MAC - Semi Precious Discussion

[gracie90]

I went to my local counter this afternoon and everything was so pretty! I picked up Rose Quartz MSF, which I LOVE, and am going to grab Crystal Pink or maybe Pearl if Debenhams have a 10% thing again and they're still in stock
Here are some really bad swatches, my camera made made my arm look even paler than normal

:



From left to right: mixed, centre, outside

 

[Mac-Guy]

 

[slick]

So I got 4 Cremesheen Glasses and all 3 blushes and they have arrived! I am a huuuuge Cremesheen Glass fan and here are my thoughts for the Cremesheen fans out there!

Geo Pink: As others have mentioned, its not as orange as Temptalia's swatches on me. Which is a good thing! It still is orange-based, but there's definite pink as well. This shade reminds me of pinked up version of Entice Lipglass. Its a pink-lemonade-orange-brown sugar shade The silver microglitter gives it a nice shine too, though I wish there was less (I like my Cremesheens CREAMY lol). This shade would look great paired with Antiqued or Mythology e/s.

Natural Flare: Pleasantly surpised by this shade! Again, not as orange as Temptalia's swatches. On me this is more true to the description: a light caramel nude. Its a very flattering warm yellow based shade. This one reminds me of a shimmery Revealing Lipglass with more golden tones. The microglitter in this shade is really unique - I don't think Temptalia's swatches captured the tiny amount of greenish sparkles....gorgeous!

Looks Like Sin: Man, I don't know why I didn't get this shade when it was first released. I think I thought it would be too dark for me, but it isn't at all! When swatched on the hand it looks dark, but when applied on the lips its a nice sheer rose-wine shade. Very natural and flattering when applied sheerly. Temptalia's swatches are accurate for me on this one!

Pure Magnificence: I was disappointed in this one. I wasn't sure if it would work out for me (colors like Fashion Scoop and Boy Bait didn't work out) but I gave it a try anyway. Nope! Its much greyer looking in the tube than I had expected. And its too light and milky looking for me It actually reminded me of a gloss version of Pink Cult blush....looks good on my cheeks but not on my lips lol! This one is definitely for the cool toned girls. I'm NC25ish for reference. I am going to try to swap for Richly Revered instead!

Overall though I'm really satisifed with the Cremesheen Glasses. When I was swatching them I kept thinking how they were really lovely fall shades, but Geo Pink and Natural Flare could easily compliment a summer look too!

I've only swatched the blushes so far, and as of now I'm not sure about them :/ They are gorgeous in the pot but the product itself seems a little meh to me right now. Yes the blush has a great texture but these seem easily dupeable with other powder blushes out there that probably come in pan form and take up less space. We'll see about these!

 

[Edelmc]

Just check a few posts back...i described how the mua used it on me this morning. I am also guessing that you could use it for under eye concealer too in much the same way the mua used the cheek brush to apply foundation...haven't tried it yet tho so not sure...happy hauling!

 

[Naynadine]

So...what do you think of the MSFs? Looks like you like them

 

[Edelmc]

soooooo what did you think of it all in person???

 

[Mac-Guy]

First of all, I want to reiterate how important it is to handpick the MFS and MES as they vary vastly in veining. If you are not particularly picky about veining or do not care if a swirl is more pronounced - or almost non-existant - then go ahead and order online. Otherwise, select in store what product you want. What you see is what you get. This must-see rule is not essential for the blushes, which seem to be pretty consistent.

My first love of this collection is SP Goldstone. If you are a fan of bronzer, this will be a fantastic addition to your collection. I scavenged through ca. 15 different Goldstones to find the one I liked most: The inner circle is fairly large and has one large and a considerable amount of smaller orangey-coral-red veins. There was only one other Goldstone that had a similar amount of the coral veining, so if you are after this coloring, ask your MUA to show you their stock. The sample on display had very little of the coral veining, making it less glowy - it is the coral that adds the glow to Goldstone. The coral is similar to My Paradise rather than Marine Life. The product is fairly pigmented, which is a huge plus, as you absolutely want to buff it out when applied as an all over face product. If you do not buff it - I used the 179 - it sits just on top of the skin as we have seen in quite a few swatches. Buff it and it will blend to a stunning glow without looking glitter. Out of all my bronzers, this ones gives me the most glow, but it is by no means a glittery look. It is also essential that you prime your skin with either Prep & Prime loose powder, a translucent setting powder, or at the most with the Face & Body foundation or Studio Moisture Tint. As buffing the product is essential, I would not recommend using the MSF with any heavy foundation as heavy buffing will simply take off your foundation. For extra sheen, I just a spritz of Fix+ on the 179 on the natural hair side and slightly blended over my the areas I wanted to highlight. I would not use Fix+ for all over the face, but really just in the area you want to highlight. This gives the MSF a much deeper dimension without having to add tons of other products.

 

[Mac-Guy]

Hold on, I'm typing up a review

 

[clslvr6spd]

I have been so anxious to pick up my pre-order, but sadly I can't/wont! My upper lip has swollen up so big from a zit in my nose, I look like I have had a bad collagen job on my lips! So, I have to wait until the bf gets off work, so he can pick up my stuff...I just wanted to play with them all day, not like I could anyways...I can barely touch my face!

I just called to make sure I got all my items & I did, so I can breathe easy!

 

[MrsB]

I should stop looking at this thread! I was basing my lack of interest in the MES on the bloggers' horrible swatches. Now I see the looks and pics from MrsB, mOrg3nst3rn, and others. They MES look so much better than on the blogs. How is that possible? I am resisting going to my MAC counter today!

Oh I'm sorry lovely, I'm a wicked little enabler I know - but honestly, I love these shadows and rose quartz is my new go to blush. I love love love love love them.......why aren't you running to your MAC counter already

I'm kidding, but if can afford these and there are any you kinda like, do go swatch

 

[MrsB]

Hold on, I'm typing up a review

Great haul by the way, your pic is making me want the blush brush!

 

[Mac-Guy]

The SP Rose Quartz is another favorite, but it was not love on the first sight. What I was most intrigued by in all the swatches we have seen was the green veining that is - at least visually - the most beautiful contrast of all of the MSF. However, the green veining is also the most glittery one, turning RQ quickly into an almost-glitter-bomb. This was rather disappointing as the I really liked the muted-pink color - it has a hinge of strawberry sorbet in it - of the outer circle as well as the pink and beige swirls. The tester on display had a humongous inner circle with a large green vein. There were also cracks around the vein although I was the first customer to play with it (this must have happened during transport, I assume).

If you have a light tan (for reference, I'm NW20, though I am probably a little bit more tan than usual), RQ can give you a nice rosey glow without looking like a shiny Miss Piggie. It seems fairly pigmented, though less pigmented than Goldstone. If you have pink undertones (NW15 - 25), this will nicely blend in with your complexion. With NC skin tones, I image it to give a nice pop of color without being overly pink. I was still holding back as the green veining was off-putting, making it unsuitable (for me) to wear all over the face as it was fairly dominant - glitter-wise, not in terms of adding any color. I eventually found one that had not only little green in the inner circle, but also a smallish inner circle if I compared it to the other ones. The upper third of the inner circle is a white goldish color that give more shimmer rather than glitter, then there is a dividing green (evil!!) vein - still larger than I want it but small enough that I can deal with it, and the lower third is a very beautiful soft pink that reminds me of Give me Liberty e/s though it's more shimmery; there is also a tiny dot of bronze. The outer circle is large enough to allow the 128 to pick up enough color without even touching the inner circle - if that's what I want. However, as the inner circle is relatively small, I will be fine using the 179 to swirl without adding any glitter or too much shimmer. Again, I am glad that I took the time to hand-select RQ - or shall I say that I am fortunate enough to live within 15 min of several MAC stores; if not, I would have been disappointed with this product. Mind you, if you like shimmer and glitter, you might be happier with a thick green vein (or several of them). This is just my personal preference.

 

[LMD84]

i'm sad because my warmth of coral blush arrives smashed today! luckily mac are going to re-send it to me! in the meantime i shall try and use some of the broken bits! lol!

Show me the sparkles! - todays specktra blog post.

 

[2browneyes]

^ Aww...sorry to hear that Lou

 

[MrsB]

The SP Rose Quartz is another favorite, but it was not love on the first sight. What I was most intrigued by in all the swatches we have seen was the green veining that is - at least visually - the most beautiful contrast of all of the MSF. However, the green veining is also the most glittery one, turning RQ quickly into an almost-glitter-bomb. This was rather disappointing as the I really liked the muted-pink color - it has a hinge of strawberry sorbet in it - of the outer circle as well as the pink and beige swirls. The tester on display had a humongous inner circle with a large green vein. There were also cracks around the vein although I was the first customer to play with it (this must have happened during transport, I assume).

If you have a light tan (for reference, I'm NW20, though I am probably a little bit more tan than usual), RQ can give you a nice rosey glow without looking like a shiny Miss Piggie. It seems fairly pigmented, though less pigmented than Goldstone. If you have pink undertones (NW15 - 25), this will nicely blend in with your complexion. With NC skin tones, I image it to give a nice pop of color without being overly pink. I was still holding back as the green veining was off-putting, making it unsuitable (for me) to wear all over the face as it was fairly dominant - glitter-wise, not in terms of adding any color. I eventually found one that had not only little green in the inner circle, but also a smallish inner circle if I compared it to the other ones. The upper third of the inner circle is a white goldish color that give more shimmer rather than glitter, then there is a dividing green (evil!!) vein - still larger than I want it but small enough that I can deal with it, and the lower third is a very beautiful soft pink that reminds me of Give me Liberty e/s though it's more shimmery; there is also a tiny dot of bronze. The outer circle is large enough to allow the 128 to pick up enough color without even touching the inner circle - if that's what I want. However, as the inner circle is relatively small, I will be fine using the 179 to swirl without adding any glitter or too much shimmer. Again, I am glad that I took the time to hand-select RQ - or shall I say that I am fortunate enough to live within 15 min of several MAC stores; if not, I would have been disappointed with this product. Mind you, if you like shimmer and glitter, you might be happier with a thick green vein (or several of them). This is just my personal preference.

I'm so glad you managed to find a Rose Quartz you were happy with. I have to say I'm NC20 and my RQ has a very large inner circle with lots of green veining, and I find it to have no glittery effect at all. A slight sheen, yes, but definitely no glitter once the product is on the cheeks, as you may be able to see in my previous posts. I use a 129 to apply so I'm not sure if that helps to diffuse the glitter you refer to.

 

[MrsB]

i'm sad because my warmth of coral blush arrives smashed today! luckily mac are going to re-send it to me! in the meantime i shall try and use some of the broken bits! lol!

Show me the sparkles! - todays specktra blog post.

Aw! I'm sorry Lou - I so wanted you to enjoy your goodies today.

I'm not sure if you've read back through the post, but thank you for encouraging me with this collection - you're a star

 

[shadowaddict]

I have been so anxious to pick up my pre-order, but sadly I can't/wont! My upper lip has swollen up so big from a zit in my nose, I look like I have had a bad collagen job on my lips! So, I have to wait until the bf gets off work, so he can pick up my stuff...I just wanted to play with them all day, not like I could anyways...I can barely touch my face!

I just called to make sure I got all my items & I did, so I can breathe easy!

Oh I'm sorry. I bet that does hurt like hell. Have you tried putting Hydrocortisone cream on it? I read that in a magazine once and it seems to help it clear up faster. You can just dab and if it doesn't hurt too bad try to rub it in good. I would do this every hour or two. I have used this method before and perhaps it was my imagination but I thought it helped.

I'm guessing the thinking behind this is that the people who go to the derm's office and get shots when they have one flare up, such as celebrities, the shot is of cortisone. Hey it's worth a try. It also should not dry out the skin so much to be a problem.

 

[Mac-Guy]

The SP Pearl is the most natural looking, especially if you have an NC complexion. For my NW 20 skin, I picked one that has a rather large inner circle with several burgundy red veins which - in combination with the beige-champagne out circle - adds enough red (rather than pink) to blend well with NW skin tones. Most of the SP Pearls I saw had a fair amount of burgundy-crimson red veining, thus it was not as much of a hassle to pick out my MSF. However, there were several with either larger or smaller inner circles, and I picked one that my MUA had reserved for me. The veining in inner circle is large enough that I could easily pick up either the burgundy or the gold-bronze shade separately if I wanted to do so. Some of them seem to be more swirled together, but I feel that the separation of colors and/or thicker veining allows me to get more out of the product. Watch out for cracks. Sometimes there were slight cracks between the inner and the outer circle, so you want to stay away from those, especially if you plan on traveling with them. These babies will eventually break apart!

 

[Anitacska]

Oh no! You really are unlucky when it comes to Mac! Did you get anything else?

i'm sad because my warmth of coral blush arrives smashed today! luckily mac are going to re-send it to me! in the meantime i shall try and use some of the broken bits! lol!

Show me the sparkles! - todays specktra blog post.

 

[Mac-Guy]

I'm so glad you managed to find a Rose Quartz you were happy with. I have to say I'm NC20 and my RQ has a very large inner circle with lots of green veining, and I find it to have no glittery effect at all. A slight sheen, yes, but definitely no glitter once the product is on the cheeks, as you may be able to see in my previous posts. I use a 129 to apply so I'm not sure if that helps to diffuse the glitter you refer to.

Yes, you can sheer out the glitter, but then you also sheer out the pink as well and eventually end up with just a shimmer rather than a pinkish color. It's just my personal experience with MSF. If they are less pigmented (and the RQ is not the most pigmented), then I don't want a lot of glitter as the sheen that's left after buffing will blend out the pink (or whatever color) pigment too much.

I'm glad you like your RQ too. I think it's beautiful that each product is slightly different allowing each customer to pick and chose according to their preference. Did you pick yours or did you order it online?