MAC Cosmetics - Smoke Signals Collection Review

SMOKE SIGNALS
Overall, I really enjoyed the cool smoky eye quad compared to the warmer one, and I definitely see Burnin’ being a fall favorite. Vampy, dramatic lips are in, and Burnin’ leaves nothing to be desired. Raven is going to make an excellent colored liner to make my eyes pop. I also love the color of Smoke Signal pigment, but we’ll have to see how real application goes, since matte or matte-like pigments and I are not always compatible.

Gentle Fume Eyes
Rondelle has come out before, and Carbon is part of the permanent ilne, but this is such a great combination of shadows to make a truly perfect smokey eye. I found myself instantly gravitating towards this cooler palette compared to the warmer quad also launched. Rondelle is quite shimmery, though, and even though it has come out before, I feel like they aren’t the same, but I never owned the original. Gentle Fume reminds me a bit of Print eyeshadow, though.

Smoking Eyes
Unlike the cooler quad, Next To Nothing is a great highlighter color (Rondelle is a bit too shimmery for most people’s tastes for highlighters). I have to tell you, I think MAC needs to come up with a new matte brown to put in their quads, because I feel like Showstopper shows up in all of their pre-made quads these days! I really liked Smoking, because it’s a matte black base with gold shimmer, so pretty. Satin Taupe (I believe this is a repromote, as well) has great payoff, and it’s a nice color if you don’t already have it.

Lipsticks
Barely Lit: Super, super sheer. Even with a bit of foundation on my lips, I couldn’t really get the color to grab on. The texture was lovely, though, as it is a lustre, just far too sheer for me to use personally. Maybe on paler lips!
Brew: This sounds so familiar, so I’m not sure if this has come out before or not, but it’s a great neutral lip color and a touch sheer since it is also a lustre formulation.
Burnin’: If you want a vampy lip, this is the perfect lipstick to do it. Amplified texture (my favorite) and awesome color pay off in such a deep burgundy/wine color.
Mellow Flame: I can see this color be more popular with warmer skintones, as it is a bit brown and warm.
Sparks Can Fly: Lovely little pink lipstick with lots of shimmer, but this isn’t a must-have.

Lipglasses
Bare Truth: Opaque beige-brown with lots of pink shimmer, real glossy and smooth.
Bizaarish: Imagine how dark and vampy you can make Burnin’ lipstick look by layering this over it! Very dark and shimmery.
Illicit: I thought this wuold be sheer, but when I tested it, it was quite opaque. A pale pink with a touch of beige in it, making it a great neutral lipglass.
Soft & Slow: A medium pink lipglass, but it isn’t over the top in brightness, so I really like that about it. It’s not a Barbie pink or anything of that sort, but it isn’t dull or pale either.

Kohl Power
Orpheus: A lovely smooth, deep olive-green kind of color, which would make a great liner even by itself.
Raven: The color is kind of like the Smoke Signal pigment, only a bit shimmery and in kohl form.

Blushes
Ablaze: A deeper matte (or almost matte) rose blush, a bit brownish, and I have a feeling this won’t be a huge hit for a lot of ladies. It just seems like it might be a hard color to wear without overdoing it.
Emote: As far as I’m concerned, I’m definitely going to try using this as a contour color for me. It is a grayish brown, with a bit of warmth, but not a whole lot.

Pigments
Dark Soul: Part of the permanent consumer line of pigments, this is a shimmery almost black, semi-gray pigment with a bit of a matte feel to it (not so frosty).
Silver Fog: This pigment is part of the permanent PRO line, and it is a very, very bright silver. It looks almost wet because of how shimmery it is.
Smoke Signal: Seems like a matte pigment to me, and it is a gorgeous smoked out cranberry color. It’s a great burgundy, with a lot of coolness to it.

Nail Polishes
Wildfire: A deep purple with red shimmer, which makes it completely different than what the original color description was. I do wish it was a bit more saturated in color, a touch brighter/bolder.
Nocturnelle: This is a repromote, and it is for all things… a high gloss black creme finish polish, which is lovely, but not unique by any means.

View product photos and swatches here: https://www.temptalia.com/mac-cosmetics-smoke-signals-collection-product-photos-swatches