I have completely lost my muse recently... I have been distracted and tired and not at all inspired. I've been doing a lot of beauty reading - Google Reader is a ready enabler for a bad case of procrastination by way of Writer's Block- and there are so many great writers out there that it's easy to get derailed from one's own agenda and get lost in someone else's.
I've been waiting for my muse, and I'm not sure where she's been. I sniffed for her in my BPAL stash, and I thought she danced by, but she was too quick for me. (She's often found there, but she's being quite quite difficult recently) I momentarily thought she was going to be found in that new Clinique gloss I've been loving, but she wasn't - at least not for long. Flipping though the new Bliss catalog, sadly she was nowhere to be found. I haven't lowered myself to wandering the virtual-aisles of Sephora.com waiting for my muse to poke me, but I thought it was going to come to that.
Then, today, I stopped by the MAC counter, and it's possible I found her. Time will tell, of course, but I just had to come home and tell you about some great finds!
It's very sad, but I'm completely head-over-heels for Dazzleglass. This is the second time I've been at the counter with this collection, and let me tell you it's hard not to just yell "I'll take one of each! Wrap 'em up!!!"
I've been wrasslin' with my muse to come up with description of these, and I think the best I can do is remind you old folk of the Reeses commercial where two people bumped into one another and said "hey, you got chocolate in my peanut butter!" and "hey, you got peanut butter on my chocolate!" It's like that but different. Imagine if 3D Glass ran into Lacquer and then got hit with Lustreglass and a handful of Reflects Glitters. Voila: Dazzleglass!
(If you're new to MAC, that didn't help, did it? Let's just say this is a fairly thick but not sticky, soft-on-the-lips gloss with great multi-tonal reflective shimmer and leave it at that, ok?)
Dazzleglass best-of-the-best:

Above is Pleasure Principal (Clear white violet, teal and white pearl) which is a must for any cool-toned chica (like moi). I think this is Lustrewhite's fashionable older sister: a clear gloss with shimmers, yes, but these shimmers are bright (but not over the top) and busily glinting away, reflecting amazing shades of purple and blue and green while somehow still not looking too trendy or immature. I consider this a must-try (and will probably need backups for my own stash!). Warm-toned gals, try Sugar Rimmed for a similar result (despite what the description says - "milky pale pink with red, teal and white pearl" - this is a warmer toned gloss).
Below, find Funtabulous (It's purple with violet pearl). It's spectacular. I can't stop swiping this stuff on! (and alas, one must, because it doesn't have tons and tons of staying power - it's good, but it's not "longwear" by any stretch of the imagination) This color just makes me smile. I put it on alone or over a pink, but maybe tomorrow I'm going to put it over one of my purple lipsticks (Full Blown?). That should make the spa ladies scared, no? ;)

I was starting to feel my muse nearby, but wasn't 100% positive she was there - maybe because I already owned a few of these Dazzleglasses? Maybe because I have a few and have been using them all week? Regardless, at lease I was feeling encourage.
And then I saw Naughty Nauticals. Really a truly stellar collection, it blew me away! Well, please understand my stash is so ginormous that I don't need to add stuff unless it's really spectacularific (hullo, Dazzleglass! I mean, geez, there's a blue one for gosh sake!) so I didn't buy out the counter. But if you're still avidly collecting or especially if you're new to MAC, this collection is worth checking out!
Let me tell you about the standouts:
- Been with MAC for years? Maybe slightly jaded or just getting really picky? Check out:
- Party Mate |
MAC often bills lipsticks as "sheer midtone pink" and that's how they've labelled this one, but it's actually a fabulous rose. If you loved Longstem Rose Slimshine, you'll want to check this out. It would be a fabulous addition to the permanent collection which is sadly lacking in rose shades
- Love Knot |
When I saw it I figured, "
Ah, there it is, the standard pale pink offering of the collection." I'm such a cynic. But as I dutifully swatched it, I realized there's nothing standard about this gloss! In case you weren't really paying attention, read the description again: "sheer pink with blue & white duochrome". SHUT UP! It's a pink lipglass with a blue and white duochrome, man! It's soooo pretty! LOVE.
- Got a decent collection, but still jonesin' for more? Check out:
- Lark About |
This pigment is described by MAC as "sheer frosty white blue" and I guess that's exactly what it is. If you don't have a tone of nearly-white pigments, this one is a great one. In fact, I almost took it to the register with me, but talked myself down because I already have 2 jazillion pigments I don't use now! If you love that oh-so-current frosty/white trend, pick this up. If you have Crystal Avalanche, you may not need this. Yes, Crystal Avalanche is a pressed shadow, but it's still a similar color! I used to work for MAC -don't question me! ;)
- Illegal Cargo |
This is a really nice shade of muted purple, described as "midtone frosty grey plum". I really liked it and had it out on the counter for consideration, but then looked over at Shale and realized they were fairly similar. I swatched, and indeed they are - Illegal Cargo is lighter by a hair, but they are of the same ilk. If you have Shale and don't use it much, you may want to pass, but if you're a purpleaholic or just want another dusky plum, rock on with the Illegal Cargo, girl!
- Port Red |
I liked this red, and if you haven't gotten a red lipstick yet, come out from under the rock and walk towards the light of the MAC counter - it's 2008! If you are sad you missed out on Queen's Sin, try this one on for size - it's not exactly the same shade, but it may satisfy that craving 'til they bring back Queen's Sin (they have to, right? It was an amazing color! And I'm still kicking myself that I didn't buy it, despite the fact that I rocked it at the counter several days during the collection!).
- Mutiny |
"Clean sky blue with gold pearl" is what they want us to believe. I'll buy that, I suppose, but only if the sky you're referring to is in a colorized black-and-white movie. It's a pretty intense, bright blue. If you can't get enough of Electric Eel and Clarity, check out Mutiny. It reminds me a bit of one of the pigments I already have - if I can beg a tiny tester of this, I'll do a swatch comparison for you. If you like to wear neutrals, this is probably not your cup of tea.
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If you're new to MAC or have a small stash you want to add to with wild abandon, consider: all of the above mentioned products, plus the following...
- Ahoy There |
This glaze (read: sheer and glossy) formula lipstick is "sheer light dirty pink with multidimensional pearl". A very pretty shade, and a great one to carry you through Spring and Summer. This is the kind of color I'm really drawn to, and it may find its way home with me, but I'm trying to be strong.
- Shore Leave |
I was confused - I thought this was Stila Kitten at first, then I realized it's actually Phloof!'s fraternal twin sister. "Pale frosty cream" in Veluxe Pearl formula (my favorite!) - lovely, but not unique if your collection fills the spare bedroom. (Who, me!?)
- Don't bother with (unless you have buckets of expendable income and/or just like to acquire makeup even if it's not truly unique):
- Pandemonium |
Girls, don't we have this in about 4 quads? If you don't, you will soon as MAC seems to release this shade or something damn close to it in every other collection. PASS...
- Naughty Nautical |
Memorial Day is just around the corner, and then after that comes the Fourth of July. There: two times this shade of nail polish will come in handy. Is it worth the $10-per-bottle-for-a-easily-chipped-polish? I say nay... if you must, stick with Shirelle, the other lacquer in the collection, which is also in the permanent collection but is a more wearable shade. (And this is coming from a woman with iridescent green toenails at this very moment!)
I'll try to swatch madly tomorrow, and actually take my camera with me (that was my downfall today I realized, after swatching up my right arm). I'll document it all, including my effort to get my fingers into that quad at Nordies. Meanwhile, keep a lookout for my muse - I think that's her trying on the blue Dazzleglass...
Disclaimer:
I'm still blacklisted by MAC PR, so I don't have images - I borrowed the ones on the post from Specktra.net (thank you Specktra!). Go over there and check out the swatch fiesta and discussions about Naughty Nauticals (swatches/discussion) and Dazzleglass (swatches/discussion). Viva la Specktra!
Or maybe my muse is making her debut appearance in the top left of Fifty-Cent Head's pages.... What do you think about our new look!?