MAC Trend F/W '09 is another collection in stores now. I briefly mentioned it here. I got a chance to see it, so let's break it down again I'll tell ya what I thought. If you've seen it/skipped it/bought from it, let us know!
Lipstick
Faultlessly F/W - blackened blue violet
Hipster - burgundy frost
Red Full Stop - bright neon coral
Our Pick - cement taupey grey
Thoughts: Faultlessly F/W is the most gorgeous, sexy, deep purple. Stunning. Lovely. I'm not sure how to wear this, but I'm going to Back-to-MAC for one. I considered, and considered and then walked away without it, and I'm sorry I did. Hipster is a red-purple frosty version of Faultlessly F/W, in my opinion, and right on trend! (shocking, huh, since this is the "trend" collection?) This is a really gorgeous color - I snapped it up immediately. Meanwhile, Our Pick was not my pick. This shade is more of a putty color than I thought I could handle - a bit less cool than the description "taupey grey" implied to me. As you will see in a moment, I love its sister Lipglass, so when I go back to the counter I'm thinking I'll try it on my lips just in case it works better than I though when swatched. Red Full Stop has a puzzling name, since "neon coral" and "red" are not synonyms! This is what I used to call "crazy cat lady coral" in the 90's, but honestly I am warming up a bit more to this type of color. This shade is more neon than I personally can handle, but I'd love to see this on women with darker complexions! It's a Lustre, so a little lip should show through - if you need opacity, use a coral pencil underneath. This is a VERY hot shade. I'm pretty impressed overall with these lipsticks!
Lipglass
Runway Fave -grey toned neutral light pearl / F
New Berry - deep plum / C
So This Season - deep blue violet / C
Thoughts: I shouldn't be surprised that I fell for these Lipglasses. I mean: a berry, a purple and a pale greyed-out shade? C'mon! They've got my name written all over them! New Berry is a cream - I wish it had a bit of shimmer to it, but then it would probably look like other shades I already have. It's a stunner, though, and can be built up to a pretty good intensity even by itself. Layered, she's a mankiller! So This Season is also a cream formula, so again: opaque. It's quite purple, so not for the shy. Again, this is one I'd love to see on some NW45s and NW50s - that's where it's really going to sing! But I, a lousy NW15, will be rocking it, too. And then there's Runway Fave... my fave. I have a few grey-based lipglasses and lipglosses, and love them all. But this rocketed right up to the top of my favorite grey lipgloss list! It's not really a grey, let's be honest. It's a greyed-out neutral pink, but the base pink is quite subtle and as close-to-neutral as pink can be. This is the best nude I have tried in a long time, and cool-skinned gals (who find nudes hard to locate!) should try this one. I'm going to write a whole post on this color, so stay tuned!
Eyeshadow Quad: Tone:Grey
- A Warmer White - pale green grey /S
- Tone:Grey - mid-tone grey - S
- Waft - dark blue grey / F
- The Right Smoke - rich blue with white pearl / F
Thoughts: I passed on this palette, as I pass on most palettes. The specific reasons I passed on this one are: a) I have Waft from its previous palette appearance, b) this is more of a blue than a grey, so I was pissed at the misleading name and c) I feel like I have other palettes that look similar. That said, if you're new to MAC or wearing blue shadows, this is an excellent palette to pick up! The colors are all fairly blendable and pretty, and most skintones will be able to pull off these shades. Blue is a big, big, big (did I mention big?) trend this Fall and Winter, so this is an easy way to snap up four colors that fulfill the trend!
Fragrance (in roller ball form)
Asphalt Flower - violet and iris petals with a sheen of vanilla and patchouli
Thoughts: This is a really, really pretty fragrance, though I am not a fan of the rollerball applicator (am I in the minority here?). I really like the violet and iris, and never complain about vanilla and patchouli. If you're looking for a pretty fragrance, try this one. Unfortunately (?) I have other scents that are similar, and since I don't like the rollerball, I passed.