Let's just take a moment here to appreciate how beautiful the packaging of this collection is. Once again, this was beautifully done by MAC Cosmetics. I seriously couldn't take my eyes off of the packaging and I knew I had to have it.
I didn't get a chance to shop Rihanna's first collection, so I can't comment on the fact that MAC repackaged some of the previous items. It's all new to me. I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to get any of the blushes. What I really wanted was the cream colour base (pictured in the middle), which I was able to order online when it launched. The other two I had to chase down by finding a MAC store that actually had it, so that was a fun adventure.
The powder blush duo in Hibiscus Kiss was a little disappointing because I expected more color payoff. It is very buildable though, so you can definitely make it work. The powder blush in Bad Girl Gone Good on the other hand was very pigmented. It's a good, bold color for fall. The cream colour base in Diamonds is very subtle and I find that it works well for my skin tone (NC25). It gives me the right amount of highlight without going overboard. You can also use this over your lids or over your lips for a little shimmer.
Those are swatches of the powder blushes. I couldn't get a good picture of the cream colour base because it really just looked like my skin. No matter how many times I took the picture it was same. It was just too suble, so I apologize for that.
Let's move on to the lipsticks, shall we?
As you probably know by now, I am a major lipstick junkie. I couldn't wait to get my hands on these. The only thing was that I didn't think the pictures I saw online were true to color. Well, at least not for Nude and Who's That Chick (both pictured on the right). Nude is a cool medium/dark brown with a little bit of a gray cast. It's odd to think of a nude/brown color as cool, but either way it doesn't work for me. It's too dark for me and with the hint of gray, it seems to suck the life right out of me. As for Who's That Chick, I was pretty surprised that it was so orange. Don't get me wrong, I liked it and it's a good shade for me, but there is just way too much frost/shimmer. Talk That Talk looks a little scarier than it really is, but it's a beautiful plum color and it's just so gorgeous. I don't have a color like this so I am excited to try it out this fall. RiRi Woo is a cool classic red that is very pigmented. The formula is a little dry, but it's a great color.
Here are some swatches:
(From left to right: Nude, Who's That Chick, RiRi Woo, Talk That Talk)
The last thing I got was the Extended Play mascara in Gigablack Lash. This is my first time using a MAC mascara and I'm really impressed. I get a lot of precision with the smaller wand. It does a good job of coating and defining my last on the first application.
Other than the fact that it took me three hours to shop and check out online (and not to the mention the two stores I had to drive in complete opposite directions for), I'm super glad I was able to get my hands on these products. There was so much hype around it and now I know why. Needless to say, I am excited for the release of her Holiday collection and have high hopes for it. Hope you enjoyed, loves.
XoXo,
Oneo
