Pat McGrath’s MTHRSHP Palettes — super smart and still great quality. ColourPop’s This is Not a Dream (holiday ’18) collection was lovely; really fun, less traditionally holiday (but sparkly and duochromatic), and had some of my favorite products of the year in it. I have always enjoyed MAC’s summer collections, like Hey Sailor, Surf Baby, and To the Beach.
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It’s an oldie but it’s the one that really sticks in my heart and mind – MAC’s A Tartan Tale!!! Before you took it down, Christine, I used to watch your video series just for the nostalgia! I also really liked MAC’s Alluring Aquatics and the Peacocky/Mega Metals releases/collections. Oh, and the original Pro Longwear eyeshadows – I think the first ones were released as a collection and it was quite exciting as I recall (or your video about it was!)
I wish I remembered that I could also PRIVATE a video instead of delete. Was a little rash, probably. ?
I always loved that music intro….there was something really thrilling about it when it was for something new that I’d not seen before. And when it was for something I’d already seen, it was almost as thrilling!
The one that immediately comes to mind is MAC “Style Black”; after having tried, and not particularly liking, MAC products, this was the collection that caught my attention, and made me want to revisit the brand. MAC “Semiprecious” (or something similar) & “Peacocky” were also 2 collections that caught my attention.
Jeffree Star Cosmetics “Blood Sugar”; the eyeshadow palette is amazing, and fits my aesthetic perfectly.
NARS X Man Ray; not only were the products stunning, the packaging was executed beautifully. I even managed to get the UK exclusive eyeshadow palette.
Wet n Wild “Rebel Rose”; this is the one collection that I purchased nearly every product (I skipped the brushes & lip scrub), and even several backups of the skincare products. While the eyeshadows do take a bit of work, the end result makes it worth it, and aesthetically, it was just a gorgeous collection.
Melt Cosmetics “Gemini” palette; it’s just so beautiful, particularly on those with really dark brown eyes.
Good score on the U.K. Man Ray eye palette. Talked myself out of that one. I think i’m going to get a custom pocket tee from a guy on Etsy, with the lips. And the possible connection to the Black Dahlia, wow. Man Ray was probably my fave in recent years. At least the one I resisted least…
I found the palette on eBay, for not much more than what I would have paid for shipping, sales tax, etc… The box even has the price tag from Selfridge’s. After the utter failure of the NARS X Andy Warhol collection, I was quite relieved at how well this was executed.
I learned of Man Ray through my obsession with the Black Dahlia. I’ve had a strong interest in unsolved murders since I was quite young, not so much for the act itself, but the idea of analyzing all the possibilities. Jack the Ripper is another one I read/watch everything I can…
MAC alluring aquatic!!! They don’t make good summer collections anymore:(
Plus, the LE packaging was really lovely (most of the time, I find their LE packaging sort of cheap and tacky) and to this day, it makes it EASY to find the liners and shadows among all the black MAC shadows and pencils – that watery blue/green just jumps out at me from the slew of stuff on my shelves.
YES! This was a really good collection. I still have one of the lipsticks and pray it never goes bad hahaha! The packaging was amazing in that collection.
My favourite collection. It’s still going strong and I use the products I managed to get hold of quite often, both summer and winter.
Absolutely! Fingers crossed they’ll launch a similar collection again!
MAC Isabel and Ruben Toledo. My favorite red lippie was Opera. The package alone was beautiful.
Having missed all the drama, I cannot resist: Jaclyn Hill lipsticks
Hahahaha!
How it it possible that you missed it?! 🙂 I’m not on You Tube a lot but even I couldn’t avoid noticing all the videos.
It’s a pity that things went so catastrophically wrong with that collection, there were some three lipsticks I actually liked.
Other than that, I must say I had hear her name and seen it in, I think a Morphe collab, but I wasn’t really even aware of anything else about her, until lipstickgate, of course.
I had a friend at my place and we were putting up my deck gazebo. A lot of swearing and possibly wine drinking was involved and I completely ignored my phone for the entire weekend. Sunday night I was like..wha???? Lol ? Lipstickgate ?
Sounds like a lot more fun than watching videos on you tube 🙂
Quite a few from NARS come to mind! To me they really do collections (especially collaborations) so well. The execution of the art, the packaging and the color stories of these I’m just so in love with, especially when they showcase some of my favorite artists:
– NARS x Erdem
– NARS x Man Ray
– NARS x Sarah Moon (I couldn’t believe it when they collaborated with her, she’s one of my favorite photographers!!)
I also love the NARS x Charlotte Gainsbourg collection – the dark green packaging with the gold lettering and I love the textures and the colors and the “low fuss but chic” look they’ve put together. It’s very much what I like to wear and I have backups of some of the products because I know I’m going to use those up!
I read NARS x Sailor Moon. 😆
Why isn’t anybody doing a Sailor Moon collections? 😀 And I mean major brands, I assume there’s some unknown Chinese or Japanese cosmetic brand doing something out-there.
hahahahaha i did the same thing! ??
@ Ana Maria and Joy
LOL!!! ? I LOVE Sailor Moon!! (Uranus and Neptune are my favs.) There is a range of properly licensed Sailor Moon cosmetics in Japan – just google Creer Beaute. The makeup itself doesn’t seem that stellar but if you’re into collecting for the packaging it’s definitely worth a look! ??✨
thanks for letting me know but i recently gave myself a stern lecture over no more mu just bc i love the packaging…
i’m so sad i didn’t get anything from the erdem collection. the packaging is just gorgeous
MAC’s Give Me Liberty of London will always hold a special place in my heart with it’s packaging. I still have some of the eyeshadows–Bough Grey, Birds and Berries and Dame’s Desire, as well as a backup of Ever Hip from a re-release
Okay, so what I said in my lost comment was that Birds & Berries was the only thing I got from that collection and it was the first blue eyeshadow I intentionally purchased (as opposed to those in premade palettes). I just wish they’d not messed with the name “Liberty of London” – I have quite a few Liberty scarves and even had some Viyella fabric from Liberty that I made into a blouse. And I just wish they’d stuck with the actual name of the company.
The way-back one would be Chanel’s Premier Rouge/Or collection. It was small at two pieces but I still have fond memories of it and wish it would be re-released.
MAC Disney Villains collection.
I agree with the MTHRSHP palettes. Not as expensive as the full sized counterparts and they are beautifully made, from formula to packaging, so there is the added benefit of serving as decoration lol. They are the only palettes I keep on display.
I loved the MAC Guo Pei collection. I really love MAC’s lunar new year collections, if the quality is there!
I love the MAC Guo Pei collection. Stunning packaging and great shades!
Agree with you Christine, re: PatMcGrath MTHRSHP palettes. I have three of them and love them all.
I also liked UD X Basquiat collection and MAC Nutcracker Sweet Holiday Collection (especially the boxes with the lipstick/lipgloss sets and the blush duo).
Yes, I like Basquiat too. I got the palette, eye pencil, and a lippie and always use the palette and eye palette in the summer. Just took it out.
I love it, too. I got the ES palette and the face palette.
MAC x Selena, x Toledo, Alluring Aquatics (which I sadly missed out on), x Aaliyah (except for the pale bronzer), Fruity Juicy, and now Aladdin and Electric Wonder for this summer.
Charlotte Tilbury Glowgasm 2019 is on my list of “to gets”. Particularly Pinkgasm and the Lovegasm cheek palette!
Almost EVERYTHING Natasha Denona and Viseart! These 2 brands get it nailed down perfectly nearly every time. This year, it is ND Biba, Sunrise, Mini Nude and Tan & Glow. Viseart mini’s, also shine!
UD GoT, Jean-Michel Basquiet, and Beached collections!
Smashbox x Vlada!
Sugarpill Feline Fancy (because Clarissa!)!
Nars Holiday ’18 Punk themed collection!
How did I forget MAC Aaliyah? I loved that collection to pieces.
The two that spring most readily to mind are the Nars Erdem release and the Dose of Colours Desi and Katy release, the first one with the quad, the lippies, etc.
Nobody mentioning Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani???
Maybe not the best aesthetics, but both the eyeshadow and blush palette were almost just perfect (the eyeshadow palette lacked a green). You could buy the whole collection and got you covered for your basic make-up, nothing else needed… well… the blush palette wouldn’t work for everyskin tone, but it was a Gwen Stefani collection… she’s pale. It was simply a well curated color selection for both eyeshadows, blushes and lip color, without too many duplicates. Would have loved similar collections released for celebrities with other skin tones and/or ethnic backgrounds, with the pans being refillable (so you could purchase other Urban Decay refills as you finish some products).
Yes, I liked that collection too. The lipsticks were also good.
Yes, that was a good one, I have a lipstick and the e/s palette.
*UD Baquiat, Gwen Stefani, Pulp Fiction, Through the Looking Glass, Beached, and Capsule Collection Lipsticks
*NARS Man Ray and Erdem Strange Flowers
*MAC Red, Red, Red; MAC Isabel and Ruben Toledo; Flamingo Park; and Fruity Juicy
*NYX Wicked Lippies
*ColourPop Throws It Back Fall 2015 Collection
*MUFE Artist Palettes
*Makeup Revolution Salvation Eyeshadow Palettes
*Notoriously Morbid When the Wolfbane Blooms
*Darling Girl Cosmetics Ghoul School
*Revlon Street Wear
My favorite collection in recent memory was from Chanel in Spring, 2014. It didn’t go over very well on this blog, but I happily bought most of it — single eye shadows, pencils, lipsticks, cream blushes, nail polishes — oh my. Love it to this day. All the cool-tone pinks, berries, cherry reds and purples — just gorgeous. I was like a crazed kid in a candy store and spent like I had no budget (I’ll take that and that and that, too.’) — it was very unlike me. I know I haven’t spent that much from a single collection since. No regrets, though. (And, I quietly pray for the next one like it — from whomever drops it.)
MAC Barbie collection. Beautiful colours and cute packaging :). Also the Wonder Woman collection and all holiday collections before MAC got sold to Estée Lauder. Quality has never been the same :(.
I remember standing in line before class started to get a doll, LOL!
Me too!! Did you end up keeping yours?
I still have it!
MAC’s C-Shock collection! I had nearly the entire thing! I’m all about brights. 😀
Gareth Pugh for MAC was my all time favorite.
I thought the Chanel Rouge Noir collection was a great collection– it really launched the red trend and there were several great wine colored eyeliners and a mascara– and the lipsticks were great. I had also followed several bloggers who were really into Suqqu but I was never seeing a color scheme that I felt would work for my coloring that I could justify the price. And then Jorge Balzaretti began designing the UK exclusive palettes. The 2016 Christmas ones were stunning. One has a cool cherry red which is divine. From Tom Ford, the first Lips and Boys collection was so exciting.
When Pat McGrath released her eye shadow palettes I knew money would be no object because I knew the quality would be exceptional, she did not disappoint.
MAC Alluring Aquatic, Jade Jagger, A Tartan Tale, also anything Extra Dimension
Pat McGrath MTHRSHP trios (palettes + 2 lipsticks)
Tom Ford Soleil(s)
I don’t see MAC Selena anywhere – I remember the drama for that one was off the charts (myself included). Valuable lesson learned.
I really liked the UD Beach collection and the Spectrum launch myself. We tend not to get the collections here, only bits and pieces.
More recently I liked the Colour Pop Brown Sugar release and the Coloured Raine Safari collection.
I am in love with the Coloured Reign Safari collection! I have been having such a good time with the palette. The formula is amazing, possibly better than their other shadows.
Jouer Skinny dip .. palette, highlighters and lip toppers. Perfection!?
Yeah, definitely those MAC collections of the past like: To the Beach, Surf Baby, Venomous Villains and Fabulous Felines. Ahh, those were the days…
Still regret not buying a powder from Aquatic collection from MAC way long ago. There has not been anything so unique packaging wise from them imho.
MAC Alluring Aquatics. That collection was the best. The Extra Dimension eyeshadows, the lipsticks, everything in that collection was awesome.
I absolutely agree! ? That collection—packaging, products, and all—needs to make a comeback!
MAC Alluring Aquatics (2014) — Products and packaging were gorgeous and well-executed. ?
MAC Snow Ball (Holiday 2017) — Packaging was great, I like the highlighters they released. ❄️
MAC Temperature Rising (2013) — Good packaging, wish I got my hands on the Ripe for Love blush.
MAC in Monochrome (2019) — See Sheer ❤️
Dior Bird of Paradise (2013) — I like the promo pics + nail polishes.
It’s now several days since you asked this question, Christine, and I see that so many others have also mentioned the Alluring Aquatics collection. Honestly, MAC would be so smart to bring back that entire collection again (some of the eyeshadows have been made permanent but even a few of those have now been discontinued). Just bring back the entire thing in its original packaging, MAC, and you’d have a hugely successful collection on your hands again – all of us who loved it and regret missing several products (much of it sold out fast), as well as people who never knew of it the first time around!
This might be ancient but I miss the old Stila city palettes
MAC x Mariah Carey lipsticks
Smashbox Petal Metal highlighter