The Mac x Padma Lakshmi Collection is the newest collaboration between the brand and the beautiful and talented Padma Lakshmi. The collection is definitely eye catching because of the beautiful gold oriental packaging. The eyeshadow compact and the blush literally feel like a piece of jewelry.
I received most of the pieces from the collection before it launched so I had time to test everything. The Mac X Padma Lakshmi Collection launched the other day online and it is available in stores from today, March 15th.
You can check out my thoughts and swatches of the following products:
Powder Blush Duo in Pink Melon
Lipsticks in Sunset Rose, Mittai Pink and Blue Blood
Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Iced Heather/Kerala Sun
The Mac X Padma Lakshmi Eyeshadow x 4 in 70’s Sunset comes with four shades in Sand & Clay (mid-tone cool beige in matte finish), All’s Rosy (mid-tone plum with gold pearl in matte finish), Mumtaz (coppery purple with gold sparkle in veluxe pearl), Cardamom (cool light green with white frost in veluxe pearl).
Quality wise, the eyeshadow palette performs really well. I didn’t have problem with any fallout or to pack enough pigment on the eyes. Since the shades are on the darker side, they will definitely work for people with darker skin tones. But they also worked really well for my light to medium skin tone. If I use all the shades to create a look, I can get a beautiful plum toned smoky eye that I think compliments my brown eyes.
I wasn’t sure about the green shade in the palette, but it actually looks nice on the lid. I can see that a shade like that would pop even more on dark skin.
Swatches L to R: Sand & Clay, All’s Rosy, Mumtaz, Cardamom
The other compact from the line comes in blush form. There are two blushes in the collection and I got the shade in Melon Pink. It’s a dual blush compact that comes with two shades. One is mid-tone orange shade in a matte finish, and the other is a beautiful peachy pink with gold sparkle in satin finish.
Mixed together, you get a gorgeous golden peach coral shade that is the perfect summery shade. You can either mix the shades or use them on their own. The pan sizes are big enough that you can do that.
The pigment of Melon Pink is really nice. It’s pigmented so you don’t need to swirl your brush. By just touching the pan, with your brush you get enough pigment to show up even on darker skin. The blush does kick off some powder when you dip your brush, but blends effortlessly on the skin.
Swatches of the Mac X Padma Powder Blush Duo in Pink Melon (top shade, bottom shade and swirled together)
I received three from the six lipsticks that are available in the collection. Sunset Rose is described as a creamy brown with pearl in cremesheen finish. This is a beautiful rose nude shade that has some pearl but doesn’t appear shimmery on the lips. It gives the lips a lot of dimension and also a “wet” look, which I love.
Miitai Pink is hot fuchsia in matte finish. I don’t usually wear pink lipsticks but I like how fuchsia shades look on my skin tone. It’s a really bright pop of color that screams summer to me.
Blue Blood is a true red in matte finish. On my skin tone, it appears like a true cherry red which again is a great pop of color for the summer. The Mac matte formula is a pleasure to wear and doesn’t dry out my lips at all.
The only gloss in the line is the Cremesheen Glass in Nefertiti. It’s a beautiful peachy gold with sparkle and only available online. The formula is not overly pigmented which I like when it comes to a shimmery gold lipgloss. It’s not sticky and it is very comfortable on the lips.
Swatches L to R: Cremesheen Glass in Nefertiti, Sunset Rose, Miitai Pink, Blue Blood
Cremesheen Glass in Nefertiti
Lipstick in Sunset Rose
Lipstick in Miitai Pink
Lipstick in Blue Blood
The Mac X Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Iced Heather/Kerala Sun is a double-ended waterproof eyeliner. It comes with a silver frost shade on one end and a pure gold, on the other. The formula glides easy on the eyes and both shade are very brightening when used on the waterline.
Swatches of the Mac X Padma Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Iced Heather/Kerala Sun
Bottom line, I really like everything from the collection. The packaging is just stunning and I think represents Padma’s culture really well. The eyeshadow and blush compact feels like metal and are really well made. If you are a collector, these are definitely worth getting. As for my favorite products from the Mac X Padma Lakshmi Collection, I love the Powder Blush Duo in Melon Pink, Lipstick in Sunset Rose and Cremesheen Glass in Nefertiti. I actually like all the lipsticks but Sunset Rose is just one of those shades that I would wear a lot.
The Mac x Padma Lakshmi Collection is available both online and in stores and it is limited edition.
*PR Sample