MAC Wonder Woman Colour Collection

My last post was the introduction and my overall thoughts about this collection. This post is the product descriptions themselves and all the shades that are being offered. This collection is divided into color products and into accessories that were made especially for the Wonder Woman fans along with this collection. "MAC Spring Colour 2011 is the feminine force that saves the day! No nemesis can match her super-sized Mineralize Skinfinish, Eye Shadows, Lipsticks, and Powder Blush for this transformation! Our Artists work wonders every day - now with the help of one of the most exciting feminist figures..." Now we are going to look at each makeup product individually and look for the winners of this collection.

The Wonder Woman Colour Collection...

Wonder Woman Eye Shadow x 4: Defiance - When it comes to style, act defiant! Your key accessory: This shade combo of Defiance, Paradise Island, Star Studded, and Real Drama. Glossy red/blue/yellow Wonder Woman compact with comic book-style packaging. Limited edition.

- Defiance - iridescent white pink

- Paradise Island - soft warm pink

- Star Studded - mid-tone violet pink

- Real Drama - dark burgundy with pink pearl

Wonder Woman Eye Shadow x 4: Lady Justice - Stand up for style! With its four heroic shades, this limited-edition quad does it all! Add the glossy red/blue/yellow compact with its WW insignia and comic book carton and who wouldn't feel brave? The shades: Lady Justice, Insurmountable, Bold Babe, and Deep Truth.

- Lady Justice - bright silver with white pearl (Frost)

- Insurmountable - dirty blue gray (Veluxe Pearl)

- Deep Truth - true dark blue (Frost)

- Bold Babe - deep metal blue with white pearl (Frost)

Wonder Woman Eye Shadow x 4: Valiant - An Eye Shadow quad that reveals Wonder Woman's power to transform! Bold in colour and design. Glossy red/blue/yellow WW compact with comic book-style packaging. The shades: Valiant, Spinning Transformation, Diana Undercover, and Manila Paper.

- Manila Paper - pale frost white gold (Veluxe Pearl)

- Valiant - light lime with yellow pearl (Frost)

- Spinning Transformation - dark forest green (Satin)

- Diana Undercover - deep olive bronze with yellow pearl (Frost)

Wonder Woman Reflects Glitter - Every girl can be Wonder Woman with these! Two brillantly metallic shades of multi-dimensional Reflects Glitter that go all out to bring unbelivable sparkle to the skin! Special comic book-style carton affirms our passion for this superhero! Limited edition.

- Reflects Pearl - very fine particle glitter with pearl sheen

- Reflects Bronze - sparkling rich gold

Wonder Woman Pigment - With its powered up colour and unrivalled chic shine, Pigment is glamour's true heroine. In this limited-edition presentation, shades Bright Fushcia and Marine Ultra take on an iconic new look when Wonder Woman makes a guest appearance on the packaging!

- Bright Fushcia - bright magenta

- Marine Ultra - vivid marine blue

48 Lash - Longer wispy bundles with an even edge create a flirty fringe that verges on the dramatic.

Wonder Woman Opulash - A superhero mascara! Lashes go dense and dramatic with an anti-gravity high volume curled effect. Longwear, fighting-fit formula offers up to 15 hours of wimp-free wear. Courageously shaded. Bravely stylish! With colour-matched casing and comic book-style carton, this is WW-wonderful! Limited edition.

- Victorious - purple

- Army of Amazons - green

- Themyscira - blue

- Black - black

Wonder Woman Penultimate Eye Liner - Penultimate Eye Liner goes jumbo for Wonder Woman. Creates a fastidiously smooth and precisely deep, dark carbon black liquid line in jet-fast speed. Versatile in its moves: Fashions any kind of line - from bold to superfine. Comic book-style carton makes this a must-have limited edition.

- Rapidblack - black

Wonder Woman Lipstick - Fabulous lips are your best defense. MAC Wonder Woman comes to the resuce with four Lipsticks - each one selected to empower your looks. Signature packaging includes a glossy red/blue/yellow Lipstick shell with WW/MAC logo and comic book-style outer carton. Limited edition.

- Marquise d' - sandy cream peach

- Russian Red - intense blush-red

- Spitfire - bright creamy magenta

- Heroine - brown bronze

Wonder Woman Lipglass - Lasso lips with a power-pop of pure lush colour, limited edition jumbo-sized Lipglass! With our heroine's sense of bravado, this MAC favourite flaunts its superhero status via a glossy red cap, a screened WW logo on the vial and comic book-style carton.

- Emancipation - pale neutral pink

- Wonder Woman - bright red with soft pearl

- Athena's Kisses - bright blue fushcia

- Secret Identity - midtone copper with soft pearl

Wonder Woman Powder Blush - Undoubtly heroic, this special Wonder Woman presentation goes jumbo and doubles the blush-powr with a choice of two shade of MAC Powder Blush. A bright glossy red/blue/yellow compact with its Wonder Woman/MAC logo finds an ally in the comic book-style outer carton. Limited edition.

- Mighty Aphrodite - warm peach coral with gold pearl/bright coral pink with gold pearl

- Amazon Princess - bright yellow pink/deep blue pink with gold pearl

Wonder Woman Mineralize Skinfinish - Only for Wonder Woman! This jumbo-sized limited-edition Mineralize Skinfinish features two shimmer shades and one natural matte shade. Brings heroic dash and larger-than-life dimension to the skin! Its overall impact complemented by its glossy red/blue/yellow compact and comic book-style outer carton.

- Pink Power - peachy rose with pink shimmer/soft rosy bronze/soft shell pink with fine shimmer

- Golden Lariat - true coral with fine gold shimmer/soft suntanned bronze/soft gold with fine shimmer

Wonder Woman Nail Lacquer - The gallant complement to Wonder Woman's palette: Two Nail Lacquers. Like her, strong, resilant, heroically charged with bright, bold colour. A comic book-style carton featuring our hero only adds to the fun! Limited edition.

- Obey Me - true red

- Spirit of Truth - navy blue

Ok so I am not going to rehash anything that was in the initial Overview post on this collection. If I was being practical about the size of the products, the best product for me to buy in this collection would be the large size Penultimate since that is my favorite black liquid liner. Regardless of the size debate on these products, there are still several that I want to buy myself becuase I love them. The first is the Defiance Eye Shadow Quad (the pink and purple) one, it the most unique of three. I also really like the Emacipation Lipglass, the light pink shade. This one will be a staple for me even though it is so big that I doubt that I will even get halfway through it. Face-wise, I want the Blush in Amazon Princess and the Mineralize Skinfinish in Pink Power. To finish it all off, I love the Spirit of Truth Nail Lacquer, I am hoping that if I add a gliter top coat then it might get my close to Ciel de Nuit. However, I don't think that Spirit of Truth is quite dark enough for that but I love the shade anyway.

Next...the acessories that match this colour collection!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Wonder Woman - Overview and Initial Thoughts

It's here! This is shaping up to MAC's biggest spring release of the season. I have seen hints about this collection since early last December and have been very curious about both the shades and the packaging. Packaging-wise, it reminded me very much of how MAC designed Venomous Villians last fall and it seems like they are going all out on one or two collection each season. This packaging will be snapped up by MAC fanatics and Wonder Woman fans and they end up buying at least have of the collection just to display it or add it to their collection. If you aren't a fan of Wonder Woman, you will find that the packaging won't bother you since it is of good quality and doesn't detract from the product itself. Trust me, you will never lose any of this makeup in the bottom of your traincase...

With the exception of the packaging, most of the commentary around this line has centered into two major areas; the size of the products and the re-release of currant shades dressed up for this collection. The size of the many of these products (the Blush and the Mineralize Skinfinish) has jumped up from the typical size, hitting almost twice the size in some cases. This could be great if you find a Holy Grail shade in this collection but I already own so much makeup that I really am not interested in purchasing huge sizes in new shades for I am afraid it would go bad before I get to use it all. In the case of the Opulash mascara, would you really even want a giant sized mascara since it begins to dry out in two to three months? I feel that this could very easily turn into a large waste of money...

This collection also has several releases that have either been out before or are current shades. I am going to zero in on the Lipsticks for this example. Marquise d' has been released before as a limited edition shade and now is being re-released with this collection. Now this is not a new occurence for MAC, we have seen this over many collections and detail oriented fans notice this all the time. This collection also features Russian Red as the major shade of Lipstick in the Wonder Woman look. I firmly agree with the MAC production development team that this a great shade choice for this collection but it is already one of their top selling shades. It is a favorite of mine and I won't even rebuy it in this collection. By the time that I got around to the next tube of it, it would be going bad and I would end up using a sub-par. So this really looks like it was designed to appeal only to major Wonder Woman fans who will buy this all because of the packaging.

So while I am excited about this collection and the new products that are coming out, I can't get myself excited to buy everything in the collection because of the re-released shades and the huge sizes that I may not totally finish before it begins to go to waste. I still have items that I really want and will still do some shopping at the MAC counter but I can't say in truth that I am as excited as I was when I first heard about it.

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Lightfully Bright

Lightfully Bright is the smaller of the two collections that has been released this week from MAC. I actually think that it is shame that this collection was introduced on the same day as Wonder Woman, since Wonder Woman will grab all the attention of the MAC shoppers and this collection gets a bit pushed to the side. I have heard bits and pieces about the MAC Lightful collection over the past few years, especially the skincare aspect of it. I think Lightful was either Pro only or not even available in the United States because it is almost completely unknown.

"Lightful has gained a reputation for a lustrous end-look. We've added new limited-life Lipglass along with Foaming Creme Cleanser, Active Softening Lotion, Charged Essence, and Deep Ultramoisture Creme". I believe that Lightful was recommended as a brightening product and therefore is more in line with traditional Asian skincare than that used in the United States. We shall see how accurate my memory is when we look at the descriptions of the skincare products.

The new collection...

Tinted Lipglass - A unique lip gloss available in a wide variety of colours that can create a high gloss, glass-like finish or a subtle sheen. Designed to be worn on it's own, over Lip Pencil or Lipstick, Tinted Lipglass is the perfect product for creating shine that lasts. It's pigmented, very shiny, and can impart subtle or dramatic colour. Its contains Jojoba Oil to help soften and condition the lips. Tinted Lipglass is packaged in a convenient bottle with a sponge tip applicator that provides a quick, smooth, even application.

- Outer Space - snowy white with subtle pink shimmer

- Astro Cool - light lavender with pink shimmer

- Atmospheric - baby pink with pink and blue shimmer

- Ethereal - pale blue with pink shimmer

Lightful Deep Ultramoisture Creme - Lightweight, gel-like cream. Provides a moisture-locking barrier for long-lasting protection. Instantly hydrates the skin for a smoother skin surface, and helps it look more luminous over time.

Lightful Active Softening Lotion - Hydrating, water-based lotion. Absorbed quickly into skin. Immediately infuses depleted skin with moisture. Leaves it feeling refreshed, soothed, and soft with a more even-toned look.

Lightful Foaming Creme Cleanser - Soothing whipped creamy mousse cleanses and rebalances skin. Rinses quickly, leaving skin feeling clean and comfortable...never stripped or dehydrated.

Lightful Charged Essence - Concentrated, lightweight, gel-like essence. Absorbed quickly into skin. Helps it look and feel smoother, softer, brighter, and more resilient.

I am much more interested in the skincare products in this collection than any of the new color releases. My top pick from the collection is the Deep Ultramoisture Creme, I love gel based moisturizers that are very hydrating and non-greasy. My second interest is the Essence since it it reminds me of the Aquasource product from Biotherm that I can barely find anymore. The only shade of the Tinted Lipglass that I like is Atmospheric, the baby pink shade. All of the others will be unnaturally light and will look odd with my skintone.

photo courtesy of MAC

Laura Mercier Spring 2011 Collection - Silk Road

Laura Mercier's newest spring collection based the hues of the makeup on the products that were shipped along the Silk Road trade routes. I do enjoy when a makeup company bases collections on time periods in the history though I get very disappointed if they stray from the facts or it turns out that nothing matches any of the historical evidence. Laura Mercier states the following as an overall description of this new collection. "Inspired by the precious jewels and raw silks that once traveled the Silk Road, this collection features rich, shimmering shades of violets, neutrals and golds for eyes, and roses for the lips and cheeks." Well, the collection sounds beautiful, now I just want to see how accurate their claim to the history is.

In order to review some history on this line, I decided to ask one of my friends who had done a lot of study into East Asian Studies in her undergraduate degree. I first learned that the Silk Road was actually two trade routes, a north and a south. She wasn't very familiar with the Southern route so I have more information on the Northern route. I am going to make an assumption that if she wasn't familiar with the Southern, then the Laura Mercier collection would be based on the better known Northern Route.

Her response to my question and description of the Silk Road, "The Silk Road was a series of trade routes which stretched from China and Indonesia to the Mediterranean. The Northern route ran west from the capital city of China, Chang'an (now Xian), through Persia, and ended in Constantinople. It was used to spread Buddhism from India to China and to ship silk, jade, porcelain, and other goods to the West. Incense, nuts, and spices were sent to China from Persia". Since Laura Mercier stated that the influences were the silks and the jewels (jades maybe?) so that is what I will be looking to find with some of these shades.

Here is the new collection...

Eye & Cheek Palette - Laura Mercier Eye and Cheek Palette is an of the moment palette that includes 4 Laura Mercier Eye Colours and 2 Cheek Colours in perfect spring shades. This exquisite collection allows you to mix and match eye colours with lively cheek colours to create your own flawless look.

- Eye Shadows -Regal Violet - bold, sparkling violet/Golden Sands - soft pink peach with sparkling gold pearl/Rare Taupe - soft grey taupe with satin finish/Lavender Silk - pale, blue violet with matte finish

- Cheek Colours - Palace Pink - soft pink with shimmering gold/Persian Rose - pink coral with hidden gold pearl

Lip Plumper - Laura Mercier Lip Plumper uses the latest technologies to instantly plump, hydrate, and moisturize for healthier, sexier looking lips. A refreshing, cooling effect builds up over 20 minutes to plump lips, lasting up to two hours. Infusion of unique ingredients pentrate skin, stimulate collagen production and benefically smooth the lip surface. Offer a slight tint to the lips for natural looking lips that are perfectly pouty and kissable.

- Bronzed Berry - deep warm berry with a hint of bronze shimmer

Stickgloss Lip Colour - Laura Mercier Stickgloss cares for your lips while delivering colour in a sheer and sophisticated finish. Part Lip Balm, part Lip Colour, and part Lip Glace. Ultra-hydrating and longer wearing than a traditional Lip Glace.

- Pink Jewel - medium warm pink

- Fuschia - rich vibrant magenta

Liquid Eye Liner - Laura Mercier Liquid Eye Liner adds a touch of interest and delicate ornamentation to your look by gently applying on the upper lid at the lash line. Limited edition.

- Gold Thread - pure gold

Eye Basics - Laura Mercier Eye Basics creates the perfect canvas for eyes by camoflaging eye imperfections and enhancing the durability of eye makeup. Skin friendly ingredients enhance the delicate skin on the eyelids. Botanicals soothe distressed lids. Vitamins A, C, and E provide anti-oxidant protection. Sheer, creamy texture blends easily and smoothly leaving a long-lasting semi-matte finish. Natural clay prevents creasing. Water-resistant. Eyes are primed with this highly versatile product. Use as a primer to alone to add a little color to your eyes. Available in a range of shades to suit all skintones.

Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara - Laura Mercier Full Blown Lash Volume Mascara dramatically thickens, lengthens, curls, and sculpts lashes with each stroke. The lightweight, nutrient-infused formula leaves lashes super-shiny, soft, and clump-free all day long. For thicker, more voluminous lashes: innovative bristle bullet-shaped brush is perfectly engineered to work harmoniously with the advanced Natural Cotton Fiber-infused formula tpo provide high volume, thickness, suppleness, and resistance; uses advanced hair care technology to coat lashes with a "glazing" gel-formula that sculpts, holds, and sets each lash for maximum impact; super-thick, super-full, super-long, super-curled, super-dark.

- Black - black

Kohl Eye Pencil - Laura Mercier Eye Kohl Pencil is formulated specifically for lining the inside of the eyelid and the base of the lashes. Luxurious texture for maximum wearability. Allows anyone to easily achieve the perfect "smoky eye". Soft, creamy formula glides easily along the eyelid. Creates a smooth and well-balanced line. Contains a thicker diameter than the Eye Pencil to create a more pigmented, dramatic effect.

- Antique Jade - deep jade green

Angled Cheek Contour Brush - Laura Mercier Angled Cheek Contour Brush perfectly applies cheek and face products to the contours of the face. Its slanted, rounded shape mimics the angles of your cheekbones for perfect, effortless highlighting and contouring. Custom-sized brush with soft angle expertly shapes cheekbones. Precisely cut, angled shape. Made of 100% natural hair.

Eye Colour Brush - Laura Mercier Eye Colour Brush is a soft 100% natural brush perfectly sized to apply Laura Mercier "cashmere" eye colour the to eyelid and brow bone. Flat bristles with tapered, oval tip. Gently blends edges. Approximately 6 1/2"/16.51 cm.

So we have the colors of the rich silks in the eye shadow/cheek palette. The eye liners cover the jem part of the description with the jade and gold shades. So I will give them points for accuracy in their description and their research before the shade creation. So what do I love from the collection product and shade-wise? My favorite piece from the collection is the palette (which is the star of the collection and the palettes are always my favorite). My second favorite products are the Kohl in the Antique Jade and the gold Liquid Eye Liner. I can live without any of the lip colours so this is an eye makeup only collection for me.

facts on Silk Road courtesy of Adrianne Gren
photo courtesy of Laura Mercier

It's Here! MAC Wonder Woman is Available!

As of this morning, MAC has put their new Wonder Woman collection up on the website for their United States buyers. A huge part of my Most Wanted list was from this collection so this is very exciting for me and I can't wait to begin shopping. I plan to get the collection posted within the next few days but until then I have a picture up of the Wonder Woman face chart.

Happy shopping!

photo courtesy of MAC

NARS Blush

Yes you read that right, today we are talking about the blush shades from NARS. Honestly, I have been using this product for so long that I never realized that I never wrote it up. I first got the Orgasm shade in the end of 2005 and have been using it ever since. There are two formulas of blush from NARS, powder and cream. I have been using the powder formula the whole time and based on how high quality it is, I need to try the cream version of this product.

NARS Blush is iconic and is very often the first product that anyone thinks of when they hear the brand mentioned. The blush is one of their top selling products and has worn many awards from many different fashion and beauty magazines and blogs. Orgasm is the best known of all the shades and has spawned a matching lip gloss, nail polish, and facial luminizer. This past fall, Sephora launched a line of blushes and limited edition matching lip glosses based on the best selling shades from the company.

NARS states, "Made with transparent pigments for a soft and sheer look. Imparts a natural, healthy glow for any skin tone and may be worn alone or layered together for more depth and intensity. Provides a sheer, natural hint of color. Made with transparent pigments to avoid heaviness. Broad selection of shades." I bought both Orgasm and Deep Throat from this product line and love both of them. Sephora provides two additional product descriptions about the Orgasm and Super Orgasm shades on their website. "NARS Orgasm makes cheeks blush a perfect pink-peach flush and subtly highlights with accents of golden shimmer. The perennially pleasing, universally flattering is again and again a makeup artist and beauty editor favorite." "NARS amps up their legendary NARS Orgasm to bring you Super Orgasm - the universally flattering shimmering peachy pink blush with an extra dose of golden sparkle. The super sexy pink flush gives the effect of an ultimate super, um hum, afterglow."

Here are the shades that come in this best-selling blush product...

- Amour - peachy pink

- Angelika - cotton candy with gold particles

- Crazed - raspberry red with shimmer

- Deep Throat - peach with shimmer
- Desire - cotton candy pink

- Dolce Vita - dusty rose

- Douceur - soft pink-brown

- Exhibit A - brillant red

- Gilda - coral

- Gina - tangerine

- Lovejoy - shimmering bronzed red

- Luster - sheer golden apricot

- Madly - seashell pink

- Mata Hari - rose petal pink

- Mounia - cinnamon coral

- Nico - natural glow

- Oasis - sparkling pink champagne

- Orgasm - peachy pink with shimmer

- Sex Appeal - soft peach

- Silvania - terracotta with soft gold shimmer

- Sin - berry with gold shimmer

- Super Orgasm - peachy pink with gold shimmer

- Taj Mahal - burnt orange with shimmer

- Taos - desert rose with shimmer

- Torrid - coral with shimmer

- Zen - neutral beige

Orgasm is the brightest blush shade that I own, hands down. I found that this one flatters me the most in the summer months when I have a bit of a fake tan and use it with bronzer. I find that Deep Throat is more pink than peach even though the description states the exact opposite. Since I have been mostly interested in pink shades, I am looking at this brand for some new shades. Top choices are Angelika, Desire, and Mata Hari. Of the three, Mata Hari is the brightest of pinks and is the one that I am most interested in to complement my pale skin this winter and spring.

Award winners win awards for reasons...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Most Wanted February 2011

This may be the month for Valentine's Day but I prefer to think of it as a month where I will be giving myself lovely beauty gifts. Since I will not be celebrating the holiday, I have decided to spend a day beauty product shopping at Sephora and MAC. And this is the month that MAC introduces Wonder Woman!

My Most Wanted list for this month...


- Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint in Fetish
- DKNY Be Delicious Juiced
- Smashbox In Bloom Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss in Timeless
- Smashbox In Bloom Creamy Cheek Duo
- LUSH Imogen Rose Perfume
- Philosophy Sweet On You 3-in-1
- MAC Wonder Woman Eye Quad in Defiance
- MAC Wonder Woman Nail Lacquer in Spirit of Truth
- Bathed and Infused Whipped Sugar Scrub in Petit Choux
- Lancome Le Vernix in Le 54
- Kiehl's Rosa Artica Face Cream

Hmmm...I normally stick to 10 products a month but I seem to have loved everything so much this time around that I ended up with 11. Oh well, that extra one is to compensate for my least favorite day of the month. Though if I made of list of everything I want from Wonder Woman, I would have a list of over 20 items. Happy shopping!