Ladies, what do you think about the new MAC Euristocrats 2 collection?

It’s a 17-piece summer melange of lipsticks ($14), Dazzleglasses ($18) and Lip Pencils ($13 each) in shades of peach, pink, brown and violet.

My question for you is…

WHAT WOULD YOU GET?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Examine the following pictures and swatches, and choose the 5 items you’d *most* like to take home with you.

Share your virtual haul in the comments.

St. Germain, London Life

Costa Chic, Naked Paris

Cockney, Patisserie, Milan Mode

Date Night, Euro Beat, Internationalist

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Two things I recently realized about MAC Arena eyeshadow ($14.50):

1. If you say the words “MAC Arena” fast enough, it sounds like you’re saying macarena.
2. The color looks a billion times hotter on the skin than it looks in the pan.

Arena’s a permanent member of the MAC eyeshadow line, but I never really paid her much attention before.

I guess I just thought she looked kinda uninspiring in the pan. With colors like Freshwater (a bright and shimmery blue) to distract me, Arena simply got overlooked.

Thankfully, I’ve come to my senses.

Arena applies as a shimmery golden peach — a subtle look — but the color packs enough peachy goodness to stand out in a crowd.

So far, I’ve mainly worn her as a wash on my lids, where I think she really brightens my eyes. Perfect for one two-minute eye makeup days.

MAC Arena on lid with flash

MAC Arena on lid without flash

Now I’m wondering how Arena will work with more complicated eye looks…

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I’m getting fired up, fellow MAC fans! Next month two exclusive, Nordstrom-only MAC collections arrive, the first for ladies who love bright colors and the second for gals who gotta go neutral.

Both Graphic Garden and Look in a Box are Nordstrom Beauty Exclusives, special limited edition items made by big cosmetics lines like MAC and sold only at Nordstrom stores.

If you’re on the market for bright summer colors, consider the Graphic Gardens collection’s black and white flower print makeup bags and eyeshadow palettes, lip kits and brush kits ($35-50) in greens, blues, pinks and grays.

Or, if you’d prefer basic neutrals for your eyes, cheeks and lips, check out Look in a Box, which offers three color-coordinated makeup kits ($60 apiece, but valued at $100), each one with six pieces — eye, lip and face makeup as well as a kabuki brush — designed to create a complete look.

Last weekend I spent a few minutes with both of the upcoming collections — now available for pre-order at Nordstrom stores and online (for pick up or delivery next month).

Graphic Garden

Graphic Garden Palette, $35

I’m a palette kinda girl, so I was most interested in Graphic Garden’s two eyeshadow palettes, Graphic Garden and Fresh Cut ($35 each).

The Graphic Garden palette comes with six shimmery shadows in cool-toned shades of green, blue, gray, beige, purple and black. Each of the colors has excellent color payoff (soo rich!), and one could easily mix and match the shades for a variety of different looks.

Fresh Cut Palette, $35

Now, Fresh Cut kinda fooled me at first. Its pink, bronze and brown shades looked warm in the pans, but the shadows apply super sheer, requiring several layers on both my tan NC 35 skin as well as lighter NW 20.

Baby Blooms Lip Bag, $35 (includes Lipglass in Baby Blooms; Lipsticks in Soft Illusion, Amplified Spice Flower; and a black makeup bag with a white floral print)

Summer Crop Lip Bag, $35 (includes a Lipglass in Summer Crop; Lipsticks in Semi-Annual and Garden Bed; and a white makeup bag with a black rose print)

Define and Blend Brush Set, $50 (includes short-handled versions of the MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush, 190 Foundation Brush, 252 Large Shader Brush, 219 Pencil Brush and the 209 Eye Liner Brush, as well as a white makeup bag with a black rose print)

Shape and Perfect Brush Set, $50 (includes short-handled versions of the MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush, 129 Powder/Blush Brush, 275 Medium Angled Shading Brush, 212 Flat Definer Brush and 194 Concealer Brush, as well as a black makeup bag with a white floral print)

Correction: it looks like two of the brushes in the sets were mixed up in the store. The Define and Blend Brush Set should have the 128 Powder/Blush Brush, and the Shape and Perfect Set should have the 168 Large Contour Brush.

Graphic Garden on NC 35 skin

Graphic Garden on NW 20 skin

Fresh Cut on NW 20 skin

Graphic Garden on the left and Fresh cut on the right; both on NC 35 skin

Graphic Garden on the left and Fresh cut on right; both on NC 20 skin

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Fellow MACaholics, is your wish list ready for MAC’s latest Friends & Family sale?

Good online only, the promotion runs today through June 18. Use coupon code SUMO (or try SAVE25 if SUMO doesn’t work), et, voila — 25% off purchases made on maccosmetics.com (valid in the US and Canada).

If you’re not able to take advantage of the sale this time around, no worries; MAC holds these sales a few times/year.

Not sure what to get with your discount? Well, it’s the trying to decide that’s my favorite part.

Here are some ideas among products that are currently available…

My MAC Must Haves!

• MAC Russian Red Lipstick ($14; $10.50 after discount): “When I finally got my hands on MAC’s Russian Red lipstick, I had a minor Madonna fan freak-out moment. Madge rocked the Russian Red in her late-80s Blonde Ambition era. Remember the Express Yourself and Vogue videos? I taped them on MTV and replayed the sh*t out of both until my mom yelled at me to ‘turn it off!’ Parents just don’t understand.”
• MAC Wipes Take it All Off ($24.50; $18 after discount): “These wipes work great. As usual, MAC’s got game. A single MAC Wipe removes all of my makeup, even waterproof mascara, and smells fresh and clean (like flowers and soap). The wipes don’t leave a sticky film on my skin, either, like Pond’s Clean Sweep wipes do.”
• Cork, Soba, Brun and Concrete aka a Few Great Non-Orangey Brown Eyeshadows ($14.50 each; $11 after discount): “I can’t live without my MAC browns, so I raided my stash and found a couple non-orangey options.”
• MAC Fix+ Rose ($17; $12.85 after discount ): “MAC took spring and rose waters and infused them with minerals, and the resulting face spray feels about as refreshing on my skin as anything I could imagine.”
• MAC Blot Film ($12.50; $9.30 after discount): “It cuts down on the shine and leaves skin looking super matte without leaving a powdery residue.”
• MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder ($21; $15.75 after discount): “Prep+Prime Finishing Powder looks natural when I dust it on my face with a powder brush. The finely milled powder melts right into the foundation. It never looks caked on or heavy and doesn’t leave one of those white, ashy casts.”
• Two of my favorite MAC Greens — Humid Eyeshadow ($14.50; $11 after discount) and Golden Olive Pigment ($19.50; $14.60 after discount): “When I wear green eyeshadow, I usually try to work it into some sort of smokey variation, but for St. Patrick’s Day today I thought I’d try something with a little shimmer.”
• MAC Amber Lights Eyeshadow ($14.50; $11 after discount): “Have you met MAC Amber lights? She’s a shimmery peach and bronze eyeshadow from MAC’s permanent collection.”
• A few Mighty MAC Crease Brushes: “The 217 Blending Brush ($22.50; $17 after discount), the 219 Pencil Brush ($22.50, $17 after discount), and the 224 Tapered Blending Brush ($22.50; $17 after discount)>.”
• MAC Club and Woodwinked Eye Shadows ($14.50 each; $11 after discount): “I could write sonnets on both of these colors, as they’ve seen me through a lot over the past few years. Club, a shimmery duochorome, flashes from green to brown, and Woodwinked is a warm, shimmery gold. Today I paired ‘em for this easy, breezy, work-friendly daytime eye.”
• Get Eyes That Pop with MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50; $12.40 after discount): “MAC’s Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50) makes colors really pop, taking eyeshadow to a brighter, bolder, and more diva-superstar level. With Cream Color Base, your eyeshadow is like an A-list celeb; without it, it’s like Jen Bunney from The Hills.”

What are your MAC must-have products, and are you stocking up for the Friends & Family sale?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Still need help making a decision? This article suggests maybe some brushes.

43%
Consensus: Bronzed beauties may find more to like in Naked Honey than lighter-skinned lovelies. Don’t miss the Skin Salve or Buckwheat Eyeshadows, though; they’re getting rave reviews!

“The color palette features warm and shimmery brown, copper, pink and gold shades that should look gorgeous on warm skin tones and tans. There’s nothing here too out there or arty, nor are the colors apt to induce naps. They’re straight-up pretty (but wearable) products, and I’m a big fan.”

Full Review | Makeupandbeautyblog.com

“Anyone who expected very honeyish scents will be a bit dismayed, as most of the scented products are more floral/spicy and less honey. The skin salve is the most honey scented product, but it is still quite floral-honey. I liked several items, but I felt like you could miss this launch and not live to regret it.”

Full Review | Temptalia.com

“Over all this launch was not my favourite. Although it did have some winners. If you want to save your money for the next few MAC launches you won’t miss much here. I like the shadows and glosses along with the highlighters, but as far as ‘NEED -MUST- HAVES’ there are only a few…”

Full Review | Pursebuzz.com

“I’ve got to tell you, this is undoubtedly the freshest, most exciting collection MAC’s come up with in a looong time. Along with Buzz Lipglass, I’m also kind of addicted to Naked Honey Body Wash ($19.50).”

Full Review | Tiawilliams.net

“I dont think I have been excited about The Naked Honey collection since I saw it on Specktra. The shadows in the collection felt like repeats of ones I already have.”

Full Review | Themakeupsnob.com

“…if you’ll excuse the pun, I’ve succumbed to all the buzz. The collection is half-makeup, half-body-stuff, and though the makeup portion is small compared to other releases, I think MAC did well with what they created.”

Full Review | Karlasugar.blogspot.com

“…there was nothing that stood out enough for me to peel off some greenbacks. I have so many similar colors already that I can’t justify buying anything from NH. I have been lusting over Pollinator e/s for months but it is so much lighter than I thought.”

Full Review | Butterfly08, Longhaircareforum.com

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I’d like to update this post with as many Naked Honey collection reviews as possible. Let me know if you find any more or if you’ve done one yourself, and I’ll update the score up at the top.