My Current MAC Collection

For ages I've wanted to do a "collection" type post. I did a lipstick one back in the summer when I began blogging which, really, needs updating so keep your eyes peeled for that! But until then, I thought why not post about all my MAC products with mini reviews?! And here we are.

I'm warning you now - prepare yourselves. This is a long post. Like, really long. Skip bits if you feel the need (hopefully I'm not that boring though!)

I'll start with my current favourite obsession - eyeshadows. Before I really got into make up, I used to wear a very simple every day look which consisted of minimum foundation, winged eyeliner (sometimes), mascara but also a little eyeshadow. Nothing too daring, just something to add a little shimmer. My favourite was Retrospeck, which is my most used out of them all (I have majorly hit pan!). I have actually got a back up for when I finish the one I'm currently on which says something! Now here we are, and I own eleven MAC eyeshadows. Oops!

I'm really indecisive about which colours I like going together so up until recently I hadn't ever thought of creating a palette and always bought my shadows potted. I think they look so cute and dinky and it helps to know which is which when it comes to people asking what they're called! The only issue is space - they take up so much room in my make up bag that I'm currently considering deporting them into a palette... Thoughts?

Anyway, I'll start left to right, with the first four being matte/satin shades.

Smut is a really deep dusty greyish brown that I bought because I saw a friend on a night out and she had the nicest smokey eye, all thanks to this little number! It's really buildable so you can use a teeny bit and have a very subtle smokiness or build it up until your eyes are deliciously dark!

Second is Espresso, a beautiful chocolate brown, which I bought because everyone raves about how good it is to use on eyebrows. I haven't yet but I can tell that it's perfect already (I'm still trying to finish off some products before I start using others) although it's something I would use if I was taking a long time to get ready, i.e. for a night out, and could take my time doing my make up rather than replying on a brow pencil

I bought Quarry the same time I bought espresso and it's sooooo pretty! It's really subtle but, again, like smut it's really buildable! So it's perfect to be used all over the lid lightly or in the crease with a lighter colour all over the lid. It's a light brown with hints of lilac so it really makes your eye colour pop.

Blanc Type was purchased alongside smut as I wanted a very neutral colour to blend it with that wasn't shimmery. It's so perfect when used all over the lid with winged liner and a red lip as a very sophisticated yet bold "classic" look and I love it.

Onto the shimmery shades we come to Retrospeck which, as I mentioned earlier, was one of my first and favourite eyeshadows. A super pretty gold, it's so nice with other coppery shades or used lightly with simple make up for a quick, girly look.

Then onto Jest which is such a lovely rose gold colour which, again, is really nice for a girly simple look.

Last of the potted eyeshadows is Amber Lights which was bought as a gift for me quite a few years ago, and whilst it was bought to compliment my blue eyes I almost never reach for it - it looks so scary! I really want to try and use it more so hopefully I will because it seems such a shame to not use such a lovely product.. It just scares me a little!

Now onto my one and only palette! I decided to make one because they are just very pretty to look at, don't you agree?! I also wanted to put colours together that complimented each other. It took forever to decide which ones I liked best but I finally decided on shimmery shades as I tend to wear these more daily than matte/satin.

First up is Woodwinked which I actually bought, returned, and then bought again. I couldn't decide if I liked it enough to use it the first time but when I asked the lovely people that follow me on Instagram, so many suggested it so I thought there must be a reason! And they were right, it's so nice and neutral and although there is glitter, it just adds that extra sass. I use is in the crease with Naked Lunch all over the lid, which was another firm favourite of the followers! It's really muted in colour, almost my skin colour as it's a little pink, but super pretty worn alone or with another colour!

Then onto Sumptuous Olive, an eyeshadow that has caught my eye several times in the past few months. I love the colour olive when it comes to eyeshadow and clothes (not a huge fan for nails) and I wish my eyes were olive coloured but the best I can do it decorate them with the pretty shimmer! It makes my eyes pop a little aswell which I like! I blend it with Shroom, a really pretty shimmery, creamy white which is also a great highlighter! I'm super happy with this palette and I'm really excited to make another one soon!

Moving onto... The face!

I used to use MAC religiously as my make up from the age of about 14. I used their foundation, powder and mascara and barely ever looked elsewhere for anything else because I was so happy! Recently I've been using a Bourgois foundation which I think I've blogged about before and if not, I'm sure I will soon, and I actually prefer it a lot more. This Studio Fix Fluid in the shade NC15 was my go-to foundation for literally years but only recently have I realised just how thick and cakey it feels. The colour match is great, however, but it's a product I would probably now only use if I'm really dolling up. The pump with it was bought separately. I used to use this and then on top use the Studio Fix Powder in the shade NW20 which I currently own two of (one is smashed and I have to be careful!) and I used it to both set and matte my foundation. It worked really nicely, although the colour doesn't quite go with the foundation I'm currently using so I can't use them much either (sad face).

When in Boston this summer, I really wanted to try a BB cream because everyone was raving about them and we were in a MAC store (actually, I lie, this was in New York) when I was persuaded to try this Prep+Prime Beauty Balm in the colour Light Plus in a compact form. I hadn't seen anything like it before but used it every day. It's SPF 30, and although you can't see in the photo but I hit pan really quickly which is why I stopped because I think I was using it a little too much. It was really nice to have a creamy make up but if I was to purchase it again I would get it in the tube form as I felt a lot of the product was absorbed into the sponge and not onto my face. Still love it, though!

Now you probably recognise this cheeky number, Soft and Gentle Mineralise Skinfinish. Everyone and their mother raves about this but, dare I say it, I don't love it. Sure, it gives a nice highlight but it's really glittery and I'm not sure I love that. I'm still experimenting with how I like to highlight my face (I was cursed with a huge nose and no cheekbones) so maybe I'll grow to love it but at the moment I'm reaching for my Bourgois highlighter more often.

I recently bought my first MAC Powder Blush, Fleur Power, and I love it! It's super pigmented so I have to be careful (as I mentioned above, my cheeks are tricky when it comes to make up) but it's a really nice natural pink for those who don't want their blush to look superficial in any way!

Onto eye make up now (excluding eyeshadow, obviously), and lord knows I like my eye make up. I've always loved my winged eyeliner and recently decided to invest in MAC's Fluidline in Blacktrackk after trying several other, cheaper, gel liners and not loving them so much. And I was not disappointed! I use a MAC 209 brush with it and always have success! The gel is just the right consistency and currently is still as moist as it was on day one with no signs of drying out - yay! I also have two of their mascaras - Zoom Lash, which was my favourite up until recently, and their newer one In Extreme Dimension Lash. I also joined the hype and bought their Pigment in Vanilla when I was in America which is an all over highlight that's so pretty! I use this on the inner corners of my eyes and on my brow bone.

Before I get onto my favourite part (yes, there's more!) I wanted to mention about the Prep+Prime range that MAC do. I have their face primer, Skin, which is a little shimmery, and their lip primer, Lip. And my god do they work. The face primer leaves my skin feeling like satin and so soft. It sets my skin up really nicely ready for putting my make up on and if I'm getting ready for a night out, it's essential. With the lip primer, I was skeptical at first but a friend of mine bought it and I tried it and I barely needed to reapply my lipstick once that night. It made my lipstick stick like glue, so much so that there was even a bit that wouldn't come off until the next day! If you're looking for decent primers, I would recommend these!

Now onto my favourite part - Lip products.

I'll start with the one lipgloss I own - Cremesheen Glass in the shade Fever Isle. This was limited edition from their Tropical Taboo collection in the summer, and it was when my coral obsession really took off. I'm not normally a lipgloss kind of girl but this one is just perfect either on it's own or worn with a coral lipstick. It's not sticky and has such a lovely shine to it - I love it!

Now onto the lipsticks. I love the lipsticks that MAC produces. They're all, on the most part, really moisturising and super pigmented and have such great staying power. Although they're a little pricey, they're so worth it! 

I'll start with the pinks and oranges. First is Morange, which is a very bright orange from their Amplified range. It's a very bold colour so would look amazing if the rest of the face make up was very neutral or classic. Then onto Costa Chic, which is a Frost. It's a gorgeous coral colour which goes really well with the lipgloss above and is really girly! After, we come to Hue, which is from their Glaze range. It was one of my first lipsticks and is one of my favourite. Such a pretty nude colour that is just perfect for daily use. Then onto Chatterbox which is, again, from their Amplified range. It's a really girly pink and is super pretty!

Now onto the more muted and darker lipsticks I own. First is Fanfare, which is a Cremesheen. It's almost exactly the same colour as my natural lip colour but adds a really nice, moisturised and healthy look. Then onto Plumful, which is a Lustre. It's fairly sheer but makes my lips look naturally dark - a colour that's perfect for Autumn and Winter. Then onto Rebel, which is a Satin. Believe me, it looks a lot scarier than it actually is. It's a more pigmented version of Plumful and, again, is great for these colder months. Finally onto Dark Side, an Amplified lipstick. This one is a little scary as it's very dark but with the right make up it's beautiful. It's more of a red-ish plum and, although I don't wear it often, I love it!

Lastly onto the reds. First up is Viva Glam IV, which is a Frost. It's fairly sheet but adds a really nice dark and slightly shimmery colour to your lips. Then onto Riri Woo, which is a Retro Matte. It's very similar to the next red I'll talk about but more moisturising. It was limited edition but I know that MAC rerelease this colour every now and again but just in different packaging. It's the perfect bold red. Speaking of the perfect red, onto Ruby Woo, which is a Matte. This was another of my first lipsticks from MAC and I used it all the time. It is, however, super drying. It's really quite uncomfortable unless you have another form of moisture on your lips. It does stay for a long time, though, which is a plus. Finally onto Girl About Town, an Amplified colour. It's a really pretty, hot pink for those days where you may feel a little flirty. It stays true to it's finish and is most definitely an amplified colour.

And, silly me, I forgot to mention this little beauty as it was in a bag I had recently used when I took the other photos. This is Russian Red, a Matte lipstick which is very similar to Ruby Woo except not as drying. I use this a lot more than I do Ruby Woo and love it - the perfect type of red for a classic look with winger eyeliner.

So there you have it! My MAC collection. I told you it was long! Thank you if you stuck by this and read it all, it means a lot to me that you're interested in what I have to say!

Do you own any of the above products? What do you think of them? Would you recommend any more additions I could make to mine?

Until next time!

xxx