MAC Nail Trend F/W 2010 Review, Photos, Swatches
Nail Lacquers: Concubine, Imperial Flower, Earthly Harmony, Ming Blue, Jade Dragon, Rain of Flowers
MAC Nail Trend F/W 2010 Review, Photos, Swatches
Wait, you thought it was JUST Fabulous Felines today? You must be new to MAC 😉 Indeed, MAC had a short and sweet launch of six nail lacquers (which might account for why there were none in Fabulous Felines!), all of which are Asian-inspired. nail expert Jin Soon was inspired by the “Forbidden City,” and she created shades inspired by the sculptures, architecture, fabrics, and decorative papers of Imperial China. Each shade has “pearl essences for subtle dimension.”
All of these need a top coat (but how many of us go sans top coat anyway?!), because they dry to a rather flat finish–a little shiny but not at all glossy; I used MAC’s Overlacquer top coat on all of these. The formula was on the thinner side overall, but the majority of shades were very rich in pigmentation. Having only purchased these this morning, I haven’t exactly been able to wear these long term, but I did notice that Jade Dragon and Rain of Flowers are shades that may stain (for sure Jade Dragon).
You can check out official information and promotional imagery as well.
Nail Lacquer ($13.00 U.S. / $15.50 CDN)
- Concubine is a darkened red with ruby and scarlet shimmer flecks. I used two coats in the swatching, but there’s still a bit of nail line showing, so a third coat would probably be best. It’s pretty, but if you already have a lot of shimmered reds, you could easily skip this shade.
- Imperial Flower is a brightened medium orange with flecks of gold and orange shimmer. This is one of my favorites out of the launch, because it practically glows on nails. It is similar to China Glaze’s Orange Pacific, though Orange Pacific has more obvious shimmer. Just two coats — it was nearly opaque in one coat.
- Earthly Harmony is this concrete greige taupe shade. It is a difficult shade to describe! It has faint flecks of yellowed gold shimmer. I needed two coats here, and this is the kind of shade that made me think of Chanel’s Particuliere–but it’s not a dupe–just in that same vein of ugly shades that are rather pretty. I found the formula of this one to be on the watery side, and it made it a little harder to apply.
- Ming Blue is a brightened medium-dark ocean blue with softer blue shimmer. I used just two coats in swatches, and there’s my nail line faintly visible, but a third coat would definitely eliminate that. I didn’t see any immediate staining, but I could see this staining after a few days of wear.
- Jade Dragon is a deep forest green with flecks of green-teal shimmer. It’s quite pigmented and applied the nicest out of the bunch (but I only found Earthly Harmony troublesome)–two coats was perfect. This one, however, stained my nails just during the time I swatched it.
- Rain of Flowers is a deep, darkened black-purple base with flecks of violet shimmer. Two coats and I had opaque results, and I suspect this one might stain a little bit as well. I originally thought it might be similar to Illamasqua’s Baptiste or NARS Purple Rain, but it’s a lot more violet and less fuchsia.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! 🙂
- Product: 27/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: I like ’em, and some shades do seem different than the norm. It’s a nice collection overall, and I haven’t had any issues with MAC polishes myself!
AVAILABILITY: MAC
Nail Lacquers: Concubine, Imperial Flower, Earthly Harmony
Nail Lacquers: Concubine, Imperial Flower, Earthly Harmony
Nail Lacquers: Concubine, Imperial Flower, Earthly Harmony
Nail Lacquers: Ming Blue, Jade Dragon, Rain of Flowers
Nail Lacquers: Ming Blue, Jade Dragon, Rain of Flowers
Nail Lacquers: Ming Blue, Jade Dragon, Rain of Flowers
MAC Concubine Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Concubine Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Concubine Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Concubine Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Concubine Nail Lacquer (Flash)
MAC Concubine Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Imperial Flower Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Imperial Flower Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Imperial Flower Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Imperial Flower Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Imperial Flower Nail Lacquer (Flash)
MAC Earthly Harmony Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Earthly Harmony Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Earthly Harmony Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Earthly Harmony Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Earthly Harmony Nail Lacquer (Flash)
MAC Ming Blue Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Ming Blue Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Ming Blue Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Ming Blue Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Ming Blue Nail Lacquer (Flash)
MAC Jade Dragon Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Jade Dragon Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Jade Dragon Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Jade Dragon Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Jade Dragon Nail Lacquer (Flash)
MAC Rain of Flowers Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Rain of Flowers Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Rain of Flowers Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Rain of Flowers Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)
MAC Rain of Flowers Nail Lacquer (Flash)
Jade Dragon and Rain of Flowers are what? WHAT? Tell me, I can’t take the suspension!!
I like the blue ones… The rest seem dupable to me.
LOL. Staining shades!
LOL! (I meant *suspense btw)
Thanks for swatching these! I was considering buying these, but they don’t look really unique to me.. The only one I like better after seeing your swatches is Earthly Harmony.
Do you have anything similar in your collection for these? I really like Jade Dragon and Ming Blue, but the latter seems so bright! I expected it to be more.. Dusty? Faded? I dunno lol, I hope you know what I mean!
Hey Daph,
Honestly, I’m not terribly good at nail polish dupes. For whatever reason, they don’t stick in my brain very well, so I tend to forget what I have (though it’s gotten… better!). I’ve only been regularly swatching brands’ launches for the past year or two. But anyway… I don’t feel like the particular combination of shimmer/base color screams *unique* overall. The only one I knew a dupe for sure was Imperial Flower!
I actually don’t know how you remember so much make up stuff off the top of your head. You should enter a Guinness world record for the most MAC eyeshadows in a minute or something! 😉
For some reason, a lot of makeup stuff sticks. No idea why. Nail polishes don’t, but makeup does. MAC especially, but I think that’s because I’ve been a long-time collector!
Probably cause you are interested in it! I wish I could have done an exam in differentiating red lipsticks or something, so much more fun to study! LOL!
Very true!
Thanks Christine, at least they’re not that obvious dupes 😉
Sephora by OPI’s Under my Trenchcoat is similar to Earthly Harmony
omg I love Rain of Flowers ! soo pretty (:
Nice colors, Forbidden City? Not so much. Idk where exactly the person went, but there isn’t even a gold color and let me tell you, the City has tons of golds and reds. But thank you so much for the swatches!
I honestly only want Earthly Harmony. 🙂 I don’t have anything similar to it.
MMmm I like earth harmony – its so much prettier on nails than in the bottle! Its a very concrete looking colour! Actually I pretty much like them all!
Pretty, but nothing I feel I have to have, especially for $13. They all seem similar to polishes I already own. I suspect Jade Dragon and Rain of Flowers will be popular, though.
I’m in LOVE with Earthly Harmony, but I don’t really want to fork $13 over for a nail polish.
I’ve read it may be duped by OPI for Sephora’s Under My Trenchcoat. Just putting that out there for those who want a $9 alternative instead. I think I’ll be checking that one out for sure. 🙂
I just googled swatches of the Sephora one.. It looks really similar!
you know . i thought taht too, so i did a swatch test of my own sephora under my trench coat and the mac earthy harmony and even they look the same, but they are quite diff in the sparkles. the mac on is much darker taupe and has gold sparkles, the sephora one is lighter taupe and has silver sparkles .
i got the green and nude one today, iwant to go back and get the orange, blue, purple one. ill skip on the red one-which is pretty dupable w/ all my opis holiday n/p sets.
Thanks for the comparison! Certainly doesn’t help me decide if I should get Earthly Harmony or not! lol!
Thank you for comparing the two. Even if they’re that different, in my case it would be like they’re similar enough, that if I have one, I don’t need the other. Eyeshadows on the other hand.. if there’s a slight difference, I still need both 😉
Oh wow thanks! 😀
Loving Concubine and Imperial Flower. Not at all keen on Earthly Harmony though.
The Ming Blue and Jade Dragon are lovely, but they’re not colours I would wear. I’m in two minds about Rain Of Flowers – I like the colour but I’m not sure whether I’d wear it or not.
Your swatches are really useful, thank you. No point using pictures on the MAC website for reference as they’re so far from reality
Oh, yeah. It’s amazing that in this day and age of digital goodness that so many cosmetic websites insist on Photoshopped swatches still. I mean, really? MAC, license my images, I don’t charge…. much 😀
Totally agree!
Just bought Jade Dragon and Ming Blue as well asTreat Me Nice liner, Aristo-cat lipstick and Spree lipglass from Fabulous Felines. Can’t wait to try them. I think it’s gonna be Jade Dragon tonight. So pretty!
Rain of Flowers O M G <3
Hmmmm, they’re pretty for sure, but I think I have reasonable dupes for most of them. Unlike eyeshadows, I don’t need every single shade of blue nail polish hahaha.
Rain of Flowers and Ming Blue remind me of the Orly Cosmic FX ones that I just picked up (Lunar eclipse, and um, the purple one). Jade Dragon totally reminds me of China Glaze’s Emerald Sparkle.. I’m not saying they’re exact dupes by any means, but they’re definitely in the same families.
The only one that sticks out to me is Earthly Harmony. I don’t own a greige colour, and I’ve never seen one with shimmer in it, only creams. This one is so different than the rest that it might be a must have for me!
Thanks for the swatches, and all your hard work!
I can’t believe how disappointed I am with the entire FF collection. I thought for sure I was going to break the bank, but after your review/swatches I’ve decided to pass on everything. That’s a major bummer because I adore the anticipation of the collection releases.
BTW, I love my Nubar shades, Christine. Torrid Red rocks, I love Vino and several others I got. A couple disappointed but no biggie.
Yay! I’m glad you’re mostly happy with ’em!!
I love Nubar. I have to get it from them, but the lacquers are so worth it. I have Jade Dragon on my nails now and this stuff is going back. Not long wearing at all and came out matte with little sparkle factor. No more MAC nail stuff for me. Nubar all the way!
Wow…I haven’t cared about nail polish in years, but these swatches make me want them all. O_O
I really like Earthly Harmony and Rain of Flowers!
Rain of Flowers really reminds me of NYC quick dry polish in “Chinatown”. Not an exact dupe, but close.
Haha I love that your fingers are turning green (from Jade Dragon?) by the time the last photo scrolls around 🙂 I love the way all your nail photos look in natural light – So pretty! I’m excited for these – I bought them all but honestly… Mostly for Jay. Even so, I still don’t get to open them up until Monday. ERGH! LOL 🙂
I know, right? Jade Dragon stained a TON and wasn’t even on very long. They’re pretty, but there’s something about ’em that screams a little basic to me. Maybe I am just jaded (har har) by the Venomous Villains duochrome-y polishes…
Thanks for the swatches! The Concubine and Ming Blue are a lot brighter then I expected. And the Jade Dragon looks more emerald then teal which I did not expect either. The swatches on the MAC site really are a poor representation of the actual color. Imperial flower is really pretty but I don’t think I can pull it off LOL I’ll probably just get the Rain of Flowers and the Earthly Harmony. Thanks again 🙂
No prob, Dana!
I just got Jade Dragon in the mail and I could smell the nail polish through the box. Seriously. I’m kinda scared now; I had no idea it would stain so badly.
I swatched them all in the store. I fell in love with Jade Dragon, Earthly Harmony, and Imperial Flower. I found Rain of Flowers and Ming Blue to be streaky. The other color didn’t appeal to me. I got the green and nude. I hope to get the orange later.
I think I’m in love with Earthly Harmony. Just can’t enough of neutrals – even on the nails! x
Surprisingly, I really like some of the colors in this collection! 🙂
I picked up Earthly Harmony today and applied it this afternoon. Love it!!! It’s slightly more gray than it appears in the bottle. Reminds me of Essie Chinchilly, same family of colors. Very military and edgy. I didn’t experience any problems at all applying it, it’s a little thinner than many of my other polishes but I actually prefer my polish on the thinner side. I can’t stand buying a brand new polish and the formula is super thick and goopy (ahem…China Glaze Classic Camel)
Love Earthly Harmony polish!
i thought these would be a lot more glittery when i saw them this morning at the counter, but i kinda like that they aren’t!
they’re all really pretty colors and even my mom (who wears NO makeup and NO nail polish) bought some. i know she won’t share with me, so i’m thinking of buying jade dragon, earthly harmony, and ming blue…
thanks for the swatches!! temptalia is filling hours of my days this week. everyone else around here is in school and i have nothing to do:) haha
No problem, Maisie 😀
Earthly Harmony kinda reminds me a lighter China Glaze Ingrid!
Rain of Flowers looks so gorgeous !
rain of flowers = OPI INK
Reminds me so much of the Vintage Vixen collection of China Glaze! Some of them are like the same!
Im not impressed sadly. I feel like I can have get a dupe at the grug store. Im waiting on the the nail polish from the vv collection!
YOu’re killing me…and my wallet…
Are Jade Dragon and Earthly Harmony permanent?
Thanks for the awesome reviews, you’re always the best! ♥
No, all shades are limited edition!
I quite like the color of Rain Of Flowers, but what do you mean by staining? Like leaving a tint on your nails?
Yep!
I saw these when I was picking up my order and almost walked away with a few of them. I love how Jade Dragon and Rain of Flowers look, might go back for them. Is it just me or does Concubine look almost like OPI’s I’m Not Really a Waitress?
I don’t have that one to compare, sorry!
Earthly Harmony looks exactly like Catrice Clay-ton, My Hero. The only difference is the price, the Catrice one is €2,50 in The Netherlands.
Your photos are amazing! I love the polishes in this collection — using Rain of Flowers today!
Thank you, Jamie!
I tried these at my MAC counter (at Macy’s) last night and ‘Imperial Flower’ is absolutely stunning! I love it.
I swatched all the colors, one per nail (yes, it looked lovely on the drive home, ha ha!) and ‘Concubine’ stained my nail badly.
(And Corinne, I have OPI’s ‘I’m Not Really a Waitress’ and I like it better than ‘Concubine.’ Not sure if that helps at all, but ‘Waitress’ looks . . classier?)
Christine, thanks so much for doing this.
Oh, and when I was at the MAC counter, one of the girls that worked there and I were talking about seeing the ‘feline’ collection’s swatches online and she said she saw this great site where the person showed ALL the colors and I told her I saw them on ‘Temptalia,’ and she said, ‘Yes, that’s it!’ So, here in a town where we don’t have a MAC store, only a counter, there are MAC junkies who love your site, ha ha! Thanks so much!
Aww!! That’s such a sweet story, thank you 🙂
I am in love with Imperial Flower, but I feel like I would never wear it for some reason.
Jade Dragon looks unexpectedly gorg!
Wow, they’re gorgeous, I even like Earthly Harmony even if I’m not a fan of earth-y khaki shades. It’s too bad that MAC is so expensive here ( they will probably be like 26 usd here =[ )
I picked up a few of these yesterday and today. I bought: Jade Dragon; Earthly Harmony; Imperial Flower; and Ming Blue. I am wearing Jade Dragon now and love lvoe love it. Earthly Harmony is lovely because it reminds me of a taupe version of Vex eyeshadow on my nails with the pink iridescence.
Skipping~!!
Earthly Harmony is more interesting than any grey/beige has a right to be! Love the subtle sparkles
Is Jade Dragon anything like China Glazes Emerald Fitzgerald? I want to try a deep green but I don’t know which one to choose.
Much brighter, I’d say…
I bought Rain of Flowers, Ming Blue, and Jade Dragon and they are all awesome! Now I’m waiting for the Disney Villains polishes!
This collection has launched online in the UK today.
I’ve ordered Concubine, Imperial Flower and Rain Of Flowers 🙂
I really like Imperial Flower and Earthly Harmony, I don’t have anything in beige or orange and these both look lovely – much better on nails than in the bottle. You are great at applying polish by the way, do you have any tips to make it so neat?
My tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feEr8hA-3hg
I’ve got very serious guestion to you ladies. does Rain of Flowers looks familliar to china glaze first class ticket?
I’ll be very grateful for info
For some reason,Jade Dragon and Rain of Flowers appeal to me…Not big on blues and greens but for some reason…And I like Earthly Harmony,but I wouldn’t wear it.
I purchased Rain of Flowers yesterday and was severly dissapointed. The color is not showing the specks of shimmer adn it looks like a plum color. It seems like all the glitter is sticking to the bottle and not mixing w/ the rest of the polish even though I shook it for a really long time.