MAC Viva Glam Rihanna

Last year was the year of Rihanna for MAC, there were several sell out collections that featured her and the colors that she loves to wear.  I loved the Ruby Woo shade that was given a makeover just for her and now I see that this year will be another year of MAC and Rihanna.  MAC has just released the latest in their acclaimed Viva Glam collection.  Viva Glam is one of their most consistent best sellers and one that often sells out within hours of the initial release.  My favorites in the past have included the Lady Gaga and Fergie collections and I see that this year we will have Rihanna as our spokesperson for this great cause.

This small collection is now available on the MAC and Nordstrom websites and I am sure that several more department stores will pick this collection up within the next week or two.  "Rihanna launches our new M∙A∙C VIVA GLAM with two strikingly bold shades of red frosted Lipstick and Lipglass, perfectly capturing her fearless, confident style. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Rihanna goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature."  I see that Rihanna has released yet another red shade with her name on it...

I love red lipsticks and especially MAC red lipsticks so I am all about this collection even though I have not been a huge fan of the previous Rihanna and MAC collaborations.  This collection introduces the new shade in both the Lipstick and the Lipglass and I bet that I will want both of them if I like the shade.

Viva Glam Rihanna...

Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick - Rihanna's blue-red with frost finish. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature. Pro discount is not applicable.
- Viva Glam Rihanna - frosty blue red

Viva Glam Rihanna Tinted Lipglass - Rihanna's frost blue-red in M∙A∙C's much loved Lipglass formula. Wear it alone or with a Lipstick. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature. Pro discount is not applicable.
- Viva Glam Rihanna - frosty blue red

I do need to see how frosty these shades really are, they could be great new red shades for me or be way too shimmery for my taste. I am interested in a frosty red from MAC as I have several Mattes and Satins from this line already and this would be a big change for my red lipstick/lip gloss collection.  I am thinking that I would be able to pull off this Lipglass even if I don't like the Lipstick when I try it out.

I wonder how many more collaborations we will have with Rihanna for the next few months...

photo courtesy of MAC

RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Collection

We are now onto what I believe is the last holiday collection from MAC, it is another one in the series of highly popular RiRi Hearts MAC collections that started coming out in the very beginning of the summer months.  I have no idea when Rihanna's popularity will begin to wane but at the moment it shows no sign of stopping and these collections have been instant sell outs and cult favorites. I am considering going onto Ebay when I have some spare time (maybe after finals week) and looking to see what products from the summer and fall collections are being resold for.  I am willing to bet that they are only rising in price and popularity...

In the previous seasons, I have liked many of the eye makeup from the RiRi collections but I have never liked the lip or face products in the collections.  None of those shades have ever looked like they would work for my skin tone, something to be expected since myself and Rihanna have two very different skin tones and there is no way that shades for her would flatter me and vice versa.  I don't have high hopes for this collection and I would only really look at some of the eye makeup shades from the latest part of the RiRi series...

"Rihanna's latest creative collaboration with M·A·C is a series of stunning looks for lips, eyes and face in shades of metallic majesty and confident colour. This limited-edition collection is encased in exclusive white-pearl packaging with RiRi's iconic rose gold detailing. Wrapping it all up, the pink metallic sheen of the RiRi ♥ M·A·C Makeup Bag in a quilted design, uniquely Rihanna.", states the MAC website when providing a description of the overall collection.

Here is the holiday version of the RiRi collection!

RiRi Hearts MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow: Pfresh Out - Five complementary shades by Rihanna for infinite day-to-night looks: soft champagne, peach gold with pearl, blackened plum, pearlescent pink and violet mauve. Highly pearlized frost finish. Encased in an exclusive white-pearl packaging with RiRi's iconic rose gold detailing. Limited edition.

RiRi Hearts MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow: 2X Dare - Five complementary shades by Rihanna for infinite day-to-night looks: white silver, deep grey blue, beige-grey, cement with pearl and light crystal mauve. Highly pearlized frost finish. Encased in an exclusive white-pearl packaging with RiRi's iconic rose gold detailing. Limited edition.

RiRi Hearts MAC Superslick Eye Liner - A liquid liner in two limited-edition shades by Rihanna - the shimmering white of Pisces Persuasion and rose gold of Cockiness. Water-based, water-resistant, quick and precise to apply. Dries in 15 seconds to a sleek, long-wearing, wet-look, no-smudge line. The superior no-fuss, no-wobble application lies in the "magic tip" of the easy-to-control dipstick applicator. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Pisces Persuasion - shimmery white
- Cockiness - shimmery rose gold

RiRi Hearts MAC Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips that made M∙A∙C famous. Three limited-edition shades created by Rihanna. In Retro Matte - the signature red of RiRi Woo. In Matte - the nude taupe of Bad Girl RiRi and fuchsia of Pleasure Bomb. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Pleasure Bomb - matte fuchsia
- RiRi Woo - matte cool red
- Bad Girl RiRi - matte taupey mauve

RiRi Hearts MAC Bronzing Powder - Rihanna's limited-edition soft, golden brown powder with overspray of gold pearl gives sheer, natural colour and highlights. Ideal for enhancing a skin tone or accenting and enhancing a tan. Formulated for smooth, even application on all skin types. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Love, Rihanna - soft golden brown with overspray of gold pearl

RiRi Hearts MAC Nail Lacquer - Limited-edition matching shade of Rihanna's signature red RiRi Woo in our high-gloss formula. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- RiRi Woo - matte cool red

RiRi Hearts MAC Double-Ended Brush: 217/239SE - On one end: 217 Blending for shading or blending of colour or creamy products. This brush has fine, densely packed fibres arranged in an oval shape. On other end: 239 Eye Shader, smooth, firm fine fibres in a tapered shape and rounded edge to shade or blend eye shadow or emollient-based products. Can be used to build intense colour on the eyelid. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C handle.

RiRi Hearts MAC Makeup Bag - Wrap it all up in the pink metallic sheen of a small rectangular, quilted makeup bag by Rihanna. 6.5" x 4.5" x 1.5" with zipper closure. Limited edition.

I think that this might actually be my favorite of the RiRi Hearts MAC collections, in the other collections I haven't liked any of the face and lip products and this collection is the complete opposite.  A big change with this collection is that the lipsticks are my favorite of the collection and the eye makeup shades don't really do much for me.  I love the fuchsia and the red shades that are included with this collection, the red shade is the original shade that came out when the first RiRi collection was released in the early summer and quickly became a sell out classic.  I am betting that the re-release of this shade with the holiday collection will make a lot of ladies very happy and will cause much more traffic coming to the MAC counters, I was never able to get my hands on it the first time around and now I am very excited to see that I have a chance to buy it again without resorting to Ebay!

The Lipsticks are my first choice from this collection and then the next item that I buy will be the red nail polish made to match RiRi's most famous MAC Lipstick shade.  I only like one of the Eye Shadow Palettes, Pfresh Out is the only eye shadow palette that I am interested in from this collection and I don't know that I like it enough to order it.  Some of the warmer shades are nice but they are nothing special and I am sure that I already own every single one of them from previous eye makeup purchases.  I don't like the other palette and I wouldn't use either of the liquid eye liners so the eye makeup products in this collection hold next to no interest for me and I will be skipping over them completely.  I will also be skipping over the bronzer as I am not a huge fan of shimmery bronzers and I don't use them this time of the year.

I am wondering if the RiRi Hearts MAC collection will continue into the spring months and come full circle early next summer or if this is the last collection in the line.  I guess we will see in the coming months if MAC will be continuing with Rihanna or if they will have a new face for their collections.

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC RiRi Hearts MAC Fall

I missed Rihanna's summer collection for MAC, I remember something about it only being a preview of one or two products and I completely missed the whole preview.  I remember that it came out when I was very busy with work and balancing a couple academic related items and by the time that I was able to get on the website, everything was sold out and I couldn't even click on the products to look at them and tell each of you what was available.  Well I am not missing the fall collection and today we are going to look at the RiRi Hearts MAC Fall collection, many beauty bloggers have been looking forward to this collection for months and I bet that many of the products will be totally sold out within the first few hours of the collection premiering online.

I am going to start by saying that I am not a Rihanna fan, I like her music and fully supported her through all the drama with Chris Brown several years back but I don't love her style and the way that she often presents herself in public.  Personally, I am not excited about this collection and I don't really believe that I will be buying much/anything from this new line.  I am in minority with my opinion here and I am sure that Rihanna's devoted fans will buy the whole collection within days of the release.  I felt that way when Lady Gaga did her stint with Viva Glam and I still value my last tube of the Original shade, one of my favorite MAC associates and I are still trying to match up this shade with something current so that I can continue my love of this lipstick after I have used up the last drop.

But for those of you that love Rihanna...I will fully report on this collection and maybe I will be proved wrong and liked some of the products and hues that she inspired.  I am humble enough to admit that I might be wrong and I don't know everything about beauty so let's check this collection out and see what products were inspired by this superstar!

"Rihanna premieres her perfect palette of fall colour - a range of decidedly daring yet classically gorgeous shades, finishes and tools, all encased in the metallic warmth of rose gold packaging. Lipstick in deep raisin, orange frost, creamy nude and the vivid red of RiRi Woo match gleaming Lipglass, while eyes in contrasting soft and smoky cocoas complement luminous skin."

Here is RiRi Hearts MAC Fall!

Eye Shadow x 4: Her Cocoa - An Eye Shadow Quad in four warm shades: bright bronze gold, soft peach, chocolate bronze and antique gold. The highly pigmented powder formula applies evenly, blends and builds beautifully. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- contains a bright bronze gold (Lustre)/soft peach (satin)/warm antique gold (Veluxe Pearl)/chocolate bronze (Lustre)

Eye Shadow x 4: Smoked Cocoa - An Eye Shadow Quad in four cool shades: shimmering champagne, black with silver pearl, satin charcoal and matte grey. The highly pigmented powder formula applies evenly, blends and builds beautifully. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- contains dirty cool champagne (Veluxe Pearl)/muted mid-tone grey (Matte)/black with silver pearl (Lustre)/dirty black charcoal (Satin)

RiRi Hearts MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash - A lightweight curling, lifting mascara in an intense carbon black pigment. Applies with a petite gripper brush embedded with micro-spheres to give each lash effortless, upward bending definition and extreme volume. Easy wash-off formula. Smudge-free. Lasts 16 hours. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.

RiRi Hearts MAC Liquidlast Liner - A rich, black liquid eyeliner combines long-lasting wear with a non-smudge, non-flake precision line. Goes on effortlessly. Applies with its own brush to draw a perfectly defined line. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Pointblack - black

RiRi Hearts MAC Veluxe Brow Liner - Fills, shapes and defines eyebrows with a rich powdery formula that's matte and velvety smooth in two shades: Deep Brunette and Deep Dark Brunette. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Deep Brunette - muted blackish-brown
- Deep Dark Brunette - dark dirty chocolate

RiRi Hearts MAC 36 Lash - Full lash, creates a naturally dramatic look. If properly cared for, lashes can be reshaped or adorned if desired. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.

RiRi Hearts MAC 35 Lash - Slightly more dramatic length. Provides eye-opening fullness toward the centre of the eye. If properly cared for, lashes can be reshaped or adorned if desired. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.

RiRi Hearts MAC Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips that made M∙A∙C famous. Four limited-edition shades created by Rihanna. In Retro Matte - the signature red of RiRi Woo, the dark plum of Talk That Talk and the creamy cool of Nude. In Frost - the mid-tone orange of Who's That Chick. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Nude - cool nude cream
- Who's That Chick - midtonal orange with frost
- RiRi Woo - matte cool red
- Talk That Talk - matte dark plum

RiRi Hearts MAC Lipglass - Rihanna's first Lipglass debuts in the creamy, cool red of RiRi Woo. High-gloss finish. Wear it alone or with a Lipstick for a glossed look. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- RiRi Woo - cool red cream

RiRi Hearts MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil - A new generation of long-wearing lip pencil technology in two shades created by Rihanna: RiRi Woo and Talk That Talk. Glides on fluidly and adheres instantly. Defines lips with an instant release of rich, saturated colour. Prolongs the hours between re-application. Transfer proof. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- RiRi Woo - cool red cream
- Talk That Talk - dark plum cream

RiRi Hearts MAC Powder Blush Duo - Rihanna's Powder Blush Duo in Hibiscus Kiss combines two shades of M·A·C's celebrated colour for cheeks and face. Cool coral complements a neutral matte bronze in one gorgeous package. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Hibiscus Kiss - cool coral/matte neutral blush

RiRi Hearts MAC Powder Blush - Colour for the cheeks and face in the warm copper of Bad Girl Gone Good created by Rihanna. Satin finish. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C compact.
- Bad Girl Gone Good - warm copper

RiRi Hearts MAC Cream Colour Base - Versatile and multi-purpose, Cream Colour Base can be applied directly to bare skin, or layered over foundation, moisturizer or powder. Apply with a brush, sponge or fingers. Colour effects range from a light veil to highly dramatic, depending on method of application. Fragrance-free. Limited-edition golden shade created by Rihanna in RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Diamonds - golden shimmer cream

RiRi Hearts MAC 282SE Duo Fibre Shader Brush - A dense and rounded, medium-sized paddle-shaped brush. Made from a blend of natural and synthetic fibres. The density and flexibility of the bristles helps apply eye shadow with a multitude of effects, from saturated colour to sheer washes. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C pink handle and rose gold ferrule.

RiRi Hearts MAC 187SE Duo Fibre Face Brush - A large, full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of face powder or Powder Blush. Use to create soft layers or add textures. Made from a soft blend of natural and synthetic fibres. Limited-edition RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C pink handle and rose gold ferrule.

I am not surprised that this really isn't a collection for me, many of the colors would not work at all on my skin and I will be skipping over a big chunk of the new products that were brought out for RiRi Hearts MAC.  My favorite piece of the collection is one that we saw earlier on in the summer months and we got a hint of in the Retro Matte collection that came out earlier in the year, I love the RiRi Hearts MAC Lipstick in RiRi Woo.  A red lipstick from MAC will always be a top choice for me in any collection and this is the only item that I really covert from this collection.  I would also really like to own the matching Lipglass created for this collection, I will be wearing lots of red lip looks this fall and these two shades would be key players in my lipstick rotation.

Even though there is only one item that I really must have in this collection, there are still a few more that I would like to own and would be willing to try on the next time that I visit my counter.  I like both of the Eye Shadow x 4, neither of sets is very unique but they both provide four quality shades that I would be able to use with many shades that I already own and would work well in many occasions.  If I had to choose, I think that the warmer palette is my favorite but I would like to own both of them.  The last items that I rally want are the liquid eye liner and the brushes that were created with this collection, none of these products are must haves for me.  I need another black liquid liner so this is actually practical for me to buy and I love the pink handles of the RiRi Hearts MAC Brushes. 

I know this collection will create a bunch of best selling items and I know that I will be one of the few that doesn't really like this collection.  I might like the products more if they worked better with my skintone but most of these shades just will not be flattering for me and there is no point in me chasing after many of them...

photo courtesy of MAC