So I got to see the whole collection today!
Team Blush people - no need to worry. I had ZERO issues with the blush. It was plenty pigmented and I was able to pick up a normal amount on my brush without any issues - PLUS I was the very first person to test it. It was right out of the box. So, if there was any weird coating that needed to be rubbed off, I didn't see it. Here's the thing - the pale part of the blush is very pale and skin-like. It was peachier and deeper than Forever Marilyn, but it's more of a beauty powder finish than a bright blush. On my NC15 skin, it showed up as a blush without any issue, but a barely there type of blush, not something super colorful. Meanwhile, the darker part was PLENTY pigmented and so smooth and soft and blendable. On me, it has a very natural rose/terra cotta color. It's more on the warm side and more summery for sure, but with the paler color blended on top, it looks very natural and soft. On someone darker than me, it will be a very subtle effect, perfect for any daytime situation. I think it'll be fine on NW as well as NC, because you can use the paler shade to soften the darker shade and add a little more of a neutral to cool cast, plus its peachiness will cancel redness in the cheeks just right. There's no sheen or sparkle at all, just a soft natural texture. And the COMPACT!!!! I looooove this packaging so much more than AA. It's the smoothest, most velvety rubber finish - way better than Temperature Rising or Viva Glam Riri - it feels so soft, like a soft little puppy belly. Doesn't show any fingerprints and doesn't look like bits will flake or rub off. The gold accents are classy - even the box is nice. If MAC changed all their packaging to this texture, it'd be LOVE. Same goes for the lipstick tubes in particular, but the CCB and quad are nice with it too.
The other products I thought were A-mazing were the glosses. They are gorgeous, particularly the silver one. That one is spectacular. It's so packed with shimmer and metallic color, but it's not quite the same as the pearlescent AA glosses - those are more drastically light reflective. These ones allow a little bit more of the natural lip color to peek through, but just around the curves, primarily. The silver one is happily not too cool (or too warm) - it'll be fine on basically anyone who has well-pigmented lips. It's honestly more silvery pale gray overall, than metal silver. It was extremely flattering on me, and silver lips are pretty hit or miss for me. Spectacular. The gold one was a teeny bit sheerer, but barely. It had the same glistening but finely milled texture. This is a classy texture for adults, rather than disco time sparkle and glitter and shine. It's a bit of a subdued bronzy gold that again, wasn't too warm or cool. Many NWs will be able to enjoy this one without a lot of work. They look great over the lipsticks too, but I think I'd wear them alone. I'm getting the silver for sure and the gold I might want to compare to the gold from Sharon Osbourne (that one so far looks much sheerer and more sparkly from the photos I've seen).
The lipsticks aren't must haves if you have a lot of reds already or you don't care about Amplified. Right now, I am in love with Mangrove and I already have some fun, creamy reds like Just A Bite and Prepare for Pleasure. These just don't have that je ne sais quoi that makes Mangrove so modern, except possibly Ruby. That one was probably the most flattering of the reds on me. True Red also looked nice, but it was too Scarlet Ibis-y for me. I don't need another super bright red right now. Roxo was pretty but had a bit of a brown undertone that, while not dragging down my skin coloring, wasn't something I really need. If you love Diva, this will be your nice creamy version. Peach Beige was actually a little too light for me?! Pale NWs are gonna looooove it, though. They're all good formulas and heavily pigmented, but I'd say try before buy, unless you are a red fanatic and want something a little more grownup than an ultra-matte red.
The quad is very soft and the colors are quite pale. With the dark natural coloring on my lids, they're just not my thing. I think they will look best on pale people who want a no-makeup eye look with a little polish, or darker complexions that like the pale shadow look, since while pale, none of these colors are heavy on the white or pastel and aren't chalky at all.
What's on my list? Mirror for sure!! Probably also Gold Mirror and the blush duo ( the blush duo is not unlike Ring of Saturn MB on me when worn very buffed down, but without any sheen or sparkle at all). Maybe Ruby, but I don't really need that one. I've got enough red lipstick already that I think 2 or 3 new reds a year is my maximum and they really have to be very unique and modern - this year VG Riri and Mangrove are fitting the bill for me, above and beyond this collection. They're all good quality products, though.
