Long Overdue Haul/Review!

    The Make-up Art collection has garnered lots of excitement and praise from many in the beauty community because of its wide spectrum of colors and artsy appeal. I had to see the collection in person before I shared my opinion, I also wanted to try each shade and without emotion take in all of the colors and vibrance that has sparked so much applause from beauty insiders.   I wanted to know if it was just hype or if this collection was truly one to write home about.  

  I was quite impressed with this collection, mostly because there was something for everyone.  It was so easy for me to just splurge and get every item but after looking at my budget, I decided to only purchase items that I knew I would use.  In the past I have purchased cosmetic products based on emotion rather than logic and the items ended up collecting dust.  Therefore, I didn't purchase any technakohl liners and they were hard to say no to because they are so vibrant and pretty.  I really had to talk myself out of those liners and just thinking about them makes me want to go back to my local M.A.C to salvage what's left.  

Oftentimes I will go to M.A.C and wander around the store and discover something in the permanent collection even though I planned to only focus on items from the newest collection.  This was one of those times because it seems like a new collection is released so quickly that I don't get a chance to give any attention to items that I desire in the permanent collection.

  Also there were some items that I didn't think I would like until I tried them on.  The Off the Page and Purple Shower eye shadows were two items that I tried on and couldn't walk away from.  The Notable blush was another surprise purchase.  I read other reviews about this blush and they weren't favorable but, I am so glad that I tried it for myself.  

  

So let's start with the eye shadows:

From left to right: Violet Trance (Matte), Purple Shower (Satin), Haunting (Satin), Off The Page (Frost)

I really prefer matte eye shadows even though they are difficult to work with sometimes.  I really like Violet Trance but I had to really pack the color on to see the intensity of the color.  I think Violet Trance will work really well for a smokey eye look.

Purple Shower (not to be mistaken for Purple Rain :D --sorry I couldn't resist) is very pretty it is a pinkish lilac hue and on me it looked more matte than satin.

Haunting is very pretty and reminds me of Aquadisiac and Too Dolly eye shadows by M.A.C.  It is a very light turquoise and looks more matte than satin on my skin.  What I like about this eye shadow is that it is very pigmented which means it takes less time to apply.  Time saving is a huge plus!

I couldn't walk away from Off The Page, it commanded my attention with its vibrance and intensity.  This eye shadow is also very pigmented.  Surprisingly enough it was my favorite eye shadow in this collection even though I am not a huge fan of orange.

Now on to the pigments:

 

From left to right: Cocomotion, Brash & Bold, Heritage Rouge, and Push The Edge

 Cocomotion is a goldish light cocoa frost and it is one of those colors that you have to try on to really appreciate.  

My favorite of the pigments is the Brash & Bold because it is rich pink and gorgeous.  In this case, the name really fits the description of this fuschia pigment. Even if you aren't a pink fan, if you can find this pigment,  please try it on, give it a chance and you won't be disappointed.

Heritage Rouge was one of those items that I didn't think I would like but after trying it on, I couldn't resist it.  it is absolutely beautiful.  I thought it reminded me of M.A.C's eye shadow in Cranberry but after comparing them side by side, I found that Heritage Rouge was deeper and richer in color.

I liked Push The Edge at first glance, it looked very familiar to me and after getting home I realized it looks almost identical to M.A.C Pro's pigment in Grape.  I am not disappointed because Grape pigment is my favorite pigment so I will not complain.

Here is a side by side comparison of Push the Edge (on the left) and Grape (on the right):

Pictured below is a glitter from the collection in Fuchsia:

I really like this glitter and am looking forward to wearing it but, it looks more purple than fuchsia in my opinion.

Pictured below from left to right is Notable blush and Full Body lipstick:

 

I normally gravitate towards sheertone blushes because I tend to put most of the color focus on my eyes or lips.  Every now and then I like to have a little more color on my cheeks and this blush was absolutely perfect for a little more and not too much.  I wasn't even considering this blush after reading a negative review on it but right before paying for my purchases I tried it on and it instantly added a glow.  I hope M.A.C makes this blush permanent because I never want to be without it.  Whether you like a light wash of color or more on the cheeks, this blush is definitely worth trying out, the color is very buildable but not over powering.

I intentionally placed the Full Body lipstick next to this blush so that you could see how compatible they are.  I purchased Full Body lipstick because I needed a dark lipstick for the fall and winter.  Full Body reminds me of a more sheer version of M.A.C's lipstick in Media.  When I put it on I immediately felt glamorous and that qualified this lipstick as a must have.

The lipstick pictured below is Rebel: 

Rebel is not a part of the Make-up Art collection but, it is a very sultry, rich berry pink shade.  This lipstick has a satin finish and is very pigmented so a little goes a long way.

Pictured below are a few pigments from the permanent collection that caught my eye.  From left to right: Golden Lemon, Melon, and Copper Sparkle.

 

My favorite of these is the Golden Lemon, it's a really pretty highlight color.  I have used Melon as a highlighter as well.  I originally planned to purchase the Reflects Copper glitter from the Make-up Art collection but it didn't look like copper so I picked Copper Sparkle because it is truly copper.

 I almost forgot, here are a couple of pictures of the #43 lashes from the Flirt With Fall collection:

 

I hope that this was helpful and inspires you (if you haven't already) to check out this collection, which is a true celebration of art and reflection of all things beauty.