I've got 25 more pages of messages to read, but thought i'd jump in.
I hit the road Monday evening to drive back from teaching in central Wisconsin over the Labor Day weekend. I drove there because i was teaching medieval cooking classes and i had to bring my pots and pans and kitchen tools and food processor and ingredients... I took a longer way home than there, driving west through South Dakota (i'd visited Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands years before) and then southwest through Wyoming on state and country roads (really nice scenery) to Rawlins where i caught I-80 and then headed straight home.
I dawdled a little, having dinner each night in a different place, otherwise eating yogurt and canned soup in the car. I had to be home in time to check out this collection at my local MAC by 10 AM!
I got there about 10 minutes before they opened the doors, which is later than usual for me. There was a surprising crowd - about 7 or 8 people - which i didn't expect for Artificially Wild. But when the doors open and everyone rushed in, i realized i'd forgotten it was the Simpsons release day, too, and that's what they were all there for. The Simpsons stuff looks better in person than in photos, but i just wasn't excited about it. I was there for Artificially Wild... and it seemed i was the only one.
I already own Icon lipstick, Explicit lipglass, and Stone lip liner. De-Nude lipglass was an interesting color, but just too warm for me, and there was no tester out for Spite. I did pick up Obviously Bare, which was even better in person than i'd hoped, a creamy muted cool nude. I figured i didn't want any of the new lipsticks, until i tested Shitake and knew the medium cool brown was for me. Most peachy-orangey colors are not good on me, so Photo, Siss, and Yash were all skips.
I already own Pink Cult blush - a HG blush for me. I figure Taupe might work, but i already have some other matte neutral brown contouring blushes and i don't need to reduplicate. I tested Next to Skin and it was a winner for a nearly nude look on me.
Then I caved and got all the eyeshadows and cream color bases. I generally don't wear really dark eye shadows but I think these medium-dark eye shadows will be great for shaping and contouring the eyes. I'm less sure about what i'll do with the CCBs, since i'm new to them - i have one or two others that i mostly use as highlighters - but i couldn't possibly pass up a dirty mustard olive! It may work as contour for a slightly unnatural look on me - i bet it will work well on someone darker, esp. with olive skin tone..
I may still go back and check out Spite lipglass and give De-Nude a second chance, since it's an unusual color and i'm a sucker for odd colors. I think this is a great collection for Fall-Winter. I'm sure i'll get plenty of use out of the eye shadows and blush.