Is it still called nostalgia even if you didn’t live through a certain period in time but have a romanticized notion of it? That’s how it felt when I caught sight of MAC It’s A Strike collection. It was a scene straight out of the 50s: rock ‘n’ roll music, guys and gals dancing in varsity outfits, milkshakes on the menu, and of course, bowling! Being the Grease fan that I am (it’s a wildly popular high school musical before there was Disney’s High School Musical - am I giving away my age?), the collection instantly gave me the old-timey feels but with the bold, modern twist that MAC is known for.
The packaging of a MAC Lipstick is simple and classic in matte black cardboard box and bullet in the same matte black color. MAC Perfect Score Matte Lipstick shade is a cool red with a matte finish, it is more red than Russian Red. The texture of MAC matte lipstick is divinely smooth and creamy. It gives full-color payoff in just a single swipe. MAC Perfect Score Matte Lipstick Swatch Test.
- Perfect Score is described as a 'deep red' with a Matte finish. As always, MAC are on point with their red lipstick and Perfect Score applies with divinely smooth colour payoff and texture.
- MAC Lipstick – the iconic product that made MAC famous. Amplified: An ultra-creamy lipstick formula with a smooth glide, bold colour payoff, full coverage and a semi-lustrous finish. Cremesheen: A creamy, balmy lipstick formula with a comforting feel, medium buildable coverage and a semi-glossy finish.
The retro bowling theme is such a great fit for the collection, considering what a vibrant time it must have been for the youth of the 50s and 60s. Those two decades were arguably the peak of the game’s popularity, so it was the height of fashion to join bowling leagues and don varsity jackets, even off the alley. Now imagine MAC swooping in and taking the most spirited aspects of that period, and you’ve got yourself a fun, somewhat rebelliously curated combination of limited editions and re-promotes.
Four of the lipstick shades (P1,050 each) are special edition while the other three are re-promotes from the permanent lineup: Liquid Lurex is pure gold-pink sparkle on a sheer base with a dazzle finish; Perfect Score is a deep, matte red; Babes and Balls is a matte, plum-touched burgundy; Bowl Me Over, of the retro matte variety, is a reddish deep burnt brown, kind of like a brownish marsala.
The Cremesheen Glass glosses (P1,350 each) are all limited edition and come in five shades: It’s a Strike is a highly-wearable nude pink; Throw a Spare is a popping fuchsia with pink with shimmer; Perfect Frame is a deep berry-purple; King Pin is that trendy chocolate brown with a hint of mauve; Right Up My Alley is a cool-toned red.
For cheeks, Casual Colors (P1,650 each) are lip and cheek creams with the choice between the subdued nude of Have a Lovely Day! (re-promote) and the bold reddish lilac of Blind Score. To highlight the look, there’s the Pearlmatte Face Powder in Trophy (P1,800), a lovely combination of white, pink, and green shimmer. Swirled together, the effect is a fine, pinkish-white shimmer for a pretty highlight!
The eyeshadows (P1,050 each) come in six colors, with the matte black Carbon as part of the permanent line. Gutter Gal is a matte off-white gray; Bowl Out is a matte midtone gray; Join My League is a matte dark espresso; 300 Game is a matte blackened cherry that allows for a sultry look without going full-on black. Bowlarama is a bright lime green with a satin finish that looks intimidating at first but actually functions well as an accent or pop of color. For definition, there are the Fluidline Pens (P1,230 each) that are also part of the permanent lineup: Vintage Brown, Retro Black, and Indelibly Blue.
The collection also includes three new polish shades to jazz up your tips for showing off after you score a strike. The Nail Studio Lacquer (P800) comes in Babysplit (a pale lime green), Rack ‘em Up (a deep khaki), and 5 Pin (a deep wine).
![Perfect Score Deep Red Mac Lipstick Perfect Score Deep Red Mac Lipstick](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_-E8gkFUag/V6PYqj__r2I/AAAAAAAAouY/ID2LDCvweTMQYfEBXEfHmzzCD5xXBkpawCLcB/s1600/animated1.gif)
The vintage-lover in me finds this retro collection fun and the colors quite exciting! Never thought I'd sport lime green eyeshadow but it's actually a nice eye-brightening alternative to my usual champagne shimmer.
What do you think of re-promotes in collections? Do any of these strike your eye?
The Autumn is by far my favourite time of the year. As a teacher, I see September as the start of a new year, rather than January. For me, September is all about fresh starts, new clothes and of course the Autumn beauty releases. At this time of year I am ready to leave behind the pink lips and barely there makeup and instead I am ready to embrace bold plum toned lips and a slightly more intense makeup look.
This September Mac have really ramped up their new collection releases with both permanent and Limited Edition releases. As Mac collections have a tendency to fly off the shelves quickly, I thought rather than doing full reviews on the products, I would give you an overview of what is on offer, before they all sell out.
First up, is the It’s A strike collection. A 26 piece collection based around bowling. Seriously, how do Mac come up with the ideas for these collections? This collection is big on the lip products and eyeshadow. Both of which have a large amount of matte shades.
I received 3 items from the collection to try out. Perfect score lipstick, 300 Game matte eyeshadow and Throw a spare Cremesheen glass. Sometimes with Mac limited edition collections, some of the colours are a little out there, but all three shades that I received are very wearable and in fact suit this time of year perfectly. Perfect score is a beautiful deep red colour with a comfortable matte finish. It is the retro matte lipsticks in Mac that I find a little drying on the lips.
300 game is again a burgundy colour and while beautiful when applied, the colour payoff isn’t as good as other Mac shades and it needs a little work to get a good blend.The It’s a strike collection is available now in all Mac store. You can browse the collection online here.
To Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, Mac have launched their very own 25 product strong Star Trek collection. It is said that the collection is based around 4 characters from the show, but having never watched a single Star Trek episode, I am not going to even pretend I know who they are, but I am sure there are plenty of makeup lovers out there that are delighted to see this collaboration.
Mac have kept quite close to the idea of space with plenty of metallic shades. You can choose from nail lacquer, lipstick, eyeliner, lashes, mascara, lipglass, powder, and eyeshadow, each sporting a Star Trek appropriate name. I received the lipstick Kling-it-on and the lipgloss set to stun.
The Star Trek is a fun collection, that will have many Trekkies racing to their nearest Mac this September. 1password 3 8 20 – powerful password manager. I believe the powders are out of this world ( do you like my Star Trek pun?) but I have yet to see them in the flesh. You can browse the collection here.
With brow products flying off the shelves, Mac have added to their brow wardrobe with the all new brow sculpt collection. As the names suggests, the brow sculpt products are about sculpting and enhancing the shape of you’re brows by gently filling them in using matte colours. Mcolordesigner 1 5 – smart color scheme palette generator. I love that Mac are taking a gentle approach to brows, rather than the full on heavy brow look.
There are 3 new products in the brow sculpt range. Firstly the Brow sculpt, which I received two colours to try. The retractable pencil has an angled tip, that promised to fill in and sculpt out your brows. You can use the flat edge for a more defused looking brow or you can create a more precise look using the more pointed tip. Thankfully Mac have also included a brush on the opposite end which is great for grooming though your brows before applying product.
There are 7 shades available in the brow sculpt and each pencils costs €21. As these are part of the permanent range, I will have a full review up in a few weeks.
Next product in the range is the big brow pencil, which is a chubbier version of Macs eyebrow pencils. This is said to be a chubby mechanical pencils that is a cross between a wax and a powder. The colour is buildable but it is said to apply far faster than a regular pencil. Whereas the brow sculpt will give you a nice sculpted brow, the big brow pencils gives a more unstructured full sized brow look. It is available in 5 shades and costs €21.
The final product in the Brow sculpt range is the brow duo. This is a small palette of two powdered colours that compliment each other and can be used to blend into and sculpt out the brows. It is available in 3 shades, blonde, redhead and brunette and costs €26. You can buy it in Brown Thomas here.
The final two new releases that I have to tell you about, are actually an extension to the Studio Fix range. There is a perfecting powder and perfecting sticks. As the name might suggest these products are about trying to help you perfect the look of your skin. The powder itself was a little dark for me to use but on first use I found it nice and light on the skin. I liked the fact that there was a mesh dispenser, as often with powder it ends up going everywhere when I open the lid.
If I am honest, I wasn’t exactly sure what the perfecting sticks where, but it turns out they are a stick concealer and can be used to touch up your foundation during the day. Once I have given these a good trial, I will do up a full blog post.
Neither the powder or the perfecting sticks are available online just yet.
While all of the above products are available in Mac in Brown Thomas, it is worth nothing that Mac can be picked up 15% cheaper in the airport! I often use the click and collect service to buy Makeup and get my family to collect the products as they go through the airport. Cheeky I know, but it saves a few bob!! You can check out the Mac ranges in The Loop here.
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