First Impressions and Swatches: MAC X The Simpsons Collection Blushes

Considering this collection came out a month ago and the fact that MAC is pumping out collection after collection these days, these are old news to you by now. If there’s anything you’ll learn from our time together, though, I play by my own rules. So here we go!

The packaging for these blushes is pretty decent. I love that sultry eyed Marge look that was branded onto the majority of the products. I would like to note that these are actually my very first MAC products (?!?! yeah, I know) so I don’t have anything else MAC-wise to compare them to, so this is my general impression. It feels sturdy, and it opens after you push down on the release button. If I’m being honest, the packaging is what sucked me in. It’s nothing extraordinary, but I like that they kept it simple and I think it’s cute.

Sideshow You on left, Pink Sprinkles on right

I enjoy that the same Marge that’s on the cover was also imprinted into the blush, but that’s what made me so hesitant to get in there and swatch these! Luckily the imprint is deep enough that is has survived well post-swatches and I think it’ll stick around for a while yet. Sideshow You is described as a light peach coral with a Satin finish, and Pink Sprinkles is a cute blue pink with a Satin finish. I love me some corals which is what drew me to Sideshow You, and I have yet to own anything like Pink Sprinkles. Plus, since my skin is neutral leaning cool-toned, I thought Pink Sprinkles would suit me well.

Starting bottom left going up diagonally: Sideshow You, Sideshow You blended, Pink Sprinkles, Pink Sprinkles blended

The swatches you see above took me several swipes to get enough product to show up as they do in the photo (admittedly, my swatches need work, but I digress). This isn’t necessarily a negative or a deal breaker for myself, but to those who are not as fair complexioned as myself I’m sure it is. For those who may be a bit heavy handed with prodcuts or like the option to start off light and build up color to your liking, this could be an ideal product for you. The texture also threw me for a loop a bit as it’s definitely more powdery than what I contain in my collection but still blended well. You can see that Sideshow You is more pigmented than Pink Sprinkles, but both appear more pigmented in the pan than they did when swatched. I have yet to test the longevity of either blush, but there are these reviews from Temptalia where she states that she got around eight hours wear-time before fading with each, so they have decent potential.

Overall, I like these blushes. I don’t feel overly impressed by them, and I do wish that MAC would stop coming out with back-to-back collections and instead really throw focus into one every so often, not only to give us some breathing room but to also make us feel confident that the collection will be up to our expectations for a company as reputable as MAC. I do wish that these blushes came out as pigmented as they appear in the pan, but at 0.33 oz–larger than the regular MAC blushes–I don’t feel like I’ll run out of product anytime soon even when building it up to my liking. Personally, I think I’ll be passing Sideshow You onto someone on MakeupExchange as it doesn’t stand out among my other corals, but Pink Sprinkles will remain a welcome addition to my collection. And anytime I think of it, I hear Homer in my head saying, “Mmm, sprinkles”, so I don’t think I can let this one go.

Did you pick up the blushes and/or anything else from the MAC x The Simpsons collection? What did you think of the products you snagged? Is there anything you missed out on that you wish you would’ve gotten your hands on? Let me know in the comments below! And if you’d like any further information or opinions from myself on either blush, let me know about that as well.

Until next time, stay well, stay beautiful! xx

Target Beauty Box Fall 2014 Available NOW!

Source: Target.com

Merry Monday everyone! I reported here a few weeks ago about Walmart’s Beauty Box Program (review coming soon!) and mentioned that Target does a very similar beauty box. Well, the new season is upon us, which means a new Target beauty box has arrived! Here are the details:

Hello BEAUTIFUL! We’ve rounded up our favorite beauty products (so you stay in-the-know), individually these items are valued at up to 28 but as part of the Target Beauty Box they can be yours for just 7. Try them, tote them, take them with you were sure youll love them as much as we do. Find out more about these products and others like them at Target.com/TheLatest.Beauty Box Includes: Elnett Extra Strong Hold Hairspray (2.2 oz): A favorite of runway stylists, this massive-hold spray adds brilliant shine and brushes out in a flash, leaving hair with a clean, satin finish. Fekkai Professional Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo (1.7 oz): Revive your blowout instantly with an airy mist that absorbs dirt and oil leaving hair clean, fresh and lively. Laneige BB Cushion Sample (Target Exclusive): Pat and press your way to perfect skin with revolutionary 5-in-1 cushion technology that brightens, protects, cools, covers and prevents shine. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil (.18 oz): Glide-on glam. A velvety blend of mineral oil and powder, this creamy pencil does double beauty duty as a radiant eyeshadow. LOréal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lipstick (.18 fl oz): Knockout hues meet conditioning care in a gorgeous formula infused with precious micro-oils that intensify color, smooth lips and add shine. Colors will vary. Due to wanting to get you the best price, well pay to ship it to you, but please allow up to two weeks for delivery.

The price for this box is $7 + tax, coming out to $7.39 for me here in Wisconsin. This price includes shipping and handling. You do not need any code or to be a Target Reed Card holder to receive free shipping.

I’ve purchased one other Target Beauty Box in the past and for the price, I really liked it. For a minimal fee, I think you get a good variety of products to try out that are worth it. I mean, the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil alone is great (can’t guarantee the one you receive will be Milk like in the photo, but here’s hoping!), and there’s usually a coupon for your next Target beauty purchase.

If you want to snag yours, click the link. Hurry and get yours while supplies last!

Until next time, stay well, stay beautiful! xx