MAC Surf Baby Collection: Overall & Recommendations

Surf Baby is a really fun collection with several high-quality products and shades, which makes it a really nice follow-up to Flighty, which left some disappointed.  The eyeshadows are fantastic–great smooth textures with excellent color pay off make them all worth having, but it’ll depend on your personal preferences and what you may already have at home.  I think the lipsticks and lipglasses are on par with what one would expect; not necessarily anything out-of-the-box but no significant texture issues.

I’m not much for bronzer, but I really loved the way the two shades of Studio Careblend Pressed Powders looked and felt on the skin–so natural.  The Skinsheen Bronzer Sticks are also a nice way to incorporate bronzer in your routine, and they, too, look natural against skin (though Gilty Bronze has shimmer and doesn’t!).  It’s hard to choose between the two.

Oddly enough, My Paradise and the Suntints are least impressive.  My Paradise is a little dusty; it’s just not a really finely milled, refined finish.  I think the drastic difference between the color with the overlay and the actual base color is going to make it easier to resist it.  Marine Life was better, because even though the gold was an overspray, there are two separate colors that go all the way through.  I don’t find Suntints to be a good lip balm at all, and of all products to splurge on for higher-end, lip balm is not usually one of them so it had better be good.

Photos, Reviews, Swatches

• Crushed Metallic Pigment Stacks: Summer Stash / Surf the Ocean
• Eyeshadows
• Lipsticks
• Lipglasses
• My Paradise Cheek Powder
• Nail Lacquers
• Powerpoint Pencils
• Skinsheen Bronzer Sticks
• Studio Careblend Pressed Powders
• Suntints
• Dupes/Comparisions (Part 2)
• Video Review

Check out recommendations! 

Temptalia’s Recommendations

must-haves: Sun Blonde, Surf USA Eyeshadows; Studio Careblend Pressed Powders; Strange Potion Lipglass;

nice-to-haves: Saffron Eyeshadow; Skinsheen Bronzer Sticks; Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack;

skip: Suntints

Check your stash for…

MOCHA (permanent), STRANGE POTION (repromote, Venomous Villains), SAFFRON (repromote, Mickey Contractor), NAKED (permanent), MELON (permanent), FULL OF GRACE (repromote, Baby Blooms), LILT OF LILY (repromote, Baby Blooms), PINK TINGE (repromote, Baby Blooms)

Skip if you have…

• Skip BUST OUT! if you have UP THE AMP; Bust Out is a smidgen less purple/more berry, but they’re close.
• Skip GIRL ON BOARD if you have A QUIET ROAR; A Quiet Roar is a smidgen darker, but on the lips, it’s hard to tell.

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!).

• light skin tones: Naturally Eccentric Lipstick; Short Shorts, Sun Blonde, Swell Baby Eyeshadows; Gold-Go-Lightly Studio Careblend Pressed Powder; Tan Tint Skinsheen Bronzer Stick
• medium skin tones: My Paradise Cheek Powder; Bust Out! and Mocha Lipsticks; Saffron, Sun Blonde, Surf USA Eyeshadows; Gold-Go-Lightly, Lush-Light Bronze Studio Careblend Pressed Powder; Billionaire Bronze, Tan Tint Skinsheen Bronzer Sticks
• dark skin tones: My Paradise Cheek Powder; Bust Out! and Mocha Lipsticks; Saffron, Surf USA Eyeshadows; Lush-Light Bronze Studio Careblend Pressed Powder; Billionaire Bronze, Gilty Bronze Skinsheen Bronzer Sticks
• cool undertones: Bust Out!, Naturally Eccentric Lipsticks; Sun Blonde, Swell Baby Eyeshadows;
• warm undertones: My Paradise Cheek Powder; Krazy Kahuna Lipglass; Hibiscus Lipstick; Saffron, Short Shorts, Surf USA Eyeshadows;
• universally flattering shades: Girl on Board, Good Lovin’, Strange Potion Lipglasses; Summer Stash, Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stacks; Blue Noon, Gilded White Powerpoint Eye Pencils; Full of Grace, Lilt of Lily, Pink Tinge Suntints;