M·A·C's To The Beach Collection

M·A·C has a hit on its hands. The limited-edition To The Beach Collection is selling at a fast clip. In fact, this too-pretty-to-use starfish highlighter is sold out online and in stores. When I asked about it at one department store, they told me they only received six of them. They also said that the M·A·C store in the mall had a line waiting at the door when they opened on release day, and it was gone in a jiffy. If you want it at any price, check eBay. Apparently the "resellers" scooped it up.

While I was originally disappointed, a friend who manages the beauty department at a large department store told me it was not my color. He said it is stunning in the case, but imparts an orange-toned glow to the face. He was very successful in talking me down from my "Can't you find it somewhere?" plea. I still wanted to see the collection, though, so today, I went to Nordstrom. I wanted to see the Not Your Daughter's Jeans on sale anyhow.

I bought three pieces. On a lark, I picked up the To the Beach Lipstick in Funbathing ($14). It was the darkest in the collection and appeared very brown in the tube. The color on the skin is amazingly different - and very pretty. It could be described on me as mauve, or a brown-toned rose. You have to see it to believe it. It's a CREMESHEEN formula with a soft shine. Love it! The case is an attention-getter, with its coral color and a cream shell motif.

I also purchased both shades of Lustre Drops ($18.50): Pink Rebel and Sun Rush. Pink Rebel is a shimmering pink (not too pink) and Sun Rush is a glimmering gold. Both are gorgeous. Lustre Drops provide sheer, natural-looking highlights with a luminous, shimmering finish. The lustre is shiny, not sparkly, so these are going to be useful. You can use Lustre Drops on your face or body as a highlighter. My M·A·C friend told me she mixes them with her foundation. You could also mix them with your moisturizer, or just use them on their own. Remember, a tiny drop goes a long way!

Naturally, I was interested in the bronzers. The Bronzing Powder, and Bronzing Oil in the collection are sparkly. While very pretty, I don't need more sparkly bronzers, so I passed on them. Additionally, the one that might have grabbed me, Creme Bronzer ($25), with its darling little seashell case, was muddy on my skin in the lightest shade (Beach Bronze). It's a hazard of being fair.

There's plenty more, including eye shadows, lip glosses, and powder blush. I'm quite content with the three items that literally jumped into my bag. You can see the whole collection online at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and at M·A·C.

Photos courtesy of Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's