With November Comes Christmas Collections - M.A.C Heirloom Collection Review

Hello there, little powderpuff!

Last week I said I would start with my first review! I then said maybe I would start with a product that wasn't M.A.C. I have good news and I have bad news.
The good news is that I have a review- the bad news is that it's M.A.C.

But lets be serious, when is M.A.C ever bad news?

Never. The answer is never.

Now that November is coming around, Winter/Holiday collections are starting to be released. Over the past few weeks, NARS, Too Faced, Chanel, Bobbi Brown - you name it. They have started to release either new products, or gift sets just in time for the Holiday rush.

On Monday November 3rd M.A.C released their Holiday collection titled Heirloom. The collection includes three Palettes of eight eyeshadows; three Eye Bags that include one eyeshadow duo, one eyeliner and one mascara (each set includes different shades of each); three Lip Bags that each include one lipstick, one lip liner and one lip glass; three Brush Sets (all of which have a brush that remarkably resembles the ever famous and ever wonderful M.A.C 217); Two face Palettes which each include three eyeshadows, one pressed powder, one cream colour base and two lipsticks; two exclusive eye and lip bags which each include a quad of Mineralize eyeshadows, one lipglass and one lipstick; two 'Viva Glamourous' keepsakes - one including a bag that holds in it both of the Rihanna collection lipsticks, the other being a palette of eight lipsticks. Other than the gift collections (most of which include a glittery bag, or glittery packaging) there are individual products including the following:

• two blushes
• two pigments
• eight eyeshadows
• two fluidline gel eyeliners
• two eyepencils
• one power eyepencil
• five lipsticks
• five lipglasses
• three nail laquers

Please note that in the individual products, palettes and sets some are exclusive shades while others are part of the permanent collection.

There were so many incredible possibilities in the store when I went there, but over the past week, I picked up three sets to do a quick review on.

Starting with the palette:

The packaging of this collection is one of my favourites I have seen this holiday season. Each of the palettes comes styled like this (including the face palettes, but exclusing the Viva Glam lipstick palette) but each are different in colour - White, Silver or Black. They are decorated with an antique bust of a woman as a broach in the centre, covered in glitter with pearls around the edge.

The palette is closed with a magnet, and the M.A.C symbol is just below the seam.

The palette that I chose was called the Beige Eyes Palette - the others are the Smoky Eyes Palette and the Plum Eyes Palette. It has neutral colours from a matte light beige to a matte dark brown. Each palette has a combination of Mattes, Lustres, Velvets, Satins and Frosts, which means that each of the three options has great diversity of finishes and can be used to create many different looks. Each palette also comes with a brush - a Pencil brush for applying the pigment all over the lid, then another for blending.

From left: Her Mistress (Matte), Sweet Sovereign (Lustre), Faire Maiden (Lustre), Tempting (Lustre), Omega (Matte), Quintessential (Frost), Mystery (Satin), Night Whisper (Velvet)

As usual, the Matte shades don't have as much pigmentation as the Lustres, Satins or Frosts - the lighter shades in particular. Personally, I prefer Frost shadows most and so I was slightly disappointed that this palette has majority Lustres, but they swatch well - as M.A.C shadows always do - and each of the individual shades are nice and very usable. The colours are pigmented and easily blendable and this palette specifically is very diverse and can be used to create subtle nude looks for the day time using Her Mistress or Sweet Sovereign over the lid with a warm colour in the crease such as  Tempting, and with the addition of Mystery and Night Whisper also into the crease and blended out, they can be transformed into a smokier nighttime look. 

Next comes the lip bag:

Each of the lip bags comes with a white glitter and pearl makeup bag that are the perfect size for carrying makeup in a bag for every day use. These are on the same theme as the packaging for the Palettes, except the bust of the woman is on the zipper and the pearls line the seam around the opening. Each bag has one large interior with a small pocket on the side. The lip bags came in three different selections - Red Lip, Nude Lip, Coral Lip.

The bag I selected was the Red Lip bag which included the classic M.A.C matte lipstick Ruby Woo. Both the lipliner and Lipglass are also called Ruby Woo, and it is the first time the shade has been released in these different formulas. The Bullet is patterned differently to how they usually are, with a matte black case with black patent spots and the brand name around the rim and the lipliner is the same, while the lip glass has the red spots just below the lid. 

From left: Ruby Woo Lipglass, Ruby Woo Lipstick, Ruby Woo Lipliner

Each of these products can be used together. The liner can be used beneath the lipstick or the lipglass as it builds a perfect matte foundation. Each one is heavily pigmented and the only differences between them is the formula. I have never been a particularly large fan of lipglosses of any kind purely because of the formula and texture (I've had long hair for the majority of my life and sticky lipgloss + long hair + wind = sticky, sparkly, glossy nightmare.) The formula of this lipglass is sticky, but it is one of the more manageable lipglosses I have tried and thankfully it isn't messy. I find matte lipsticks tend to be quite drying, but so far I haven't had this problem with Ruby Woo, even if I forgo lip primer*.  

*Powderpuff tip! Don't have a lip primer? Use a small amount of lip balm or chapstick right before applying the lipstick. If the balm isn't too thick in consistency it can work wonders at helping the lipstick or lipliner glide on easily for a smoother coverage. You can also use lipbalm as an eyeprimer! It can help your eyeshadow stay put for longer if you dab it on first with a finger.

Finally is the Eye Bag:

The diversity in different products was amazing and these three products are really all you need to make an effortless smoky eye and in truth mine have received a lot of love already. The bag includes the Powerpoint Eyepencil in Stubborn Brown, the In Extreme Dimension mascara in black and an exclusive eyeshadow duo all put together in a black bag exactly like the one in the lip bag.

From left: Stubborn Brown Eyepencil, Stolen Moment, Just Gleaming

These shadows are so pigmented. I have been searching online and I cannot find what finish they are, but to me they have the pigmentation and shimmer of a frost shadow (is this why I like them so much? Probably.) Stolen Moment is a rich chocolate brown with silver undertones (if you are familiar with M.A.C eyeshadows, think Satin Taupe but deeper in colour), while Just Gleaming is a stunning off white highlight that reminds me somewhat of the Mac pigment Naked. These can be used together or individually. My favourite way of using this set is by blending Stolen Moment all over the lid and under the lower lashline while using Just Gleaming in the inner corner, blending it into the lower lashline as well and using just a tad as a brown bone highlight (this shade could even be used as a highlight on the cheekbone, if you are game for that much shimmer that is,) then using the eyeliner in the waterline and tightline and finishing it off with the mascara.

Here is a photo taken from my instagram of me wearing the look I just described:

It's quick and easy to do as you don't need to worry so much about blending different colours through the crease and socket and it makes brown and green eyes in particular stand out.

In my own personal opinion the Eye Bag was the best part of the Holiday collection for this year, but you should check it out for yourselves and see what takes your fancy! You can check out these products on the M.A.C website or drop in to your closest M.A.C counter or store, but remember! This is a limited collection and I know it's been selling out pretty quick!

Until next week (when I shall try harder not to review a M.A.C product) stay cute, little powderpuffs.

xoxo Matilde Elisabeth