Yes. Rick Baker. M.A.C. Two of the biggest names in the cosmetics industry, on wildly different ends of the conversation.
Some of our fearless readers may have noticed that I get a little hypervigilant when it comes to defending lady geeks – the girly ones in particular. Well, it’s because I am one. I mean, I cuss like a trucker and say wildly perverted things about Asgardian villains and just earlier I was discussing Orc porn with the other bots, but I am so freaking girly. Fashion design and makeup artistry are two of my favorite things, which is awesome because they can blend so seamlessly into my first love; movies. I love Tom Ford just as much as Martin Scorsese, and am a little too embarrassed to show you my makeup collection. If it’s any clue, I get notifications from M.A.C. when any new collections are released. I have been skimming them lately as funds are a bit tight in the 1138 household these days, but when I saw this,
I gasped so loudly it woke up the dog. Most of you are probably familiar with one or both of those names, but for further explanation – Rick Baker is THE KING of practical makeup effects, and M.A.C. is arguably the highest quality cosmetics that are suitable for everyday as well as stage use. Let’s have a moment to drool over the collection, yes?
First up, two six shade eyeshadow palettes called Spider Queen and Monster’s Bride. Spider Queen contains some amazing brights while Monster’s Bride looks like what I would use to sneak cosplay into my work wardrobe. Each looks like it has a nice balance of shimmer and matte.
I would seriously consider selling a kidney if it meant that Spider Queen Pro Palette would appear before me.
Next, a Penultimate liquid liner that looks like it might have the most precise tip I have ever seen, Chromographic pencils in Black Black, Hi-Def Cyan, and Pure White. Lip pencils come in Currant and Brick, and the set includes Face and Body, a liquid foundation to lay down to give your effects a solid base, and a water based tint called Dirt that M.A.C. describes as “a warm yellow-brown with ochre tones.” I smell a zombie costume!
It looks like the lipstick included in the collection is Cyber, which isn’t new to this set. I know this because I have a tube right next to me. It is a stunning deep eggplant, and here it’s shown with M.A.C.’s answer to the grease pencil, the Paint Stick, which is completely grease and shine free.
Four colors of silicone based acrylic body paint? I swear to God I’m making Homer Simpson noises right now.
And finally, the set powder and the Chromacake. Guh. If you have issues with smudgey face and have never used M.A.C.’s setting powder, get thee to a M.A.C. counter tout de suite. And the Chromacake really needs no introduction. It’s what Broadway has been using for ten years to create Elpheba.
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The prices are reasonable for products of M.A.C.’s standard, and the company hasn’t raised them because of the name attached. A standard custom eyeshadow quad runs $48 USD, but these six shadows are retailing for $44. The last time I bought a liquid liner was from the Wonder Woman collection, and I think it was more than the $19.50 that the Penultimate liner costs. M.A.C. products are an investment, but they are less expensive than some of their competitors and in the field of stage and special makeup they are unmatched in quality. I don’t have my greedy little mitts on any of these products to test or swatch for you (if you’re out there, M.A.C., I’m giving you an exaggerated wink and a hint), but with a history like theirs and an endorsement from Rick Baker, how can you go wrong?