Did you ever read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? It’s the Phillip K. Dick story that inspired Bladerunner, and in it there are these ultra realistic android animals, like robotic dogs and cats, that some people have as pets because many of the real animals are driven extinct during a world war. Only the mega rich can afford to have living, breathing pets. Everyone else’s animals are artificially wild…
Which brings me to this: MAC Artificially Wild.
Based on MAC’s promo pics for the 22-piece release, truth be told, I was kinda freaked out. The camo, the dark shadows under the model’s eyes — it seemed potentially drab and depressing, and I couldn’t see myself feeling good in a look like that.
But I liked the overall idea. Nudes, with a subversive, fight-the-power angle. Instead of regular warm, buttery browns and beiges, there were dirty mauves, sooty greys, golden beige browns and a light sprinkling of khaki.
In the end, the call of the wild was too strong to resist. After playing with the products, I started to come around…
It was kind of like when you see a dress that you’d never pick out for yourself on a hanger, but just for kicks, you try it on, and then you think, “OK. Yeah. I can work this.”
Cheek products for contouring
There are some cool things here…like the cheek products, in particular. A couple of ’em contour and carve out cheekbones better than Michelangelo. I really like the Powder Blush in Taupe, which transforms my chubby cherub cheeks into chiseled choppers capable of cutting concrete.
I think Cream Colour Base in Breaking Ground deserves mentioning. A purplish gray mauve, you can use it below your cheekbones to create well-placed shadows on your face. Chanel did something like it a while back with a powder blush called Notorious… Breaking Ground is basically a cream version.
Shout-out to late ’90s lips
With the lip colors, there’s a lot of late ’90s throwback action happening (Cork Lip Pencil and Spite Lipglass? Hello, 1998!) and a lot of encore presentations. Eight of the 12 pieces are re-promotes from the permanent line.
The grayish nudes, the deep frosted browns — I totally rocked these shades out in my last year of college. Now, I question them… I’m not exactly sure if the grayish shades qualify as “traditionally flattering” because of how ghastly they look on me now, but if you’re nostalgic for the era, why the heck not?
The Eye Shadows
Unfortunately, I’m not really feeling any of the four Eye Shadows… I usually have a hard time turning down nude shadows, but mauve Artificial Earth, soft gray Stony and dirty olive Marsh seem underwhelming.
I do like using Natural Wilderness, the golden mustard shade, as a transition shade, but I think that’s mostly because I’ve been lemming MAC Uninterrupted lately, and the two look kinda similar.
Where and when can you get Artificially Wild?
The limited edition launch arrives September 4 at all North American MAC locations and online at maccosmetics.com (internationally, also in September, but check your local counter for exact dates).
The MAC Artificially Wild collection includes…
EYE SHADOW, $16 U.S./$19 CAD
- Artificial Earth, a soft mauve nude with a Satin finish
- Stony, a soft grey concrete with a Satin finish
- Marsh, a soft dirty olive green with a Satin finish
- Natural Wilderness, a dirty mustard golden nude with a Satin finish
CREAM COLOUR BASE, $21 U.S./$25 CAD
- Shell, a soft pinkish beige with shimmer (repromote)
- Breaking Ground, a light iridescent mauve
- Au Nature, a dirty mustard olive
POWDER BLUSH, $22 U.S./$26 CAD
- Taupe, a soft beige brown with a Matte finish
- Next to Skin, a soft beige with a Matte finish
- Pink Cult, a mid-tone dirty neutral pearl with a Matte finish
LIPSTICK, $16 U.S./$19 CAD
- Siss, a muted golden beige with a Satin finish (repromote)
- Yash, a deep neutral with a Matte finish (repromote)
- Icon, a frosted netural beige with a Frost finish
- Shitake, a deep brown glaze with a Glaze finish
- Photo, a golden brown with a Satin finish (repromote)
LIPGLASS, $15 U.S./$18 CAD
- Obviously Bare, a light creamy greyish nude
- De-Nude, a dirty golden beige
- Spite, a muted plummy taupe-brown (repromote)
- Explicit, a golden bronze with icy silver shimmer (repromote)
LIP PENCIL, $16 U.S./$19 CAD
- Oak, a soft beige brown (repromote)
- Stone, a muted grey-ish taupe brown (repromote)
- Cork, a muted golden brown (repromote)
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
So I was kinda excited for this collection after seeing the promo pictures but I’m a little disappointed. I think the only product I’m interested in is the Taupe blush. I think it’d be great for contouring. But I swear, you know how to make any product look amazing!
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Love these colors! Great pics too!
Those lip colors all look amazing on you!!!
Hm….I feel you on the 90’s look. I stopped wearing ‘dirty’ nudes way back when because they made me look like a zombie, particularly on yellow-toned skin! (although I think they look fab on you.) Do love the lipglasses, though! except the one with the frost finish. Ick, 90’s.
Looks fantastic on you in an almost subdued way but no way could I wear those shades. The lipsticks do interest me. I missed the 90’s makeup-wise (raising children, on a budget, gotta run).
I will have to go to the counter and check them out.
The cheek products look intriguing…
By the way, you look totally glam 🙂
I really like that mustard CCB. It looks so pretty!
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I think I kinda feel underwhelmed by the entire line. I do love nude lips but I’m not sure if any of these interest me. Perhaps if I play around with them in the store, I might find something that suits my fancy.
*raises hand* I have a stupid question (always preface my questions this way to prepare those who might be confused by my question)…..the Breaking Ground cream product- is it a base for eyeshadow, a product that can used as a shadow, or is it a cream blush? Not that I can pull it off but your review has me curious….
KWMECHELLE – the MAC cream products are usually multi=purpose so YES to your questions. LOL I’m not a MAC expert but I’m pretty sure that is correct.
I have one or two and I used them as blush and or highlighter (depends on the color) but also as eye base but you would want to set it with a powder. Hope that helps.
I dont think I am gonna even be crazy to try out the products from this collection.. just slightly disappointed to see how everything is that warm taupish kinds..
But woohoo Firll u just pulled it off so well… to make re-think about the stuff.. 😉
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I’m loving this collection! And you look so fierce in the first lipstick pic, love it!! I’m sure my love of this collection has nothing to do with the fact that I rocked brown lips, black eyeliner, thin brows, and hollow cheeks like I was the business in the 90’s. 😉
One other thing, I was just looking at the photos again and I think you may have icon and shitake switched. I own icon and it’s more like the first pic and matches the description. I hope you don’t mind me bringing this up, though I could be wrong. It’s late.
Happy to see you working these shades! But they would look terrible on my complexion 😐
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I’m in the minority here, but I’m really liking the softer colors in this collection. I’m pretty darn fair, so it’s a welcome to have softer colors that don’t scream drama and colors that aren’t the typical bronzer/peach/taupe nude shades that look awful on me. I prefer neutral to cool tones; even better if they have a touch of color to them!
I definitely see some colors that I like! I’m not completely convinced by all swatches though. But overall it looks like a nice collection.
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You know I’m not much of a collection person but I do think this look is flattering on you and have to disagree about the lip colors. You’re one of the lucky gals who can look good in any lip color! Maybe a little cray in some of the lip tars but still never “omg, that is awful”. Also, nice jacket!
So glad to see they are bringing Icon back!
I don’t think these colors will really work for me but I think you look fab in them, especially the lippies. Thanks again for ALL your posts.
Karen, you look so gorgeous in the shitake lipstick pic! That green jacket is your color, & I love the look on you, very sexy, dear.
I am really digging Icon and Shitake. I LOVE that 90’s makeup look. Not into the shadows either though. 🙁
The lipsticks DO look amazing on you. We have similar toned lips so I always use you as my “tester” on lipstick shades. If it looks good on you, it always works for me. Thanks! lol
OMG gurrl Cork lip liner was my first Mac piece! Haha!
I love all of these on you! I know you aren’t feeling the 90s look but you look amaaaazing. Plus 90s grunge fashion is totally in right now and I am LOVING it! Xoxo
hey, i have natural wilderness and i was wondering how it compared to the plw shadow in uninterrupted. Does anybody know??