First and foremost, MAC is a professional makeup brand. That is, it’s aimed at professionals and only then at consumers 🙂 I generally prefer luxury consumer makeup brands. Because I like those brands textures and feel better. But… this MAC and Shanghai based fashion designer of Poesia Chris Chang collaboration is a perfect example of why I do dip into professional makeup world at times. They have so many shades in those ranges. The kind of shades that will never get released in consumer makeup collections. Shades that are artsy, edgy, out of the common run, weird in a good way, if you know what I mean. That’s one reason. Also, you know how I feel about makeup collections design. If design is awesome, I can buy just for it, and that’s exactly why I got this collection. The design in it is beautiful, beautiful and then some. Gorgeous, really. Unique. It’s worth it alone. Totally worth it. Here, let me show you what we’re talking about here.

 

This is transparent powder that’s designed to match all skin tones. Before I tell you about the powder proper, here’s the boxing. Wow. And wow again. And again.

 

Ok, once I get over the packaging, I look to see what this powder is for. And I learn that it’s pressed, transparent and finishing.

 

And then I get distracted by the boxing again.

 

And then by the case.

 

And only then I start considering how I feel about such transparent and universal powder shades. They are pretty big right now and a lot of luxury brands release them. And the more I think about it, the more I know I’m not a fan. Here’s why.

 

Well, for starters, I don’t really believe in universal powder shades. You know why? Tone and base is almost the most important – or one of the most important – makeup steps. If it doesn’t go right with base, whatever else you do colourwise, is going to suffer. So, base, tone and foundation has to be perfect, really. Further on, we’re just all so different. I mean, it’s literally like as many people as many skin tones with all the nuance. It’s hard to try to find your best match shade in all the ranges and all the shades by all the brands out there. The shade that really matches your and only your skin tone, as opposed to making it look like fifteen other skin tones that are in the area of yours but not quite yours. You know what I mean, don’t you? It’s like, say, my skin tone is not too dark and not too light, so most base, powder and foundation shades are either too dark or either too light for me. And then on top of that we all have our own preferences. Mine is I don’t want any yellow or orange in my foundation, because I’m afraid of sallow tone showing up in the result. What I’m looking for in base products is pink undertone, but not too much, because if there’s too much, it’s too baby doll like. And so on and so forth. You know how it goes. You have your own things to like and to look for there, I’m sure. So, in what world can one shade, no matter how universal it is, cover all those things? I don’t think it can. That’s why I don’t believe in one universal shade, even if it’s finishing 🙂

 

Having said all that, I do understand that paler and whiter background is probably a good idea for all the splashes of colour to come in this collection. Still, this shade is definitely too white for me and, probably, too white for most. The only way it’s going to be a perfect match for you is if you’re a pale skinned beauty. Then if you like the quality, you’ll be lucky enough to be able to actually use this powder as your finishing touch.

 

Speaking about quality, it’s professional here. Very performance oriented. I, personally, miss this extra lush element in it that luxury consumer brands have. This powder is all about the way it goes on, the way it lasts, the way it looks, it’s not about pleasing us in the process. Which is exactly what professional quality is like. Once again, though, the design is so stunning, it doesn’t matter that much in this particular case 🙂

 

Moving on. We have this product here that’s called Cream Colour Base. Hm. I wonder what that means. First I marvel at the boxing though. Even if it’s the same as in powder. Still…

 

Now to make sure what cream colour base is supposed to mean, I read into the packaging and find this precaution: Not for use in lip and eye area. Ok. Fine, it’s still not quite clear to me what this product is and what it’s for. To try to find out, I read what it’s called in French 🙂 Couleur Crème Multi-Usages. Oh, so, it’s multi purpose cream base thing that I can’t use in lip and eye area. That is, it’s either base or blush. Now that I’m all caught up on what this thing is, I move onto the shades.

 

Here’s the first one. Sock-It Xiqu

 

So pretty. I’m going to get a kick out of this packaging every time I have it in my hand 🙂

 

And it’s different than the powder. O-oh. Love it.

 

The thing itself is… lilac though. Lilac base, huh? Lilac blush? I don’t know. Very lilac. Feels like Halloween makeup a little 🙂 Very artsy.

 

It feels so good though. The texture is so light, feather light to the touch. Feels great. The way great cream blush should feel. The shade though is really something. If you’re pale skinned, you should probably steer clear. You don’t need any lilac tone or undertone going there for you. This lilac thing is not as edgy as it gets in makeup, it’s pretty edgy though. So, what can we do with it? Highlighting, maybe? Sculpting? Or, maybe, it can be mixed with other shades? Be a part of your illuminating pattern, light play, strobing? Who knows 🙂

 

Here’s the next shade called Rich Coral.

 

The packaging is still super cool.

 

And the shade is… well, I don’t see much coral here, instead I see orange, and I can’t help but think how it can be used in terms of foundation 🙂

 

The pattern on the packaging that’s different from the ones we’ve seen already distracts me momentarily.

 

Then I go back to thinking about all the orange here though. The first thing that crosses my mind, naturally, is – blush?

 

This bold and bright orange will work nicely on the cheekbones given that the texture is easy to work with, and you can build it or not build it to your liking. Still, this shade is bright. You’d better keep it in mind, when you try to apply it. Even if you use just a touch, you might get more orange there you could even need. So, maybe, try it under your base or powder, so that it shines and illuminates your complexion from within as opposed to providing a blinding radiance on your cheeks on top of all the foundation.

 

The last shade of cream foundation in this collection is Peony Pavilion. Sounds so nice. Peony Pavilion. Love this name.

 

The boxing is still here.

 

And the shade is pink. Very very pink.

 

And we get more design here with yet another pattern on the case. Superb.

 

Ok, so, bright pink foundation? Unlikely. Highly unlike, in fact 🙂 Naturally, I go to the same place I went with the coral. Blushing? Bush? Pink blush is not as crazy as pink base.

 

Whatever way you decide to use Peony Pavilion – and yes, I’m writing it here just to say it one more time 🙂 – know that it’s a cooler brighter pink shade. Lilac pink almost but not quite. And if you think about it along the lines of blush and blushing, it’s more of a conventional thing that more people can wear and use. And the shade is nice, bright and young and optimistic, sort of. Full of life and vigor. Pink is the ultimate blush shade, so it makes perfect sense 🙂 Once again, you can plant it under the base for it to shine through, if you’re afraid it’s too bright.

 

As crazy as those foundation shades might seem, I like the texture in them a lot. So, yes, it’s a good one. Here they all are:

 

And now we can get to eyeshadow. There are four shades.

 

The formula and quality of this eyeshadow is very good. It’s all nice and soft, goes on easily, satiny in finish. Love this texture. There’s this something extra special here that I’m looking for in makeup. It’s like it’s not professional but luxury sensationwise. Now are you ready for those shades?

 

The box is small but no less cute.

 

And the first shade is Electric Mandarin.

 

Mandarin? Bring it on, MAC.

 

Yep. It’s very much like mandarin. Orange and fresh.

 

I’m still excited at seeing this design. Just can’t help it.

 

The shade is a bright warm orange that can give you a boost of energy in a second.

 

It’s not crazy neon bright, but it’s all warm and enveloping and matt and lush in terms of finish. You know how I’m no fan of orange in makeup. It looks pretty good on me and others, but I somehow don’t like to wear it usually. Well… this shade is one of those rare variations of orange that overpowers it and makes me wanna get all over it. What’s most appealing about it is this warmth in its core that’s ever so cozy and hot too. And now in fall and with winter coming soon such a happy shade seems like a good idea to me.

 

Next on our list…

 

…is this bright cooler pink shade.

 

The shade is called Mu Mu Bloom. Funky 🙂

 

Notice how each and every case here is different, has its own pattern, its own character and its own something for us to admire.

 

Pink eyeshadow, huh? Talk about being off the beaten track.

 

If we’re used to seeing pale pinks in eye colour, such juicy radiant pinks are definitely not common there. I find pale pinks very flattering on the lids, and, yes, believe it or not, I do like this bright pink colour in eyeshadow too. Just like that orange shade this pink is just so happy. And it works really well with dark eyes and dark hair. And if neither your eyes nor your hair is dark but you do like it, you can always try to use it as eyeliner on your upper lid and see how it feels for you and then, maybe, venture into full on pink cloud on your lids. I’m going to say something really crazy now, Ok? I think you could try this shade, if your eyes are green, and you might get an amazing result there. Check it out.

 

Here’s another one.

 

Pale Pipa. This is my second favourite shade name in this collection after Peony Pavilion 🙂

 

Aqua. A very mild one, I must say, especially when we’re talking this collection colour scheme 🙂

 

And more design here. Outstanding 🙂

 

This shade is right on the cusp of blue and green, so that some people will see green in it, others will see blue, I think.

 

To me, it’s a cooler green, actually. I love green, so I tend to see green in colours that present a mix of green and fill in the gap colour. It’s cooler. And matt, as promised. This shade is very pleasing to me and very flattering. I can’t think of an eye colour that this shade couldn’t work with. When it’s applied, a touch of blue undertone shows up making it elegant and sophisticated as opposed to Barbie like and baby doll. It’s not a typically romantic lighter softer green, it’s more than that. So much more. And the texture is so great you can create a veil of this shade on your lids that will be reminiscent of green and, maybe, blue. Or you can layer it and get full on green or blue or green blue there.

 

The last eyeshadow colour in the collection.

 

Royal Woo

 

Dead on matt darker yellow.

 

And I can’t believe it but there’s a whole new pattern here. Wow.

 

Yep. It’s yellow all right. I do think that yellow can work on the lids, but this yellow…

 

This yellow is so bright and matt. And that’s not the most becoming combination. Pale yellow works better in eyeshadow, as far as I’m concerned. Pearl works well with it. The way it is, this shade is super artsy. And it’s not universally becoming. You’ll have to work pretty hard and tune your whole look to make this shade fit in, be an integral part of your look and look good. It’s not the kind of shade that you can just apply real quick and then get going. You could include just a touch of it in your eye makeup somewhere as an accent kind of thing though.

 

The quality of this eyeshadow is really something. And the shades are interesting. Not obvious. Special. I mean, look at them. And let’s party 🙂

 

There’s one more thing for eye makeup in this collection. Eyeliner.

 

The shade is called Blacktrack. It sounds nice and probably indicates the colour of the eyeliner 🙂

 

Hey, where did all the design go? I’m disappointed with this lid that’s just blue.

 

From the back of the jar we learn it’s fluidline. What does that mean? I’ll tell you 🙂

 

Prepare you own eyeliner brushes to apply it. In case you’re still hesitating as to which brush is better to apply such eyeliners, I’ve already made up my mind. There’s this brush that makes application easy enough.  The brush that actually made it possible for me to use cream eyeliners

 

Ok, so this eyeliner looks black in the jar.

 

It seems to me, as long as we’ve had all those bright colours here, shiny black eyeliner would make sense in this batch. But nope. That’s not what this eyeliner is. It’s not dark enough, not shiny enough and only kind of black. It’s matt and very diluted seemingly in terms of colour, so that it’s almost charcoal grey as opposed to black. How very puzzling. I was expecting a bold and shiny darker than dark black to draw graphic arrows on the lids, and instead we get this. Hm. Well, I guess they went the other way – brighter colours and subdued eyeliner to frame them.

 

This eyeliner is solid professional quality. It works fine, if you can operate cream eyeliner texture and have the right tools. Whether you like it not being that black, is up to you. I wish there were more design in it though.

 

And then we have lipstick. A lot of lipstick. Five shades 🙂 In two textures: matte and lustre. Matt is self evident. Lustre is what MAC describes as semi-gloss finish. To me, this finish is sheer, more or less. Matte texture feels a little dry the way almost all textures do. So, a touch of lip balm or any kind of lip primer you prefer underneath would help. Just not too much. Or else matte finish will turn to sheer. Lustre finish feels pretty nice and soft. What threw me off up front is this super strong and super sweet desserty scent that this lipstick has in both finishes. I have to say though, as strong as it is, it goes away fast enough once you’ve applied it. So, as sensitive as I am, I can wear it. Also, there’s something really soothing about MAC lipstick formula, it feels very comfy on the lips. Enveloping. Caring. Very nice and very pleasant. Still, the scent is strong enough where you should be careful, if you’re sensitive this way.

 

Are you ready for some more design bliss? I hope you are, because MAC sure has it for you here.

 

Isn’t this beautiful? C’mon, you’ve got to admit it is.

 

The first shade is called Plum Princess. Nice alliteration there. Plum Princess.

 

It’s matt.

 

Can you imagine there are more design details here?

 

And then the tube is splendid.

 

It really is.

 

This lip shade doesn’t look plum though. It looks mauve. Darker mauve.

 

This is one of those shades that almost never looks becoming, if you ask me. It’s a very cool purple, greyish, mauvish, lilacish, not clear. There’s something vampire like about this shade almost 🙂 Something theatrical. This particular shade of purple is like the toughest to pull. You’ll have to work ever so hard for its sake. And why would you? When there are all the other easy purple shades out there? Well, if you love it and want to make it work though, you could. Just put together a vampy look with a grunge or punk rock or rock glam twist to it, and you’ll be all good.

 

Next shade. And here’s the boxing. In all its glory.

 

This shade is matt too.

 

And it’s called Vermillion Vee. Another nice sounding shade name.

 

I couldn’t wait to see the tube, and it doesn’t disappoint.

 

It’s not the same as in that purple shade. It means, all the tubes are going to be different. Yay.

 

And the shade is red. So red.

 

This is really and truly a beauty. I love red lip colour, but I almost never can find my red. Any red is hot. But for the reasons that are understandable red lip colour tends to lean to darker and brighter and femme fatale plane. I get it. I like happy reds though. Bright reds. Vibrant reds. Optimistic reds. Energizing reds. Active reds. The kind of reds that make me smile. They might have a touch of orange in them. And that’s exactly what this red is by MAC. Oh, the joy. It’s spectacular. And fun. This red is so full of life. And still hot. Hot like flame. Don’t even doubt it 🙂

 

 

The third and the last shade in this texture.

 

Called Dddevilish. After that blazing red I wonder what the shade will be like that they call devilish 🙂

 

Matt.

 

We have to see the tube first though.

 

And that pattern. Great.

 

The shade is pink. Devilish? Pink? Really? Devilish pink?

 

I mean, it’s bright, yes. Very much so. And matt. And very warm. Even hot. It’s a hot pink. Still, is it devilish? No, I don’t think it is. It’s more baby doll like, if anything. And not universally becoming. Too bright and too warm. Even if you love pinks, you’ve got to be careful here and you’ve got to make sure that this shade looks good on you. Ask someone, maybe. Someone you trust. What generally helps this shade and makes it more wearable is a little shine. But there’s none here. Matt texture makes it even harder to wear and make your own. Not everyone will be able to own this pink, those who do though will love it. It’s a statement, that’s for sure. Very upbeat too.

 

The next two shades we’re going to see aren’t matt. Theirs texture is lustre according to MAC, that is, it’s semi-gloss, that is, sheer. And I’m so happy it is. I was like, please, please, let these two artsy shades not be matt, let them be shiny, shine becomes such shades. Well, MAC obviously feels the same about it 🙂

 

Here’s one. The same boxing, so be sure to look at the shade name so as not to get mixed up.

 

Gold Xixi

 

 

This shade comes in lustre texture. Remember? 🙂

 

Flowery tubing.

 

I can’t get enough of it.

 

I wonder, is this shade really going to be gold?

 

You could say it’s gold. I say it’s yellow though. The chances are you will too 🙂 What we have here is a deep shiny golden yellow, not too dark. Yellow lipstick? Did you hear that? Yellow lipstick 🙂 Is it artsy? Yes, no question about that. Edgy? Very much so. You aren’t going to just apply this shade and go for a little walk, probably. Well, it depends on your style, of course, but for most of us this shade is a carnival shade, masquerade shade, party shade, maybe, if there’s a theme attached to the party that’s calling for some serious wardrobe, dressing up, impersonation or whatever.

 

And the last shade in this collection.

 

Cloud Gait

 

Lustre again.

 

Yes, there is a different pattern on this tube too 🙂

 

Incredible.

 

And the shade is, well, aqua.

 

If you thought yellow lipstick was crazy, see what you think about that. This shades is a shiny aqua that I, personally, would still call a cooler green 🙂 Although the green and the blue tones in this colour are well balanced, so some people would say it’s blue, others would say it’s green. This shiny sheer finish makes it interesting like a gem stone. Just like that yellow, Cloud Gait is a very artsy shade. Not the kind of shade most of us would wear casually in our everyday life. If you dare you’d have to find a good reason to wear it 🙂 If you have to try an artsy shade though, this is the kind of shade where it’s worth it, I think.

 

MAC lipstick feels ever so great on the lips. That red shade is a killer. And yellow and aqua are exciting and interesting to look at in the tube and fun to look at on the lips. I mean, how many people have ever seen their lips painted yellow or aqua? Yeah, I know 🙂

 

That’s MAC Chris Chang collection. It’s full of surprises. The design here is truly an experience of its own. Those boxes, those cases, those tubes, everything about it is fabulous. A work of art. My compliments, MAC. I love this feeling when I get more from a collection than just makeup. When it tickles my emotions, gets me thinking, stirs my imagination. I got all that here with these beautiful products. But then beyond that those shades encased in all the beauty and design here are bright and funky, and, most importantly, they make me smile 🙂 And isn’t that why we buy and wear makeup? To feel happy. That’s what it is, eventually. At least, to me it is. The fact that some of the shades are so funky doesn’t throw me off. Pushing it a little bit, going beyond the ordinary and opening new horizons is always a fun thing to do. The best part of it is that in the process you can learn something new about yourself, actually. And that’s priceless. What can be more exciting than that? I’ll tell you a little secret. When it comes to funky shades, the key to them is simple, really. Don’t take them too seriously, then they’ll work for you. Big time.

    

 

P.S. Ya thinking these shades are nuts, huh? Well, Halloween coming up, remember?

 

P.P.S I wish there were some funky nail shades in this collection, MAC, to round up the look.