Anyways, the shades for the new ones are:
ABC Gum
AC/DC
Asphyxia
Baked
Bender
Blackout
Blunt
Bordello
Buck
Bust
Busted
Chase
Chopper
Cobra
Darkhorse
Evidence
Fishnet
Flash
Foxy
Freelove
Gravity
Grifter
Gunmetal
Haight
Half-Baked
Hijack
Kush
Last Call
Loaded
Lost
Maui Wowie
Midnight Cowboy
Midnight Cowboy Rides Again
Midnight Cowgirl
Midnight Rodeo
Mildew
Mushroom
Naked
Oil Slick
Peace
Pistol
Polyester Bride
Psychadelic Sister
Radium
Roach
Rockstar
S&M
Scratch
Secret Service
Sellout
Shattered
Sin
Smog
Snakebite
Snatch
Stray Dog
Suspect
SWF
Tease
Toasted
Twice Baked
Vanilla
Verve
Virgin
Woodstock
X
YDK
Zephyr

Now, I can understand the list, but I’m absolutely gutted that Flipside, Ransom, Graffiti, Jones, and Minx are not being kept around. I’d always been under the impression, anyways, that Flipside was quite popular. It was a shame that the ULTAs and Sephoras near me stopped stocking it…and it’s way out of my way to get to a Macy’s that has Impulse Beauty.

As part of the Obama campaign Runway to Win initiative, Le Metier de Beaute (or should I say Richard Blanch, one of the bigwigs) has come up with a special set for $40-with all of the monies going to the Obama campaign. For the $40, you get three polishes: Red-y To Win Red (a deep red), Victory White (clean white, probably a cream), and Bo Blue (a shimmery navy blue). A very patriotic set, complete with a little cosmetic bag with the Obama campaign logo on it.

To me, this is a total win-win. Wanted to support the campaign AND get some polish to boot? This is great for that. I know some people may be turned off by the fact that it is for the Obama campaign, but I have to say that the whole Runway to Win initiative is quite genius. There’s also a lot of different fashion designers who did t-shirts, totes, and even scarves for the campaign-but the polishes? You can never go wrong with. The one thing I’ve heard is that the Le Metier polishes are quite small, but that they are great. I rarely buy polish nowadays though…so yeah.

Anyways, in the category of lipsticks, we have:
Eden Rocks, from 2001’s collection of the same name. It’s a mauve-toned neutral frost, and in that collection it was apparently about one thing: the Jennifer Lopez bronzed glamour look. Eh…no thanks.
Moxie, from the Retro Mattes of 1999. Matte fuschia? Yes please. But Retro Matte? Even more appealing.
Rocker, from Time Rocker of 1999. Cherry red with glitter-this definitely screams 1999 if you know what I mean. (A lot of the lipsticks out in that day were WILD. Glitter, metallics-you name it.)
Candy Yum-Yum, from Quite Cute. This is the overwhelming favourite so far-I think because more people remember it. Anyways, it’s a horrendously bright fuschia matte. Needless to say, it gets my vote.
Shitaki, from 2001’s Cuisine. Taupe brown with shimmer=a colour more suited to walls than lips.
3N, from the N Collection. Hated that all, except for Light Flush MSF.

My picks: Moxie, Rocker, Candy Yum-Yum. In the lipglass category, we have:
Flash of Flesh, from d’Bohemia and a couple of assorted palettes. Um, this needs to be the overwhelming winner. It’s a nude pinky-coral with pink and coral shimmer that goes really well with a lot of the shades that have been popular-and on its own, it’s not half bad either.
Cult of Cherry, from the collection of the same name. This is another one that if it doesn’t win, I’ll be shocked as hell. It’s a bright red with some red pearl to it, and NO you cannot get Russian Red as a dupe. The pigmentation is absolutely insane on this one. Speaking of which, I wonder where my tube of it went…
Bait, from Lure (as in a collection that I want the entirety of, as I am kicking myself for never getting Maidenchant). A pale pink with gold pearl, any swatch I’ve seen of it looks particularly yummy.
2N, another N Collection retread. Neutral warm pink…meh.
Emancipation, from Wonder Woman. Another neutral pink, this gets a vote-down just since it was such a recent collection, and not only that but it should be in the CCO’s.
Icescape, from Love Lace and I believe an additional collection before that. A sheer pink with pearl, it’s pretty nice, but put this and Bait in a cage and Bait comes out the winner just because a) gold pearl, and b) LURE!

The should-be winners: Cult of Cherry, Flash of Flesh, Bait

Finally, in the category of eyeshadows, we have:
Cool Heat, the first of two of that collection’s retreads. While this is a great colour, this will NOT get my vote for two reasons: I own it, and its texture SUCKS BALLS. Shame, too, but you can probably find an Inglot one similar that would be better texture. It’s one of those weird frosts, ya know?
Solar White, the other Cool Heat retread. I actually still have this (from the Rose is a Rose quad), and it’s the best highlight ever. Yeah, it’s similar to Nylon, but way better.
Moth Brown, from Barbie Loves MAC and Madame B. If I recall correctly, it’s an early Veluxe Pearl, and it’s a very much coveted grey-brown with plummy tones. Of course, that means one thing: HELL NO.
Heavenly Bliss, another Eden Rocks retread. A soft golden taupe…no thanks.
Jete, from Danse. That collection actually had a lot of really pretty stuff-it was the prettiest of the soft shades. Anyways, this is another early VP, and it’s a neutral-pink. If it is a more neutral version of In Living Pink (which should have been brought back), I will definitely buy this.
Guacamole, from Salsabelle. Another collection that needs to be brought back in its entirety, this is a clean avocado green. What can I say, I’m biased. This needs to come back.

The picks: Guacamole, Jete, and cause I have to pick a third, Solar White.

You can vote once per product category per day, again-and after a few hours of voting Guacamole has merely a fraction of what Heavenly Bliss and Mothbrown have. Think of my picks as not only the really good shades, but also the ones that are not only not as recent, but are less likely to have an equivalent at counters right now.

Let me first give my impressions on the stuff: from the Vera side of things, the Pearlglides are amazing and full of win. The Plushglasses are all very sheer. The Aloha stack is really pretty, as is Strawberry Patch, but the latter is so similar to the pinks in the Stacked 1 set from two years ago. That being said, I may have to get it IF it gets to the CCO…the Pearlmattes are bleh. Not a fan. For an all-over powder, I either go with Lightscapade or Refined-Refined gives me a really nice, tanned look. I seriously need another. Oh, I can’t forget the polishes-the peachy polish is really pretty and I highly recommend it.

Now for what I did buy: Butterfly Party, the blue/purple stack. It’s so full of win, it isn’t funny. The silvery-green is very much like the one in Surf The Ocean from last year (at least that’s what I think it was), but the other three? Very nice. The blurple is just gorgeous, with the multidimensional pearl. I wish it was sold as a pigment, because I would literally buy stock in it. Speaking of which, MAC needs a good blurple, and I’m not heading anywhere near an Inglot stockist anytime soon for comparing.For the Shop/Cook MAC, the Cremeblends are awesome, if not a little tricky to work with. I have issues with getting them nicely blended with my 188, so I admittedly use my fingers sometimes. (I don’t share these blushes) I already have Florida, and the other is nice but not something I really need right now, ya know? I only saw two of the shadow quads, but the one with the yellow looked interesting. That’s another thing that’s CCO-worthy. As for the neutral one, I love the orange but I have a couple I like already, so I can pass. The Kissable LC’s were boring, but the finish is really nice on them so they’re worth a shot if you’re not like me and shun more “normal” colours.

The lipsticks, four of them at least, were very typical collection filler. However, Watch Me Simmer is amazingness in a tube. I got the very last one of it, and it’s so much better than Vegas Volt. It’s brighter, darker, and less drying-literally every orange/coral I’ve owned has had issues-Neon Orange with dragging, Vegas Volt with a thin texture, Toxic Tale and its drying nature, Costa Chic and just being deficient…this is perfection. It’s not too bright, but it’s not subdued, either. As for the bright pink? Didn’t see it. It probably sold out.

The polishes? Well…I got the very last Al Fredo, and two things crossed my mind when I got it: wow it’s thin, and this may be very dupe-y to Who The Shrek Are You (an old OPI). I got it home…and I was right on the first part. Three coats, and still very sheer. Next time, use white base-or at least SOME sort of base. Salad Dressing looked to be thicker, but I got Al Fredo instead as I figured it would sell out (yellows sell fast). Kid Orange was not the muted coral-orange I had hoped for it to be, but rather a dupey red-orange that is exactly like a ton of what I’ve already seen before. Snooze…

So between the stack, Optimistic Orange, the lipstick, and polish, I think I did well on this. I wasn’t honestly enthused by a lot-with my makeup, I’m at a point where I feel that I have enough. I don’t drop the cash on the LE collections like I used to, because a lot of it has become so repetitive. The last collection I did a haul this large on was the Fall Trend, and the last big haul was the Villains. Yes, that long ago.

But that means more money to spend-as I got a decent paycheck, plus my tax refund AND a bonus. I took that bonus right over to Juicy Couture, where I got two pairs of earrings: some chandeliers with blue stones, and then little rhinestone parrots. Sure, they weren’t additional markdown besides the sale price, but whatever. I had been eyeing them intently for awhile, and as soon as it goes down more I’ll get the parrot charm. I’m missing my bracelet, but whatever: next time there’s a starter bracelet on sale it will be MINE. I got a pair of owl studs from there a month or so ago and I wear them constantly-so to me, they’re worth the investment. It’s a fraction of what costume jewelry costs elsewhere, and plus I keep my money in the Village. I had thought of getting a Tiffany piece, but honestly, with how much the prices have jumped I can’t justify it. Not to mention I don’t feel really attached to any of it-whereas the Juicy stuff, while being paste and such, is my sort of thing. It’s got a sense of humour to it, and that’s what I like.

Of course, I bought a ton of clothes too but in my defence, I get a great discount AND someone returned a bunch of old stuff today-five items of which were snapped up by me. Hey, I’m a vulture circling the oldies but goodies. To the tune of three dresses, a jacket, and a short-sleeve blazer…oh yeah. Earlier I bought two of these 5-pack socks (since one colour was $5), a pair of wool slipper socks, a scarf, a fragrance, and bikini bottoms.

They’re joined by Restores Dazzle, a pinky-plum that’s definitely a lot more universal. Be warned: Florida is BRIGHT, and a little goes a long way. It also is best to be applied under foundation or any powders. Otherwise, though-it’s amazing. Come to think of it, I need a second one…

The linchpin of this collection seems to be the trio of eyeshadow quads. I haven’t bought one since Rose is a Rose-although I still have my mum’s In The Gallery quad. (Notably, I haven’t used it in a long time. Maybe sneak it back to her? Nah) I really wish these were available as solo shades though, because I’m not paying $38 for just the Colour Added or Power Boosted shadows. Stick those in a quad with Pre-Packaged and Fresh Daisy, and then we’d be talkin’.

Call Me Bubbles quad: Call Me Bubbles (whiteish tan/satin), Fresh Daisy (orange/frost), Full of Flavour (pinky-coral/matte), Brash (frosty red-tone copper/Veluxe Pearl)

Shop & Drop quad: Sugar Snack (pale pink/matte), Hypnotizing (greyish mauve/frost), Power Boosted (violet/Veluxe Pearl), Shop & Drop (deep blue/satin)

Colour Added quad: Laundry Daze (pale yellow/satin), Colour Added (bright yellow/Veluxe Pearl), Pre-Packaged (dark turquoise/Veluxe Pearl), Self-Serve (deep grey/satin)

As far as the lipsticks go, all of them but Runaway Red are “coming soon” on the site, and none of them have the finishes up! So annoying…and worse yet, it seems like “usual suspects” colour-wise. Maybe when I see them in person, it will change. Who knows.

Innocence, Beware-Yellow pink (definitely a repromote, I think from Venomous Villains?)
Watch Me Simmer-Pinky coral
Naughty Saute-Milky blue pink
Quick Sizzle-Dark bright pink
Dish It Up-Plummy berry pink
Runaway Red-Neutral red (another repromote)

Finally, there’s Kissable Lipcolour, making their return from Peacocky.

Enchantee-Pale blue pink
Woo Me-Pale pinky nude
So Vain-Muted neutral coral
Scan-Delicious-Blue-toned fuschia
Flaunting It-Greyish mauve

This is the one where I will have to see it in person before I make any judgement calls. I may get Quick Sizzle if it turns out to be nice, but the shadow quads are a case of the whole product not being as good for my use. Still getting Optimistic Orange, though.

Anyways, this is the big spring launch, and I have to say, I like it! I’ve heard inklings of controversy (promoting antiquated gender roles, stereotyping), but honestly, it’s very much a collection of on-trend colours and fashion will always have an aspect of kitsch as well as a tongue-in-cheek attitude. You just gotta poke fun at stuff sometimes!

This is the first one, and I’m doing it opposite of normal. Normally, I’d do the cosmetics first, but I wanted to do the other stuff for one reason: the nail polishes: See, my company has a super-exclusive line that I adore. Well…they are getting a bunch of garments IN THE COLOURS of the polishes. Orange coat, teal/orange skirt, lime green dress…all of which I need in my life. The polishes are $16 (eep!), so getting all three is definitely NOT going to happen. However, Al Fredo (bright acid green) will be MINE. I have a lot similar to Kid Orange already, and as for Salad Dressing? I may have to skip something else to get it. I honestly don’t have a lot of aquas, and it’s really interesting as it is on the darker side. Choices, choices…

Tendertones are back, which used to be a more regular thing and it’s actually a shocker that they aren’t coming later, but hey, I guess it is good to have them now as people are getting outside more! All four shades are repromotes, I believe…

Tread Gently-Pale yellow-green with yellow pearl
Purring-Sheer orange with pearl
Hush, Hush-Sheer gold with pearl
Hot & Saucy-Sheer red (and it’s already sold out…so act fast on this, kids)

There are three Fluidlines in this bunch-all new, too.

Wholesome-Blackened brown
Added Goodness-Blackened mauve (emphasis on blackened)
Midnight Snack-Soft black

There’s also Opulash, two shades of Studio Careblend pressed powder, and the 211 brush as well as a 129 SH. All sorts of interesting things, and I will need to get myself Al Fredo ASAP. I’ll hopefully have the Shop MAC portion of this up in the morning-if I have time before heading off to the plant.

The collection is a very eye-heavy one, but it’s got great things. First up, can we talk Pearlglides? Sure, there’s nothing new. But these pencils are among my favourites, and if I need a go-to lower liner, then this is one of them. (If I am not using my magenta Chromagraphic pencil, that is). This go around, there’s:
Lord It Up-Bronze with pearl
Industrial-Blue-grey with pearl
Undercurrent-Teal with pearl
Designer Purple-Violet with pearl
Petrol Blue-Blue with pearl
Blackline-Black with gold pearl
Black Swan-Black with pearl

These are retailing for $15 nowadays.

Next up are the Crush Metal Pigment stacks, which are something that I love! At $34, they are a bit pricey, but I use my Stacked 1 a lot. My one from whatever the summer collection was this year, though? Not as much-in fact, I saw it at the CCO when I was there two months ago. Talk about derp! Anyways, the stacks are:

Aloha: Lantern Light (a pale orange that looks like an in-betweener for Acid Orange pigment and Evening Aura shadow), Campfire (a copper that is a little less red than Coppering), Shifting Sands (a champagne), and Aloha (a dirty chocolate brown)

Strawberry Patch: Star Crystal (a pale pink that seems to be similar to Pink Freeze, but warmer), Rose Light (a warm pink), Strawberry Patch (a light blue pink), and Moon Rose (bright dark pink)

Butterfly Party: Butterfly Party (a lilac that is like a darker Viz-a-Violet…still kicking myself for swapping that away), Desert Cloud (blurple), Rain Drop (teal), and Moss Garden (silver-green)

There’s Pearlmatte face powders here again-haven’t seen them in a couple years. And for good reason, if you ask me: I got the shadow, and I HATE IT. I am always willing to give them a try, although with the face powders going up and up I’m definitely a LOT more careful about buying nowadays since $28 for something I am not crazy about…I’ll buy at the outlet, and use the extra $8 or so for another Red Robin lunch. Anywhoo, we have the following shades:

Sunday Afternoon: Midtone pink/Fuschia/Pale pink with white pearl

Flower Fantasy: Pale coral with gold pearl/Cool pale pink/Pale salmon pink

In the latest round of random bring-backs, there’s Plushglass! Not repromotes (that I know of, since I have never used a Plushglass), but just that it’s not a formula that MAC seems to do a lot with. $20 for a gloss is especially steep, since I rarely use gloss unless it’s a Dazzleglass-and even then not much. However, I am liking one of them in particular (no surprise, it’s the purple).

Pretty Plush-Very pale pink with pearl. This may be a permanent one.
Fashion Fanatic-Creamy pale pink.
Confetti-Bright coral with pearl
On a Holiday-Bright pink with blue pearl
Butterfly Dream-Midtone violet with blue pearl

Finally, two nail polishes. Both creams, and both easily dupeable-seeming. I don’t buy a ton of MAC polishes, and these won’t change that. But the colours are both very universal, I feel.

Midsummer’s Dream-Pale pinky-lilac cream
Play Day-Pale milky coral cream

This hits all points of sale on Thursday, but it’s up online now and already Designer Purple is out-of-stock! I suggest getting a Pearlglide ASAP, as well as a Crush Metal stack.

No word yet on what there will be-but knowing her, it’s going to be very heavy on the eye products.

Anyways, the big collection coming this February is MAC Shop (or Store). It’s a very kitschy collection, a grocery-store theme with a lot of bright colours. From the shots I’ve seen, it’s similar to Barbie-right down to the models (the exact same ones, five years later). Think that, with the size of Spring Colour Forecast or Makeup Art Cosmetics.

Selected stores will have unveilings. The one at my mall isn’t, but one of the girls showed me the postcard from another store. They’re pretty cool! I’m dying for the pistachio-shaded stuff…nom nom. They are doing a weekend event though, as always happens (but I don’t need those as I don’t like other people doing my makeup).

More word on the collection goods shortly. I have a giftcard for it; my dad bought my Blush Ombres so I have a giftcard waiting for me at the store for $52 worth of goods. I’m definitely saving it for this, because there’s got to be some good stuff.