MAC Tartan Tale Collection (Chapter 1): Overall, Round-up, & Recommendations
MAC Tartan Tale Collection (Chapter 1): Overall, Round-up, & Recommendations
OVERALL, Tartan Tale is both overwhelming and underwhelming–the sheer size makes it difficult to focus on individual products and starts to feel more like an explosion of products. It’s underwhelming in that a lot of the kits/sets aren’t as value-driven as palettes and sets often are, but some of the quality is lacking in the palettes, as well.
For this part of the holiday collection, I have no must-haves. There are some nice colors within the palettes, but I don’t feel that the entire palette/kit is a must-have. These were some of the individual shades I thought were worth noting: Endless Fun (Happily Ever After Lip Kit), Baron’s Rose (Dazzle the Lads Lip Bag), Mellow Mood (Vain & Glorious Lip Bag), and Rolled Gold (Twists of Tartan Palette. I liked Rockers & Reelers the most out of the palettes and sets, but I didn’t love it.
I also like the Face Kits, and I think they’re worth checking out if you don’t have any of the permanent blush shades included in each. It’s a more affordable way to try three cheek products at once, and at least, if you love the blushes, they’re available in the permanent range, too. I do always recommend the MAC Viva Glam holiday products. If you love the color of either the gloss or lipstick, but not the bag or both, they are available year-round for purchase.
The one item I specifically do not recommend are the brush sets. I think the quality is significantly below MAC brushes (full-sized), but worse yet, below more affordable brush options. Buy one or two full-size brushes and add to your brush collection over time.
Temptalia’s Recommendations
Must-haves: None
Nice-to-haves: Beauties Play It Cool Palette, Reelers & Rockers Palette, Happily Ever After Lip Kit
Skip: Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette (MAC has better permanent neutrals), Brush Sets
Skip if…
- Skip ENDLESS FUN if you have OYSTER GIRL; it’s a little less milky but very similar.
- Skip BARON’S ROSE if you have FUN BATHING; they’re incredibly close–Baron’s Rose is a touch redder.
- Skip SMOOTH HARMONY if you have GOLDEN BRONZER;
- Skip CROWN & SCEPTRE if you have ANTIQUED; slightly less metallic but similar enough color-wise.
Don’t forget to…
Check your stash for MOTH TO FLAME (permanent), BABY SPARKS (permanent), IN SYNCH (repromote from Too Fabulous, ’10), MELLOW MOOD (repromote from Electroflash, ’08), MELBA (permanent), PEACHTWIST (permanent), SMOOTH HARMONY (repromote from Heatherette, ’08), DAME (permanent), PLUM FOOLERY (permanent), OH SO FAIR (repromote from Venomous Villains, ’10), SILVERWEAR (repromote from Holiday, ’07), HOLD MY GAZE (repromote from Holiday, ’09), ALTERED STATE (repromote from Holiday, ’09), BRONZE (permanent), BUCKWHEAT (repromote from Naked Honey, ’09), SHOWSTOPPER (repromoted endlessly), WHITE RABBIT (repromote from Holiday, ’09), CARBON (permanent), VAINGLORIOUS (repromote from Venomous Villains, ’10).
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!).
- Best Picks for Lighter Skin Tones: Happily Ever After Kit, Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette, Beauties Play It Cool Palette, Twists of Tartan Palette, Hark the Heraldry Face Kit, Vain & Glorious Lip Bag
- Best Picks for Medium Skin Tones: A Fabulous Fantasy Kit, Happily Ever After Kit, Beauties Play It Cool Palette, Reelers & Rockers Palette, A Triumphant Blush Face Kit, Vain & Glorious Lip Bag, Dazzle the Lads Lip Bag
- Best Picks for Darker Skin Tones: A Fabulous Fantasy Kit, Reelers & Rockers Palette, Twists of Tartan Palette, A Triumphant Blush Face Kit, Dazzle the Lads Lip Bag
- Best Picks for Cooler Skin Tones: Happily Ever After Kit, Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette, Beauties Play It Cool Palette, Twists of Tartan Palette, Hark the Heraldry Face Kit, Vain & Glorious Lip Bag
- Best Picks for Warmer Skin Tones: A Fabulous Fantasy Kit, Reelers & Rockers Palette, A Triumphant Blush Face Kit, Vain & Glorious Lip Bag, Dazzle the Lads Lip Bag
HI Temptalia!!! What about “My Scottish Fling”??? Do you think its worth it?
It really just depends on whether you have any of the products already, since they’re full of permanent/repromoted products!
thanks for the fast response! I dont have any of the products but I like all of them, would it be cheaper to just purchase that? Also, when and where will it be available online?
I think it’s a wash – like it’s about the same paying for them separately or together, but at least together, you’ll get the mini mascara and packaging. I don’t know why the exclusive sets say coming soon, but I would imagine at least by November 4th.
i’m relieved that there are no must-haves because i was debating on sacrificing my study time to drop by MAC and check out this collection. plus, my wallet is still recovering from venomous villains! lol
i love your round-ups. thank you so much for doing this, christine!
Thanks for doing this Christine! I picked up a couple of things.. but not NEARLY as much as I probably would have. Your swatches have saved me yet again!
I just can’t believe the brush kits and palettes were so underwhelming.
Thank you so much for all your hard work – this is clearly an extensive collection!
I am totally loving the bags soooo much! And the designs on the packaging are so diiferent for holiday. I have already placed my order yesterday for most of what I want – I still look forward to getting the Viva Glam lip/bag set and at least one of the pigment/l/g sets.
Every year I get crazy over the Holiday collections from MAC and Chanel.
thanks again Christine! I love your swatches and your pictures are the best!
As always, thank you for your time and candor, Christine. When I first saw the promo pics, I was utterly smitten, but a closer look leaves me cold. I’ll be passing on this year’s holiday collection.
LOL! I went by and picked up the eye brush set this morning… but I only really got it for the bag! It’s the cutest clutch 🙂
I had originally anticipated some great things from this collection, but when I saw it in-store I walked away with nothing.
“Must-haves: None” – that made me LOL! But yeah, I agree, it seems like a pretty disappointing/average collection.
I’m glad you are so honest about this. Personally, I’ll only pick up the blush palettes because I like collecting MAC’s permanent blushes and was planning on picking the blushes individually anyhow. Also, do you by any chance have had a look at the pigment packages?
They’re not out yet, so I haven’t, sorry!
Thanks for your review 🙂 very helpful. Probably going to pass so my wallet thanks you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this! As everybody else, I will be passing on this.. too bad, I was so exited at first glance..
Shame that since this is such a poor holiday collection we will have to wait until december to get the new ones (Cham-pale I’m looking at you..)
Increase in prices, decrease in quality, MAC seems to take its followers for granted these days.. If the trend remains, I’ll have no reason to refrain from buying luxe, reliable products.. Mmm Chanel..
I KNOW!. it seems like their more after quantity and not quality, since they have a new collection come out like every other week. i wish they would not have their repromotes come out soo soon from when they were just out (ex. vanglorious, eyeliners-pearlglide, msf-comfort), and instead maybe repromote ones that have not been out for years ex-stereo rose.
also not have such similiar colors from past collections and maybe make their collection smaller, so we dont get overwhelmed. we may spend more that way. FYI mac!
Thanks Christine as alwasys for the great reviews. I am going to pass on this collection.
Temptalia has nothing in the Must Haves section. LOL. I generally agree with that.
Well I only ordered 2 lipsticks, Courting Lilac (my first Glaze) and The Faerie Glen (I love the Lustres). I was able to order online 2 days before it launched in stores & with free shipping. I can’t justify paying so much for the shadow or blush kits but some looked really nice. I have never ordered lipsticks sight unseen but your swatches really helped me choose. Thanks Christine!
Thank you Christine for all your hard work. The collection looks great but I’ve been collecting for a couple of years and I will be passing this collection. I just have a lot of similar colors. I am however venturing to other brands so I’m always excited to read your reviews on guerlain, chanel etc.
Indeed, I was very disappointed with this collection. The palettes look nice outside, but inside they look really cheap somehow.
I grabbed the fuchsia blush and lipstick though 🙂
I really appreciate when you do the round ups especially what goes well with specific skin tones. It really helps 🙂
Thanks
I have to say, I find myself losing interest in MAC. The last few collections from MAC have really disappointed me (yes, even Villains, most of which was a skip for me). Other than a pigment or perhaps two, I will likely not buy any of this, and my LE MAC hauls usually run around $150-$200. This is the first collection in a year where I didn’t go in and look at on release day, either.
Out of curiosity… Did you get any of the bears? LOL! I bought two of the larger ones. One for me and one to give away (they’re so inexpensive and it’s for a good cause)!
NO! I totally forgot that they came out, so I’m going to get them next time!
I went to mac today hoping to buy “dazzle the lads” kit, unfortunately mac doesn’t sell it until another two weeks. So I checked the brushes to see how bad quality they are as you said. I was gonna go crazy when i saw the duo fiber brush. OMG its a joke, its……. ridiculous. Saved my friend from buying the kit.
I really like the highland honey blush…..i think its called that. its cute
Weird! Those kits are available online so I don’t know why it didn’t launch today. Just the mini sets of gloss, pigments, etc. are supposed to launch on the 4th!
Strange – I picked up a non-preorder Dazzle the Lads today!
Thanks for the unbelievably fast coverage of the Tartan Tale Collection. You were on fire yesterday with all those posts! I hope it didn’t hinder your studying time too much.
I’m disappointed with the sets – because I really wanted an excuse to get their over the shoulder bag! The packaging was amazing but the products didn’t match or tantalize me.
I was wondering if youad any idea when the lipgloss sets and pigments set will be out? Because i’m looking foward to them but I can’t find them on the site?
November 4th
can i just say that i really enjoyed the pigments, except for the alice and olivia repromote. the other two are effin gorgeous.
Well, I never thought I’d say this, but this is one collection i’ve gotten NOTHING from. I thought the colors are really dupable, the browns looked familiar, oh yeah, from the feline collection. Exact? No, not exact but still familiar. Didn’t see anything that said “omg! UNIQUE! MUST HAVE!”. After chatting with a good friend who’s a MAC employee, she said “if someone has a large MAC collection, like you do, they will have about 90 to 95% of these colors anyway” I gotta agree!
I’m not so into this collection either. I was interested when I first heard about it but its kinda boring. I may buy some of the eyeliners but that’s it. The lilac dazzleglass (I forget the name) is very pretty but I can’t see myself wearing it.
I ended up buying Full Fuschia, Moonlight Night, The Family Crest, Black Swan, Petrol Blue and A Lady and Her Trick brush set. 🙂
I did get a couple of the eyeliners, which are fabulous, even if they’re repromotes. After wearing more or less the same look for years, I’m rebuilding my collection, so I did come away with Semiprecious and Glamora Castle, which I like very much. Ditto for the Hark the Heraldry Face Kit. Although, if I’d been building a collection for years and already had most of these repromotes, I wouldn’t have bothered.
Can’t say I’m very excited with this collection (thank God!!) but still I plan on picking up the Courting Lilac lipstick and the Triumphant Blush Face kit. Since I have none of the colors in it – and I was curious with the Melba blush – it’s a good opportunity. Thanks again for all your hard work hun!!
If I happen to have few extra bucks and holiday spirit enough to spend them, I’m getting the Reelers & Rockers Palette. I can’t say I’d love those eyeshadows, no, definitely not lusting anything but the packaging – I just adore tartans.
Tartan Tales really was a bit of disappointment, I wished to fill my make up bag with cute tartan products but I’m settling to that one … or none. There just isn’t anything that I’d really want.
The brush sets were a disappointment as many others have already posted. I also thought the eye shadow pans were sloppily assembled as well, so I was also spared that expense. The only upside is that its helping me recover from what I spent on the villains collection.
I was really disappointed in the collection. 🙂 But over all, at least I saved money.
Thanks for all your work on this round up. Great work, VERY thorough! You’re amazing Christine! 🙂
Is the “Check your stash for…” section new?! I normally check your blog every day or two, and I don’t recognize it. Wow! That’s a great little addition to your overall reviews! Love it!
I’ve been doing it for awhile now on the overall/round up posts 🙂
Thanks!