It's here! Gareth Pugh x MAC!

Well, I was told that Gareth Pugh x MAC was not coming to our Puerto Rico store. I was sold lies. I had already given up and accepted the fact that the only way I was going to get my hands on the collection was only via internet and wouldn't be able to see the products until then. OH BABY! My face was aglow when I walked past the MAC store this afternoon and yes, there in a corner all alone... Gareth Pugh x MAC. I'm pretty sure my squeals were heard all over the mall but I dashed across the hall and straight to the collection section! I had a mini splurge (for my budget) and I'm hoping supplies last until my next paycheck because I do want to get a few more elements from this collection before it ends (of couse, Black Friday is this week but then again, who here in this island knows who Gareth Pugh is?). Also, I'm DYING for Daphne Guinness' collabo with MAC as well (I'm probably more excited for this than I am for this collection) and it's coming out on December 26.

My friends, what a joy it was to swatch every single product from this collection. I was BLOWN AWAY. In the first post I made about this collection I got a few things messed up because of lack of information. I t old you guys about it with what I observed from pictures. Let's set the record straight. The collection consists of 1 powder, 1 blush, 2 pigments, 2 eyeshadows, 1 mascara, 2 eyeliners, 2 lipsticks, 2 lip glosses, a set of eyelashes, a kabuki brush, 3 nail varnishes and one makeup bag. The prices are a little bit higher than your usual MAC products, but when you pay for a limited edition like this one, you're paying for special packaging, product selection/creation and a designer name product with designer quality.

Let's start with the powder. So lovely! The packaging itself weighed about three pounds because everything in this collection is packaged in metal containers, not your usual MAC plastic fantastic. The powder was dewy in finish, it had a bit of highlight and was so soft and creamy. Lovely on the skin, especially pale skins. If there's a downside to this collection in regards to powder and blush, it would be that it's designed for people with really pale skin. But it wouldn't surprise me coming from a designer with a goth edge to his taste.

My little splurge was with the blush. It's called 'Strada'. Now, you get a lot less product than you do with your regular MAC blushes, but again, I paid for a limited edition product. This powder blush retails for $30 and your regular blush would be around twenty something. Well, I'm not disappointed. This blush is so pale to the simple eye. Just apply it and be ready to be amazed. It actually adjusts to your skin tone! It's the perfect balance between blush and natural looking contour. 

The next time I go I really want to get me the "Guise" pigment. It's a pale silver with subtle sparkling. Extremely delicate depending on how it's applied. "Deceit" was lovely. It's also a bit browner than shown in pictures. Sadly, my MAC store didn't receive any eyeshadows so I couldn't test those out. I was really looking forward to swatch out "Ardent". I didn't swatch the eyeliners or the mascara. Now, the eyelashes were something else. Edgy, full and extreme. There were only two left in the store and I decided that maybe someone that would use them more could take advantage of them so I decided to pass. 

Now, the lip glosses? Can you say "Opalescent pucker"? Oh yes. Don't let the pictures fool you. These glosses are amazing. Both are purple colors but they glisten and vary colors like crazy! I was so in love with "Outrage" and I almost got it, but my better sense got a hold of me and I put it down. I'm hoping I can get one when I get my next paycheck. I have to be honest. I was a bit less than impressed with the lipsticks. Like I said in my past post, the darkest lipstick, "Fervent" is very similar to "Cyber" from the permanent collection. "Cyber" is the perfect dupe (except for finish). I wouldn't spend more money on "Fervent" which is barely a tad more violet and has a creamier finish when "Cyber" is almost the same, cheaper and has a lovely satin finish. And I was let down with "Restrict" because it was yet another nude color that didn't work for me. Don't get me wrong, it was a lovely color, just not on me.

Also madly opalescent? Those nail varnishes! The girl that helped me today had on "Inert", which is the silvery opalescent tone. It was just as good on as it was from the tube! "Ascension" was beautiful but "Hyper" was really something else! Blue magic!

Finally, the makeup case. A bit expensive at $75. Like I said before, it looks a bit like a cd case and to be honest, my makeup bags always take a beating so I wouldn't spend that much money on a makeup bag when I can make one myself for waaaaayy less whenever I need to. All in all, this collection is beautiful, more wearable than it looks, very luxe and decadent. I really encourage you to go check it out and see/swatch/get it for yourself. Also, I'm in the search for a new moisturizer. I have quite severe dermatitis and it manifests itself very frequently on my face, so I've been reading reviews about MAC's Complete Comfort Cream Moisturizer and I got a sample today at the store. I just applied it when I washed my face and I'm about to let a tear or two go loose. I haven't felt my skin this soft in almost a year. It's really difficult for me to get my skin nicely moisturized because additional to the dermatitis, I have severely dry skin too. It's always chapped and dull regardless of the copious amounts fo moisturizing, exfoliating and care. I'll keep you guys posted on how this affects my skin. So far, I'm quite sold and I've only tested this once!

Anyways, I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones!

Here's the Skitch: Gareth Pugh x MAC

Let me get this out of my chest first: *SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!*

I CAN'T FULLY EXPRESS HOW EXCITED I AM FOR THIS NEW COLLECTION! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR IT FOR MONTHS AND I MUST DO A POST ON THESE AMAZING NEWS! And now, it will finally arrive in the US on November 23 and will be available internationally in December. Early X-Mas present, y'all! 

This is the british designer's debut makeup collection. He's collaborated with MAC before, but with makeup for the runway. Now, he's finally put his name on the MAC brand and he's giving us a plethora of dark and delicate tastes, just like his designs.

When I read about this collaboration months back, I'd read his inspiration would be beetles and insects with a hard shell. The casings for this collection definitely have a hard edge to them and they have his iconic chevrons and geometrical shapes. If anything is mostly inspired by beetles in this collection, it's definitely most of the color palette. It is simply decadent. You have two sides to this collection: hard edge and fragile. I guess that's what really excites me about this collection. I've always been drawn to Pugh's mono palette. Black and white are like a magnet to me and this collection represents just that but in wearable colors that can translate beautifully and elegantly on a woman's (or man's) face. 

The collection consists of three AMAZING opalescent nail colors, two contrasting lipsticks, two glosses, a mascara, two eyeliners, two color pigments, three rich eyeshadows, and what I'm guessing is a really pale colored powder. Also, some angled false lashes are included in the collection ("NEED IN MY LIFE LASHES"), like the ones shown on the campaign picture. The collection also comes with a square based kabuki brush and a pyramid stud-like shaped bag. The prices range from $15- $75.

Like I mentioned above, if Pugh did stick to the beetle inspiration, it is most evident in the nail varnishes. They're three colors: a silvery opalescent hue, a GORGEOUS opalescent violet and an opalescent true blue. I think saying they're only three colors is limiting because the variation of tones each varnish has is pretty extended. The packaging is simple, clean yet intricate. The trademark pyramid stud design is imprinted on each vial and you get just a peep of the color which I think is fantastic because it opens up the surprise level when you apply the color. 

The lipsticks are heavily contrasted. You've got a nude color and a dark purple color. Mono translated into beauty. I'm most positive the dark purple is Cyber (which I own and happens to be one of my favorite MAC lipsticks). It's a satin finish and very long lasting. Definitely for girls who aren't afraid to add a dramatic punch of color to their look. It wouldn't surprise me if MAC decided to use a color from their permanent collection for this limited one as the tend to do that sometimes. I'm not sure about the nude color though, so I'll have to get back to you on that one. I'm a little sceptic about nude colors on me by past experiences, but it's never a bad thing to have one on hand. They're great for toning down colors and who knows? Maybe it'll translate beautifully on you. You never know how a color will suit you until you try it so by all means, go to your local MAC store once the collection arrives to try it on. I will!

Both glosses turn to variations of purple stardust. The darkest color would go great over the Cyber lipstick. Looks like a Dazzleglass to me because of the silvery specks. The light purple Lustreglass can be a real surprise and I'm really excited to try it on. It could add the perfect twist over the nude lipstick or you could use it over Cyber and get an effect similar to the one shown on the campaign picture. Once again, the packaging is divine. I adore the pyramid formation on the top part of the wand. 

The eyeshadows blow me away in the sense of their wearability. These colors are staple pieces to any makeup palette because you can either play them up or down. The nude colored shadow looks lovely for highlighting or getting a naked look. The deep plum color would be great for the crease or all over the lid. It adds a fantastic punch of bold color. They're both matte/satin finish so the application could be a bit stubborn sometimes, but the result is divine. The gunmetal blue-ish grey is a universally flattering color I think. It's a cold grey so it can play up any brown colored eye and make it pop. It also has a bit of metallic sheen on it so it's good for the range of finishes on this shadow sampler. The packaging on these is just lovely. It looks quite sturdy so I'm guessing you won't have to worry about traveling issues with these babies. They also have mirrors in the casing (HUZZAH!), so that is a plus! If you're used to traveling with an extra mirror plus all of your shades, this will make it easier for you in so many degrees. So excited for this!

I myself am a pigment enthusiast. Oh, the possibilities! I'm especially excited for the silvery colored pigment. I'm quite positive it has a metallic finish so I really want to test out some foiling techniques with Fix+ with it. You could also use it over the Cyber lipstick to create a two-toned effect on your lips like it's shown on the campaign pictures. Perfect for inner eye corner highlighting or all over the lid. The dark purple one is similar to the eyeshadow but this one is a bit more silvery and colder (if you must). Looks incredibly rich! I would like to find out how much product you are getting for your money though. MAC pigments have been increasingly reduced on their size for practically the same amount of money. Hopefully you'll still get the same amount here with this new packaging.

For the liners, Pugh kept it simple and multi-functional. Black and silver liners in twist up tubes that are very sleek. These are versatile with the range of shadows and pigments provided in the collection and also with any other colors. What more popular liner color than black? These are great for dramatic looks and the packaging is great for travel. No sharpeners needed here! The Studio Fix Bold Black Lash mascara seems a bit gray-ish in the picture but it is intensely, carbon black. This mascara is perfect for lengthening, adding drama and volume to your lashes. It is also known for it's long lasting qualities.

Now, I'm not sure if this is power or highlighter but I'm leaning towards a very pale powder. I guess I can't say much about this until I try it other than the texture that has been pressed on to the product is really interesting. It's the same one that's been applied to the shadows too. Again, the packaging looks great and I'm hoping that compact does come with a mirror inside.

The kabuki/buffer brush is just so neat! Square handle and flat surface = perfect for placing it standing up on your makeup desk. It's made from natural fibers (probably goat hair like their traditional buffer brush)  which means it's extra soft. Last but not least, the bag. It does resemble somewhat of a CD case of some sort, but I'm only looking at a 2-D picture here, guys. I might be wrong. It could be really awesome and huge and fit every piece of this collection in there. It's incredibly structured, just like the packaging aesthetic for the whole collection and it is sleek, goth and really cool. I might not get this if I splurge a bit on this collection (le sigh, dreams~), but maybe the great padding will convince me otherwise that my products will be safely tucked and protected. Anyways, I doubt I'll be getting it. It costs $75 (eek!), and with my experience with makeup bags... NO. 

Well, my excitement bursts from every pore. I'm definitely into those nail varnishes, pigments, shadows and definitely the false lashes (sorry guys, no picture of them other than the campaign one). I'm over the moon I finally got a glimpse of this collection for which I have been dying to see for months. Either way, if this collection does have some permanent collection elements in it, I'd say just buy the regular ones because they might be a bit over priced because of the packaging. You do however, want to invest in the new products that have been especially made for this range.

Pugh has definitely maintained his fashion taste vibrant in this rich hued collection which is basically what it's all about! So, maybe there's more to this collection. MAC has the last word and it's still not up on their site for viewing. After all, this is a sneak peek at it, but if it's just what's shown here I am indeed a happy camper. See you November 23!!!!

Special thanks to Fashionotes.com for the breaking news and great pictures. Check them out here!