Monday, November 15, 2010

M∙A∙C Eye Kits from A Tartan Tale Holiday Colour Collection

I think I mentioned that I wanted to see M∙A∙C's A Tartan Tale in person, preferring to avoid the hysteria surrounding new M∙A∙C introductions. This is one collection I should have gone to see the second it arrived. In my humble opinion, it's fantastic!

Yesterday at Nordstrom, I saw a large part of A Tartan Tale, and today I ordered from M∙A∙C some of the items that had sold out at Nordstrom - and a few more. I couldn't stop. I think I placed three orders. I have always loved tartan plaids. This collection, housed in tartan plaids, is lust-worthy outside and inside.

I purchased two limited-edition eye kits: Six Dashing Lassie Eye Shadows ($36) and Six Reelers & Rockers Eye Shadows ($36), which is shown above. I finger-tested each at the store and found that they were even prettier on the skin than in the palettes!

Six Reelers & Rockers is described as "bent on fun." Not sure that's me, but I love it. It includes a light, dark, mid-tone mix of Melt My Heart, Gaelic Gold, Crown & Sceptre, Family Treasures, White Rabbit, and Carbon, all in a tartan compact with the M∙A∙C heraldic crest. I swatched it for you, starting in the compact at top left and moving across the top row, then moving to the bottom row, starting at the bottom left. The shades were swatched with a sponge-tipped applicator and photographed in full sun. There isn't a shade in this palette that I won't wear.

The Six Dashing Lassie shadows are equally gorgeous. The palette is shown at left. Like the other, the shades looked pretty in the palette and gorgeous on the skin. My swatch photo isn't as bright (taken within 10 minutes of the first - go figure!), but is should show you that the range of shades is nice. They all complement one another.

M∙A∙C describes the palette as being designed for "lassies who love to dazzle then dash," a "swishy-swish" tartan compact featuring a limited-time mix of Once Upon a Time, A Dashing Lassie, Magic Mist, Bronze, Buckwheat, and Showstopper Eye Shadows. My swatching method was the same - left to right top row first, bottom row second.

There was a third eye kit, but it didn't grab me: Six Twists of Tartan. It was somewhat discordant to my eyes. If you haven't seen it, just click on the link.

I'm smitten. I haven't been this happy with a M∙A∙C purchase in a long time. I bought one more kit at Nordstrom. I will show it to you later today. Then I came home and went a little crazy, ordering face palettes and brush kits. They will arrive this week, and I promise to show them to you quickly. I know I'm late to the Tartan Tale party. Most beauty bloggers featured it weeks ago.

You can purchase A Tartan Tale at M∙A∙C online, M∙A∙C stores, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's. There are good reasons for this collection to sell out.

Palette photos courtesy of M∙A∙C

2 comments:

Eileen said...

My first thought when I saw this collection was that it was such a fun concept filled with a delightful selection of great gift options perfect for the holidays. It's such a bright and cheerful collection, housed in clever tartan packaging, that would make any recipient smile with pleasure.

The day I actually saw it in person, Nordstrom was having a MAC event to introduce the collection. It was like a cheerful gathering of friends with young and old buzzing around the counters, playing with the testers. I didn't purchase anything because I had already picked up the Bobbi Brown sultry, smoldering, and smoky eye palettes for the ladies on my list, but I spent a bit of time admiring MAC's holiday offerings anyway. Nothing for myself? No, there's something about MAC's formulations that dries my skin :-(

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Eileen,

I find the M∙A∙C lipsticks very drying, so I don't wear them. I don't wear their foundation, so I can't speak to that. I've never found the shadows drying, and I love their cream pots. It's one of those lines I "edit" carefully as I buy.

The Tartan Tale items are definitely darling with their dashing containers. I ordered three brush sets for the bags as much as the fab brushes. :)