Correction: When I wrote the post below I thought the face charts were for NY Fashion week in February. Turns out that these are looks that were used for shows in September, so oops. Note to self: don’t drink NyQuil first thing in the morning and then start writing. In the future I’ll leave writing under the influence to the greats like Hemmingway and Bukowski.
Because of my recent MAC Parrot revelation I’ve been all about colorful makeup as of late, but the fantasmic orgy of beiges and browns in the MAC N Collection really moves me.
Even though this neutral color collection is a tad Bobbi Brown-esque (*yawn*), I’m looking forward to it because it seems very wearable and beginner friendly. I am all over these paint pots and lipsticks like cheese on macaroni!
Already available online through the MAC Web site, the collection officially debuts tomorrow at MAC counters everywhere.
LIPSTICK ($14)
1N – Light frosted gold with pink pearl
2N – Creamy light pink
3N – Milky pastel pink
4N – Mid-tone creamy brown
5N – Plummy sheer brown
LIPGLASS ($14)
1N – Creamy white tan
2N – Creamy neutral yellow pink
3N – Neutral brown with gold and pink pearl
4N – Light chocolate brown with red pearl
SMALL EYESHADOW ($14)
Nanogold – Sheer Yellow beige with pink pearl
Modest Tone – Neutral dirty tan
Neutral Pink – Dirty mid-tone blue pink
Rich Flesh- Neutral warm brown
Remotely Grey – Dirty grey brown
Dark Edge – Dirty chocolate brown
PAINT POT ($16.50)
Soft Ochre – Yellow beige
Quite Natural – Dirty chocolate brown
Groundwork – Mid-tone Neutral taupe
CREMESTICK LINER ($14)
Creamola – Low-down tan
Sublime Culture – Pink caramel fusion
TECHNAKOHL ($14.50)
Graphblack – Richest graphic-black
Brownborder – Deep chocolate brown
PLUSHLASH ($11)
Plushblack – Black
NAIL LACQUER ($10)
N Colour – Creamy beige
Demi-Blanc – Gold beige with green pearl
Naturally Rich – Milk chocolate
There’s also a face collection with two very purty limited edition Mineralize Skinfinishes. Peep ’em on the MAC site.
Are ya feeling these colors, or are they not poppin’ enough for you?
Sneak Peek: MAC at NY Fashion Week 2008
New York Fashion Week’s just around the corner, and the upcoming February shows will showcase spring and summer looks from designers like Tuleh and Rodarte.This scoop is that we’ll be seeing brown lips and eyes at a lot of the shows. This year, MAC will be doing the makeup backstage, so assume browns from the N Collection will be all over the place, holla!
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the looks we’re sure to see on the runway:
Bill Blass
Skin:
Mineralize Satinfinish Foundation
Select Moisturecover Concealer
Eyes:
Paintpot
Inner eye – Kitty
Outer eye – Pink Venus
Lashline – Teddy Kohl
Cheeks:
Beauty Powder
Lips:
3N Lipstick
Preen
Skin:
Natural/Coverage in the center
Eyes:
Lid – Cash Flow Paint Pot and Quite Natural Paint Pot
Highlight – Pearl
Cheeks:
Ladyblush
Medium dark mineralized in contour
Lips:
4N Lipstick
J. Mendel
Skin:
Full Coverage
Blot Powder
Eyes:
Lid – Richground Fluidline
Socket – Constructivist Paintpot
Liner – Brown Border
Cheeks:
Bronze Bronzing Powder
Lips:
4N Lipstick and Concealer
Rodarte
Skin:
Raw and a bit paler. T-zone specific, no blush.
Eyes:
Lid – White Paintstick, set with Invisible Set Powder
Graphic drawn on with Blacktrack Fluidline
Center of Lid – A diffused blue focus using Clear Sky Blue Chromackae and Electric Eel Eyeshadow.
Lashes – black mascara
Brows – Lightened with flesh tones
Lips:
3N Lipstick
Nicholai
Skin:
Natural skin
Eyes:
Lashes – Pro Lash
Silverstroke Fluidline Liner with Reflects Pearl and Mixing Gel mixed over it
Natural Brow
Lips:
3N and 4N Lipstick
Tuleh
Skin:
Face & Body Foundation with Full Coverage to spot conceal
Invisible Set powder to set T-zone
Cheek:
Fancy Ray & Cheery Cremeblush
Hey Eyeshadow (Fafi collection) to highlight cheekbone
Eyes:
Bottom Waterline – Fascinating Eye Kohl
Crease – Taupe blush
Inner corner and browbone – Hey eyeshadow
Lashes – Plushlash mascara
Lips:
2N Lipglass
Subculture Lip Pencil
Jayson Brunsdon
Skin:
Studio Touchup Stick
Mineralized Skinfinish Natural
Eyes:
Crease – Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Medium
Lids – Sable Eyeshadow
Brows – Brow Finisher
Lips:
Top lip – Strawbaby
Bottom lip – N3 Lipstick
Luca Luca
Skin:
Face and Body Foundation set with Loose Blot Powder
Eyes:
On lid blended out to crease – Parrot
In crease, blended into the browbone and under the eyes as bottom liner – Charred
Lashes – Prolash Black
Lips:
3N Lipstick
Girrrl, I’m so over the rain and cold. Are you ready for spring? ‘Cause I am!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
LaurenIvy says
January 9th, 2008 at 12:35 pmEh, I don’t wear a lot of colorful makeup, but even these look a little dull..
I like fresh-faced neutral looks, but these are kinda bland. I can’t wait for the dewy, youthful looks of spring!
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 12:59 pmHi LaurenIvy,
Yeah, I dunno if there will be lots of shimmer or sheen. I am excited about the MSF though. I discovered the Mineralize Eye Shadows a few months ago and they are fantastic, so I think that the Mineralize Skinfinishes will be right up my alley. 🙂
Breezy says
January 9th, 2008 at 1:15 pmHey Karen,
Love the new Mac looks, I really like getting a couple of perfect browns and playing around with them. Only thing is my lids are already kinda brown so I have to choose a good base, which one do you like best? I’ve tried the Urban Decay primer but I agree that its hard to blend colors with that one, and I’ve also used the mac paints in bare canvas but sometimes it feels a little too dry. any suggestions?
breezy
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 1:19 pmHi Breezy,
I hear ya; my lids are brown too so I have to go with a lighter base to make certain colors show. Have you tried the Paint Pots? They have a different texture than the regular MAC Paints in a tube. Another thing you could try if you like a creamier base is the MAC Shadesticks – I’ve had these on my list of things to buy for months (sigh) but I haven’t gotten around to ’em so I can’t really tell you how they perform, but I know a bunch of people like them as a base.
http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY15103&PRODUCT_ID=PROD6290
Another option could be the MAC Cream Color bases. I haven’t tried these yet either, but I want it in pearl:
http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY15103&PRODUCT_ID=PROD1445
So many products, so little time! AHHHH!
Breezy says
January 9th, 2008 at 1:41 pmYeah I’m with you Karen, I’m waitin on my financial aid to come in to go crazy on some MAC lol. I’ll give those a try, I just saw that MAC also has primers for shadows but I haven’t heard what anybody has thought of those. Also I’m curious about the paint pots, on a lot of the MAC looks it says they combine them with shadows but probably because I’ve never used them I can’t think of how a creamy paint can be combined with a dry shadow, ugh, clueless!! I’m gonna make a MESS figuring this out haha.
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 1:58 pmOh yeah, that primer might be Prep + Prime eye, I think. I haven’t tried that yet. I have the Prep + Prime lip but sadly it dries out my pucker.
You can totally use Paintpots with shadow – OHHH! I just remembered another thing you could use are a base: Fluidline. I’ve only used it as a base for one shadow, and not for looks with lots of blending though.
Glosslizard says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:16 pmI’m with you… not into the Bobbi Brown! I definitely prefer a bit of color, even if it’s just a gold or a slate blue! I might check out the collection for some base shades, but I’m not really excited about it. I do want to check out the MSF, though!
And I really can’t get behind the white/silver mascara thing!
Melissa says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:24 pmHi Karen!
I’m excited to see new things…I do get more excited for color though. You should totally try the MSF’s. I have Goldspill (can’t remember what collection it’s from) and I love it! I’m excited to see the new ones and see if they are different from the one I already have.
I’ve used fluidline as a base too and it works REALLY well. Not an everyday thing, but for a smokey look it’s fantastic. Rich Ground all over the lid….with Antiqued over is awesome.
One of my favorite MA’s is doing a N Collection look on my friend and me Friday night. I’ll post pics of us on my blog. I can’t wait, getting a mini makeover is always fun.
I am really ready for some warm weather. I’m so ready to take my little guy to the park again. He’s making due with the couch as his personal trampoline in the meantime:)
AshB says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:32 pmWhen I first heard about this collection I was so excited, but my enthusiasm has slowly faded away. I need to buy some neutral shadows to replace the really old ones I currently use (I still use the first eyeshadow I ever bought– a shimmery medium brown by Lancome. it’s almost 10 years old. I think it’s long past expired…). But the shadows in this collection seem kind of dull and flat. I’m still going to go check them out tomorrow. Hopefully MAC will prove me wrong.
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:32 pmHeya Glosslizard,
I’m so glad somebody feels my BB pain. I have one lip palette from the line (which a beauty magazine editor gave me for free) and I NEVER use it. Blah. I do think the for the color-shy makeup newbie it’s a good gateway drug (LOL) before moving onto sexier brands, like MAC 🙂
Do you own any MSF?!
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:36 pmHi Melissa,
Yah, Fluidline rules as a base for looks that you need to last a few hours. I love ’em. That reminds me, I have to play with Uppity one of these days.
I’ve heard faboo things about the mysterious GOLDSPILL MSF! Seriously, I dunno where I’ve been when it comes to these bad boys. I should’ve gotten on that train earlier, fo’ sho.
AND LOL – couch trampolines are the BEST. My brother and I would always get yelled at all the time for couch acrobatics back in the day.
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:38 pmHi AshB,
Yeah, I hear ya. I’m betting on the fact that it’ll be prettier in person (but I can’t lie, I’m all over those MSFs!). I’m going to Nordie’s tomorrow to get a Chanel makeover so when I go I’ll have to swing by the MAC counter for an official N Collection in person look too. Let me know what you think of it and we’ll compare notes!
Melissa says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:40 pmI forgot to include this thought in my earlier post….
I’m really hoping that the finishes, texture and color payoff in this collection is amazing.* I would be really suprised if they did such a toned down collection without having something really special about it.
*Parrot/Woodwinked amazing, not The Bachelor amazing. Why do they use that word sooooo much on that show?
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:49 pmHa! Melissa, I’ve got a weakness for reality TV, but I’ve never watched one episode The Bachelor, The Apprentice, or Survivor. Now Flavor of Love (and FOL2) and all of the other trash dating shows on VH1 … holla.
Apple Diva says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:50 pmKaren,
OOoh you better get some MSFs. Do not let this cup pass from you!!
This collection looks neat-o!! I am looking for some more highlighter colors. I will not be plunking down too much scrilla on this collection though.
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:53 pmHey girl,
I got your Shu swatches … will post them later on today!
And yeah, I’m guessing my MSF will to resist will be a very low threshold.
Dunno about the lipglasses though – they look like they might be too milky, like C-Thru was, boo!
Melissa says
January 9th, 2008 at 2:56 pmI’ve never watched Flavor, but I feel like I have…from everybody talking about it so much! Plus, Pumkin is from my hometown and my friends are always pointing her out to me when we are out and about.
At the Great Kern County Fair…”There’s Pumkin!”
I’m like, what the heck. I have no idea who this person is but I know her name!
Sandy says
January 9th, 2008 at 3:06 pmthis is my collection. lol =P neutral colours. the collection i could use everyday when i have college 😀 i’ve never heard of amazing concealer. have you heard of strivectin or something like that? it’s expensive and it says it could lighten up dark circles.
LaurenIvy says
January 9th, 2008 at 3:53 pmI do have a question, though, I wonder, what neutral lip color/gloss (probably from this collection) do you think would look best on a girl like me, with brown skin, a la Mary J Blige?
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 4:26 pmLOLOLZ Melissa! Oh, if you only knew what Pumkin was infamous for during her 5 minutes of Flavor of Love fame. You are probably better off staying far, far away from the VH1 dating shows – now that’s some serious TV crack.
The only famous person I’ve seen in my hometown is Sammy Hagar, ha!
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 4:28 pmOh yeah, I’ve heard of Strivectin – but only in the legal sense. They were sued by Botox for their tag line: “Better than Botox?” I’ve never used it before though. Mine circles are bad but they ain’t *that* bad (knock on wood.)
Amazing cosmetics is a US company that sells liquid concealer in a tube. My friend says it’s fantastic.
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P59405&categoryId=B70
Karen says
January 9th, 2008 at 4:29 pmHi LaurenIvy,
Hmm, if you want a lipglass to wear on its own I’m guessing 3N and 4N. I’ll get a better idea when I can see them in person. But yeah, I’d probably stay away from the lighter colors unless you plan on putting them on top of another lipstick.
BTW, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Mary J. Blidge!
Glosslizard says
January 9th, 2008 at 6:31 pmI did look over BB’s collection at one point, since I am convinced that the line is high quality, but I agree that it’s a good “gateway drug”! 🙂 That said, the pink raspberry palette this spring really does look pretty!
No, I don’t have any MSF’s… should I?
Sandy says
January 9th, 2008 at 9:09 pmmine are disgusting. i got puffy eyes too. i don’t know what to use. i used clinique one, didn’t work. it said it would reduce puffiness & dark circles, yea right. i’ve heard of amazing cosmetics, it would be easy if i got credit card but i don’t =(
Breezy says
January 10th, 2008 at 12:06 amHey Sandy I am totally feeling your undereye circle issue, ugh especially trying to get the PERFECT concealer. As far as I know there is nothing topically that will make a difference in dark circles. I think I heard this from my biology teacher or something I dunno, but yeah I’ve tried the vitamin k stuff blah blah blah. Just find a great concealer. Sephora’s makeup forever is the bomb diggity – ever checked it out Karen? I always put smashbox primer under first so it doesn’t crease and thank Karen for introducing me to Laura Merciers skin brightening powder to set it. Halleluyer! Good luck sandy! oooh and doesn’t hemrroid
Jane says
January 10th, 2008 at 12:12 amOooh! I’m addicted to MAC MSFs and it looks like Light Flush MSF is the one for me! I hope these new MSFs won’t be the disco ball all-chunky-glitter-and-minimal-color that the more recent releases have been though. Thanks for the update!
Sandy says
January 10th, 2008 at 2:22 amthanks breezy 🙂 i’ve tried few products & few concealers. no concealer can really lighten up my dark circles. don’t know how on earth i have to lighten it up. but i’ll just keep praying =P hahah. is the laura mercier skin brightening powder any good? how about their concealers? 🙂 you got a site breezy?
Karen says
January 10th, 2008 at 7:57 amSandy, you can read about the Laura Mercier brightening powder here:
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/product-review-laura-mercier-secret-brightening-powder-in-2/
I have used Make Up For Ever’s concealer and I go through phases and it’s pretty good.
TUPRNUT says
January 10th, 2008 at 9:34 amI’m really excited to see the MSF’s – especially Light Flush. I use the natural MSF on a daily basis to set my foundation and love it. Unfortunately, it does not love falling on the floor, which has happened 3 times since I’ve started using these. After they fall, and thus fall apart, the powder just doesn’t adhere to a brush in the same way. ARGH. So, I’ve bought a new one everytime I drop one.
I can’t wait to see more info on the eyeshadows and lipstick/lipglass. I’m a neutral girl and these look perfect for someone like me.
Looking forward to what you have to say about these, Karen!
Breezy says
January 10th, 2008 at 12:00 pmHey Sandy, no I don’t, I’m just a product junkie, love researching stuff and seeing what’s best. Karen put good info up on pink concealers vs. yellow ones which would probably help as a base, then you could probably layer a light concealer and set it with the Laura mercier powder stuff. I’d go to sephora and just attack haha.
Karen says
January 10th, 2008 at 11:04 pmYou’re welcome, Jane! I saw them today but I didn’t have time to really check out the collection because I was running late for another appointment. They did look pretty from three feet away, LOL.
Have a good weekend!
Karen says
January 10th, 2008 at 11:05 pmWoo hoo, Tuprnut, I can’t wait to try the MSF. I should be getting my hands on ’em sometime next week. 🙂
Amanda says
January 11th, 2008 at 2:13 pmThe mac shadows I have are all pretty bright….mac isn’t neccessarily my favorite eyeshadow formula, so for nudes and neutrals I would get another brand (stila, cargo, or shu to name a few). So I’m passing on these boring mac colors. As for the lippies I love a good nude or neutral, but don’t really like the lustre formula (*hides). However, if they were the amplified creme formula you would have to hold me back, LOL. but alas they are not so that saves me some cash, yay.
LaurenIvy says
January 12th, 2008 at 5:15 pmi shimmied over to my local MAC counter and tested the 3N and 4N Lipglasses, and was kind of disappointed. 3N barely showed up, and 4N was more (very) shiny bronze than what i expected, which was more of a chocolatey sheen. Oh well!
Apple Diva says
January 14th, 2008 at 4:16 pmHey Karen,
Did you get any MSFs? Well, I got Light Flush and I am in deep love. I am thinking about getting Warmed!! You need to check them out ASAP, if you have not already!!!
Karen says
January 14th, 2008 at 4:58 pmAwww, Amanda, why no love for the Lustre formulas? I love ’em because they don’t dry my lips out.
Karen says
January 14th, 2008 at 4:59 pmHi LaurenIvy,
That’s too bad those didn’t work out for ya. I’m guessing because they are so sheer you’ve got to pair them with something else.
Not to worry – MAC seems to come out with collections every five minutes so I’m sure they’ll put out something that you’ll be lusting over soon, LOL!
Karen says
January 14th, 2008 at 5:00 pmAppleD!
SAH-WEET! No products to review quite yet. I did sit in a chair and stare at the MSF for a good 40 minutes on Friday when I was at a Chanel event. I had to go right afterwards because the hubby was at home with dinner and I was HUNGRY!
What have you been wearing the Light Flush with?!
Apple Diva says
January 14th, 2008 at 8:57 pmI got Light Flush on Sunday and I have not opened the package yet. I will wear with Fab, Ambering Rose blushes and Lovestone and Mi’Lady m/es.
Karen says
January 14th, 2008 at 11:21 pmNice! Open the package already, girlie!
Susanne says
January 24th, 2008 at 10:11 amThe N Collection is here still not available. I am waiting every day for a call from my MA when the products have arrived. Maybe the next days? I really look forward to MSF Warmed and Light Flush!!