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MAC Cosmetics - The Originals Review, Product Swatches

Overall, I enjoyed this collection enough that I found several products interesting enough to purchase. I felt like the lipsticks and lipglasses turned out to be my favorites, but I have been on a bit of lip kick lately. I really loved Back to Del Rio, Rozz Revival, Supersequin, and Utter Pervette! The glosses were all lovely, but of course I was attracted to both Avarice and Real Desire–two shades I would rarely wear. Nico Now is gorgeous and I think will be popular with most as it is quite the universal shade. Surprisingly, I found that I adored Daisychain and Ochre Style out of the eyeshadows–if we didn’t have Smoke Signals come out, I would love Charred and Clue, too.  Parrot is as to be expected; I can’t see any difference myself from the original formulation.  The pigments are all permanent, but they at least selected three shades that rock (Golden Olive, Melon, and Violet).  The reflects glitters are to die for, but you should have already known that as I covered them in their entirety from my PRO store haul!  Antique Gold is the must-get, if you like playing with color; Very Pink is a great glitter to use on cheeks and lips, though.  The collection offers something to everyone, even if addicts had expected their favorite hard-to-find products. Don’t knock it ’til you swatch it!

For an in-depth review of individual products and shades, plus additional swatches…

LIPSTICK

  • Rozz Revival is a hot, bright watermelon pink with no sheerness to it, so it’s really quite bold. This is one everybody has been a bit excited over, and I can see why – it’s a lovely shade of a deep coral-orange-red with slick texture (go high sheen).
  • Chintz on Chintz is a sheer, warm chocolate brown – great for ladies of color, for sure. Too dark for me on its own (definitely would need a lipglass to lighten it up), but you’d be surprised what you can mix it to make it an awesome shade on you. I think I own the original Chintz!
  • Utter Pervette is such a lovely sheer, frosty cool pink shade. It has plenty of shimmer in it, though, so those who are wary of frost may want to skip this one. This one is excellent for spring!
  • Back to Del Rio is one of my favorites! It is a subtly wine-berry with brown undertones and gold shimmer. It’s just this shade that’s dark, yet not at all bold and so wearable on an everyday basis.
  • Nouveau-Frou is the sheerest of the bunch, and it is a pale lavender with gold shimmer. This is the most passable one, only because it wouldn’t show up well on me or anyone with pigmented lips whatsoever.
  • Retrofluid is a deeper brown than Chintz on Chintz with purple and gold reflects. I’d really love to see this on darker skintones!
  • Supersequin is probably my favorite, because it’s a gorgeous semi-frosty medium pink. It’s warmer rather than cooler, and I love the gold shimmer. I am reminded of one of the lipsticks from the Finery sets, though – I want to say Blueblood.
  • Twig-Twig is completely contrary in color to the description. I honestly don’t see much brown in it at all! I am pretty certain it is Twig Twig (I swatch in alphabetical order so I *don’t* forget, ha!), too. It’s lovely, though. It’s very much like Supersequin, only cooler and with purple undertones. It is a relatively frosty look, not as much a silky lustre like Back to Del Rio.
  • Sandy B is a lovely shade of light neutral-pink, sheer enough that it starts out light but it can be built up. This is a permanent shade already.
  • Russian Red is a bright, bold matte red with blue undertones. It’s part of the permanent of the line.

LIPGLASS

  • Full on Lust is a gorgeous opaque watermelon pink hue with gold shimmer in it; this is totally the one that matches Rozz Revival, though it’s much subtler.
  • Avarice is a rich orange-red with gold reflects, very deep and bold.
  • Real Desire is the darkest of the five, and it is a really rich burnt red-burgundy with red reflects.
  • Nico Now is a lovely shade of purple with pink hues with lots of shimmer. I think this is my personal favorite, even though it’s not insanely original. It’s just quite pretty.
  • C-Thru is a white-neutral gloss with soft white shimmer that goes on fairly sheerly, though it will lighten up any dark lipstick for sure (take that, brown lipsticks! I’ll wear you yet!).

EYE SHADOW

  • Daisychain is actually one of my top picks from the nine shadows, because it will be the most gorgeous highlighter! I am such a sucker for white-gold colors with touches of shimmer. It is as if Nylon lost half of its shimmer and got a better finish.
  • Ochre Style is another top pick, because it is this lovely shade of a brown-gold with gold shimmer. It reminds me of Juiced in the texture and feel, but the color is more wearable on most people (Juiced can make some look sallow). It is up my alley — when have I resisted a gold?
  • A Little Folie is a warm, matte chocolate brown. I think this would make an excellent crease color (kind of like Soft Brown is a great choice) for warmer neutral looks.
  • Memorabilia is a luxe dark purple with a matte texture. I found the formulation of this matte to be incredibly workable. It is not like mattes of the past, nor is it like Matte2s; I like this, and I think the shade is great for spicing up holiday looks.
  • Clue is a shimmery gray-blue color – much prettier to the actual eye than the camera lens. I kept thinking Clue would be much bluer for some reason. As to the texture, it reminds me of the shimmer of Black Tied, with better color pay off.
  • Alum is a mid-tone gray in a satin finish, so it has very subtle shimmer – perfect for older lids as well as any smoky eye with a lighter twist on it.
  • Charred is a rich, charcoal gray-black with plenty of shimmery particles. It is a lovely color that would make for gorgeous smoky eyes. Again, like Clue, the amount of shimmer is similar to Black Tied, but you get more color than you do with Black Tied.
  • Frisco is a soft, pastel pink in a matte finish; it is a little bit chalky, but not much. It’s one of those afterthoughts you have and makes you go, “Hmm,” since you’re not quite sure. I am reminded of the shade I wanted Pink Venus to be, if it didn’t have shimmer. It’s nice to see this pink added to the MAC line up (though it is close to Pen ‘N’ Pink from Matte2).
  • Parrot is exactly as I remember it being. I have owned Parrot in three forms (including it as Kicky Blue) over my time as a MAC fan, and I never end up keeping it. It is a gorgeous color, but I never felt like, “Wow! This is worth $40!” I would suggest picking this up purely out of the addict-factor, which means this is sure to sell out quickly. It is also the boldest, brightest eyeshadow from the collection, which is also a big pull. But yes, I found the texture and color to be nearly identical to the original (I no longer own it, otherwise I’d have compared the two!).

PIGMENT

  • Kitschmas is a bright pastel purple with high sheen and frost-factor; and it is constantly being repromoted. All of the pigments are permanent to the MAC line, so there is no reason to jump out and get them all.
  • Violet is one of my favorite pigments, because it has such great intensity in its purple hue.
  • Melon makes an excellent summer blush and highlighter, because it is a great shade of gold-peach.
  • Golden Olive is a delicious shade of olive green with gold sheen (the same really does ring true!). If you love green eyed looks, you must have this!
  • Steel Blue is a subtle dark blue with chunks of gold glitter particles – it has a chunky texture compared to Melon or Golden Olive; it is chunkier than Kitschmas, from my experience.

GLITTER — Check out my swatches from the PRO store for better pictures here.

  • Reflects Blackened Red is a glittery deep red-brown with red reflects. In my other post, this is the one listed as “Charred Red” (because I spaced on the name and didn’t check, bad me). When they say blackened, it’s more like a burnt reddish brown – it’s not black.
  • Reflects Very Pink is a medium pink with lots of light pink glitter reflects. This makes an excellent color for lips – just mix it with any gloss (including clear) to make a pout stand out.
  • Reflects Transparent Teal is a glittery white base with small particles that reflect a tealish-green light. Great for body glitter!
  • Reflects Antique Gold is my absolute favorite out of the four reflects glitters launched in this collection. It is such a gorgeous mixture of gold, brown, and antique gold that results in the most lovely shade. I bet you wouldn’t think of it, but you can rock this as a lip color or mixed with a red gloss!

Originals is on counters and in stores now, as well as www.maccosmetics.com, as of today!

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Lindsay Avatar

Memorabilia, ochre style and mayyybee Parrot,but the the other two for sure. Memorabilia is gorgeous, I cant wait to try it out.

And I am interested to see Twig twig, Super Sequin and Back to Del Rio, I am just getting in to MAC lipstick but I am loving it!

Christine Avatar

I think so many people will be scooping up Parrot (or two, or three, or ten!) so they can see what the hype is all about, and never think about paying eBay prices for it later!

Aww, you will definitely love lipsticks! I used to be all about eyes – but then I started an affair with lips. Haven’t looked back since!

Lindsay Avatar

I went in for Memorabilia and Ochre Style and came out with Alum and Parrot. I was impressed with how much I loved Parrot, I thought that it was going to be over hyped but it really is a gorgeous color and I was able to snag one before it was all gone. I also got Super Sequin l/s…I love it! I think I might go back for Twig Twig too!

victoria Avatar

oh my, i am so going to the mall tonight. i love this collection. i’m not familiar with these colors and on the photos, i didn’t really find it that interesting but the variety of colors and the finishes are so pretty. i’m going to have a hard time picking. i have to calm down, set a goal or i might just go gaga at the store. thank you so much for the swatches and your review.

Carrie Avatar

{uh, I just realized that I forgot to put on mascara today and I have UDPP in my eyelashes…oops!)

Anyways, I had a hard time deciding, but I picked up Clue e/s and Retrofluid l/s, which on me (currently NW15) somehow comes out as a nice, natural reddish-plum-brown.

I really wanted to get Charred e/s but it was chunkier and glitterier than I think I would wear 🙁

Christine Avatar

Hey Carrie! lol, oops 😉 I’ve done that a few times. I’ve even taken photos and then uploaded them… realizing THEN that I forgot the mascara.

Both Charred & Clue were kind of chunkier in glitter than I thought. I’m glad Retrofluid is lovely on you! It was sooo much darker swatched than I thought it would be.

elegant-one Avatar

Cracked me up…Alum – for older lids! I know what you mean. Maybe that’s why I ordered it…because I HAVE older lids (cracking up) Thank God they don’t look like older lids though.

I did get Clue & Rozz Revival – is there actually any pink in it? It still looks lovely.

ariele Avatar

Mannnn, Christine! Your swatches ALWAYS make me want more than what I planned on getting, LOL! Thank you though, it definitely helps if I plan to order online. In this case, I’m definitely going in to the store tonight or tomorrow to check everything out. Rozz Revival is definitely brighter & less sheen that I expected it to be, but I still love it! Looks like I’ll add Supersequin, Nico Now, & Full on Lust to my list as well 🙂 I was hoping I could pass on Daisychain, but it looks like the perfect highlighter so that’s a must. I was also hoping to pass on Memorobilia but it almost looks like a Satin rather than a Matte… which I’m so down for! Ayiyi, this collection is going to break the bank more than I expected! The lip products are the real surprise I think 🙂

What did you end up getting?

Christine Avatar

Hey Ariele!

I’m happy to help… and encourage 😉

Make sure you save and get free 2-day shipping code 2DAY if you order online.

Daisychain is soooo pretty, and I’m not even a huge highlighter buyer, but I can’t resist it!

Oh, gosh, I can hardly remember, I just kept having them put stuff away for me. I got Parrot, Rozz Revival, Daisychain, Ochre Style, and Nico Now for sure, though.

Adina Avatar

I just went to check this out and truth be told i wasn’t that wowed. standouts for me were parrot and daisychain. I think it was the textures that ruined me :/

Stacey Avatar

I recently purchased my first ever lipgloss after years of being too scared to try it, and I loved it… These lipstick colours look great!! Can’t wait for this collection to come out here… There is only a MAC counter in my city, and they don’t stock pigments, so whenever they come out I get them all!

Lori Avatar

going to be there for door opening tomorrow and I hope my MAC counter got the message re: the earlier release. From the description I thought Daisychain was going to be a more yellowy colour but definitely looks highlightish. I need another highlighter as much as I need another eyeshadow. But I’m sure I’ll walk away with at least a couple items.

Thanks for always giving us the swatches that keep us coming back for more!

Lori Avatar

Wow…disappointment! I wish they had swatched like they did on your skin–I was hoping to get Ochre Style and Clue and perhaps Parrot, maybe Alum.
I swatched Clue and it looked similar to Copperplate I had just bought (its weird, I’m NW100 in Hyper Real so pretty pale and I thought Clue was going to be darker like your swatch *shrug*)
Ochre Style didn’t wow me, looked kinda yucky so I passed. I bought Alum and Parrot (Alum look similar to my Cumulus, so much so that if I would have compared them at the store (by bringing my Cumulus) I prob would have put Alum down, but I bought it now and will use it).

Well here’s to hoping the N collection brings me some kicking neutrals and a true Daisyish colour (Can’t wait to see the paint pot!)

Steph Avatar

Hey Christine Great review, we must be thinking on the same page! Here are the things I picked up today at the insane MAC store: shadows: Ochrestyle, daisychain, parrot. Lips: Rozz, Back to delrio, supersequin, nico now. All glitters except the red blackened-I wasn’t sure about the red? I dont wear much reds, but it is also LE.. Things Im still debating: Utter pervette, full on lust, Im sure I will have to place an order tonight online for those.

meme Avatar

Thanks for the great review and swatches, Christine!

I picked up rozz revival, avarice, and reflects antique gold today =)

I have 2 questions for you:
Does Real desire l/g have any plum/purpley tones?
I didn’t get a chance to try Full on lust – is it still a watermelon pink on the lips (I have medium-pigmented lips) or more of a YLBB pink?

Thanks!

Christine Avatar

Hey Meme!

1) I don’t think so. It’s really a brown-reddish color, and the shimmer is red.
2) I haven’t tried the lipglass on my lips, so I couldn’t tell you. I do think it’s a bit more opaque than the majority of lipglasses, but alone I don’t think it’d really turn your lips TOO drastically.

Tanya Avatar

oh the swatches all look so beautiful….ugh its really tempting me to brave the mall and check out the “local” PRO store 🙂 I wonder if I wait until after Christmas if there will be anything left?

Christine Avatar

I knowww! Everything looks gorgeous 🙁

Gosh, I don’t know. I think plenty WILL be left – I think Parrot and Rozz Revival will be the only things that sell out quickly.

There is free 2-day shipping online, right now, with code 2DAY in case you’d rather grab a few items now that you can’t miss! lol 😉

monica Avatar

i always like your reviews overall I’m not overly excited about the collection. I did end up picking up Full On Lust l/g & Rozz Revival l/s. I love the glitters too.

Brooke Avatar

once again your reviews have emptied my wallet! i def want parrot and daisychain…. i am thinking about full on lust. the online description is putting me off with the brown in it. browns on my lips = no good. but your swatch doesn’t look brown at all. should I be worried??

Jennifer Avatar

Hi Christine!

I live in France and I recently discovered your site, it’a so cool! Thanx for the swatches, now I just can’t wait having them all!! The problems is that in France, the launch date is January 3rd!
Weren’t there supposed to be eye pencils too? Indigo, coffee and Ebony?

I’ll be in LA from December 27th on, do you this all will be sold out???

Christine Avatar

Hey Jennifer!

There are eye pencils, too – I believe they’re all permanent, so I didn’t bother to swatch them.

I think most of it will NOT be sold out by the 27th. Parrot is likely to sell out quickly, but I don’t think anything else will be the same.

michelle Avatar

OMG! Christine! I see that you’ve mentioned Super Sequin lipstick similar to Blueblood!! YAY! *jumps for joy!* am sooo gonna get this one when it comes out here in s’pore 😉
Great swatches as always hun! You’ve got mail too!

Sara Avatar

so full on lust is more of a watermelon color? because the color the online store is…definitely not…but i really like the one you showed! im just afraid ill get that weird brownish color :/

Mrs. Lynne Avatar

I totally agree with Clue. It is definitely better in person. And I find it to be such a pretty color. I am also really liking the glitters! They are so gorgeous. I just saw your other post on the glitters and I WANT them all, hah. Antique Gold is out of stock already when I visited the store at noon today! I’m bummed, but persistent, lol.

erica Avatar

HI Christine I know this review is old I have the lipglass full on lust and it is one of my alltime favorites what do u consider to be a permanent mac color that matches this lipglass I am about to be out and I need more….Thanks

Kate Rose Avatar

Hello!

I know this is a very old post, but I was wondering if you could tell me which shade you think has more color to it (more pink!): Pen ‘N’ Pink or Frisco? I am leaning towards Frisco but it can be so hard to tell such a subtle difference in photos.

^___^ <3

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