mac shop mac cook mac collection

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Video Review: MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC Collection

First impressions and swatches for the MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC collection that will launch in-stores on the 9th. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Monday, February 6th, 2012

MAC Attack February ’12 Recap

With an unexpected early launch online, last minute release date changes, and a whole slew of products, here is a recap of all of the recent MAC collections. Shop MAC, Cook MAC is still slated for a February 9th release in-stores, but New York stores have released it on the 2nd (I would call to confirm with your local store); it will also be available online at retailers like Nordstrom, Macy’s, etc. closer to the in-store launch date. Vera has been moved up to February 9th for in-stores. Viva Glam is still listed as February 15th for in-stores. As always, the best thing to do is call your local store or counter and ask.

Shop MAC, Cook MAC is now available online at Nordstrom

Monday, February 6th, 2012

MAC Hot 'n' Saucy Tendertone
MAC Hot ‘n’ Saucy Tendertone

MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC: Tendertones

In the collection, there are four limited edition shades of MAC Tendertone Lip Balm ($15.00 for 0.20 fl. oz.), which are: Hot ‘n’ Saucy (soft cherry red), Hush, Hush (sheer gold with yellow gold pearl), Purring (sheer tangerine with pearl), and Tread Gently (soft lime green with yellow pearl).

Hot ‘n’ Saucy is a watermelon pink once applied. It looks cherry red in the pot, but when it’s applied, it really just provides lips with a tint of red. Hourglass Primal looks similar when applied. Urban Decay Red Light is a bit similar but settles into lines more.
Hush, Hush is a golden beige with gold shimmer. There’s no real color, but it adds champagne and gold shimmer and a glossy sheen. A warm sheer gloss will provide similar color, so there are lots of dupes.
Purring is a sheer tangerine orange. I have no idea why MAC Described this as having pearl, because it doesn’t appear to have any shimmer–it has the same shimmer-less look as Hot ‘n’ Saucy. On my lips, it adds warmth and gives them a peach tint. MAC Kumquat looks a bit similar but more pigmented and it has orange-gold shimmer.
Tread Gently is a sheer green-shimmered balm. Like Hush, Hush, there’s no real color, just pastel green shimmer. I think the only shade that’s really going to be similar that I can think of is MAC Spring Bean, which may be a little more yellowing.

Tendertones have SPF 12 and are supposed to combine the glossiness of a gloss with the moisture of a lip balm. MAC describes their scent as “strawberry-kiwi.” It’s very, very sweet, and a little too synthetic for me, but it’s a sweet, fruit-based scent. The texture is like a gel-like balm that glides across lips easily and smoothes out if you press your lips together. It’s non-sticky, and these wore for three hours or less on me. I tried wearing some of these to bed, but they didn’t wear long enough so I woke up with slightly parched lips. They feel good when they’re applied, and they aren’t drying; they’re hydrating while they’re on but don’t seem to have prolonged benefits from the past few days I’ve been testing them.

I’m not a big fan of lip balms that are packaged in pots–it’s better than a dysfunctional squeeze-tube that splits in your pocket–but application on-the-go is more difficult. This is a product I’d only use at home, where I could use a clean spatula or brush to take the product out and then apply it. It’s housed in a glass jar with a screw-top lid (very much like Paint Pots).

I’ve been holding off on this review, because I really wanted to give this product a few days of testing, since it’s not a formula I’ve used in years. The way I review products today is ten-fold better than I did before; the process is much more systematic and technical. They’re good, and if they were in a tube, they’d be something I’d consider using more often. Lip balm is a tough category to crack with me–it’s hard for me to get enthused about a lip balm that’s good, or even really good, because I’ve found a holy grail lip balm that keeps beating out the products I try.

One thing I do really like about these is that they’re really comfortable to wear, are moisturizing for the time they’re on and maybe a wee bit after it wears away, and they provide a little extra oomph, whether it’s a tint of color or a hint of shimmer. They’re a good, solid product. I’ll reach for something else when I want my lips to be totally hydrated and pillow-soft, but when I want a little extra color or shimmer, I’ll definitely keep it in mind.

The Glossover

	MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC Tendertones Review, Photos, Swatches A-
	One thing I do really like about these is that they're really comfortable to wear, are moisturizing for the time they're on and maybe a wee bit after it wears away, and they provide a little extra oomph, whether it's a tint of color or a hint of shimmer. They're a good, solid product. I'll reach for something else when I want my lips to be totally hydrated and pillow-soft, but when I want a little extra color or shimmer, I'll definitely keep it in mind.
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 8/10 Application 4/5
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Sunday, February 5th, 2012

MAC Added Goodness Fluidline

MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC: Fluidlines

This collection features three new and limited edition shades of MAC Fluidline ($15.00 for 0.10 oz.). These shades include: Added Goodness (blackened mauve), Midnight Snack (soft black), and Wholesome (blackened brown). Fluidline is a gel eyeliner that’s supposed to be long-wearing and is housed in a small glass jar.

Added Goodness is a blackened-brown mauve that almost looks taupe in some lighting. There’s mauve, black, brown, and gray all mixed into a very interesting, complex shade that does retain some of that complexity even once applied. It’s dark and lines well, but it’s softer (and yet still has some intensity) compared to full-on black. It’s a lot like Bobbi Brown Black Mauve. Stila Starry is also similar, in liquid form, with more of a mauve look.
Midnight Snack is a deep, dark gray with silver shimmer. I couldn’t think of a dupe for this one — a lot of the gray eyeliners I have are much lighter.
Wholesome is a intense blackened brown with a natural sheen. It seems like it’s deeper, darker compared to Dip Down–more like if you mixed Dip Down and Blacktrack together. MAC Avenue is cooler-toned, not as dark.

The majority of Fluidlines perform really well and live up to the brand’s claims. MAC’s form of gel eyeliner is easily one of the best on the market from my experience. The price point makes it very attractive, too. I’ve had many for years, and I haven’t had any problems with the product drying out over time. It’s a smooth, creamy formula that applies well with a stiff eyeliner brush to the upper lash line. I’ve also worn it as an eyeshadow base and on the lower lash line without problems.

The Glossover

	MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC Fluidlines Review, Photos, Swatches A
	Fluidlines are one of MAC's cult favorite products and for a good reason, because they work--they're long-wearing, creamy, pigmented, and apply seamlessly across the lid with an eyeliner brush.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
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Saturday, February 4th, 2012

MAC Call Me Bubbles Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC: Call Me Bubbles Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Call Me Bubbles Eyeshadow Quad ($38.00 for 0.19 oz.) includes these shades: Call Me Bubbles (light tan), Fresh Daily (orange), Full of Flavour (coral), and Brash (frosty reddish copper).

Call Me Bubbles is a light beige with a shimmery finish. The color payoff is decent but there is some underlying sheerness. It has a satin finish–it has more of a frosted look than your average satin. This shade will be a nice highlighter on light-medium to medium skin tones especially. It’s a bit like the shade in Giorgio Armani #1 Madreperla. Urban Decay Skimp is similar but lighter. MAC Bisque is a touch darker and matte.
Fresh Daily is a medium orange with a tangerine shimmer-sheen. It has a frost finish that looks a little bit like a satin, too (not quite as shimmery as most frosts). The pigmentation is good, and the texture is soft and smooth. Dolce & Gabbana Cocoa has a similar orange but matte and slightly darker. MAC Rule is similar but matte.
Full of Flavour is a brightened coral-pink. It has a matte finish. The texture is soft, just the tiniest bit powdery, and delivers good color payoff. It’s very similar to MAC Early Bird but a tiny bit darker. MAC Free to Be is also similar.
Brash is a molten copper with a frosted metallic sheen. It has a veluxe pearl finish. The texture is so soft and smooth, and the resulting color payoff is excellent. Tarina Tarantino Dreamy has a shade that’s a bit more orange, less red. Shades like Urban Decay Baked and MAC Bronze aren’t similar because they’re more gold and bronze, while this is distinctly copper without being too red. This shade is a repromote.

It reminded me a bit of MAC Spring Colour 4 Eyeshadow Quad, which has the same really warm, sunset-ish feel, but it’s definitely different. This is the warmest palette out of the three. If you don’t like the way orange tends to look on your skin tone, this is the quad you could easily skip, since two shades have a fair amount of orange in them. Like the other two quads, the shades included really mesh well. I like the inclusion of different finishes so you can get more depth out of a look if you only wanted to use the shades included. You should be able to make a pretty sunset-like eye out of this, though it will have a fair amount of brightness out of it.

The Glossover

	Call Me Bubbles A-
	The quality of this eyeshadow palette is much more in line with the quads of yesteryear, and it is the best quad out of the three. None of the textures are dry or stiff, and the color payoffs are good or better overall.
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
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Saturday, February 4th, 2012

MAC Shop & Drop Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC: Shop & Drop Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Shop & Drop Eyeshadow Quad ($38.00 for 0.19 oz.) includes these shades: Sugar Snack (light pink), Hypnotizing (frosted greyed mauve), Power Boosted (violet), and Shop & Drop (deep blue).

Sugar Snack is a light-medium pink with yellow undertones and a matte finish. It’s a really soft, almost buttery, matte so the color payoff is good without being powdery. It reminded me of MAC Pen ‘n’ Pink, which is a touch lighter. Inglot #356 is lighter. MAC Paradise Island is similar, perhaps darker, with inferior color payoff.
Hypnotizing is a dark mauve-brown with high shimmer. It has a frost finish. It’s soft, smooth, and has good pigmentation. It’s similar to a fair amount of shades, including Tarina Tarantino Fantastical, MAC Winterized, Bare Escentuals Romp, and MAC Tendersmoke.
Power Boosted is a fuchsia violet with a pearly sheen. It has a veluxe pearl finish. It has decent color payoff, though it is a little sheerer and drier compared to other shades in the palette. NYX Violetta is similar but less iridescent. Bare Escentuals Boudoir is pinker. Urban Decay Purple Haze is similar in color, but it has a matte finish.
Shop & Drop is a deep smoky blue with hints of purple with a pearled sheen. It has a satin finish. The color payoff is decent to good, but the texture is a touch dry. Inglot #321 is similar in color but matte. Bobbi Brown Blue Onyx is similar but a touch purpler. MAC Blue Storm is brighter.

This is a good palette–none of the shades are duds (which has been a more frequent concern with MAC’s eyeshadow quads). Both Sugar Snack and Hypnotizing are really nice and easy to work with, while Power Boosted and Shop & Drop are decent to good but could be more pigmented or softer. Shop & Drop looks less nuanced when worn, especially if you’re using a neutral base, because it does have a blackened-blue base. Hypnotizing is a shade we’ve seen before, but the other three are new and exclusive to this palette.

The Glossover

	Shop & Drop A-
	This is a good palette--none of the shades are duds (which has been a more frequent concern with MAC's eyeshadow quads). If you've been looking for a purple eyeshadow palette, this might be one to check out.
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
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mac shop mac cook mac collection

Video Review: MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC Collection

MAC Attack February ’12 Recap

Shop MAC, Cook MAC is now available online at Nordstrom