Filed In: MAC
MAC Blue Noon Powerpoint Eye Pencil – Surf, Baby! Collection (review, swatch & comparison)
I love teal. Something about this colour, a perfect mix between blue and green, just does me in every time and I cannot resist its call, so I knew the instant I saw ‘Blue Noon’ from MAC’s Surf, Baby! Collection, that it was coming home with me. As with the ‘Hibiscus’ lipstick (reviewed here), I was surprised to see such a vibrant colour made that much more wearable by its slightly sheer finish, but which also doesn’t take anything away from the exotic beauty of this shade. All swatches were done over MAC’s Studio Fix Powder in C4.
A cross between peacock blue and emerald green, ‘Blue noon’ is nonetheless a contradiction. An electric hue such as this can not only be hard to wear, but can definitely come off as garish; however, add a touch of sheerness to the formula and you get this amazingly wearable shade. MAC’s Powerpoint pencils have this wonderfully creamy formula which glide so easily across the skin without any pull at all. When worn (over a base) on either my upper or lower lid, ‘Blue Noon’ gave me easily 8 hours wear without creasing, smudging or significant flaking. On the waterline, the effect is much more subtle, although you can still see a hint of the colour, but the wear time is quite less and you would need to reapply more often to maintain the look.
When seen in full sun, I love how that delicate iridescence gives the colour depth and such visual interest, bringing out more of the green hue.
Shaded light certainly accentuates more of a blue tone, but also deepens the hue to give it a touch of sophistication.
I have found several similarities between this collection and MAC’s To The Beach Collection of last year, and so I was sure that ‘Blue Noon’ would turn out to be very similar to ‘Float On By’, but as I said…I can’t resist teal! Much to my delighted surprise, they were quite different….and rather close, with ‘Blue Noon’ being a Powerpoint pencil with that ultra smooth glide to it, and ‘Float On By’ being an Eye Khol with its much more pigmented and longer-lasting formula. The following photos are ‘Blue Noon’ on top and ‘Float on By’ on the bottom.
In direct sun, you can not only see how much more pigmented ‘Float On By’ is, but how its shimmer seems to be that much more pronounced as well.
While shaded light brings the two shades closer together, it also becomes apparent that ‘Blue Noon’ is slightly more green leaning compared to the cooler blue base of ‘Float On By’.
Final thoughts: Even knowing that the two shades might be very close, it didn’t stop me from purchasing ‘Blue Noon’, as this is a hue that is not only a welcome touch of brightness to any summer look, but absolutely stunning any time of the year and so complimentary against every single eye colour. The formula was easy to work with, applied smoothly and I love how easy it was to smudge it out with a brush for a softer, but still vivid finish. While definitely not as colour saturated or long-lasting like last year’s ‘Float On By’, it seems to me to be the better purchase as its finish makes it that much more wearable. In any case, its teal…what’s not to love?!
MAC Hibiscus Cremesheen Lipstick – Surf, Baby! Collection (review, swatch & comparison)
The only lipstick that drew me in from MAC’s Surf, Baby! Collection is ‘Hibiscus’ – a startling coral/honeysuckle shade, yet made totally wearable by its slightly sheer finish. Something about this shade which has elements of orange, pink, red and something in between, as well as how glossy it wears all spell “SUMMER” to me (yes, in capital letters!) and I could not resist either the island imagery the name conjures up, or its vivid siren call!
When viewed in full sun, ‘Hibiscus’ takes on a vivid coral hue, but the Cremesheen formula keeps this shade from appearing too dense, and instead imparts a nice translucency to the finish, along with a healthy dose of shine.
Shaded light brings out the inner pink hue of this shade and almost seems to tone down its vibrancy, all the while still looking Summer fresh & bright.
I had originally resisted Hibiscus’ allure, as I was convinced it was basically a dupe for MAC’s Toxic Tale (from their Fall 2010 Venomous Villains Collection) but as soon as I swatched the two to compare, I could immediately see the differences…and the similarities, of course. The following photos are ‘Toxic Tale’ on the left and ‘Hibiscus’ on the right, all swatched over MAC’s STudio Fix Powder in C4 as a base.
The base tone of the two lipsticks is practically identical, with both leaning towards that same coral/honeysuckle pink hue. Seen in sunlight, you can see that where they differ greatly is in the finish, with ‘Toxic Tale’ bearing a satin formula, and thus making it so much more opaque and definitely less glossy and emollient on the lips.
Shaded light once again picks out the more pink side of both lipstick shades, but it also takes away much of the reflective finish of ‘Toxic Tale’, giving it an even deeper pink tone.
Final thoughts: When I initially saw images of ‘Hibiscus’ before it launched, I immediately dismissed it, believing it to be too vivid for my tastes and skin colouring, although I wanted to see it in person just the same; I’m sure glad I did, as this is the most wearable bright shade I have ever come across. It is very aptly named as well, being both a “crème” and bearing “sheen”, but it’s also quite emollient, glides smoothly and wore on me for at least 5-6 hours before I noticed any significant fading. While it’s true that if you already own ‘Toxic Tale’ you could probably skip ‘Hibiscus’, I usually prefer a lighter look to my makeup for summer, and that makes ‘Hibiscus’ with its brilliant yet sheer finish, both unique and a win for me!
MAC My Paradise Cheek Powder – Surf, Baby! Collection (swatches, review & comparison)
The most sought after and coveted item from MAC’s Surf, Baby! Collection has got to be ‘My Paradise’ Cheek Powder, and with just cause! Not only is this blush visually stunning, but the shade it imparts is (surprisingly, for such a vibrant hue) naturally fresh looking and the powder itself is so finely milled, that it blends seamlessly into your skin. The gold overspray adds a touch of pizzazz when used as a highlighter, or blended with the powder, lends a beautiful luminosity. All swatches were done over MAC’s Studio Fix Powder in C4.
Gritting my teeth against spoiling the utter beauty of this blush, I gingerly approached it to begin my swatching. Sure that the gold overspray would disappear like a puff of smoke with the first brush stroke, I was actually surprised to note that while the smallest pieces of gold did fade quite a bit, the larger hibiscus flower still looked….perfect! Seen in full sunlight above and from left to right: blended, the coral shade, the gold shade. Here’s the interesting part; the shade of the blush itself is rather vibrant and almost scarily orange leaning, HOWEVER once swatched on the the skin, it magically transforms into this amazing sun-kissed peachy-coral flush. Of course, testing a blush on your arm is not the same as trying it out on your face, but by swatching over a base as I did here, you get a fairly accurate hue.
Even shaded light does not detract from this beautiful shade and I was so pleased to see that while the product appears to be richly pigmented, it applies much less so, leaving you the option of layering it, if you wanted to increase the intensity. The gold, when blended with the main colour, does not overpower it but gives this delicate, almost fairy-light look to the overall finish……can you tell how much I’m LOVING this?!
When MAC launched their ‘To The Beach Collection’ last summer, ‘Marine Life’ sold out so fast, it became almost legendary. Lucky enough to snag one, I confess that up until now, I have NEVER swatched or even tried it. Having heard that its gold overspray was whisper thin and not wanting to destroy its intricate look, it remained untouched – but with ‘My Paradise’ now in my hands, I absolutely had to compare the two. First of all, ‘My Paradise’ is labelled as a Cheek Powder versus the High-Light Powder of ‘Marine Life’. Also, this year’s version has a less finicky golden overspray and just the one shade, versus ‘Marine Life’s’ pink and coral tones. The quality of the powder with both, is the same and even the gold hue is quite similar.
From left to right: ‘Marine Life’ fully blended, ‘My Paradise’ fully blended, ‘My Paradise’ coral and ‘My Paradise’ gold. When seen in full sun, as in the photo above, you can see the differences between the two powders, with ‘Marine Life’ having a pink cast to it and looking slightly more pigmented as well, possibly due to the red-leaning base of its coral segment.
Even in shaded light, you can still tell the differences between the two powders, although it’s interesting to note that the coral of ‘My Paradise’ swatched alone (2nd from the right), most resembles the blended swatch of ‘Marine Life’ (left), leading me to believe that ‘My Paradise’s’ gold overspray acts almost as a dampening agent to the overall finish.
Final thoughts: No question, ‘My Paradise’ is not only my favourite item from this entire collection, but I will regret not getting a back-up as this blush just really seems to work on my skin. The worst part is knowing that with use, the gold overspray will eventually disappear, but the main shade is still absolutely lovely AND totally wearable on its own. While MAC has produced several coral/peach blushes over the years, in my opinion, they got it absolutely perfect with ‘My Paradise’!
MAC Skinsheen Bronzer Sticks – Surf, Baby! Collection (swatches, review & comparisons)
For Summer 2011, MAC’s fabulous Surf, Baby! Collection included their new and limited edition Skinsheen Bronzer Sticks. Available in three shades, these are similar in concept to NARS’ Multiples, which are essentially a crème face product in tube form, or in this case, bronzer sticks. All swatches are shown in two formats – applied straight and blended out, as well as in both direct sunlight and shaded light, to give you the most accurate depiction of the true shades.
The three limited edition Skinsheen Bronzer Stick shades are (from left to right): Billionaire Bronze, Tan-Tint and Gilty Bronze.
‘Tan-Tint’ is easily the lightest hue of the three, as well as the shade which will be most suited to fairer complexions, due to its rosy undertones.
‘Billionaire Bronze’ is definitely the deepest shade of the set, with an orangey leaning cast, making it more suitable for medium to darker complexions, or anyone wishing to simulate a deeper tanned look.
‘Gilty Bronze’ seems to be a perfect mix of the other two shades in this set, but with the inclusion of delicate shimmer to add a subtle glow and a little more “oomph” to the overall finish.
Believing that ‘Gilty Bronze’ was close to NARS’ ‘Laguna’ Multiple (reviewed here), I decided to compare the two, but the only qualities they share is the format they come in, as well as the addition of shimmer. Both bronzers have 0.5 oz/14g of product, but the NARS is US $39.00 compared to US $29.50 for the MAC – a hefty price difference. I found the NARS to be less pigmented, which could either work for or against your needs; on the plus side, you can achieve a much more subtle look with ‘Laguna’ as it sheers out easier. I also noticed that the formula glided better on the skin as well, making it simple to apply it straight from the tube and then blended with your fingers. ‘Gilty Bronze’ in comparison, is highly pigmented so you use significantly less product, and due to its drier consistency, definitely needs to be applied with a brush for proper blending. Lastly, ‘Laguna’ seems to bear more shimmer, although it does come off as sparcely spaced, due to its sheerer formula, compared to the denser but less shimmer of ‘Gilty Bronze’. Swatches above: the two inner shades are ‘Gilty Bronze’, while the two outer shades are ‘Laguna’.
I decided to also include ‘Weekend’ Creme Bronzer from MAC’s To The Beach Collection of last year (Summer 2010), to round off my crème bronzer review. The swatches above are shown in the following order, and from left to right: Laguna (NARS), Gilty Bronze, Billionaire Bronze, Tan-Tint, Weekend. The differences between last year’s crème bronzer and this year’s incarnations, is that ‘Weekend’ seems to bear a similar formula to that of the NARS, meaning it has more slip and glides easier on the skin and is somewhat moisturizing as well, but does not have the same staying power as the Skinsheens do. In colour, it also appears to be the more sheer sister to ‘Tan-Tint’, but with ‘Gilty Bronze’s’ shimmer.
As previously mentioned, in order to get the most believable look with the Skinsheen formula, I found that using MAC’s #190 foundation brush, worked the best. This is a medium handled brush, with soft, flexible bristles that enable you to achieve a smooth and flawless finish with such ease…one of my all-time favourite brushes to use!
Final thoughts: If the success of how quickly MAC’s Skinsheen Bronzer Sticks sold at the counter and online is anything to go buy, something tells me that they just might become a part of the permanent lineup. The pros of this product: so highly pigmented, that very little really does go a long way. They also appear to be very long-wearing (I easily got about 8 hours worth before I noticed any fading) and price-wise, especially compared to NARS’, you certainly get more bang for your buck. The cons: drier formula which also dries fairly quickly, so you need to work fast to achieve a smooth blended look, and only available in these three shades (but they can be blended for a custom look). Even though these are all limited edition products, they can still be found online and at most MAC counters…but you’d better hurry!
MAC – Ocean Dip and Hangin’ Loose (swatches & review)
MAC’s Surf, Baby! Collection has all the hallmarks of another hit, and for me, nothing says “Summer” quite like a bangin’ (surfer term meaning”hot”!) nail polish. I originally intended to pass on the paler shade, ‘Hangin’ Loose’, but after viewing it in person, I realized that I had nothing like it and fell in love with the way the two polishes looked together. All swatches are with Sèche Natural base coat, three thin coats of lacquer and Sèche Vite top coat.
At first, I was convinced that ‘Ocean Dip’, a vibrant turquoise crème, would be a direct match to a few other similar shades I own, but the reality is vastly different. Bright without being gaudy, I am totally in LOVE with this shade, starting with the formula which is neither too thick nor thin but a consistency somewhere in between, the smoothness of application, quick dry time and the high gloss finish. The colour is rich and saturated, yet dusty and muted at the same time, vivid without being electrifyingly so.
In direct sunlight (top two photos), ‘Ocean Dip’ takes on a more Tiffany-esque greenish blue tone, with a touch of Robin’s Egg blue thrown in to add some balance. When viewed in shaded light (bottom photo), the true turquoise of this shade can be appreciated in all its glory. I am amazed with how creamy this polish is and the formula was completely self-levelling, leaving absolutely no brush strokes behind. I opted to apply three thin coats for swatching purposes, but you can achieve the same look with two regular coats as well. Having worn this shade already twice as a pedi and once as a mani, I can honestly say that I couldn’t stop staring at it….love, love, LOVE it!!
You might think that ‘Hangin’ Loose’ is yet another rosy-beige crème, but you would be wrong. While I already own more than my shade of nude shades, once more I was surprised to find that I had nothing in my stash that matched this. The closest I found was Deborah Lippmann’s ‘Naked’ (reviewed here) but they are similar only at the surface level. ‘Hangin’ Loose’ has a secret weapon: exceptionally fine silver shimmer swimming in its depths, which takes this polish from boring to beautiful.
What I found most interesting about ‘Hangin’ Loose’, is how it shifts so much depending on the light; viewing it in full sun (top two photos), definitely brings out the peachy-pink hue in its base, while shaded light (bottom photo) gives it a more subdued coolness, looking more nude than beige. The shimmer, while very fine, is still visible in various lighting and gives this polish a more 3-dimensional look. The formula, if anything, was even better than ‘Ocean Dip’, but not by much, although my brush had a few splayed hairs which made application a little trickier; I’m hoping it was just my bad luck to get a wonky brush — other than that, I am completely impressed with this shade on every level.
Final thoughts: While MAC has not been tugging on my heartstrings lately like it once did, this collection has managed to restore my faith! These two shades were a massive HIT for me and I am so pleased with not only the colours, but how the formulas are seriously above any other polishes MAC has released to date. I will be going through my entire stash of turquoise crèmes and nude shades to do a comparison review, but even a quick glance showed me that these two definitely stand alone. As these are limited edition shades, you might want to snatch them up…while you still can!
