Mac released a limited edition collection called Make-Up Art Cosmetics in collaboration with three amazing and renowned makeup artists. Reflecting their signature styles, Mac created a collection with Diane Kendal, James Kaliardos and Kabuki. All three makeup artists have amazing styles that are all different from one another.
Mac x Diane Kendal
Diane Kendal’s collection mainly features cream products. I received the Creme Shadow x 6 in Glamorize me, Casual Color Lip & Cheek Colour x 6 in Enhance Me and Mac Studio Quick Trick Stick in Radiance/Shadow.
The Creme Shadow x 6 in Glamorize Me has six cream eyeshadows that range from neutral every day shades to shades that are good for creating smoky eyes. I’m a big fan of cream eyeshadows, in fact I prefer to wear them over powders since they’re easier to apply and blend. But I’ve never used a cream eyeshadow that comes in a palette. It is an interesting concept and I think it will come in handy for travel. The shade selection is excellent in my opinion. You get neutral shades in the first row, second is pops of color and the third are darker shades for creating smoky evening looks.
The formula of the cream eyeshadows is described as medium and buildable. They all come in pearlescent finish but the shimmer is subtle and not over the top.
Swatches of the Mac x Diane Kendal Creme Shadow x 6 in Glamorize Me
Another great palette from the collection comes in a lip & cheek option. The Casual Color Lip & Cheek Colour x 6 in Enhance Me features six cream shades that you can use as lipsticks or cream blushes. The formula is lightweight and has a creamy comfortable texture that is hydrating to both the lips and cheeks. On the cheeks they leave a beautiful dewy glow which I love for summer. The shades range from nude neutrals, to pops of color and darker vampy shades.
Swatches of the Mac x Diane Kendal Casual Color Lip & Cheek Colour x 6 in Enhance Me
The Mac x Diane Kendal Quick Trick Stick in Radiance/Shadow comes with a great contour and bronze shade and a very light almost white highlighter. Formula wise, the Quick Trick Sticks have a creamy sheer but buildable formula that looks very natural on the skin.
Swatches of the Mac x Diane Kendal Quick Trick Stick in Radiance/Shadow
Mac x James Kaliardos
His collection has a mix of cream and powder products, sheer three color glosses and a variety of lipstick shades. I received both Full Face Kits in Moons of Saturn and Moons of Jupiter, Pressed Pigment in Black Grape, Tricolor Lipglass in Stratagloss Opalite, Lipstick in Jasper and Jumbo Penultimate Eye Liner.
The Full Face Kits come with a sculpting powder and two cream color bases (a highlighter and a blush). Moons of Saturn is the lighter of the two. It comes with a matte golden bronzer, Cream Colour Base in a bright pink coral and in pearlescent champagne.
The bronzer shade is on the warm side so I think it would be better to be used as a bronzer than for contouring. Both the blush and highlighter are very nice summery shades. The blush gives a nice flush of dewy color to the cheeks and the highlighter is subtle with a touch of shimmer.
Swatches of the Mac x James Kaliardos Full Face Kit in Moons of Saturn
Moons of Jupiter is meant for darker skin tones. It comes with a powder in a matte reddish brown shade, Cream Colour Base in rosy bronze and a reddish plum shade that’s a great cheek color.
Swatches of the Mac x James Kaliardos Full Face Kit in Moons of Saturn
Both lip product that I received are really nice. If you are a fan of dark reds, the shade in Jasper is a great option. It’s a deep reddish brown in a satin finish so very comfortable to wear.
The Tricolor Lipglass in Stratagloss Opalite is gorgeous. It’s a triple layered pearl swirl of lipgloss in pink tones. Each color graduates in to the other which makes for a pretty cool gradient effect. The color is sheer but gives a hint of pink that is enough if you want to wear it on it’s own.
Black Grape (a deep aubergine shade with multipearl) is a re-release so I’m quite familiar with it. The pressed pigment is beautiful for creating shimmery smoky eyes that are not your regular black. It is very pigmented and appears sparkly on the eyes.
As a girl who is not a pro at applying eyeliner, the Jumbo Penultimate Eye Liner was a little tricky to use. I prefer eye pens that are slim and that have a felt tip. Otherwise the color of the eyeliner is super black and doesn’t come off through the day. I did a swatch on my hand and I couldn’t remove the stain even with an oil based eye makeup remover which says something about the lasting power.
Swatches L to R: Black Grape, Lipstick in Jasper, Tricolor Lipglass in Stratagloss Opalite, Jumbo Penultimate Eye Liner
Mac x Kabuki
I think Kabuki’s line is the most colorful one from the three. It features products like paints in super bright shades that you can use on your eyes, retro matte liquid lipsticks and many more.
From his line I received the Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Sweet Thing and Flamingo Road, Crystal Glaze Gloss in Ice Follies, Powder Blush Duo in Today We Live and Dazzleshadow x 4 in The Shining Hour.
The Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Sweet Thing is a beautiful pinky nude shade. Flamingo Road on the other end is a pop of purple magenta shade that is definitely a statement lip.
The Crystal Glaze Gloss in Ice Follies is a gloss that is meant to be used over any lip product. It adds a touch of pearl and has a super glossy finish.
Today We Live is a Powder Blush Duo that has two blushes, but in my opinion, one of the shades makes for a perfect contour shade for lighter skin tones. The shades are described as golden peach and soft beige brown.
Swatches L to R: Powder Blush Duo in Today We Live, Crystal Glaze Gloss in Ice Follicles, Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Sweet Thing, Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Flamingo Road
And the star of the line, the Dazzleshadow x 4 in The Shinning Hour is a palette with four dazzleshadows including burgundy with teal sparkles, light pink with duochromatic violet sparkles, sparkly gold and sparkly white. The texture of the eyeshadows feels like a mix of cream and powder. They give a beautiful twinkle to the eyes with minimal fallout. You will need to use other eyeshadows to create a complete look since these are quite shimmery. In my opinion they look the best when applied over other eyeshadows for a pop of twinkle and sparkle.
Swatches of the Kabuki Dazzleshadow x 4 in The Shining Hour
The Mac Make-Up Art Cosmetics Collection is already available online and in stores and it is limited edition. My favorite pieces from the collection include the Creme Shadow x 6 in Glamorize Me, Tricolor Lipglass in Stratagloss Opalite, Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Sweet Thing and Dazzleshadow x 4 in The Shinning Hour.
*PR Sample