Jul 31, 2010

MAC Dare to Wear Collection Eyeshadows - Thoughts and Swatches...

MAC Dare to Wear Collection Eyeshadows - Thoughts and Swatches...


From MAC:

Join the brigade of loud-and-proud who daily dare to declare their own individuality. High-powered pigment and holographic pearl create a crazy-intense, shine-saturated gloss, combined with eye shadow shades as over-the-top as Lady G live! Not afraid to DARE TO WEAR? Bravo!

Eye shadows in over-the-top shades. Available in Aqua, subdued, pale greyed aqua; Crazy Cool, pale frosty lavender; Free to Be, bright true coral; Sky Blue, Robin's egg blue; Winkle, midtone cornflower blue; Lime, lime green; Going Bananas, soft lemon yellow; Zingy, bright sky blue; Atlantic Blue, bright violet blue; Louder, Please, bright fuchsia; Shock-A-Holic, deep purple and Sassy Grass, bright grass green.

Shades:
  • Aqua Subdued, pale greyed aqua (Matte) (Permanent, PRO)
  • Atlantic Blue Bright violet blue (Matte) (Permanent)
  • Crazy Cool Pale frosty lavender (Veluxe Pearl) (Limited Edition)
  • Free to Be Bright true coral (Matte) (Permanent)
  • Going Bananas Soft lemon yellow (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote)
  • Lime Lime green (Matte) (Permanent, PRO)
  • Louder Please Bright fuchsia (Matte) (Limited Edition)
  • Sassy Grass Bright grass green (Matte) (Limited Edition)
  • Shock-a-holic Deep purple (Matte) (Limited Edition)
  • Sky Blue Robin’s egg blue (Frost) (Permanent, PRO)
  • Winkle Mid-tone cornflower blue (Satin) (Permanent)
  • Zingy Bright sky blue (Matte) (Limited Edition)

 Where is Free to Be and Aqua?? Oops!

There they go...

This collection is right up my alley with all the bright colors and matte finishes. I do not think MAC is the best brand for matte eyeshadows but I can applaud their efforts especially with these bright colors.

Six of these eyeshadows are permanent and available at MAC or MAC Pro. Of the remaining shades five are brand new and one is a popular re-promoted color. A dozen brilliant shades to drool over.

MAC matte colors are notoriously difficult to work with and have spotty color payoff. I'm sorry to say these are not much of an improvement.

Crazy Cool and Going Bananas are very light frosty colors with nice color payoff and I am very happy with these. Lime also has great color payoff even though it's a matte. Sassy Grass and Zingy are beautiful new colors that are worth trying out even if they take a bit of effort to get full on color. Winkle and Atlantic Blue are also pretty but take work.

Since a lot of these colors are permanent I wouldn't rush out to grab them. In fact I think only Sassy Grass, Going Bananas, Crazy Cool and Zingy are worth the time since they are pretty and Limited Edition. The others are spotty and hurt my feelings! : (

Louder, Please is very close to Passionate (which is permanent) so if this color interests you can hold off and just get Passionate.

Shock-a-holic didn't even tickle a feather for me. It had poor color payoff and overall sucked! Go for MUFE #92 for a great red-based purple.

Sky Blue is permanent at MAC Pro so don't trip over yourself to get it. I don't like it because mine applies as sheer chunky glitter.

Aqua and Free to Be are also permanent but worth a glance. Aqua is a light aqua blue color that is much better in payoff and texture than Sky Blue. Free to Be is more of a coral pink color rather than true coral but it's quite pretty as well.

 Sky Blue, Winkle, Atlantic Blue, Zingy

Going Bananas, Lime, Sassy Grass

Crazy Cool; Shock-a-holic; Louder, Please

Free to Be, Aqua

I decided to add some comparison swatches as well to help show the similarity of these eyeshadows to existing shades.

Left: Zingy e/s     Right (top to bottom): Blue Cyan Pigment, Electric Eel e/s, Clarity e/s


Left to Right: Going Bananas e/s, Bright Sunshine e/s, Bright Future e/s


Top to Bottom: Louder, Please e/s, Passionate e/s

 Left: Crazy Cool e/s Right (top to bottom): Beautiful Iris e/s, Parfait Amour e/s, Creme de Violet e/s

Jul 30, 2010

MAC Dare to Wear Collection Lipglasses - Thoughts and Swatches...

MAC Dare to Wear Collection Lipglasses - Thoughts and Swatches...



From MAC...

Dare To Wear Lipglass
An out-to-shock Lipglass that combines bold, high-impact pigment colour with holographic pearl for a multi-dimensional effect that helps shape, shine and dynamically dazzle the lips! Shock your lips with Dare To Dare, light blue pink with multi pearl; Wind Me Up, dirty bronze with pink & gold pearl; So Bad, midtone coral orange with pink & gold pearl; Gimme That!, bright fuchsia pink with pink pearl; Bold & Brash, bright red with multi pearl and Ban This!, deep purple with multi pearl.
5 g / 0.17 US oz US $18.00 

Shades:

    • Ban This! Deep purple with multi-pearl (Limited Edition)
    • Bold & Brash Bright red with multi-pearl (Limited Edition)
    • Dare to Dare Light blue pink with multi-pearl (Limited Edition)
    • Gimme That! Bright fuchsia pink with pink pearl (Limited Edition)
    • So Bad Mid-tone coral orange with pink and gold pearl (Limited Edition)
    • Wind Me Up Dirty bronze with pink and gold pearl (Limited Edition)
      
    **********************************************
My Four P's...

Price
The price of a Dare to Wear Lipglass is $18 is in line with Dazzleglass, Dazzleglass Creme, Cremesheen Glass and Plushglass. These are all $3.50 more than the traditional Lipglass. The price is as to be expected but as with the Superglass the key point for me the the size.

The Superglass is 0.17oz versus 0.6oz for the comparable Dazzleglass (don't get me started).  The Dare to Wear Lipglass holds the same amount of product as a traditional MAC Lipglass. Wooohooo!!! You are getting bang for your buck here!

Packaging
MAC decided to switch up the packaging for the Dare to Wear Lipglass as it did with the Superglass. These Dare to Wear Lipglasses come in a thin elongated tube resembling a taller thinner big sister of the Lipglass (twice the length actually - of the product section). It's longer than any of the other MAC lip products and even an Illamasqua lipgloss - the longest ones I owned until now.
They sport the traditional doe foot applicator which was surprising since I thought a brush would be the way to go. But I think it was a suitable choice after testing out the actual product.
Size Comparison - Illamasqua Lipgloss, Dare To Wear Lipglass, Cremesheen Glass, Dazzleglass Creme, Superglass, Lipglass

Product
The product itself is a thin gloss infused with lots of finely milled glitter. The glitter is super fine and translates as a pearly finish on the lips rather than in your face glitter chunks.

The color payoff for the Dare to Wear Lipglass is split right down the center with 3 being light in coverage and the other 3 being extremely pigmented and opaque in one layer. 
The lipglasses have a thinner less glossy consistency when compared to other MAC lipglasses. They are not thick or goopy. They don't offer much slip on the lips so when you rub your lips together you may feel a bit of a drag rather than a slick feel. But they are not tacky and I dare you to feel the glitter! LOL! That was a plus because I hate feeling the glitter particles in a lipgloss.
 Swatches - Dare to Dare, So Bad, Wind Me Up, Gimme That!, Bold & Brash, Ban This!
Finishes - Superglass vs. Dazzleglass Creme vs. Dare To Wear Lipglass

Performance
Now how does it measure up?
The 3 light shades are best used to amp up a lipstick rather than worn alone since they can just seem like glitter on bare lips. The 3 pigmented shades are fabulous on their own and wowza they are pretty.

They wear very well which I think is due to the un-glossy finish. You can get a good wear of up to 5 hours from these. They feel great on the lips but when I rubbed my lips together I feel a bit of dragging but that was a test and not what I would normally do for everyday wear anyway.

Same as the Superglass my only trouble with these was removal. The glitter will stay on! Simply wiping these off on a napkin will not work. You will need to wash these off or use a makeup remover/wipe. But I knew to expect that....all glitter products are a pain to remove.

Overall
If you are in search of a glitter/pearly lipgloss...these are great! You will get your money's worth with these. They can jazz up a lipstick or be worn alone (the pigmented ones).

Must See - All three of the pigmented ones - Gimme That!, Bold & Brash, Ban This!
Just so-so - All three of the light ones - So Bad, Wind Me Up, Dare To Dare (this one is worth a glance or two if sheer is more your taste)

MORE SWATCHES:

Jul 29, 2010

MAC Dare to Wear Collection - TO GET

MAC Dare to Wear Collection - TO GET

Hey guys! This is going to be a post-in-progress!

I'm running to MAC today to grab items from the MAC Dare to Wear Collection. As you guys may know I know my matte eyeshadows and brights so this is right up my alley. This is now a quick post to tell you what I'm definitely excited about from this collection.

I'm picking up:
Sassy Grass Eyeshadow - I'm thinking it's the brighter version of MAC Landscape Green Pigment.
Shock-a-holic Eyeshadow - MUFE #92? MAC Violet Trance Eyeshadow?
Zingy Eyeshadow - I'm thinking it's the eyeshadow form of MAC Blue Cyan Pigment.
Going Bananas - Just 'cause....
Crazy Cool - Not unique but just 'cause again.
Louder, Please - Again just 'cause
 
Already own:
Aqua - Nice
Lime - Love
Free To Be  Nice enough
Winkle  - Nice as well
Sky Blue - Not impressed
Atlantic Blue - Bright

EDIT......July 30, 2010

I'm back from a long day in the city and here are my Dare to Wear goodies! About to do swatches and review shortly!

My TOP Eyeshadows!


My TOP Eyeshadows!

These eyeshadows are my top picks in each color family - and you all know I love color! I think these are amazing and worth checking out. I couldn't limit it to just 10 or 15 so....there are a lot on this list.

The list is broken down into brand and color...swatches included (in the same order and listed). Hopefully you will see some of your existing favorites here or get ideas for new faves. The finishes are mainly matte since you guys know I love my matte eyeshadows.

Primary Colors

BLUE
  • MAC Clear Sky Blue Pigment - Robin's egg blue (Matte)
  • MAC Blue Cyan Pigment - Bright cyan blue (Matte)
  • MUFE Turquoise Matte #72 Eyeshadow - Vibrant blue (Matte)
  • NARS China Blue Eyeshadow - Royal blue (Matte)
  • Inglot #70 Eyeshadow - Vivid Blue (Matte)
  • Illamasqua Anja Eyeshadow - Light powder blue (Matte)
  • Inglot #369 Eyeshadow - Medium bright blue (Matte)

 

 RED
  • Sugarpill Love + Eyeshadow - Bright red (Semi-pearly sheen)

YELLOW
  • MAC Primary Yellow Pigment - Rich, radiant yellow (Matte)
  • Sugarpill Buttercupcake Eyeshadow -Bright yellow (Matte)
  • Inglot #60 Eyeshadow - Vivid Yellow (Matte w/ sparkles)
  • MAC Chrome Yellow Eyeshadow - Bright yellow (Matte)
 

Secondary Colors

GREEN
  • MAC Landscape Green Pigment - Vivid rich leaf green (Matte)
  • MAC Lucky Green Eyeshadow - Frosted midtone lime (Veluxe Pearl)
  • Inglot #58 Eyeshadow - Bright vivid grass green (Matte w/ sparkle)
  • MAC Kelly Green Pigment - Granny Smith apple green infused with small pearl particles (Pearl)
ORANGE
  • Sugarpill Flamepoint Eyeshadow - Vibrant orange (Matte)
  • MAC Rule Eyeshadow - Vivid orange (Matte)

PURPLE
  • MUFE Purple #92 Eyeshadow - Brilliant red based purple (Matte)
  • Inglot #388 Eyeshadow - Bright blue based purple (Matte w/ sparkle)

Tertiary Colors

BROWN/NUDES
  • Smashbox Nude Eyeshadow - Soft caramel (Matte)
  • MAC Naked Dark Pigment - Medium beige with pink pearl (Matte)


TEAL/TURQUOISE
  • MAC Teal Pigment - Medium blue/green w/ Pearl (Frost)
  • Inglot #504 Eyeshadow - Bright turquoise (Matte w/ sparkle)
  • MAC Big T Eyeshadow - Intense aqua with green pearl (Frost)
  • MAC Cool Heat Eyeshadow - Frosty teal with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)

PINK
  • MUFE Neon Pink #75 Eyeshadow - Bright fuschia pink (Matte) 
  • MAC Cool Pink Pigment - Pale pink (Matte) 
  • MAC Process Magenta Pigment - Hot pink (Matte)
  • Inglot #362 Eyeshadow - Bubblegum pink (Matte)
GREY
  • MAC Bough Grey Eyeshadow - Mid-tone blueish grey (Satin)
  • Illamasqua Feline Eyeshadow - Light grey (Matte) 
  • Inglot #387 Eyeshadow - Pale grey (Matte)

LAVENDER
  • Illamasqua Creep Eyeshadow - Light lavender (Matte)

CHARTREUSE
  • MAC True Chartreuse Pigment - Flat, rich chartreuse green (Matte)
  • Sugarpill Absinthe Loose Eyeshadow - Vivid lime green with yellow undertones (Shimmer)
  • MAC Rated "R" Eyeshadow - Frosted mid-tone lime (Veluxe Pearl)

CORAL
  • MAC Dusty Coral Pigment - Orange coral (Matte)
  • Inglot #352 Eyeshadow - Light coral (Matte)

Basic Tints and Shades

WHITE/IVORY
  • MAC Blanc Type Eyeshadow - Creamy beige (Matte²)
  • MAC Vanilla Eyeshadow - Soft pale peachy-ivory flecked with shimmer (Velvet)

BLACK
  • MAC Black Black Pigment - Flat, rich black (Matte)
  • MUFE Pure Pigment -Flat, rich black (Matte)

Metallic

GOLD
  • MAC Blonde's Gold Pigment - Pale, light champagne gold (Frost)
  • MAC Gold Pigment - Smooth, high-shine gold (Metal)
  • MAC Rose Gold Pigment - Smooth, tarnished gold with a touch of rose (Metal)

SILVER
  • MAC Platinum Pigment - Smooth, high-shine platinum (Metal)
  • MUFE Iridescent Pearl Grey #170 - Light white silver (Frost)

BRONZE
  •  MAC Bronze Eyeshadow - Golden brown with golden bronze shimmer (Frost)

Highlights
  • MAC Ricepaper Eyeshadow - Soft peachy gold with shimmer (Frost). As you may know...this is my go to highlight color.
  • MAC Vanilla Pigment - Soft ivory white with golden pearl (Frost)
  • MAC Pink Opal Pigment - Bright white with pink duochrome (Frost)

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