I finally got a MAC . . .

. . . unfortunately it's not of the apple variety, it is however (unsurprisingly) from the world of cosmetics.

Yes you are reading this right, I've only just purchased my first MAC products. Despite being a make up hoarder to the extreme, this brand has always managed to escape my collection. 

Previously when splashing out a little more on make up, I would stick with one brand that I trusted and that I could buy in person relatively locally. Now with a few more pennies to spare, I don't mind travelling a little further for my needs or taking a bit of a gamble with online swatches. 

A week ago I decided it was about time I added this cult brand to my own collection of war paint  Here's what gave my credit card a turn for the worse:

First things first, I'm a huge fan of a smokey eye, even in the day time, however a full face of bold make up can be a little overwhelming. A great way to make a heavy eye look more wearable is to combine it with a 'light lip'. Enter the nude lipstick . . . or in my case, enter two by two.

Being a person that struggles with decision making, I wound up ordering two nude lipsticks, Myth (left) and Honey Love (right).

Swatchy swatchy!

Thinking about it, it seems that one nude lipstick isn't really too different from any other nude lipstick. Oh how wrong. Though these two colours are very similar, when worn on the lip they both create a look independent from the other. On a pale complexion like mine, Myth creates a lovely natural lip a few shades lighter than their natural hue. Myth is in a satin finish and so gives a lovely silky finish to the lip.

Honey Love is great for a natural lip when you still want some darker definition, it is in a matte finish and so may not be to everyone's taste, although a smidgen of Vaseline over the top will create a creamier effect.

Next on the agenda, eyes.

Eye-shadow in Vibrant Grape.

Whilst I love the colour of this, I have to say I was expecting more on the pigmentation side of things. From a company like MAC I was expecting a highly pigmented product, what I found however was that you really had to layer the powder up to get anything more than a sheer wash of colour. Don't get me wrong, it still creates a lovely finish, it just wasn't the one I was looking forward to. In the future I may try some of their loose pigment instead, although I'm not a fan of the inevitable fall out loose powders produce.

Now for the accomplices.

I've read many great reviews about MAC brushes, and as gel liners are a firm favourite of mine I figured it made sense to invest in a brush that would help me achieve better results. I chose the 266, its firm bristles and sharp angle are ideal for creating a winged eye. I was also surprised at it's ability to create a narrow line, my previous brush seemed unable to draw a line any thinner than half a centimetre, not exactly eye 'liner'.

And finally.

The jury's still out on this brush cleanser. Firstly, it's a very watery consistency so I found it far to easy to accidentally waste product by over pouring. When it came to it's actual cleansing capabilities I got a mixed result. This cleanser is great at removing powder products from brushes but it just wouldn't cut the mustard when it came to fighting through my foundation or gel liner. I think for more cream type products I'll stick with using a cheap gentle shampoo but then maybe finish with this to remove any excess bacteria nasties. 

All in all not a bad experience with my first venture into the MAC world. Whilst I had some small negative points, I think I may have just gone in with too higher an expectation of what I believed the products would deliver. 

After a bit of a play around with my new goodies I created the look below (along with some of my make up favourites from other brands).

TTFN

xXx