Post Your MAC Purchases Part 2!

[Loquita]

I've jumped back into MAC in the last few months after several years away from the brand (yeah, I know, WHAT was i thinking )

Anyway, I am worked on building my stash and want some recommendations regarding the discontinued lines and what I should be on the look out for. Specifically, I'd like some color recommendations for

1. starflash e/s (have none)
2. matte2 e/s (have none)
3. slimshine lipstick (have Bare which I love)

TIA!

Hi IM!!

Grrr....I just wrote you a very detailed response to your questions, and then I pressed "submit reply" and I was logged out, so it got lost!!

So I'll just give you the highlights reel:

I know where you are coming from...I just got back into MAC again myself this past summer (with a vengeance!) after several years away. It's a lot of fun - too much fun, in fact.

You have good taste - you are going right for the good stuff!! The Starflash and Matte 2 shadows are my faves, hands down. I can't help you with the Slimshines unfortunately because I have never owned one, but I bet someone else can chime in.

Here's what I would recommend from the Starflashes (2009 relaunch); if you want neutrals, then Unbasic White and Smoke & Diamonds are the way to go to start out...but ALL of the colors are good - they are extremely blendable, and almost creamy in texture. I have not tried a single one that I do not like. In fact, I will try colors that I would never have considered just because they are Starflash shadows. Other nice staples from this most recent Starflash collection are Ego, Dreammaker, Grand Entrance, and Style Snob. Several Starflash shadows are still on the MAC website right now - just go to the eyeshadows section and use the pull-down menu for "finishes" and select "Starflash." Smoke & Diamonds is at several CCOs at the moment, so it might be worth calling one near you to see if they have it. I's a beautiful deep taupe.

I have found several of the 2008 original Starflash collection at my CCO as well. The best shadows in that collection IMO are Go, Top Hat, Talent Pool, Sunset B, and Mink & Sable. (Go and Mink & Sable are the most neutral of these).

If you go to Temptalia's website and do a search for Starflash, excellent swatches & official descriptions of all of these colors from 2008 and 2009 will appear.

As for the Matte2s, if you want to go for neutrals first to build your collection, I would recommend Blanc Type, Handwritten, Copperplate, Typographic, and Tete a Tint. The texture on these is lovely - better than any matte shadows I have ever used by far. If you want a pretty eggplant color, also try Fig. 1. For some reason beyond me however MAC discontinued its prettiest Matte2, an amazing grayish purple called Graphology. It is on ick-bay if you want it. I have been resisting the price for a good while but finally gave in and LOVE it.

Just some suggestions...and if you have some old MAC stuff that you don't use, KEEP the PACKAGING!!! You can building up your collection easily that way.

Hope this helps!!

 

[jewelssss]

from the pro store on Union St in San Francisco, which is the most wonderful MAC store I have ever set foot in (though much love to Cherry Hill & Short Hills in NJ), due in large part to the overwhelmingly gracious staff:

Full Force Violet Pigment (to "blue down" cosmetics)
Primary Yellow Pigment (to brighten or warm up cosmetics)
MAC Pencil in Beelicious
MAC Pencil in O-J
Blush pan in Azalea (this is ABSURDLY pigmented...I literally placed my brush on top of it, like just put it on top, no force, and I already had too much....it's going to last for years!)
Blush pan in Cantelope
Face & Body Foundation in White (to lighten foundation, lipcolour, etc - also works great as a non-shimmery highlight)

non-PRO Items:
Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW15 - takes Studio Finish to town IMO
Lipstick in Equality (from All Ages All Races All Sexes) - this has been getting some poor reviews but I think it makes a great nude for someone really fair like me...I might exchange my Myth & Creme D'nude for 2 backups of this.

 

[Loquita]

^Great haul! I have been considering the Cantaloupe myself...let us know how it goes, please!

 

[Izzy's Mom]

Thank you LO for taking the time to answer me in such detail! I am reading through online reviews for the color samples and make my plan of attact! I will post again as soon as I make my list and place my first orders.

You are the best MAC enabler there is.

 

[Loquita]

Thank you LO for taking the time to answer me in such detail! I am reading through online reviews for the color samples and make my plan of attact! I will post again as soon as I make my list and place my first orders.

You are the best MAC enabler there is.

Aw, you're welcome!! I am so excited for you!!

And again, you are starting off with a GREAT game plan - there's no messing up with the Starflash and the Matte2s!!

PS: If you are curious about brushes, keodi is your woman - she has not failed me yet!

 

[jewelssss]

Loquita -

So far I'm a fan of Cantelope. I'm quite fair (NW15) and while I like MAC blushes for their high pigmentation (because it allows me to use them on a variety of skin tones), this looks incredibly natural if applied lightly.

I sometimes use Strada (discontinued I believe but I recently saw it at the CCO in Franklin Mills, PA) when I want a neutral blush or as a light contour, but it has the tendency to give you that sort of mannequin-esque look - like too neutral and sculptural - KWIM? This has the same level of color intensity (aside from the actual amount you apply) but more warmth, and therefore brings a lot more life to the face. Obviously no one naturally blushes peach, but I think we have come to expect such tones on the face through cosmetics, and this is a great way to do peach - very neutral and not muddy at all.

Hope that helps!

 

[Loquita]

Loquita -

So far I'm a fan of Cantelope. I'm quite fair (NW15) and while I like MAC blushes for their high pigmentation (because it allows me to use them on a variety of skin tones), this looks incredibly natural if applied lightly.

I sometimes use Strada (discontinued I believe but I recently saw it at the CCO in Franklin Mills, PA) when I want a neutral blush or as a light contour, but it has the tendency to give you that sort of mannequin-esque look - like too neutral and sculptural - KWIM? This has the same level of color intensity (aside from the actual amount you apply) but more warmth, and therefore brings a lot more life to the face. Obviously no one naturally blushes peach, but I think we have come to expect such tones on the face through cosmetics, and this is a great way to do peach - very neutral and not muddy at all.

Hope that helps!

Awesome description, jewelsss!! Thanks so much!!

And I can see what you mean about Strada - I have seen it at the CCO too and thought that it wouldn't work on me at all. For a natural look, Fleur Power works really well for me (I am NC35), and so does Peaches...which makes me think that Cantaloupe would work well, too. I adore peach blush.

 

[MissTiss]

Lo, love your CCO Haul. Night Violet looks most excellent blotted down to a stain.

Got bored on Saturday and thought "hey, I'll go to the MAC counter".

The result:
Joie de Vivre Creamblush --
Hot Tahiti Lipstick -- this is a great red for me
Naked Honey Skin Salve -- love this for my dry elbows
Lovechild Lipglass -- how did I ever miss this!?!
Red Enriched Cremestick Liner
Pinkarat Lustreglass


I really wanted Rich Ground Fluidline, but my MA said I didn't need it. What do you all think?

 

[karester]

I used my Kohl Power eye pencil in Feline today and I love it. It's so easy to apply it and got many compliments at work today, I was told my eyes popped!

I'm definitely buying a backup! I'm considering throwing out my other eyeliners since those were difficult to use.

 

[MissTiss]

^Great haul! I have been considering the Cantaloupe myself...let us know how it goes, please!

Me too, it's on my list if I can ever get to a MAC Pro Store.

Thanks for the description, Jewel.

 

[keodi]

Nice haul!! I know, CCO can totally suck you in...but you got some great stuff!!! Smoke & Diamonds alone is a treasure. I have Showstopper too, and it's beautiful. If you want something that blends better than that and is still a dark brown, though, you might want to check out Handwritten...I that color, and since it's a Matte2, it blends really well & has good color payoff.

that is very true! good recommendation!

 

[Loquita]

Lo, love your CCO Haul. Night Violet looks most excellent blotted down to a stain.

Got bored on Saturday and thought "hey, I'll go to the MAC counter".

The result:
Joie de Vivre Creamblush --
Hot Tahiti Lipstick -- this is a great red for me
Naked Honey Skin Salve -- love this for my dry elbows
Lovechild Lipglass -- how did I ever miss this!?!
Red Enriched Cremestick Liner
Pinkarat Lustreglass


I really wanted Rich Ground Fluidline, but my MA said I didn't need it. What do you all think?

Thanks, hot stuff!!

And ITA with you about the Night Violet - I tried it out as a stain, and that's what sold me on it. And Hot Tahiti is my red, too!! (Great minds think alike).

And as for the Rich Ground - I happen to LOVE it, and in fact am wearing it right at this moment. What exactly did your MA mean by you didn't need it? I would say that it's a very pretty liner with a bit of a pop - perfect with a dark brown shadow base and then a bit of Melon pigment on top. Maybe your MA was saying that it would get a bit "lost" on you? Since we have similar skin tone, I know that I need to be careful to layer Rich Ground on a
bit more than the other Fluidliners...I have really dark, long lashes and sometimes it can get a bit lost in there unless I am generous with the application. But I still love the color.

 

[Loquita]

I used my Kohl Power eye pencil in Feline today and I love it. It's so easy to apply it and got many compliments at work today, I was told my eyes popped!

I'm definitely buying a backup! I'm considering throwing out my other eyeliners since those were difficult to use.

Fantastic! And not to enable, but there are two more Kohl Power Pencils out now - Raven and Sense of Style - I like the color of Sense of Style a lot (it's a slate blue), but it doesn't stay on as well as Feline, as least in my experience.

 

[Loquita]

Okay, here's a MAC haul from yesterday:

R to L: Small Softsac, Atlantic Blue e/s, Sunny Spot e/s, Free to Be e/s, Club e/s (very hard to photograph), Typographic e/s...and a back-up Mystery l/s in back.

Here's a close-up of the shadows...why does Club always look so nasty in the pan, when it's such a great color?:

And I hafta say that I ordered it on a whim but I really like the Softsac...it is roomier than I thought, very sturdy, and has a cute zipper pull and inner pocket (I am a sucker for that crap, I admit it).

Inner pocket:

 

[Eclipse4]

I picked up blissed out n/p, brush cleaner and fast response eye cream. The eye cream is probably a waste but I keep hearing good things about it from some of the youtube gurus. Have any of you ladies tried it?