After conducting a massive online casting call in which contestants vied for the chance to have MAC Cosmetics make them over, six people were casted as the faces of the Fall 2011 MAC Me Over Collection.
The collection can be divided into three parts: MAC Basics, which is chock full of earthy, taupe-tinged, bronze-ish and chocolate-y browns and nudes; Icelandic Cool, which features icy shades of gray, mauve, lilac, cool moss-y green, silver, pale pink, and beige; and New Black, which features dark shades of red, plum, blackened green, midnight blue, eggplant purple, deep teal, and full-bodied magenta.
Below, you'll find a breakdown of all the products in each mini collection, as well as swatches of some of our favorite offerings!
ICELANDIC COOL
EYE SHADOW X4
This eye shadow quad anchors the Icelandic Cool collection, and it perfectly captures the chilly undertones of the cosmetics therein.
The Lady Grey Eye Shadow x4 ($38 at MACcosmetics.com) includes four soft, grayish colors: All Races, a matte light taupe mauve with a chalk-like texture; Tendersmoke, a frosty silver lilac with a smokey feel; Lady Gray, a lightly frosted olive-y green with heather gray tones; and Hazy Day, a mid-tone gray with a bronze-ish tinge infused with tons of pearly shimmer.
Below, you'll find swatches of the eye shadows in the Lady Grey compact:
LIPGLASS
The three Lipglass ($14.50 at MACcosmetics.com) tones in this portion of the MAC Me Over collection remain centered in the nude and flesh-toned area of the color spectrum, but the plum and mauve undertones add a chilly quality. These high-shine glosses are: The Wee Coquette, a naked neutral pink; Good Times, a pale mauve; and Spite, a muted brown with plum-y taupe undertones.
Here's a swatch of the Spite Lipglass. As you'll see from the photo, there's a toffee-esque tint to the color, but it never steers too far into the brown realm thanks to the cool undertones, making this a fresh new take on a neutral shae.
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SHADESTICK
Whether you want to trace your lash line, smooth some creamy color onto lids, or experiment with tracing fun designs along your face, the five Shadestick ($17.50 at MACcosmetics.com) colors in the Icelandic Cool shade offer that kind of liberty (four of which are pictured above). These broad-tip pencils glide right onto the skin, depositing richly-pigmented color that stays in place.
The Butternutty Shadestick offers a wash of neutral beige to illuminate lids, while the Heirloom Shadestick delivers a light champagne pink with silvery undertones and a near-peach quality. The Tundra Shadestick, meanwhile, yields a Tin Man-worthy silver shade that looks like molten metal. For an earthier shade, you can try the Street Cool Shadestick, a deep bronze-ish taupe with violet undertones. Lastly, the Cakeshop Shadestick is a pewter shade with golden olive green tones that make the color appear tarnished.
Below, you'll find swatches of four of the Shadestick colors:
NAIL LACQUER
The collection incorporates two Nail Lacquers ($15 at MACcosmetics.com): Quiet Time, a beige nude with a creamy finish, and Fatigues, a creamy, deep Army green perfect for completing a military look.
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MAC BASICS
LIPSTICK
Personally, I find the MAC Basics section of the collection rather boring, but that's only because, admittedly, I prefer flashier colors and tend to stay away from the safer colors. That being said, I do recognize the need for one great nude lipstick or for a subtle pale pink — and that's precisely what the four Lipsticks ($14.50 at MACcosmetics.com) in this collection offer.
The four shades are: Secret Lover, a pale pink with a touch of yellow frost; Peachstock, a neutral peach with a satin finish; Offshoot, a mid-tone neutral pink; and Oh, Oh, Oh, a plum bronze with shimmering pearls.
Below, you'll find a swatch of the Secret Lover lipstick:
EYE SHADOW
Moleskin Eye Shadow:
Carbonized Eye Shadow:
Creamy Bisque Eye Shadow:
Outré Eye Shadow:
Satin Taupe Eye Shadow:
Mythical Eye Shadow:
Nude, taupe, and dark brown shades dominate the MAC Basics Eye Shadow ($15 at MACcosmetics.com) selection, but there are also some interesting warm colors that capture the vibrant tones of autumn foliage. The Outré Eye Shadow, for example, is a dirty mustard yellow with a matte finish, and the Mythical Eye Shadow is a coppery red saturated with pearl particles. Other colors include: Moleskin, a matte, cream suede shade; Satin Taupe, a deep taupe brown with light silver shimmer; and Creamy Bisque, a frosted dirty ivory.
Next, check out four of the eye shadows in the collection:
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EYE KOHL
There are two Eye Kohl ($15 at MACcosmetics.com) shades in the MAC Basics portion of the collection: Teddy, a bronzed brown, and Smolder, a jet black.
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LIPGLASS
Illicit Lipglass:
Plum Fun Lipglass:
Curvaceous Lipglass:
Social Light Lipglass:
There are four must-have shades of Lipglass ($14.50 at MACcosmetics.com) in the MAC Basics collection: Plum Fun, a reddish plum color with a hint of parly shimmer; Illicit, a peachy neutral with a yellowish tint; Curvaceous, a cool, mauve-ish carnation pink; and Social Light, a bronze-ish pink shade with loads of shimmer.
Check out swatches of three of the four Lipglass tones:
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CREAM COLOUR BASE
The multi-purpose Cream Colour Base ($17.50 at MACcosmetics.com) shades in the collection work wonders for illuminating the face, contouring cheekbones, giving lids a soft wash of color, and adding a touch of frosted color to lips. The Take Root Cream Colour Base is a rich red brown that looks almost like a coat of cherry wood paint, while the Seaside Cream Colour Base is a frosted peachy rose shade with bronze undertones.
Here's a look at how the Seaside Cream Colour Base looks on skin:
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POWDER BLUSH
The two shades of Powder Blush ($19.50 at MACcosmetics.com) in this portion of the MAC Me Over collection are: Equilibrium, a dusky light bronze hue to make your visage appear tanned; and Stunner, a light coral pink to make cheeks appear flushed and give the face a healthy-looking glow.
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NEW BLACK
LIPSTICK
Along with the Icelandic Cool third of the collection, the New Black portion makes the MAC Me Over collection worth it. The four shades of Lipstick ($14.50 at MACcosmetics.com) in this particular portion of the collection all have a deep, dark, blackened finish that makes them befitting of the "New Black" categorization.
The four lipstick shades are: Rebel, a deep magenta purple; Smoked Purple, a dark eggplant purple with a semi-matte finish; Runaway Red, an intense bluish red with a ripe raspberry feel; and Prince Noir, a matte purple.
The Rebel and Runaway Red shades (pictured below) have a street-cool quality while also capturing a bit of Old Hollywood glamour. Check them out in the photos below!
EYE SHADOW X4
The Evil Eye Eye Shadow x4 ($38 at MACcosmetics.com) incorporates three blackened shades and one soft matte hue to balance out the more sinister, dramatic tones. The Evil Eye shade is a matte yellowish eye shadow with grayish tones rather than warm, marigold tints. The pearl saturated Moody shadow, meanwhile, almost looks like an asphalt-ready black, but it's actually a blackened green. The Palace Pedigreed eye shadow has a grape-y berry quality with a satin finish. And the Spellcaster color is a stormy, blackened violet hue with a matte finish.
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FLUIDLINE
The gel-like Fluidline ($15 at MACcosmetics.com) colors in the collection are: Midnight Blues, a blackened teal hue with a semi-sheer quality; Dark Envy, an extra dark emerald green with a hint of shimmer; Avenue, a charcoal black with vintage gold pearl particles; and Dark Diversion, a ripened plum hue. Though all these colors look slightly sheer when first applied, their intensity can be built up by layering on more liner, so that you can create as dramatic a look as you desire.
Below, check out swatches of Midnight Blues, Dark Envy, and Avenue:
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NAIL LACQUER
Instead of oil slick-worthy glossy blacks, tarnished silvers, and gunmetal tones, the Nail Lacquers ($15 at MACcosmetics.com) in the New Black section of the collection incorporate blackened purple and green-ish teal tones. The Purple Majesty nail lacquer allows you to coat nails with a raisin-like deep purple while the Deep Sea nail lacquer is the key to a marine-tinged, deep teal hue with a creamy finish.