permanent)
• Groundcover Mid-tone warm grey (Matte) (Limited Edition)

Beauty Powder ($25.00 U.S. / $30.00 CDN)

• Alpha Girl Soft peach pink with gold nuances (Repromote) (Limited Edition)
• Light Sunshine Pastel neutral pink with soft gold and pink sparkle (Limited Edition)

Studio Fix Lash ($14.00 U.S. / $17.00 CDN)

• Bold Black Deep intense black (Permanent)

Penultimate Eyeliner ($17.50 U.S. $21.00 CDN)

• Black Pure black (Permanent)

See promo photos… 

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower Collection

MAC Fashion Flower: Light Sunshine Beauty Powder

MAC Light Sunshine Beauty Powder ($25.00 for 0.35 oz.) is described as a “pastel neutral pink with soft gold and pink sparkles.” This shade has a lot more of a sheen in its finish compared to Alpha Girl, which looks nearly matte on skin. The color is a very pale, light pink. It’s more like a white-washed pink, because it is quite light. It is, however, rather pigmented, but also noticeably powdery because of the paleness of the base color.
It doesn’t work well on my medium skin tone, because it lightens my cheeks instead of brightening them. I think those with light and pale skin tones would like it as a subtle highlighter or finishing powder (if used with a light hand), but it may be ashy on deeper skin tones.

Light Sunshine definitely reminded me of Play It Proper (Stylishly Yours, ’10), though Play It Proper is a smidgen lighter and more cool-toned, but on, I think those differences are downplayed. It also seems comparable to Flower Mist Dew (Emanuel Ungaro, ’08) but more pigmented.

The Glossover

LE	Light Sunshine B
	I could see those with lighter skin tones liking this best. I would recommend those with deeper skin tones check it out in person before buying, because it looks like it would turn ashy.
	Product 8/10 Pigmentation 9.5/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Light Sunshine Beauty Powder

MAC Light Sunshine Beauty Powder

MAC Light Sunshine Beauty Powder

MAC Light Sunshine Beauty Powder

MAC Light Sunshine Beauty Powder

MAC Light Sunshine Beauty Powder