*blows off dust* …hello everyone?

First and foremost, I owe everyone an apology. This review was meant to be posted in the same month the collection was released, but my day job (and a pretty impromptu vacation) got the better of me. Thus, this post had been sitting in the draft for nearly three months now. Seeing that most of the items are still in stock online, I guess, it’s safe to say that I’ve not broken the rule of timeliness.

Plus, it’s only a matter of time before this collection gets shifted to their Goodbyes section so hopefully this review comes in handy for you deal scavengers!

Launched in May, this highly-anticipated (but y’know, I’ve learnt to take overzealous beauty announcement reactions with a pinch of salt) collection includes four lipsticks (Friend Like Me / Rajah / Princess Incognito / Whole New World), three Lipglasses (Diamond in the Rough / Jewels on Jewels / Magic Carpet Ride), a Crystal Glaze Gloss in #1 Wish, pigment in Rose, two Powder Blush (Your Wish is My Command / Always One Jump Ahead), a 9-pan eye shadow palette (Princess Jasmine) and a Technakohl Liner in Graphblack.

Inspired by the intricate patterns and complimentary turquoise and gold hues of the Kingdom of Agrabah, the packaging was unmistakably created with Princess Jasmine in mind (though I wish they had done more to the design like inverting the colours and make it similar to the box, perhaps? I don’t know, the gold just screams “Gerard Cosmetics” to me).

Once again, no prize for guessing what products I zoomed in on…

#1 Princess Incognito

Princess Incognito is described as a neutral pinkyrose with a matte finish. Contrary to the colour depicted on the website, this applied mid-reddish beige on my lips which I thought would be too light on any skin tone darker than medium. The consistency felt fairly thick with a smooth texture and it went on with a fully opaque coverage. Despite its slightly drying formula, the product did not settle into or emphasise the lip lines. That said, I wouldn’t recommend this if you have naturally dry lips, as this may exacerbate chapped lips over time.

This shade was previously sold out when I first drafted this review, but has now been restocked.

#2 Rajah

Rajah is described as a muted red berry with a matte finish. This is the darkest shade of lipstick in this collection, one which I felt had the strongest association with Princess Jasmine. Even though this brownish red tugged on the lips a little, it was generally easy to apply. Minimal swipes (I’m talking about 2-3) could easily give you a full coverage but don’t be fooled by the appearance. It may look moisturising but it’s actually quite drying. The pictures speak volumes – you can tell how patchy it is on my lips in their relaxed state, and how my lip lines are emphasised. Don’t expect this to last the whole day on the lips – it faded to a tint after 4 hours, further emphasising the wrinkles of my lips.

#3 Whole New World

Whole New World is described as a bright blue pink with a matte finish. This popular vibrant shade of cool fuchsia remains sold out on site, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. If you don’t want to settle for basic, this is it. Not only does this shade stand out rest, it also has a purple shift and a slight blue metallic sheen to it. Application-wise, it went on with a very smooth consistency, evenly coating my lips with an opaque colour. The product felt slightly drying but there was no emphasis on my lip lines and it even made my lips look hydrated for a long time! Furthermore, I thought this shade would look absolutely gorgeous on olive skin tones!

As a matte lipstick fanatic, this collection definitely ticks all the boxes. I was glad M.A.C had decided to do without lipsticks of predictable and tacky finishes that are “shining, glittering splendid”. Yay!

But since this collection revolves around a movie about characters of Arabic and/or Middle Eastern ethnicity, one would expect the products to be catered to medium to dark skin tones. Sadly, products like the powder blush (which is ridiculous – only one shade available and yet it wouldn’t even compliment Princess Jasmine’s skin tone) and Princess Incognito are just further proofs of M.A.C’s poor curating practices for their limited-edition releases. Perhaps they just didn’t see the need for that since sky-high profits are usually guaranteed for Disney collaborations.

And maybe it’s just me but I’m starting to feel the “limited edition fatigue”, especially when it comes to M.A.C. because they’ve been pushing out way too many collections (with products that are nothing out of the ordinary) that it’s becoming impossible for me (and my bank account) to keep up. Does anyone else share the same sentiments? Let me hear you in the comments below!

What do you think about this collaboration? If you’re too lazy busy to write a comment, simply take a quick poll below!

Thanks for reading!

M·A·C × Aladdin is now available on MACCosmetics.com.

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