As we all know, Mac collections are very popular and usually sell out within days of release. The first piece of the ‘RiRi hearts Mac’ collection (RiRi Woo Retro Mac lipstick) sold out in less than an hour here in the UK when it was released online. I think that sums up the popularity of the collection and the intense anticipation that surrounded the remaining pieces of the 2013 collection that finally came to counters last week.
After reading online previews I wasn’t going to pick anything up from the collection as there was nothing that really stood out. However whilst perusing the shelves of Selfridges last week there was one item which caught my eye and I now realise that the preview photos did not do this collection any justice. The RiRi hearts Mac ‘Smoked Cocoa Eyeshadow Palette’ is one of two eyeshadow palettes in the collection. The other ‘Her Cocoa’ is full of warm neutral shades whilst the ‘Smoked Cocoa’ is filled with cool shades that I think would look great for a night out.
Firstly, lets talk about the packaging; it’s a bit of a love/hate affair. Some days I see it sitting in my dresser and I think ‘aww it looks so pretty’ and other morning I’m just ‘NO NO NO!!’ I think I missed the Rose Gold train because I’m not a huge fan of it and teamed with the pink leaves me leaving a bit ‘meh’ but it’s nice to have a change from Mac’s usual black.
Onto the shades which I’ve seen listed under different names (I think it’s a country thing) but for this review, I’ll use the shades listed on the UK Mac website (as of Saturday 12th October 2013) which have changed since the palette was first released (In my video I think I’ve used the US names!):
Shimmering Champagne (veluxe pearl finish): a dirty cool champagne with a frosty finish which is great for highlighting or even an all over wash of brightening colour. If you’re looking for a dupe in the main collection I would recommend Nylon (one of my favs!) as it’s fairly similar. This shade has excellent pigmentation, is easy to blend and is very long lasting.
Matte Grey (matte finish): Ok lets get this out there. IT’S A COOL BROWN! When I think of grey, this is not the colour that springs to mind but non the less it is a lovely shade that makes a fantastic blending colour. I like using this is an all over Again, colour pay off is excellent and it is long lasting.
Black with Silver Pearl (lustre finish): Exactly what is says on the tin really; a blue toned black eyeshadow with a hint of silver glitter in it. I can’t wait to use this shade at the end of my next smoked eye as the silver shimmer looks great in the right light. It blends really well however pigmentation leaves something to be desired as you really have to pack it on to get any sort of pay off. Slightly disappointing.
Satin Charcoal (satin finish) – Not the darkest black shade that was ever created but does the job nonetheless. Again this is a shade you really have to pack on to be able to work with and blending is slightly difficult due to it being very dry but the finish result is a nice smoked light black.
Overall this is a nice palette that I’m glad I picked up however I’m fairly confident that you can find similar colours in the main Mac eyeshadow collection. The two darker shades let it down slightly and are not as strong as the champagne and brown (sorry, GREY :/ ) but like i said, I’m glad I’ve added it to my collection.
Priced at £33 this is a reasonably priced Mac palette as the same thing from the main collection would cost you over £50 (4 shades and a palette). Unfortunately this palette seems to have sold out almost everywhere online however you may get lucky at a local Mac counter (I certainly did at Selfridges Birmingham.) Or you could try winning one on my youtube channel…
If you want to hear me talk more about the shades and see some real life swatches then head on over to my YouTube Channel where you can also win the palette! T’s & C’s in the down bar. Good luck!!
♥
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