Hey ladies!

London’s leading couture hat designer Philip Treacy recently collaborated with MAC for a yet another Spring collection. If you don’t know who he is, well, basically this is the guy behind the creation of the craziest hats in existence. If you’re into English weddings (*cough* Wills and Kate), chances are you would have seen some of his works parading the red carpet. Some of the celebrities who have donned his hats are Kate Middleton herself, Victoria Beckham, Dita Von Teese, Alexander McQueen and Lady Gaga (remember her infamous lobster and telephone hats? Yes, those were designed by him). Judging from the creative direction of his works, it’s easy to tell that the collaboration is going to be somewhat bold, extraordinary and inspirational.

Unfortunately, the lipsticks were anything short of bold, extraordinary and inspirational and definitely do not reflect the creativity of the designer. I wasn’t particularly excited about the colours because they look really dupeable. Even without comparing them with my existing MAC lipsticks, I could already make out the closest MAC dupe for each shade. And by closest, I mean like 99% identical. I had my bets placed on Catharina (from the Ultimate Lipstick collection) for No Faux Pas and Flat Out Fabulous for Hollywood Cerise. I couldn’t determine the exact dupe for Cardinal because it’s such a common shade of red. I’m sure it has been used numerous times, just complete with different finish.

With preceding launches like Bao Bao Wan and Julia Petit (which products were sold out in a flash), this surely comes as a huge disappointment especially to hardcore M.A.C fanatics like myself who pretty much own most of the lipstick shades.

And even though there isn’t distinct (four) seasons in Singapore, I know very well how Spring feels like, and it definitely aren’t just reds and pinks. This collection is clearly lacking some yellows and greens.

Perhaps that’s why none of the lipsticks are sold out yet.

My only consolation, though, was the price. Each lipstick retailed for US$16 online despite it being a collaborated piece. But of course, they come in regular packaging too.

 

 

Let’s take a closer look at each shade and you’ll know what I mean… starting with Cardinal.

I like that it’s very emollient (typical of Satin finish) and easy to apply. I had no problem lining my lips with the pointed tip of lipstick because it glided on really well. It has great coverage (can’t really see my unsightly lines!) with a luminous sheen and is intensely pigmented.

Now do you see where I’m coming from?!? These are just some examples. I could have compared it with the more reds in my stash but I reckon this is enough to justify my disappointment. I love the lipstick (the application, finish. etc.) and all, but the colour is just too repetitive, don’t you think? 😦

Moving on to No Faux Pas!

This shade was released last October as part of MAC’s Heirloom Mix collection. In other words, it’s a repromote. Pfft, where’s the creativity in this collaboration? Sometimes I wish MAC would focus on creating novel shades instead of churning out new collections with repeated products. But sigh, as a diehard MAC fan, it’s hard to resist buying something from new launches 😦

Anyway, this is the only Matte shade in this collection and as compared to other Mattes that were released recently, this feels relatively drier. My Mattes from Bao Bao Wan and Julia Petit collections, for example, were slightly creamier and more hydrating, almost akin to Satin finish. Hence, it’s likely that no improvements were made to the formula of No Faux Pas because it feels a lot like my older Mattes.

And finally, Hollywood Cerise!

My favourite from this collection, it is such a gorgeous colour with a beautiful sheen and great coverage. It’s probably the only shade from this collection that is arguably different from what I already have (because this seems darker now that I look at the pictures). And since it’s Satin, it’s not drying over time too. If you’re ever going to get anything from this collection, I’d definitely recommend this shade. 🙂

So… am I going to lose my bet? You decide.

And yes, that’s about it! I may be harsh in this post but you know I still love you, MAC. Just try to stop with the repeats, pretty please? 😦

What say you, ladies? Do you agree with my review? Let me know in the comments below 🙂

Thanks for reading!

MAC x Philip Treacy is now available on MACCosmetics.com and at local MAC outlets.