MAC Fafi- Run to your MAC Counter Now!

I've decided to write about each MAC collection in 1 big post, rather than a bunch of little ones. By the time I get all of the little ones done, a bunch of stuff is usually sold out. I thought this way I would be done sooner and you'd have a better chance to buy something featured on 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic. Let me know if you prefer 1 post or several!

Well, it is once again time to run to MAC! The latest collection is Fafi, created by MAC and a French artist. This collection looks very bright and colorful, but is in fact very wearable for all ages. I'm 30, I went to the MAC store with a friend in her 40's (we both bought pieces of the collection). I have another friend in her 50's that also bought pieces of the collection. If we can all wear the collection (in addition to all of those in their teens and 20's I saw in the MAC store), then you can too!

Fafi Eyes 1

One of the highlights of every new MAC collection is of course their famous eyeshadows. Well pigmented, they blend easily, last forever and the range of colors is amazing! This collection features two great eyeshadow quads, but I feel that the standout really is this quad.

Included in this quad:
Clockwise from upper left: Vanilla, Hey (limited edition, similar to vanilla but about 2 shades darker and with shimmer), Howzat (limited edition, a very pretty smokey gray), Pink Venus

I've been using Vanilla, Hey and Howzat with my black eye kohl (see below) as you can see in this picture (that's a picture of my eye, the mascara is Zoom). This is my "basic" look, which I've been creating since Friday. Each day I accent with a different color. My favorite so far is a highlight of the Pink Venus in the center of the lid, but Perky Paint pot (applied over my entire lid first) and Girl Friendly Paint Pot (as a highlight in the center of my lid after shadow) have also been very pretty. I'm planning to try out Nice Vice Paint Pot next!

MAC Fafi Paint Pots

Recently I was wishing for some pink paint pots, which I want to try on areas other than my eyes. Well, ask and ye shall receive!

The paint pots in this collection are all standouts. Really. All 6 colors (Girl Friendly, Nice Vice, Rollickin', Layin' Low, Perky, and Cash Flow) are amazing and must haves! I heard a rumor from one of the makeup artists at the MAC store that the paint pots from Fafi will all join the regular collection, which I still need to confirm with MAC's PR department. I'm praying that this tidbit of info is true!

This picture is a pretty true to life representation of the colors, with the exception that Layin' Low is a tad bit more of a peach than orange as shown here. If I had to pick a favorite shade of these paint pots, it would be Perky for now, but I'm very inspired by Karen's look over at Makeup and Beauty Blog, so I'll be using Nice Vice today to try and create a similar look.

As for using a paint pot as an all over color, I've tried it, and it's ok. Truthfully, the paint pots are hard to blend properly over a larger area, but if you apply it in small bits all over the staying power is amazing! I love Girl Friendly as a blush!


MAC Fafi Powder Blush

The actual blushes in the Fafi Collection look a bit scary in their pans. Aren't they incredibly bright? But, there really is no reason to be afraid!

Both of the blushes in this collection are very wearable! If applied with a good blush brush, both are sheer and provide just enough color. They are very buildable, so a few more swipes of the blush brush will create a more vivid look. The blush is fairly long lasting, looking like I just put it on even after a long day at work!


MAC Fafi Lipsticks

Many of the shades in this collection are very off putting in the tube, and would quite frankly cause me to run the other direction if they were more opaque! However, as you can see in these swatches (click to enlarge the picture), most of the shades are actually fairly sheer and are unexpectedly very flattering!

The more opaque lipcolors are a bit more difficult to wear well. For example, Strawbaby is a fairly unique shade (not pink, not red and not peach, MAC's description of Coral Rose is pretty accurate. This was the shade that I was most excited to try, but it's a bit bright on my pale skin. I've started using it as a stain, 2 layers well blotted under the Cult Fave Lipglass is just beautiful!

But, there are some unexpected shades in this collection. I have never seen a shade like High Top. It appears to be a mid-tone purple with green shimmer in the tube (it reminds me of OPI Have You Seen My Limo?). But, as you can see from the swatch, once on it changes entirely! It is actually a very unique and wearable sheer with a pretty pink/lilac tone with subtle shimmer.


MAC Fafi Lipglass
All 3 lipglasses in this collection are amazing! As always, the lipglasses have great colors, great non-sticky shine, and definitely fulfill all of my holy grail lip gloss criteria!


You can see the shades very well in these swatches. Sugar Trance is a pale pink that is not completely translucent, so it does provide some light pink color on to my lips. Totally It is a bright but surprisingly wearable pink, while Cult Fave is actually my favorite of this collection. Cult Fave is the perfect pale pink for my complexion, it really seems to brighten and not at all wash out my super pale skin!



Fafi Nail Lacquers

MAC's nail lacquers cause great conflicts for me.

The colors can be very unique, with great depth. However, the wear (at least for me), is not equal to OPI, China Glaze or Essie. With a MAC mani I get about 3 days of wear versus my usual 6-7 days of wear.

But, if the color is as fantastic as Boom (pictured as my mani here, click to enlarge), then I'm more than willing to touch up my chips and reapply top coat everyday!


MAC Fafi Irridescent Pressed Powder

These powders remind me quite a bit of the powder from Elizabeth Arden's Holiday 2007 Collection. These pressed powders offer just a bit of translucent color to help highlight in addition to just beautiful shimmer! I have Belightful, which offers just a bit of bronzing, but all three shades are beautiful!


MAC Fafi Eye Kohl and Fluidline

The eye kohls and fluid line included with this collection are basic white and black, but when used like in the Fafi look it is perfect to set off the shadows! The kohls are ophthalmologist tested, so safe for near your eyes (even if you are a contact lens wearer). The kohls in particular are easy to blend, and all of the products are pretty long lasting.


MAC's Fafi Collection