MAC Fashion Sets Collection — Global Favorites Tripled
Taste, as we all know, is subjective — and yet there do tend to be commonalities in the aesthetic values and norms of specific regions, notions of beauty or style dictated by everything from climate to historical minutiae and cultural phenomena. From body type (athletic, curvy, slim, plump, etc.) to personal fragrance (floral, fruity, sweet, spicy, or green), hair type (curly, kinky, wavy, or straight) and hue choices (earthy neutrals, passionate reds, fiery oranges, soft pinks, etc.), our ideas of what is beautiful, desirable, and stylish can often be informed by sociological and anthropological factors. In an increasingly globalized world, where the digital age has prompted both financial alliances and swift ideological exchanges, these aesthetic norms are more fluid than ever – and that’s precisely what the MAC Fashion Sets Collection reflects.
This limited-edition collection incorporates seven top-selling shades, each boasting a strong grip on a particular regional market, now available in three forms: as a MAC Lipstick ($14.50 at MACcosmetics.com), a MAC Lipglass ($14.50 at MACcosmetics.com), and a MAC Nail Lacquer ($16 at MACcosmetics.com).
The seven shades featured in the collection are: Snob, a light neutral pink that’s ranked as the No. 1 selling shade of lipstick in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru, and Argentina; Myth, a light neutral nude that ranks first in Russia, the Ukraine, Poland, and Finland in its lipstick form ; Russian Red, a matte mid-tone red lipstick shade that’s all the rage in Spain, Portugal, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, Venezuela, and New Zealand; Chestnut, a chocolate brown with a satin finish popular in the US (where it’s commonly sold as a lip pencil); A Girl About Town, a dazzling blue-toned fuchsia color; Spice, a mid-tone nude typically available as a lip pencil that ranks as the No. 1 lip pencil shade in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the US, Lebanon, Argentina, Singapore, Spain Portugal, Thailand, India, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Italy, Bahrain, and several other countries; and Rebel, a creamy plum hue with a satin finish that’s considered a cult classic in its lipstick form.
Afer the jump, you’ll find close-up photos of all seven shades as lipsticks, glosses, and nail lacquers, along with swatches of four distinct shades: Myth, Snob, Russian Red, and A Girl About Town. Pick your favorite products and, if you’d like, buy them in all three forms to recreate one of the season’s most unexpected beauty trends: matching lips, fingernails, and toenails.
LIPSTICK
Pictured above, you’ll find close-up shots of all the seven MAC Lipstick ($14.50 at MACcosmetics.com) colors in this collection. Below, meanwhile, you’ll find swatches of four shades: Myth, Snob, Russian Red, and A Girl about Town. As you’ll see from the photos, Myth is a light beige shade that’s rather neutral, with no abundance of cool or warm undertones to steer it away from it universally flattering composition. Snob, meanwhile, is one of my personal favorites, since its also a neutral shade (this time, a pink hue), but it still packs a punch, whereas many light pink shades can appear overly diluted and timid. Russian Red, is of course, a robust, mid-tone red, but what makes it stand out most is its matter finish, which gives it a bit of a 1940s feel. And as for A Girl About Town, well, as the name implies, this is one flashy gal, the Marilyn Monroe of fuchsia hues, if you will, replete with a satin finish.
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LIPGLASS
Pictured above, you’ll fins all of the aforementioned MAC Lipglass ($14.50 at MACcosmetics.com) hues in the collection. In keeping with the four lipstick swatches previously photographed, we’ll now be focusing on these shades — Myth, Snob, Russian Red, and A Girl About Town, in their Lipglass formulations, of which you’ll find swatches below. All four shades swatches are commendably consistent with their corresponding lipstick shades, both in terms of their depth and their pigmentation. But, as with all Lipglass offerings, these four shades, offer a high-shine finish and a buildable but semi-sheer amount of coverage.
Check out the Myth, Snob, Russian Red, and A Girl About Town Lipglass swatches below:
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NAIL LACQUER
Lastly, these shades were formulated as MAC Nail Lacquer ($16 at MACcosmetics.com) hues, all colors meant to echo their lip pencil, lipstick, or gloss predecessors in terms of their undertones (mostly neutral), their finish (creamy and rich), and their depth (from light and demure to rich and decadent).
Unfortunately, while the four shades I tried did impress me in terms of their consistency (they were an unquestionable color match), I did find them lacking in terms of their longevity, proving to chip and fade rather quickly (a gripe I’ve often had with MAC nail lacquers). Overall, if you don’t work with your hands a lot and chipping polish isn’t much of a problem, I’d advise you to invest in these; otherwise, I’d recommend you focus on the Lipstick and Lipglass shades and keep these looking pretty on store shelves.
