MAC Toledo Collection: Swatches Part 1 and First Impressions!

MAC's collaboration with Isabel and Ruben Toledo is probably one of the most fun and eye-catching makeup releases of the entire 2015 Spring season. You can imagine I spent HOURS just taking product shots and swatches. I'll also be doing some looks as soon as I can, so stay posted!

First off, the collection features the following. (Please note there are a couple of items which are pending at present time, and I'll update the blog with visuals of the full collection as soon as they arrive.)

• 3 "Eye Shadow x 6" palettes
• 3 Blush Ombres *1 shade pending
• 3 Nail Lacquers
• 6 Lipsticks (Matte) *1 shade pending
• 6 Lipglasses
• 4 mascaras *1 shade pending
• 1 Makeup Pouch *visuals pending
• 1 Makeup Brush
• 3 Eye Pencils *visuals pending

The white packaging features Ruben Toledo's eclectic graphic designs, and are collectible in their own right. But all the packaging in the world can't make a good collection if the products don't actually perform. And I'm happy to say there are lots of gems in this collection.

Before I get into the swatches, I'll say first that my absolute favorite products in the entire collection are the lipsticks. They're ALL matte, ALL intense, ALL beautiful colors.

MAC Toledo lipsticks: (from left) Sin,Opera, Tenor Voice, Barbecue, Oxblood

If the sheer, glossy Lustre lipsticks in the Red, Red, Red collection aren't quite up your alley, you'll be VERY happy with the ones in the Toledo collection.

• Oxblood - nude with an apricot/peach undertone (like a paler sister of Kinda Sexy)
• Barbecue - tangerine red (a little more orange than Lady Danger)
• Tenor Voice - true red (similar to Ruby Woo but a touch warmer)
• Victoriana - cherry-pink red; I'll update with a swatch as soon as I receive the product
• Opera - deep blue-red (a less brown version of Russian Red)
• Sin - dark blackened plum (Diva with more noir)

Of these shades, only Sin tended towards the dry side and dragged on the skin when applied, similar to the Retro Matte texture you find in Ruby Woo. The rest were very creamy and smooth to apply.

Strangely enough, I would have thought they'd name Sin Oxblood, since that's more of an oxblood color, but - oh well!

MAC Toledo Lipglasses: (from left) Sin, Opera, Victoriana, Barbecue, and Oxblood

The Lipglasses are equally pretty, and very pigmented. The shades are all coordinated with the lipsticks, so if you want extra drama you can simply layer the matching shades over one another.

[Update] I actually missed out Tenor Voice when swatching these.
And you'll see why here.

Tenor Voice is the Lipglass that I missed out. And the 3 reds in the collection are so close in Lipglass format that I didn't even really realize I missed out one.

• Tenor Voice - true red
• Victoriana - red with a hint of cherry-pink
• Opera - red with a hint of blue undertone

I daresay you can get away with picking just 1 out of the 3 reds. These are very close to each other.

Now the Blush Ombres... ahh.

These aren't anything new, and Estee Lauder has ombre blushes in their permanent collection, but these are still pretty regardless. If you've missed previous releases, make sure to grab these with the Toledo collection because the motifed case is much cuter than the original round packaging with the see-through plastic lid.

Toledo Blush Ombres: Azalea Blossom and Kindergarten Red

There's a 3rd shade, Ripe Peach (peach ombre to tan) which hasn't reached me yet.

Ombre blush shades always look like they might be quite scary but if you've ever tried them before you'll know they are very soft and wearable colors. At the same time, I'm not sure if these would work on those with very dark skin, because they MIGHT go on slightly too pastel.

Still, both shades are gorgeous (I swatched them with an ombre effect so you can see how it would look on the skin) and I can't pick a favorite.

MAC Modern Twist Lash mascaras: Cligrafy, Tarot, and Vynil (yes it's spelt like this on purpose - at least I hope so)

I have to say I haven't had time to try the Modern Twist Lash formula yet, so I won't do a performance review here, but there are 4 shades available with the collection. Black, purple, a deep peacocky blue-green which is quite subtle, and a lime (which I don't have with me).

From the brush alone, I'm not entirely sure how obvious Caligrafy would be on the lashes - especially if you have dark hair. It's quite a subtle ultramarine.

The 3 palettes are the most eye-catching, but I do have to say the performance is not consistent. For every palette, the last shade on the right (dark matte) was consistently patchy and hard to apply. Most of the rest are quite smooth though.

Also, do remember that many of the shades are in the permanent collection, so unless you're a collector, make sure you swatch in the store and are sure you don't already own the shades you like most. 

MAC Toledo Bellgreens palette swatches 

All the shades in the Bellgreens palette were very smooth, except for Sushi Green, which was very patchy, gritty and hard to apply evenly.

MAC Toledo Moodyblu palette swatches 

If you like strong payoff and silky pigmentation, then the Moodyblu palette is probably one that would score the lowest points out of the 3, even though the colors ARE pretty.

Idol Eyes is a Lustre shadow in the permanent collection and not the easiest shade to work with because the flakes of sparkle fall all over and don't like to stick to the lids without a good base. You should not touch it with your fingers too much or it can seal over. Indigogo is very gritty and again, without a good base, the gold glitter in the matte blue will fall off. Exotic Purples was just very uneven and not easy to work with.

MAC Toledo Violetwink palette swatches 

Violetwink is probably my favorite in terms of the colors. It has 3 pinks and neutrals on the left, and 3 violet tones on the right, so you can wear it for a variety of occasions. But again, Overnight and Frizzyplum on the right are quite difficult to work with compared to the rest. (And I fancy myself quite an expert swatcher to begin with...)

Still the 4 shades on the left more than make up for it. Sweet Allure, French Clay, and Tendersmoke I don't remember having seen before and definitely are not in the permanent collection. And they're gorgeous. Stars 'n' Rockets is a popular favorite for pink/purple shadow lovers, so if you don't already own it, its inclusion in this palette allows you to create slightly brighter looks.

I'll get down to doing a few makeup looks with some of these colors soon - and also add on visuals of the items which are pending, but these are just my first impressions of the collection. Overall, I really like it and I'd definitely suggest everyone check out the lipsticks and glosses.

In Singapore, the collection launches 27 Feb in Sephora ION, and 3 Mar island-wide.

VDL Candy You Makeup Swatches

Hip Korean beauty brand VDL's Spring 2015 makeup collection is called Candy You, and features 2 bright matte lipsticks (SGD38) and an eye quad (SGD58) in shimmery spun sugar colors.

The Expert Color collection is VDL's premium makeup range, and tends to feature richer pigmentation and stronger colors, which explains the higher price compared to their more affordable general line of makeup.

The palette is Expert Color 09 Rainbow Popsicle. A very fitting name for the translucent sparkly tones.

It's not the most pigmented quad from the line by any means, but the look is mean to be translucent and girly anyway.

I would pair these with a brown liner just for a bit more definition, although that brown shade is rich enough to define the socket and lash line in most cases. I would DEFINITELY recommend pairing the pale shades with a deeper one at the lash line (so don't wear them alone). Otherwise you can look a bit puffy and rabbity, as with cases where you're wearing a lot of pale shimmery colors together.

The lipsticks on the other hand, pack a lot of wow.

The Expert Color Lip Cubes are one of my favorite Asian lip color lines around, for the intensely saturated color and long-wearing performance. Now they've come out with Lip Cube EX, and the 2 shades in the Candy You range are a "sensual matte" texture. They're similar to MAC's mattes. Very creamy and intense but also truly matte.

I applied the bright coral, 03 Heyy, over a bit of  balm so that's why it looks quite creamy here.

04 My Valentine is a bright purple-pink.

Do note that these are swatched and shot in artificial light, and because these are such bright pigments, they tend to look different in different lights. (I personally like them more in daylight.)

Dior Spring 2015 Kingdom of Colors - Dior Vernis 294 Lady and Top Coat Eclosion 001

Dior Vernis in Top Coat Eclosion 001 and 294 Lady

Dior's Spring 2015 Kingdom of Colors features quite a fun and eclectic mix of colors, but there are 2 particularly fun items that I've been playing with the past week. 

2 of the 4 varnishes launched with the collection; 

• 294 Lady - a dusty mauve-pink creme
• 001 Top Coat Eclosion - a multi-colored and -shaped speckled top-coat in opaque pastel colors

If you want the ladylike look for Spring, 294 Lady is perfect. But if you like things a little more "Springy" and fun, that top-coat works beautifully over any bright or pastel creme polish. 

Applied over pastels, they looks like little sprinkles on a cupcake. Yum.

Dior Vernis 294 Lady, with Blossoming Top Coat 001 

Chanel Printemps 2015 Reverie Parisian Spring Makeup Picks

Can I just begin by saying I LOVE the Chanel Printemps 2015 Reverie Parisian makeup ad? That grouping of kohl-rimmed eyes, pale fresh skin, soft cheeks and a deep cyclamen berry mouth is just beyond gorgeous. 

The key piece I did NOT get was the pretty dusty rose blush. Beautiful as it is, the color swatched on the skin was just a little too similar to tons of other dusty natural pink shades in the Chanel (or even Bourjois) range. 

I was personally just more attracted to the unique deep violet-rose lip and nail shade. 

It's not quite red enough to be berry, too deep to be fuchsia, not bright enough to be magenta, and not crazy enough to be called a purple. 

It's just - pretty!

Now, UNLIKE the campaign visuals (where it looks like a deep rose shade), the actual shade is a lot more violet in real life. And for some reason the pics also seem to be showing up much brighter and more blue on Blogger than it does on my main blog. (What's up with that, Blogspot?)

If the lipstick looks just a bit too blue-toned or deep for you, go with the glossimer. 194 Crazy Fuchsia is definitely one of Chanel's more pigmented Glossimers, and will give you good color payoff while having a softer, shimmery dimensionality and translucency. 

The violet iridescence is suspended in a reddened-pink base so it's also a good deal more neutral. Not quite so cool toned.

The nail polish is a true cool-toned deep berry shade with a subtle blue-ish pearl running through it. Again, it is much more violet than it appears in the campaign image above, but I actually love it more in real life. Rose is not a hard color to find. This sort of a deep berry is much more unique, fun and edgy. 

Have you checked out the range yet?

MAC Lightness of Being Collection

MAC Lightness of Being (2015)

MAC's 2015 Lightness of Being Collection will be the first collection to usher in the Spring season, and is inspired by the creator of the modern dance movement, Martha Graham. The line features soft, dreamy, spun-sugar Mineralize products embossed in woolen patterns. 

The powder textures - typical of mineral products - are highly shimmery and very translucent in texture. If you want to intensify these, you can dampen your brush slightly. Either way, get ready for a lot of sparkle. 

Lightness of Being Mineralize Eyeshadow Swatches: Force of Nature, Leap, and Uninhibited

I received 3 of the 6 shadows for review, a blush and a Mineralize Skin Finish powder. 

The re-releases include the 2 MSFs, Lightscapade and Perfect Topping. Lightscapade is available in the permanent collection, so of course I picked Perfect Topping for review. This slightly pink-hued champagne shade is beautiful as a cheek highlight, and not too ashy-pale for medium to tan golden based skins, as Lightscapade can be.

Mineralize Skin Finish in Perfect Topping, and Mineralize Blush in Please Yourself

The blushes including Please Yourself, swatched here, I'm not too fond off, simply because of the sparkle overload. If you pop this over your cheeks, it will emphasize enlarged pores and any skin irregularities. Sparkle is fine on the cheekbones, lids and lips, but not on the cheeks in my opinion.

MAC Perfect Topping and Please Yourself worn on the cheeks

I haven't had an opportunity to play with the Mineralize lipsticks but the Mineralize Glasses are as lightweight and comfortable to wear as usual. The colors are a little too soft to make much of a statement on their own, so they're better as "toppers" over other lip shades.

Lip swatch: MAC Mineralize Glass in Poetic

Plum Pastel Eyes with Ballerina Pink Cheeks and Lips

Pastel Eyes: MAC Aqua, with MAC Lovely Lily pigment and Circa Plum pigment

Step 1: Pack a matte pastel aqua over the inner half od the lids (MAC Aqua).

Step 2: Apply a sift shimmery pastel mauve (MAC Lovely Lily limited edition pigment but there are plenty of soft shimmery purples around) over the outer halves of the lids.

Step 3: Apply a deeper grey-violet (MAC Circa Plum pigment) to the outer halves of the socket line. 

Step 4: Apply a metallic green liner (Bourjois #44 Golden Grey Session) right to the inner corners of the eyes, and a deep metallic plum (Rimmel Exaggerate in #220 Perfect Plum) along the outer 3/4 of the upper and bottom lash line. Do a thicker wing towards the outer half of the upper eye. 

Step 5: Finished with mascara.

Everything else is kept soft and sweet in ballerina pinks.

On the cheeks: 

• Essence Blush Souffle in 01 Ballerina Pink
• MAC MSF in Blonde

On lips: 

• Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake