If you’ve ever spent half the day at the salon — which, incidentally, I totally have — chances are good you’ll either like or love the MAC Is Beauty collection (available starting Monday, March 30, 2015).
Where many MAC collections embrace an edgier, almost anti-establishment/counter-culture vibe, this collection hangs out in the salon on the completely opposite end of that spectrum. It says, “Yeah, it’s cool to get your glam on.” For me it’s all about putting your hair up in curlers (yay!), indulging in a little pampering and hanging out with your girlfriends.
And, for the record, I’m on board with that. 🙂
A big chunk of the release is devoted to liners, with some Kohls, a Penultimate Liquid Eye Liner and 16 Pro Longwear Fluidlines.
Many of them are re-promotes, it’s true, but whether they’re encores or new, there are some beautiful shades here, like Siahi, Blue Peep and Brassy…which is downright effing gorgeous.
There’s also Shade, which I actually had a conversation about at the salon the other day. I was getting my bangs trimmed by my friend Alis, who’s both a hairdresser and a MAC-loving makeup artist, and we were talking about Fluidlines when she mentioned a shade that she loved. It was Shade! — and it’s actually in this release!
It’s a deep, beautiful dark green — like a mysterious green that almost looks black. Alis, who’s a redhead, said it’s a ride-or-die shade for redheads, but my brown eyes and I lurve it too.
Regarding the Eye Shadows in the collection…I really wanted to freak out (in a good way) about them, but I haven’t. Not as much as I hoped/thought.
I’ve tried three of the four so far, and they just seem sort of OK to me. One of them, chalky pale pink matte Yogurt, is a little sheerer and harder than I’d like, and another, Veluxe Pearl Bouffant, takes a little too much elbow grease to show up well on my NC 42 skin.
But I digress… Enough talk. More pics. 🙂
MAC Is Beauty: The Eye Shadows
MAC Is Beauty: The Cremesheen Glasses
MAC Is Beauty: The Beauty Powders
MAC Is Beauty: The Lipsticks
There are also 12 lipsticks in the collection spread out among three finishes, most of them Lustres and Amplifieds (there’s also one Matte). Again, it’s hard to pick a favorite just because, you know…but I’d go with one of the Amplified shades — either bright coral Real Sexy or intense coral-pink Make Me Gorgeous. I love the smooth formula and intense pigment.
And, of course, the coral. I’m kind of easy that way. 🙂
I do have to say that I haven’t been impressed by Silly, the bright white pink Matte. I really wanted to love it because, I mean, that bright, vibrant pink is insane, but the matte finish…? Not one of MAC’s better moments, I think. It’s been very drying, and I can see the formula settle into my lines, despite trying a whole bunch of things to prep my lips first and make it apply smoother. I just can’t work it out.
As for the Lustres…some of them look alike on my pigmented lips. Maybe I’m not the ideal candidate for them.
Oh, well. It happens.
MAC Is Beauty: The Pro Longwear Fluidline gel eyeliners
It’s darned-near impossible for me to pick a favorite from among the Fluidlines in this release, but if I had to (here we go)…I’d choose matte turquoise Blue Peep. It’s just so unusual, eye-catching and striking.
MAC Is Beauty: The Brushes (2 of 3)
MAC Is Beauty: Penultimate Eye Liner
MAC Is Beauty: Zoom Lash mascara
MAC Is Beauty: Eye Kohl
MAC Is Beauty: Studio Nail Lacquers
In my favorite promotional pic for the collection, there’s a trio of glamorous gals in a salon. There’s a hoity-toity lady with peach nails sitting in a chair, a nasty little dirty-birdy hairdresser with light pink paws showing off her bra, and a lady in the back with Coke can curlers and green-tipped nails.
All of the lacquers look creamy and pastel, but they’re not timid, if that makes any sense. Sometimes when I think of pastel shades, I think of shy shades that don’t want to make any noise, but these pastels stomp-walk into the room like supermodels.
MAC Is Beauty: Swatches (for reference, I’m an NC 42)
The MAC Is Beauty Collection includes…
EYESHADOWS, $16 each
- Matte Eye Shadow in Yogurt, a chalky pale pink
- Satin Eye Shadow in Preening, a mint green shimmer
- Satin Eye Shadow in Wow Factor, a medium lavender
- Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Bouffant, a pale peachy shimmer
EYE KOHLS, $16 each
- I Get No Kick, a pale nude shimmer
- Fascinating, a chalky white
STUDIO CHROMAGRAPHIC PENCIL, $16
- NC15/NW20
PENULTIMATE EYE LINER, $20
- Rapidblack Black
ZOOM LASH, $17
- Zoomblack
CREMESHEEN GLASSES, $20 each
- On the Scene, a pale peach
- Fashion Scoop, a pale pink
- Star Quality, a bright pink
- Japanese Spring, a pale lilac
BEAUTY POWDERS, $26 each
- Alpha Girl, a soft peachy pink with gold
- Pearl Blossom, a light pink with silvery pearl
STUDIO NAIL LACQUERS, $12 each
- French Tipped, a pale pink
- To Dye For, a pale peach
- Doll Me Up, a pale mint green
BRUSHES, $24-42 each
- 137 Long Blending, $42
- 221 Mini Tapered Blending, $24
- 267 Curved Angle, $24
LIPSTICKS, $16 each
- Matte Lipstick in Silly , a bright white-pink
- Lustre Lipstick in Real Doll , a light pinkish lilac
- Amplified Lipstick in Reel Sexy , a bright coral
- Amplified Lipstick in Diva-ish , an intense fucshia
- Lustre Lipstick in French Twist , a a light pink nude
- Lustre Lipstick in Real Redhead , a mauve nude
- Lustre Lipstick in Call the Hairdresser , a rosy mauve
- Lustre Lipstick in Catty , a light creamy pink
- Lustre Lipstick in Notice Me , a pale lilac
- Lustre Lipstick in Pure Vanity , a pale peach nude
- Lustre Lipstick in Highlights , a very pale creamy peach
PRO LONGWEAR FLUIDLINES, $16 each
- Lowlights, a deep bronze
- Copperthorn, a coppery bronze
- Our Secret, a milk chocolate brown
- Deliciously Rich, a shimmering dirty taupe with golden pearl
- Shade, a deep green
- Midnight Snack, a deep metal gray
- Macroviolet, a sparkly purple
- Looking Good, a sparkly burgundy
- Ivy, a fresh leaf green
- Blue Peep, a turquoise blue
- Siahi a deep ocean blue
- Brassy, a brassy gold
- Silverstroke, a silver
- Blacktrack, a solid flat black
- Blitz & Glitz, an intense black with golden pearl
- Waveline, a navy blue with low level gold pearl
Be warned: this collection may bring out your inner glamazon and make you feel like you just spent a rejuvenating afternoon at the salon, perhaps drinking white wine, and then maybe texting your best friend to tell her that you’re at the salon getting highlights…and you may or may not be a little tipsy. 🙂
I love this kind of makeup — accessible, yet super glamorous.
Also, another warning: you’ll probably want to fall in love with Silly when you see it, but I’d steer clear.
I mean, you will fall in love with it when you see it; your eyes will make little hearts (mine did).
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
We made appointments for next Saturday to play with these at Mac.
Hi Lisa,
How fun! Who are you going with?
My 19 year old daughter. Also known as “she who adores all of the Mac lipsticks.”
Wow, you did a great job showing and reviewing this collection. So many pretties! I def want a beauty powder and I wouldn’t mind a lipstick but I have no idea which one to pick.
Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday.
Hi Agata,
Thanks! Hmm, for lipsticks, maybe get a spring color that you know you’ll wear?
My Sunday has been going great. I did some grocery shopping and some window shopping (Loft, Charming Charlie and Old Navy). Fun! What have you been up to?
My day was really mellow. Was supposed to see Cinderella with my girlfriends but one of them got sick and we rescheduled for a different date (although I feel like we won’t go at all). My husband went grocery shopping and made dinner so I had a really relaxing day.
I love Charming Charlie! Have you seen the Nerdy cat watch?? I want it so bad!
You look lovely in everything! Quick question, I’m NC42 as well and was wondering which beauty powder worked better for our skin tone? I’m leaning towards Pearl Blossom but Alpha Girl looks amazing also. It’s too hard to decide on just one lol
Hi Karol,
I think you should go with Pearl Blossom. It’s fantastic as a highlighter for our skin tone because it’s beautifully radiant and doesn’t go ashy. I have some problems with Alpha Girl. It’s kind of chalky and uneven on me. I hope that helps.
Thanks for your thoughts on this collection and all the swatches!! They are lovely and very timely.
You’re welcome, Sandy! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
This is such a lovely collection Karen. Thank you for this review. I can’t wait and I want Blue Peep! I never wear blue but I still want to try it.
You should try it! It will make you a believer in blue!
Karen! I think your second row/picture of fluidlines is captioned wrong?! Is the last one (the reddish one) Looking Good? That one looks interesting I might buy it.
Not a big MAC fan but they grab my attention every now and tgen?!
Thanks for letting me know, Elena. Just fixed it!
You look fantastic in all those shades! Thank you for sharing. ( now I need to go see Silly…just to see it! Drats, was at the mall earlier and walked past the MAC store, too! )
Hi Carolyn,
If you see Silly and your heart starts to race then might as well give it a try… Hey, you never know! 🙂
Did you pick up anything at the mall?
Yes! Supergoop hand cream (SPF!), a eye shadow brush and a couple of BB cream samples from Sephora. (oh, and about a million calories from some soft serve they sell at Godiva – Belgium Dark Chocolate… so yummy! ) 🙂
The more I see of this collection the more I’m confused about what I want lol. I wanted Notice Me and Real Doll but I know I won’t really wear them because they’re sooo sheer. Then I wanted one of the beauty powders but they look too pale lol. I think I’m just going to stick with Shade, Siahi and the face brush. Maybe the Kohl too
Do you happen to know when the collection will launch on department stores websites like Nordstrom or Macy’s? I have gift cards and I’d love to use them for Make Me Gorgeous 😀
Hi Lulle,
The latest info I have for the release in North American stores here is 4/2, so right toward the end of this week.
Thank u 4 this review it’s very helpful! But I’m an nc44/45 and so far I’m only into Reel Sexy and the peach nail polish but I’m stuck on I get no kick is is good? Just trying 2 c if it’s worth it!!
Hi Kai,
I do like both Reel Sexy and the peach polish, To Dye For. As for I Get No Kick…ya know, it’s OK. I prefer the Chromagraphic Pencil in the launch just because it feels softer, but I mostly use it to line my lower water line.
Were you planning on using it more on your lash line or your water line?
Thank u 4 replying! I ordered Reel Sexy and IGNK but I’m gonna go instore and get The peach and green polish!! And I was thinking 2 use the eye pencil on the bottom waterline or right underneath it?
Star Quality is very nice!
That fluid line in Brassy intrigues me. I just don’t know if I will ever wear it.
Hold the phone, Karen! Is Real Doll a repromote from the Barbie Loves Mac collection? I was so bummed when I discovered it was sold out. Might have to check it out once it drops in Melbourne!!
Hi Nicole,
You know, I didn’t realize that, but I just looked it up online, and I think you’re right. I think it was in Barbie Loves MAC! It’s one of Lustres in this collection that actually shows up on my lips. I like it.
Hey Karen, I know it was eight years ago (eight years!), but you wouldn’t happen to still have the original tube kicking around? I’m curious to see how the old and new versions of Real Doll compare:)
Hi Karen!
Really nice swatches and after seeing them im really intrested in getting to dye for nailpolish when it comes out.
But nailpolishes is one item ive never tried from mac and i hate polishes that require 10 coats to get opaque and then chips after one day.
So my question is would you recomend this one?
I didnt see you write anything about the formula.
Also im very intrested in the fluidlines but im afraid they will dry up before i get to use them up. How long do they usually last once opened if you use them every now and then?
Sorry for the novel hihi :}
Hi Natalie,
I do recommend To Dye For. You’ll probably need two, maybe three, coats and your favorite base and top coats. I’ve been cheating though. I’ve only just used two coats and NO base or top coats because I usually change my polish every few days, and I only see a few tiny chips at the tips after three days. You should be fine if you use the protective coats with it for a week.
For the Fluidlines, if you close them tightly and store them upside down, they should last a while. I have some I still use that are 2-3 years old. Yup, years.
OMG Karen, your skin looks amazing!!! I don’t even care what’s on your lips at this point, what’s on your skin??
Hey Kristelle!
Thanks babe. That’s the new Diorskin Nude Air Serum working its magic. I’ve been playing around with some new primer and foundation combos and this is the one I used for these pics:
MAC Fix+ to prep
Make Up For Ever Base Hydrating Primer
Make Up For Ever Smoothing Primer
Diorskin Nude Air Serum Foundation applied with fingers and blended with a Beautyblender
Diorskin Nude Air mixed with NARS Radiant Concealers (stippled on cheeks, around nose and mouth for additional coverage)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
It’s kind of intense, I know, but I like how it photographs!
Lemme know if you have any other Qs. 🙂
Thank you so much, Karen! I need to try this Dior foundation, I think I have a sample somewhere!
The collection looks fantastic Karen! Lovely swatches. I’m liking the Wow factor!
Hello! I absolutely LOVE this line. MAC’s eyeshadows are unbeatable. I love the Lustre Lipstick in Notice Me (pastels!) and I can’t wait to get Pro Longwear Fluidline in Copperthorn (cause who doesn’t want fluidline in a glitter gold?).
Thanks for the post!
Jen
I need to check out Bouffant. It might work on my NC10-15 skin. Are the beauty powders to be used as blushes or highlighters? If I’m near a counter I will check out some of the lipsticks, I find many of them interesting.
Hi Tatiana,
You can use them as both. It can probably also work as an all over brightening powder too. 🙂
That Shade Fluidline is making me reach for my wallet, which I never do for Mac collections (just the basics when shopping with my artist friend)! 🙂 Thanks for the heads up on the lipsticks, I have the same trouble with my pigmented lips.
I ordered Make Me Gorgeous, Silly and Diva-ish lipsticks. Tye lustres were all too light and sheer for my taste. I liked the Beauty Powders, but I’m on a budget. 🙁 Some of the fluidlines will be mine, though, eventually. Blue Peep sooner, rather than later.
The collection is huge plus never saw so many fluidlines in a single collection.. absolutely loved it.. the blue Peep is a must have but I loved Copperthorn as well 🙂
The foundation looks pretty awesome on you.. you are rocking every shade here!!:)
Star Quality… Is that a repromote? I think I have it already and love its corally goodness!
Hey,
So I am debating on two different lipsticks shades ( make me gorgeous and diva-ish)? Is the 267 brush good with the fluidlines? or is there a better brush that i can invest on?
Hi Karen !
I would like to ask you if the two brushes are marked as made in China ?? I heard that MAC has been manufacturing newer brush releases in China instead of their previous France or Japan. Thanks!!
What an amazing and thorough review – thanks!!! I’ve been invited to the launch here in New Zealand next week and was pondering about whether to go based on the lipsticks. I may give them a miss, but that fluidline in Shade is defo coming home with me!!
Hi Karen, are you wearing the Mac eye shadows you reviewed in your pics. I think your eye shadow looks gorgeous! If not, do you know what you were wearing?