liba
Well-known member
I know it's a little early to start this up again, but we've gone through 2/3 of the year so I'm going to go for the preliminary round!
Here are my personal picks - I'm not trying to be objective at all.
Favorite Collection: So far, Semi-Precious - the MSF, MES, lipsticks and cremesheen glasses were all perfection and good for year-round sexy loveliness. Runner up is Quite Cute, for the outrageous but workable lippies and the pretty and very flattering MBs.
Favorite Lipstick: Wow, this is a tough category this year. Although Runaway Red is the best red I've had in many years, and Candy Yum Yum got me an excessive amount of compliments, I'm going to have to pick Mehr for getting the advance drop on the MLBB trend as well as the matte trend well ahead of the Fashion Express Train. That it looks frikken gorgeous, while still being subtle doesn't hurt, either. Playtime and One of a Kind get honorable mention for being versatile, flattering and still quite unusual.
Favorite Gloss: Another tough one, but Krazy Kahuna edges them all out, due to its uniqueness and ability to transform many other colors in unexpected and luscious ways. 3-way Cremesheen Glass toss-up between Geo Pink, Richly Revered and Natural Flare, too, since it's my favorite formula and these colors are particularly flattering. Still waiting on Glam Glasses and Pro-Longwear Glasses, but they sure don't have anything equal to KK, color-wise.
Favorite Blush: Although Mighty Aphrodite edged it out, as far as day-to-day use goes, Sakura still wins for just being gorgeous and remarkably wearable, with a lovely texture and finish. It's still early yet, but Equilibrium has a good chance to eventually take over from both of these blushes, due to its amazing ease of use, gorgeous finish and being the fashion-forward color that's going to keep on going into next year and beyond. I can't really picture myself ever hitting pan on a MAC blush, but if I do, Equilibrium will probably be it. I basically have no excuse to step out of the house without beautiful cheekbones with this one.
Favorite Face Product: Careblend, Careblend, Careblend. Fantastic formula that always feels weightless and non-aggravating on and gives a perfect veil of age-defying coverage. Lush Light Bronze Careblend bronzer has been extra-special too - for some reason, it has exactly what it takes to hide the puffy bags under my eyes better than any concealer in my collection...I'm usually not a bronzer gal, either. Special mention to the Semi-Precious MSFs for their beautiful, wet-look texture and versatility. As summer heads into fall, Crystal Pink is getting a lot of love.
Favorite Eye Shadow: A lot of competition in this category this year and we still have more coming up. Clarity MES is leading the pack so far, but it's got very stiff competition from both the Crushed Metal pigment stacks, as well as many other MES (including Hint of Sapphire and Golden Gaze), Sun Blonde and of course, Plum Noir and Paparazz-she Mega Metals. Creamy Bisque is the underdog winner, for being so perfect at what it does, which is just give a gentle, flattering, neutral highlight and get out of the way. I still don't own the Evil Eye quad, but that might get some extra love before the end of the year, along with who knows what else.
Best New Product: As beautiful as the Mega Metal shadows are, I can't give them this slot, since quite a few of them were pretty irritating to my eyes (the frosty ones were the biggest culprits). I did love the retro 80's color range and that gorgeous, gorgeous sheen. Here's hoping the Pro-Longwear shadows pick up where these leave off. Top slot goes to the Kissable Lip Colours, for that fantastic, silken texture - so weightless and youth-giving; plus the serious long wear and beautiful colors. Plus hey, they coordinate with the Mega Metals so perfectly on every level. I can't wait for the next reformulation of this concept. There are still more new, high-tech products to come this year, so the ultimate winner might still be out there, Kissables!
Best Underdog Product: I sadly have to include this category this year, since we're getting so many new tech products and the resulting confusion has made some great stuff go under-appreciated. Big Bounce Shadow is #1 on this list. Gorgeous colors, major versatility and great staying power weren't enough to combat the application issues that took some time to wrap the old noggin around. Fortunately, Semi-Precious gave them a new lease on life and MAC definitely doesn't seem like it's ready to abandon their experiment, since most of the range is still available and not being sent off to the Goodbyes section quite yet. Here's hoping they've sold well enough to come back again in the future. I love them for being a sparkling product that adds all the shimmer I could want, while completely eradicating the crepey tendencies time prevents us from escaping and frosts tend to accentuate (yes even Mega Metals didn't cover over the crepe). Also, the beautiful duo-chrome effects you could get were particularly unique. Runner-up goes to Sheen Supreme. People couldn't get beyond the weird shape of the product in the tube. If they'd given it a chance, they would have found out that with a few uses, it conforms to your lips in a convenient way, since they're so soft and creamy. Decent wear, comfortable and flattering formula, great colors and it's PERM.
Favorite Miscellaneous: I adored the colored Opulash from Wonder Woman! I used colored mascara almost exclusively for literally decades and I've never had a formula show the color so clearly on my dark lashes while still keeping them looking silky and natural and not smudging off. MEN noticed the color - that is definitely saying something. Runner up goes to Prep+Prime Vibrancy Eye, which has officially replaced Fast Response Eye Cream as my maximum de-puffing solution, since it de-puffs just as well while also brightening up the whole area. It's also much more gentle to my skin. I'm not much of a fan of MAC skincare, but this is the sort of modern, multi-use, hybrid product I can really get behind.
Most Used: My single most used product this year, aside from my Careblend powder, is Exxxhibitionist Kissable Lip Colour. I grabbed this whenever I needed no-brainer lips running out of the house in a rush. I also grabbed it more often than not when I was wearing any of my Mega Metal shadows or putting together a stylish look for daytime or casual evenings out. It worked from the first week Peacocky came out in late winter/early spring all the way up to right now and is going to keep working into the fall for sure.
Most Outrageous Color: There were a few good'uns this year, but I'm reserving this slot for Potent Fig Mattene. Otherwise, say hello to my little friend Peacocky, for being an actual sophisticated blue. Sheer Mandarin gets a shout out too, since I think this color is going to be huge next spring and summer.
Worst Product: I like to be positive, but we all enjoy a little snark every now and then, so let me submit the Shadesticks. Those samples were shockingly dry after just one night of sitting out uncapped the night before the collection launched and were impossible to do anything other than draw a straight line with. That's bad. They must have brought them back for the fans, but yeek....not a good shelf life by any stretch.
Anyhow, hope you've enjoyed my musings here. Let me know what your favorites have been. With this new Poll feature, we could even turn this into a Best Of vote once we have more replies and more candidates as the year goes on. I bet we'll have a huge range of replies, since 2011 has been filled to the brim with MAC makeup variety!
Favorite Collection: So far, Semi-Precious - the MSF, MES, lipsticks and cremesheen glasses were all perfection and good for year-round sexy loveliness. Runner up is Quite Cute, for the outrageous but workable lippies and the pretty and very flattering MBs.
Favorite Lipstick: Wow, this is a tough category this year. Although Runaway Red is the best red I've had in many years, and Candy Yum Yum got me an excessive amount of compliments, I'm going to have to pick Mehr for getting the advance drop on the MLBB trend as well as the matte trend well ahead of the Fashion Express Train. That it looks frikken gorgeous, while still being subtle doesn't hurt, either. Playtime and One of a Kind get honorable mention for being versatile, flattering and still quite unusual.
Favorite Gloss: Another tough one, but Krazy Kahuna edges them all out, due to its uniqueness and ability to transform many other colors in unexpected and luscious ways. 3-way Cremesheen Glass toss-up between Geo Pink, Richly Revered and Natural Flare, too, since it's my favorite formula and these colors are particularly flattering. Still waiting on Glam Glasses and Pro-Longwear Glasses, but they sure don't have anything equal to KK, color-wise.
Favorite Blush: Although Mighty Aphrodite edged it out, as far as day-to-day use goes, Sakura still wins for just being gorgeous and remarkably wearable, with a lovely texture and finish. It's still early yet, but Equilibrium has a good chance to eventually take over from both of these blushes, due to its amazing ease of use, gorgeous finish and being the fashion-forward color that's going to keep on going into next year and beyond. I can't really picture myself ever hitting pan on a MAC blush, but if I do, Equilibrium will probably be it. I basically have no excuse to step out of the house without beautiful cheekbones with this one.
Favorite Face Product: Careblend, Careblend, Careblend. Fantastic formula that always feels weightless and non-aggravating on and gives a perfect veil of age-defying coverage. Lush Light Bronze Careblend bronzer has been extra-special too - for some reason, it has exactly what it takes to hide the puffy bags under my eyes better than any concealer in my collection...I'm usually not a bronzer gal, either. Special mention to the Semi-Precious MSFs for their beautiful, wet-look texture and versatility. As summer heads into fall, Crystal Pink is getting a lot of love.
Favorite Eye Shadow: A lot of competition in this category this year and we still have more coming up. Clarity MES is leading the pack so far, but it's got very stiff competition from both the Crushed Metal pigment stacks, as well as many other MES (including Hint of Sapphire and Golden Gaze), Sun Blonde and of course, Plum Noir and Paparazz-she Mega Metals. Creamy Bisque is the underdog winner, for being so perfect at what it does, which is just give a gentle, flattering, neutral highlight and get out of the way. I still don't own the Evil Eye quad, but that might get some extra love before the end of the year, along with who knows what else.
Best New Product: As beautiful as the Mega Metal shadows are, I can't give them this slot, since quite a few of them were pretty irritating to my eyes (the frosty ones were the biggest culprits). I did love the retro 80's color range and that gorgeous, gorgeous sheen. Here's hoping the Pro-Longwear shadows pick up where these leave off. Top slot goes to the Kissable Lip Colours, for that fantastic, silken texture - so weightless and youth-giving; plus the serious long wear and beautiful colors. Plus hey, they coordinate with the Mega Metals so perfectly on every level. I can't wait for the next reformulation of this concept. There are still more new, high-tech products to come this year, so the ultimate winner might still be out there, Kissables!
Best Underdog Product: I sadly have to include this category this year, since we're getting so many new tech products and the resulting confusion has made some great stuff go under-appreciated. Big Bounce Shadow is #1 on this list. Gorgeous colors, major versatility and great staying power weren't enough to combat the application issues that took some time to wrap the old noggin around. Fortunately, Semi-Precious gave them a new lease on life and MAC definitely doesn't seem like it's ready to abandon their experiment, since most of the range is still available and not being sent off to the Goodbyes section quite yet. Here's hoping they've sold well enough to come back again in the future. I love them for being a sparkling product that adds all the shimmer I could want, while completely eradicating the crepey tendencies time prevents us from escaping and frosts tend to accentuate (yes even Mega Metals didn't cover over the crepe). Also, the beautiful duo-chrome effects you could get were particularly unique. Runner-up goes to Sheen Supreme. People couldn't get beyond the weird shape of the product in the tube. If they'd given it a chance, they would have found out that with a few uses, it conforms to your lips in a convenient way, since they're so soft and creamy. Decent wear, comfortable and flattering formula, great colors and it's PERM.
Favorite Miscellaneous: I adored the colored Opulash from Wonder Woman! I used colored mascara almost exclusively for literally decades and I've never had a formula show the color so clearly on my dark lashes while still keeping them looking silky and natural and not smudging off. MEN noticed the color - that is definitely saying something. Runner up goes to Prep+Prime Vibrancy Eye, which has officially replaced Fast Response Eye Cream as my maximum de-puffing solution, since it de-puffs just as well while also brightening up the whole area. It's also much more gentle to my skin. I'm not much of a fan of MAC skincare, but this is the sort of modern, multi-use, hybrid product I can really get behind.
Most Used: My single most used product this year, aside from my Careblend powder, is Exxxhibitionist Kissable Lip Colour. I grabbed this whenever I needed no-brainer lips running out of the house in a rush. I also grabbed it more often than not when I was wearing any of my Mega Metal shadows or putting together a stylish look for daytime or casual evenings out. It worked from the first week Peacocky came out in late winter/early spring all the way up to right now and is going to keep working into the fall for sure.
Most Outrageous Color: There were a few good'uns this year, but I'm reserving this slot for Potent Fig Mattene. Otherwise, say hello to my little friend Peacocky, for being an actual sophisticated blue. Sheer Mandarin gets a shout out too, since I think this color is going to be huge next spring and summer.
Worst Product: I like to be positive, but we all enjoy a little snark every now and then, so let me submit the Shadesticks. Those samples were shockingly dry after just one night of sitting out uncapped the night before the collection launched and were impossible to do anything other than draw a straight line with. That's bad. They must have brought them back for the fans, but yeek....not a good shelf life by any stretch.
Anyhow, hope you've enjoyed my musings here. Let me know what your favorites have been. With this new Poll feature, we could even turn this into a Best Of vote once we have more replies and more candidates as the year goes on. I bet we'll have a huge range of replies, since 2011 has been filled to the brim with MAC makeup variety!
