MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions – review, photos & swatches
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photos: we heart this
Emotions rarely come one at a time. Most often, the combos make sense. If you’re excited, you’re also happy. If you’re fearful, chances are you’re probably anxious as well. But sometimes when you’re REALLY all a-flutter, the emotions clash. I am a rollercoster of feeling when it comes to the MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions collection. And it’s one of the most exciting combos – joyful and jealous!
The collection came about when MAC asked a slew of bloggers (approximately 80) to submit a dream lipglass or eye shadow; including the name and inspiration behind it. Nine products were chosen, the bloggers were flown to Canada, paired up with chemists in the lab, and they created the product. Can you imagine? I know there is not one makeup addict out there that didn’t feel pangs of jealousy.
But the much larger side of this emotion combo is joy. That one of the biggest and most beloved makeup brands in the world would look to bloggers for inspiration makes me so incredibly proud. And overwhelmingly joyful for the nine blogs that got to see their dreams come true right before their eyes and be part of this history making process. It’s an honor as a fellow blogger to live vicariously through you. And exciting as a beauty junkie to see what you cooked up for us…
Eye Shadows
{click the links to read more about each blogger’s inspiration for their shade}
Beauty Blogging Junkie
Sparkle Neely, Sparkle – medium, reddish brown with greenish-gold glitter
This is a brilliant reference to the cult classic film Valley of the Dolls. It’s a line from the movie and the shade is a nod to the heavy lidded, pill popping characters brimming with 60s glamour.
Temptalia
Jealous Wakes – emerald green with teal and a flash of gold shimmer
Based on the “anguish of jealousy,” the shade shows the beautiful and somewhat twisted depths that green can have, as it shimmers from emerald to teal and back again, with that tiny bit of gold shimmer popping through. Just like the emotion, there’s unexpected sides to this shade.
The Makeup Girl
Hocus Pocus – dark, grey-leaning taupe with silver shimmer
Ah, mysteries of the smoky eye. This shade was developed so that anyone could use it, no matter what their coloring or skill level was. A smoky eye so easy, it’s like magic!
Lipstick Powder N Paint
Parisian Skies – dusty blue grey with a subtle metallic blue sheen
Makeup mimics art. Specifically Claude Monet’s painting “La Promenade, la femme à l’ombrelle” and the ominous but beautiful stormy sky it shows.
from left: Caqui, Nitro:licious 2046, All Of My Purple Life, Evolution Revolution, Sonoran Rain
Lipglass
{click the links to read more about each blogger’s inspiration for their shade}
Makeup and Beauty Blog
Evolution Revolution – sheer, peachy pink with pink, purple and gold micro glitter
This beautiful, coral-esque hue is based on a sunset spent with best friends. The story not only makes me feel all warm and fuzzy (and want to hug Tyna), but it adds a warm and milky sparkling glow to all it touches.
Nitrolicious
Nitro:licious 2046 – opaque, bright blue-based red
Inspired by Wong Kar Wai’s movie, 2046, specifically the lead actress’ qipao (the traditional Chinese dress). It’s an intense, extra shiny red that will make red lovers everywhere very happy!
from left: Caqui, Sonoran Rain, Evolution Revolution, Nitro:licious 2046, All Of My Purple Life
The Shades of You
Sonoran Rain – opaque red orange with gold, silver and red shimmer
This Arizona based blogger is influenced by the gorgeous landscape around her; the golds, reds, oranges and browns of the desert. The twist is the silver shimmer that represents the rain that hits the region during monsoon season.
Beauty Maverick
Caqui – opaque, persimmon orange creme
Aimed to be an original, universally flattering, on-trend lip glass. I think she totally hit the mark, especially on originality. I have nothing like this in my stash (which is saying something for a gloss addict!)
Afrobella
All Of My Purple Life – opaque, dark grape with silver and purple shimmer
A love song to purple, the name comes from the first line of the song Erotic City by Prince. It is indeed, the ultimate purple. And a shade as bold and beautiful as the blogger herself.
Here’s a closer look at some of the products that worked best for me…
Caqui Lipglass
Evolution Revolution Lipglass over MAC’s In Synch lip pencil
Nitro:licious 2046 Lipglass
A smoky eye with Hocus Pocus on the outer eye, crease and smudged over black liner, Lancome Erika F. on the inner eye
Getting catty with Jealousy Wakes on the outer eye and crease, and the lighter shade of MAC’s Fresh Green Mix on the inner eye (a golden green).
Brava ladies, brava! we heartsters, which Bloggers’ Obsession is your must -have?
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
This such a great concept. It’s awesome that MAC is taking into consideration the impact that bloggers have in the beauty world. Evolution Revolution is going on my shopping list!
I totally love your smoky eye with “Hocus Pocus” @stef. You got the smudge part down over black liner.I agree, Kirsten, this is one powerful platform- the Bloggers are the new go-to-girl in the beauty world! A voice you can trust! :)
I love the concept behind this collection! And while I was insanely jealous, I was so happy for the bloggers that were chosen. However, I’m not that excited about the actual colors.
I LOVE this concept. I also love that they all seem to be wearable AND flattering to about any skintone! It’s definitely not one of those collections where you can on pick one favorite…
But I think my purchase would be for Sparkle Neely, Sparkle and Caqui. I cannot get away from my love for browns AND sparkly eyeshadow. And Caqui is just another reason I need to get on the coral/orange bandwagon. I can wear it, it just makes me a little nervous. BUT Caqui seems softer and flattering. A baby step into orange tones! :-)
Even though I’m broke at the moment, I had to get Jealousy Wakes. I’m a green shadow fan and this looks gorgeous. I also want Sparkle Neely and Parisian Skies. I am terribly jealous, I’d love to develop my own eyeshadow.
Nitro:licious 2046 just really speaks to me . . . it is saying VA VA VOOM!
@stef I really love this color on you. Personally, I think everyone should have a good looking red like this one in their makeup stash.
That green shadow is gorgeous, love the yellow and green cat eye look you did. I want to know what My Purple Life looks like on, I worry that even on me it might be too goth.
Have you seen Afrobella in it? She rocks it something FIERCE:
http://www.afrobella.com/2011/06/21/all-of-my-purple-life-and-the-mac-bloggers-obsession-collection-on-sale-today/
I want Hocus Pocus so bad now and it’s sold out! I’m like way way too late I know haha. It’s such a gorgeous dark gray..perfect for effortless smokey eye just like you said, Stef.
This is one of my favorite things that MAC has done – what a smart move. And Temptalias’s backstory on her shadow is incredible. Her persistence in getting Jealousy Wakes perfect for herself and her readers is just awesome. And it worked! It’s stunning and by far my favorite of the bunch. If I could only pick one item from the collection, that’d be it. Parisian Skies comes in a very close second though – that’s pretty much my perfect blue. And Sparkle Neely, Sparkle is right up there, too. So wearable and gorgeous looking. I’m really curious to see some pics of My Purple Life too, though. It’s a cool color, but I know I could never pull it off – would love to see a look that could. Probably the only lipglass I could wear out of them all is Sonoran Rain – that looks like my perfect brick red, plus I’m in love with the red rocks out west, too. Great post!!
@stef, you have Erika F!!?? So not fair!
Ok, this collection is very, very nice!! I love that MAC really took the time to listen to their fans/bloggers. It looks like the payoff was worth it!!
Hocus Pocus is amazing! I am a huge fan of greys and taupes. Put them together and you really do have magic!! Jealousy Wakes is very pretty as well. It is a true emerald green which I think is sometimes hard to find. It looks great with blue eyes but I think that it would work very well for brown as well. But I wonder if Parisian Skies would look the best with my brown eyes? It is also very pretty. Choices, choices!!
Nitrolicious and All My Purple Life are stunning! They are certainly very bold colors. But I am most attracted to these two shades. I wonder if my lips could pull either one of these off. They are just lovely!
What a great idea MAC! How fun that must have been to work with a chemist and develop your own shade…I’m drooling at the prospect! Of course Hocus Pocus had me the most excited, as I can’t get enough of those grey/taupe colors. The inspiration behind these colors was brilliant and hats off to MAC for yet again thinking outside of the box!
I received Sparkle Neely Sparkle and I’ve got to say- it’s PERFECT. Bless you Amber (Beauty Blogging Junkie)! It’s the perfect coppery, golden brown. A small amount gives a gentle wash of color, and the color builds quickly and easily to give easy neutral bedroom eyes. And all that subtle glitter? Smooth as butter! There’s no grit or chunky-ness here.
And Ev-Rev? Totally bought it as soon as the collection went live, hahah! I love it.
Yay – I’m glad you love Sparkle Neely Sparkle Amanda @mandaleem – I was tempted to test that one – the backstory on the name is enough to make me fall and love. Plus I love browns, but I thought it was a little too gold and glittery – glad I was wrong!And sad – the color is such a pretty copper…One more item to add to my MAC list.
This time, it’s the shadows that have me obsessing, and I was lucky enough to find the heavenly Parisian Skies in my mailbox! Even bluer and more luminous than it appears in the pot, this is possibly my favorite blue ever. The swatch photo captures Parisian’s subtle sheen, so rich that even a non-blue-wearing girl would love it. And it blends like a dream, too. Now I’m convinced I need more from this collection: Hocus Pocus for sure, and after seeing your pics, @stef , I need Jealous Wakes, too!
Jealousy Wakes is such a pretty color. I love this entire collection not because I want to wear it all, but because of what it stands for. The power of the beauty blogger! Of course I still want to own about half of it. I’m very impressed with the chosen ladies ability to come up with 1 product that they actually want made. If I had been asked about this I think I would have exploded with ideas… Give me pink! No green! Now add glitter! No shimmer! Wait, about about some purple?!
Oh my, I got me some All My Purple Life! It sure is as purple as it looks! Strange thing about purple is that it doesn’t usually look as startling on as one may expect…usually, though not this time. This purple is bright and the gloss is thick so that it looks like vinyl. Impressive for clubbing but hard to pull off for every day. It’s ok, though, I found a way…
Where on earth do you get Erika F?!
@julia – Europe! I have family in England who ordered it for me from Lancome’s European site. I wish I could have got a whole box full.