The MAC Smokeluxe Veluxe Pearlfusion palette in action

Every weekday at 5 p.m. on the dot, the children in my neighborhood leave their homes and start yelling like banshees in the street.

I’ve tried to figure out why they do it, and what they’re yelling about, but as far as I can tell, there’s no rhyme or reason.

This really has nothing to do with my makeup today (I’m wearing the new MAC Smokeluxe Veluxe Pearlfusion). It’s just that I can hear the kids outside as I type this, and I want to open my office window and yell back at them, “JUST WAIT UNTIL YOUR 30s!! THEN YOU’LL ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT!!! GAHHHHH!”

Oh, but the 5 p.m. outburst is nothing compared to the ice cream truck ruckus. That’s when all hell breaks loose, and I’m usually one of the kids screaming. “ICE CREAM! YAY, IT’S THE ICE CREAM TRUCK!!!”

Haha! Okay, I’m putting away the all-caps and exclamation marks (for a minute).

Cheeks: Guerlain Terra Nerolia Bronzer (just below cheekbones), Too Faced Sweet Pink Blush (apples); Lips: MAC Gingerroot Cremestick Liner (discontinued) and Too Faced Sweet Shines Lip Gloss in Mocha Freeze

Wearing MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow in Brownluxe ($40) on my eyes

What do you get when you put pearls in a particle accelerator?

I’ll tell you what you get — undersea oysters solving nuclear fusion equations, Ford Fusions with strands of pearls dripping from their rear-view mirrors, fusion cuisine that combines Asian flavors, and knitting (and purling!).

In other words, awesomeness. You get a whole lot of awesomeness.

You may also get MAC, as in the six new MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow palettes ($40 each) in MAC’s newest eye shadow formulation to join the permanent line. Powder shadows that feel like creams, they can be worn dry for a soft, sparkling finish, or wet for something shiny and metallic.

All six of the MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadows

Lawd, I think I may have accidentally inhaled a little too much stray glitter playing with these palettes… The stuff was flying all over the place!

It was kind of weird, truth be told.

I expected these, with their soft, creamy texture, to glide effortlessly across my skin and blend together with a few swift swipes, and most of them did just that. With the palettes comprised primarily of satins and metallics, like Smokeluxe, Brownluxe and Greenluxe, I didn’t have any trubs at all. They were coo’.

When I applied Brownluxe, my heart skipped as I watched the shadow skate across my skin. My 217 barely had to do any work to smooth away every last line.

I actually had to stop myself from over-blending, as the colors melted together like good fondue.

Mmm, cheese…

Bleuluxe

Brownluxe

MAC Heaux Lipstick, a matte berry from the new RiRi Hearts MAC Summer collection

What it do, RiRi Woo? The lipstick MAC remixed for Rihanna is back for a second act, and she brought along a few friends.

If you wanted (but missed) RiRi Woo the first time around, you’ll get a second chance to scoop it up, along with the rest of the five-piece limited edition RiRi Hearts MAC Summer collection, online starting tomorrow, June 18.

I had a play date with the collection this morning and had magnetic field day…

By magnetic, I mean opposites that attract, because for me, opposites permeate these products. Intense lip colors contrast with the sheer blush on cheeks, and the matte lipsticks and blush sit in stark contrast to the shimmery, sparkly highlighter.

I like it. The whole dang idea.

Sure, the collection is short and sweet, but you get a lot of juxtaposition here. The look doesn’t seem flat at all, which can be an issue with some collections that feature this much matte.

Maybe it’s just a flashback to my English Major days, but I also like to think that MAC and Rihanna intended for the opposing elements to be symbolic of RiRi, whose stage persona seems both raw and vulnerable at the same time.

That, or perhaps I’ve listened to Stay one too many times…

Lipsticks in RiRi Woo, RiRi Boy and Heaux ($15 each)

From the left: Heaux, RiRi Boy, RiRi Woo and Lustre Drops in Barbados Girl

Far and away, I think the most popular pieces from this collection are going to be the lipsticks ($15 each). The core girls/guys on Team MAC love intense color, and red RiRi Woo, lavender RiRi Boy and berry Heaux deliver it in droves.

But gosh, these sure feel dry… They tug at my skin and feel like I’m wearing a thick layer of cornstarch on my lips.

That said, the mega matte way these look is still pretty bangin’. They’re chic and oh! — photograph very well.

I like these for their looks, because they’re definitely not the most comfortable lip products or the easiest to apply. If you don’t mind suffering for your fashion, you’re in luck. These are like 5-inch spiked heels in lipstick clothing. Plus, the whole matte thing is so hella ’90s, which I love.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Powder Blush Duo in Hibiscus Kiss ($26)

Hibiscus Kiss Powder Blush

Cheek this out, babe!

I flipped a sprocket when I saw the neutral bronze and coral in this Hibiscus Kiss Powder Blush Duo ($26), but my fever waned when I swatched it for the first time.

The blasted thing feels hard to the touch and applies very sheer.

It shows up a little better on my skin when I apply it with the brush (which, unfortunately, also takes longer), but still — not by much. I have to really build this up in layers to get a look I like. Sorry, no intense flushes here, but this might light your fire if you like super sheer cheeks.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

Lustre Drops Liquid Highlighter in Barbados Girl ($20)

What a nice surprise! From the Lustre Drops in Barbados Girl, I expected a clone of Pink Rebel, but it’s actually a different deal. This liquid highlighter contains more bronze, and there are tiny flecks of glitter swimming around in it.

The effect’s flashy enough to notice from a few feet away, but it’s not gonna hit anyone over the head and say, “LOOK AT ME!!”

I’d call this perfect if it wasn’t so easy to over-apply. The glitter can get a little goopy if you use too much (yep, like I did at first).
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

Swatches of Hibiscus Kiss Powder Blush on the left and Lustre Drops on the right (unblended and blended)

Lipstick swatches from the left: Riri Boy, Riri Woo and Heaux

With these five nail lacquers, it’s All About Orange. The five nail lacquers from MAC’s All About Orange collection ($16 each)

Juicy orange summer nails — oh, yeah!

Err, let’s make that mostly orange, because technically, one of these five nail polishes from the MAC All About Orange collection is more of a pink, and its name sounds like a karate spirit shout.

KIAI!!

Or Ke Ai, which is how MAC spells it here.

I like to say it loud and do karate chops in the air for emphasis…

KE-AI!!

Two coats of Ke Ai, a soft pink with a Frost finish

So the collection is actually mostly about orange (MAC Mostly About Orange?), but that doesn’t sound as sweet.

The five $16 quintessentially summer polishes in the release ripened last week (they’re available now). The collection features four bright, juicy Creamsicle-like nail shades and one shimmery pale pink called.

KE-AI!!

Chop, chop, chop…

I think they’re a bumper crop save one thing. I wish some of them were a little easier to work with, but then I’m coming off a major Chanel Starlet high…

Starlet is one of the smoothest polishes I’ve worn in a while. By contrast, a few of these All About Orange colors are making me grind my teeth. I can them to look the way I want them to, but it takes some work.

Three coats of Colour Punch, a yellowish orange with a Cream finish

Super cute Colour Punch is awfully thick and surprisingly streaky. I have to remember to remove most of the polish from the brush before applying, and then paint s l o w l y, watching my strokes.

I think it looks fine with two coats but better with three.

Two coats of Sweet Pop, a peach with a Cream finish

Wearing MAC Flamingo Lipstick, a bright milky coral with a Lustre finish ($15), one of seven MAC Lipsticks in the new All About Orange collection

Oh, Tivo… You’ve been so good to me lately.

It was really, really sweet of you to record six hours of The Millionaire Matchmaker… You know how much I enjoy that show (oh, hells yeah!).

But wait — what’s this? You also recorded Blue Crush, one of my favorite chick flicks of all time?

Aww!! And you even did it without my asking?

How did you know I’ve been missing Hawaii something fierce this week and that I needed something good to watch while swatching the seven $15 lippies in the MAC All About Orange collection (available now at MAC counters, stores and online)?

From the left: Razzledazzler, Sweet & Sour, Tangerine Dream, Flamingo, Sushi Kiss, Tart & Trendy, Neon Orange

You know me so well…

You gave me three more reasons to love the living room — an orchard of orange lipsticks that tend to well with warm skin tones, a surf movie with spectacular views of Oahu and a napping tabby cat.

T-money loves stinky socks

I feel…like one of the characters from Blue Crush, maybe a missing member of the surf girl crew, the one obsessed with orange lipsticks and surfing.

“Flamingo Lipstick rips, man. Neon Orange? Charge it, charge it, CHARGE IT!”

I would totally paddle out for tubes of Razzledazzler, Sweet & Sour, Tart & Trendy and Sushi Kiss, but Tangerine Dream? Probably not.

Whenever I wear that one, I look like I’ve been worked over by big waves.

From the left: Razzledazzler, Sweet & Sour, Tangerine Dream, Flamingo, Sushi Kiss, Tart & Trendy and Neon Orange

Tart & Trendy, a bright, neutral-toned orange cream with a Lustre finish