I checked out both collections today too and YES, I totally agree!
I DID actually try a bunch of them on my lips. Wow! They're so incredibly pigmented. You just need a tiny amount - like the size of a sesame seed or a lentil, I'm not kidding - and you get full coverage on both lips. These are not sheer at all, not even the lightest colors. The texture and how it works on the lips are actually very much like the Kissable Lip Colours. It's creamy like a thin gel, but it turns into a slightly creamier version of the KLC texture as soon as you spread it on your lips. It's so spreadable and non-streaky, I actually applied them all with the plastic spatulas I picked the product up with - even some crappy thing like a spatula is fine for getting it spread smoothly and evenly, no blotting, smooshing or patting into the skin is necessary.
Once it's applied, it works just like my beloved Kissables - it forms a second skin over your lip texture that is totally smooth and forgiving of all chapped bits and lip lines. It looks a teeny touch thicker and moister than the way the KLCs do once they dry down, but that's a good thing! You can get the same more satin finish of the KLCs by merely patting the product a smidge into the lips. You can drink a glass of water and have very minimal transfer too, just like the KLCs. I remember HerGreyness talking about how the Kissables formula was still in transition into something better and I wonder if this is it. It's certainly in the same family.
As for the cheeks, again these colors are pigmented and even the very lightest color showed up well in ways very light powder blushes don't on my skin. They melt into the skin with more moistness than the Cremeblend blushes, which are stiffer and harder to spread, but all the moisture sinks right into the skin and you are left with a wonderful satin finish that isn't glossy or noticeably dewy. If you think the Cremeblend finish is too heavy for your taste or too hard to control when applying, you will be much happier with these. I asked what brush MAC was recommending for them and I guess they're being told to encourage just rubbing it in with your fingers. Fingers worked just fine for me, again because they are so nice and spreadable - like high end moisturizer where a pea size covers your whole face. If you've ever felt frustrated doing contouring with a brush, you will finally be able to get the exact look you want with these with just your fingers easily. Also, they are very buildable, so if you want more, you can have more without a hassle, and the dry down time on the cheeks is instantaneous, again reminding me of very high end moisturizer. They aren't sheer at all though, even when applying just a tiny amount, just very natural looking and merging beautifully with your skin. If you have oily skin, don't worry - these won't cause you any problems at all. In fact, I think that they will help minimize pores a bit, for the same reason it smooths out the lips so well - that sort of second skin effect.
The colors are all beautiful, but you probably won't need to get them all - for example, there are 2 light pinks, one a little cooler & whiter and one a little less bright & more neutral - they're close enough that you can get the one that looks better on you, because they're very similar, just slightly different cast. Same thing for 2 nudes and 2 corals (although the corals you may want to consider both of, since those two are different enough to stand on their own - one is exactly like Exxxhibitionist, which is my #1 most used Kissable and an incredibly handy and cute color). The reddish wine and rose colors are totally gorgeous, like I thought they'd be. Also, Evening Stroll - YES. This is definitely the second coming of Go For It - it's BLUE based by far, but a shade lighter than Go For It - it's still mid-tone, not pastel though, which is awesome. On the cheeks, this takes on a beautiful plum color, not unlike a softer, cooler Vintage Grape.
Considering the minute amount you need when applying these on lips or cheeks, the size of the jar is very generous. You could easily get months of daily use out of these, especially if you take the product out with a spatula. The formula in the pot is quite stable looking - not waxy or oily - so I think it ought not to get all weird, crusty, dry or separated if you take care and just lightly smooth a little product out, rather than digging around inside. I don't much care for pots, but in this case, a tube with an applicator would be pretty wasteful in comparison to a tiny scrape off the top with a spatula. If you buy one, just ask for a handful of those plastic disposable spatulas and clean them off with a little rubbing alcohol or soap and water. All in all, a good value for the price.
I'm getting Evening Stroll (perhaps 2, although I'm trying to cut down on BUs), Have a Lovely Day! - which was the perfect pale contouring color that Strada wasn't for me at all and also looks great on the lips (Keep It Loose is very similar but peachier and not quite as nice for me on the lips, but very nice on the cheeks), Relaxation - which will be more useful overall than Lazy Sunday (although Lazy Sunday really looked great on my lips, unlike 99% of cool, pale baby pinks out there), Weekend Getaway (gorgeous), Keep It Casual (gorgeous), and probably Out For Fun, which is the Exxxhibitionist looking one. You WILL find a MLBB color in this collection, no matter your skin tone although I felt the collection could have stood to have one or two deeper colors for the darkest complexions. Still, I do think the texture is nice enough and the pigmentation is high enough that most of the colors will be acceptable all the way up to fantastic on the cheeks for even dark skin.
Color me impressed! Very high quality new product and I am not sorry I've passed on Crew and the HS blushes in favor of these.
As for Beth Ditto.....the less said, the better
