GASP…MAC. I’m genuinely impressed. I haven’t been this happy about a MAC Collection since the Stranger Things collab. This collection is what I have been missing. This is old school MAC. The packaging is so cute; we have color and gloss! The only thing that would have gagged me more was if we got blushes too. Let me be quiet, though, because I am grateful for what we have.
I got everything but the lashes. I’m not a lash girl at all; they always seem to make me look like a pterodactyl. I’m also Muslim, and wearing lashes is haram (prohibited) so that’s that.
Too Cute, right? I recall a time when we would get lustre lipsticks in almost every iconic collection. For the MAC Barbie Collection, it was the Real Doll Lipstick. For Hello Kitty, it was Cute-ster lipstick. And the list goes on. So, it’s not surprising that Lustreglass lipsticks were chosen for this collection of bright colors. The Lustreglass lipstick formula is moisturizing and buildable, making it perfect for both beginners and seasoned veterans. Great for adding a bit of color or if you prefer a full-on application.
L to R: Minnie Woo, Gal Pals, and Upsy Daisy Lipsticks
L to R: Dress Up, Pink Polka Dots, Out on the Town
I must say, Minnie and Daisy look really good on the packaging. I’m also really proud that they’ve maintained their friendship after all these years. And despite the packaging having a cartoonish feel, it doesn’t feel childish. There is still a sophistication. Minnie and Daisy are definitely giving glam. The outfits and shoes on the lash packaging give to the aesthetic. In my mind, Minnie and Daisy are the friends that I go shopping with, stylishly suggesting ways to mix prints, and sweetly sassy enough to manipulate Donald and Mickey into submission… The colors of the packaging are also punchy and bright, so they could be given to a younger girl as a gift without too much worry of complaint.
Upsy Daisy Lipstick AloneUpsy Daisy Lipstick with Dress Up Lip glass on top
This collection was worth every penny. The lipsticks are priced at $29 and the glosses are $26. Minney and Daisy’s charm and personalities are exuded through the packaging and really represent a nostalgia that MAC has been embracing lately. It’s lovely to see them reaching back for the things that helped us fall in love with them initially: color, inclusion, iconic collaborations, and innovation.
They even threw in this cute bag charm from Baublebar with the purchase. Are you getting anything from this collection? My heart wishes the collection was bigger, but my bank account is at peace. 10 out of 10, I do recommend.
I had a great deal of trouble deciding how to approach this post. At first, I thought I would do my top 10 MAC lipglasses. But then, I had to be honest with myself. Mac is not my favorite lip gloss brand. I honestly have several. So instead, I decided to focus on my favorite lip glosses across the board. I really love variety, and having a different lip product for every mood and outfit is a delight. I am a bold Aries for sure, and it shows in everything I wear. My whole life, I’ve struggled with my vibrance because I am Muslim and naturally not very demure.
But no matter how many glosses I purchase, these tend to be the glosses that I return to, use up, and buy again. And you are going to love that none of these are limited edition or discontinued!
The Goods
Buxom Dominique
10. Buxom Dominique: A Clear with Diamond Sparkle. Diamond is the color of my birth month, and it looks exquisite on me. It adds a touch of razzle-dazzle when I don’t want to do too much.
9. Revlon Pinkissimo: A straight-up ’80s pink, but on my pigmented lips, it looks gorgeous, not at all as bubblegum pink as it looks in the tube. My flash doesn’t do the color justice; it’s a lot lighter than it appears.
8. Fenty Frosted Buns: The name drew me in, but the sparkle keeps me wearing it. I would describe this as a midtone champagne brown with rainbow sparkle. Extremely pretty.
7. Elf Candy Coated: A beautiful pale pinky nude with multicolor glitter. This is giving Mac dazzleglass in sugarrimmed, which has been discontinued (Mac is foolish). I wear this alone or over my nude lipsticks.
6. Mac Oyster Girl: She’s a classic. A mixture of gold and silver shimmer in a pale pinky lilac nude base. Looks beautiful on all complexions, but I especially like it on the Caucasian girlies.
5. Pat McGrath Labs Sunset Rose: I initially got this lip gloss because I heard it was a dupe for Mac Pinkarat lustreglass lip gloss. Pinkarat was really that girl. The comparison picture is from Temptalia.com. As you can see, they are super close, but Sunset Rose is more pigmented, which I like.
4. Fenty Glow (Lip Oil): It’s beautiful. I don’t even know how to describe it, it’s like a honey-toned peach with green shimmer. The only other gloss that I can remember being remotely close to this was Mac Queen Bee from the Naked Honey Collection (est. 2009). I’m old. And if you notice, Mac is always the inspiration for my other colors. Because so many of the things that I loved were limited edition, I’m always searching for similar colors.
3. Mac Nymphette: This color is also an OG shade. It is a sheer rosey mauve with golden bronze shimmer. This is pretty enough to wear alone without a liner. I especially love it at the end of the summer and going into fall. Truly one of my most repurchased lip glosses. I have been buying it since I was 20.
2. Pat McGrath Labs Flesh Astral: Subtle but also a statement. She can be described as a peach with gold shimmer. I think I see a slight pink shimmer, too. Very similar to Mac Love Nectar, which was recently discontinued. I only wear this over nude lipsticks or with liner. Lined, it’s absolutely gorgeous and perfect for summer.
Mac C-Thru Lipglass: My Shayla! (Peeps from the future Google Tyrese and My Shayla, and it will make complete and utter sense). C-Thru was my first true love of lip gloss. I bought her with Nymphette and have not been without her for not one year since I was 20. I am 34 now. So that’s 14 years of C-Thru. She is a pale nude with barely there golden shimmer. She looks good on top of everything, but I most like wearing it to mute out my lips. I hope Mac never discontinues this color.
Swatches
L to R: Mac C-Thru, Fenty Beauty Fenty Glow Oil, Mac Nymphette, Pat McGrath Labs Sunset Rose, Mac Oyster Girl, Elf Candy Coated, Fenty Frosted Buns, Pat McGrath Labs Flesh Astral, Revlon Pinkissimo, Buxom Dominique
This was such a fun post to make. What makeup products can you not live without? Gloss is a necessity for me. Alright, y’all, it’s late and I’m tired. Hope you enjoyed! Sayonara. I am going to bed!
I am obsessed with Hello Kitty. I have Hello Kitty bedding, office decor, a mini fridge, and any makeup that I can find with her face or friends on it. My best friend recently bought me a little Hello Kitty rug and chile…I just love it.
My obsession started with Mac in 2009. I was 18 and not wearing makeup, but I wanted everything from that Mac Hello Kitty Collection. I couldn’t get it then, because I was broke and heading off to college, but I lucked out at a Cosmetic Company Outlet in 2011 and still have a lipstick from the collection as a keepsake. Stay till the end and I might show it to you!
But Anywhoo, this post is not about Mac, it’s about Pixi. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone talk about these specific products. The brand Pixi gained some traction a few years ago. Almost everyone on YouTube was talking about their glow tonic. But, you know what, in recent years, I haven’t heard much, which sucks because this brand has some cute, quality products. And they’re accessible.
I think these products don’t receive a lot of hype because they’re simple. Like the eyeshadow palette above, it is neutral, but I love using it for single-shadow looks. When I just need a little razzle without the dazzle, if you know what I mean. Some might even say this palette is boring. But hear me out: as I get older, I’m finding that boring is becoming more appealing. I’m no longer necessarily looking for bright pinks, oranges, corals, and the like. When I go to the drugstore or Ulta for makeup, I stick to what works and everyday products. This Pixi + Hello Kitty line hits the mark, while also allowing me to relive my childhood nostalgia. So let’s review some of these products.
Review and Swatches
Endlessly Silky Eye Pens
Ingredients: Alcohols, Perfluorononyl Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Polyethylene, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-DI-T-Butyl, Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol. May Contain (+/-): Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510).
Okay, so we are starting out with the liners. Only one of these is from the Hello Kitty Collection: London Fog. However, I thought I would post Black Blue (Blue Black is a typo, my bad) anyway, because it’s blue, and you cannot do a Hello Kitty look without some blue in it. So I picked it up along with London Fog. Both of these liners apply creamy and set. When I tell you they don’t budge, they do not budge. 10 out of 10, I do recommend.
Next up are the Glow-y powders. A subtle blend of blush and highlight, depending on your skin tone. On my melanated skin, these are certified highlighters. Which I love because they top blushes beautifully and have good longevity. I would describe Friendly as a light pinky coral with a shimmery hue. It’s not nearly as pigmented as Sweet Glow, which sports an iridescent pink shimmer that is truly pretty on the skin. As someone prone to acne, I tend to be cautious with these highlighters because they contain coconut oil. However, they have not broken me out yet, and I have been wearing them for quite some time.
The Lip Tone pH Reactive Tint
Prettiness is a lip balm, lip gloss hybrid. It does exactly what it claims to do: it goes on clear, but after a few seconds it begins to turn a perfect shade of pink. Look at my before and after. I don’t have a base on because my skin is in shambles at the moment… please pray for me.
I am probably late to the game, but I like this pH stuff. My lips are not naturally pink. They have a more brownish-purple hue. Take a look at how healthy and juicy this gloss balm makes my lips. Very, very impressive. 10 out of 10, I do recommend.
As Promised, My Nod to the Past
Mac Hello Kitty Lipstick in Cutester.
Mac Cutester Lipstick Circa 2009
It’s old, but it doesn’t stink, so I still wear it. DON’T JUDGE ME.
In Conclusion,
This Pixi + Hello Kitty Collection is a nice take on playful makeup for adult girls or boys. I could even see a tween starting their collection with some of these products. Look now…a little boring makeup here and there never hurt anybody. Corporate baddies…what’s up?
Thank you, Buxom, and RIP, Plushglass. Plushglass is one of many products that Mac had absolutely no business discontinuing. They were plumping, moisturizing, and the colors were bomb. Colors like Ample Pink, Fulfilled, Posh it Up, Nice Buzz, Wet Wild n Wonderful, and my favorite: Cushy White.
I got the picture of Cushy White from Makeup Alley, a long-time love of mine. I used to visit the website to read reviews before purchasing products, but it seems to be going extinct. And no tea, no shade, Makeup Alley was popular during a time when we were more concerned with a product being a quality staple, rather than the newest, celebrity or influencer-backed trend. In creating this blog, I hope to fill a niche, seemingly empty space that used to be so commonplace before; consumer opinion, sans influencer. A love for individuality, not popularity.
However, this post is not about the ‘buy more and keep buying’ culture that has become the norm. It’s also not meant to be about my frustration with influencer culture. But I am an Aries with ADHD, and I cannot forgo a good old circumstantial rant. Still, I want to give Gin Fizz its just due. And well deserved if I may add.
Gin Fizz is said to be beige, but honestly, does this color look beige to you? It looks straight-up white to me, just like Cushy White, but maybe a bit more opaque than Cushy was. It still looks pretty and natural on the lips, despite the scary white in the tube. I also tend to put more on than it probably needs because I love it so. It provides a cooling plump, it’s comfortable, and it makes the lips look juicy. It’s a color that I’ve purchased again and again. It’s effortless, unique, and allows me to relive my glory days.
The Nostalgia I feel for products that are no more…my gosh. Duping them is always very dialectical, both fun and frustrating, as I really would much rather have the original. Seriously, plushglass was amazing. But a close second isn’t bad either. So if you are like me, stuck in the past, mad at Mac for discontinuing your HG product, I hope this reaches you in kindness. I am still angry as H E double hockey sticks about plushglass being gone. But I want to thank Buxom for sticking around and being consistent. They have the same glosses that existed in the early 2000’s. I appreciate you and the beauty that is Gin Fizz immensely. Please don’t discontinue her.
The Lipstick Diaries 