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MAC Cosmetics - N Collection Review and Swatches

Reviews
Christine |

OVERALL, N Colour impressed me more than N Face, but it is not a collection that anyone should avoid because they dislike neutrals/nudes. I feel that it does offer a little something to everyone; you have two new mineralize skinfinishes, with one that is suitable to nearly everyone, while the eyeshadows are gorgeous with lovely color pay off and finishes. The nail lacquers were a little disappointing, but I kind of had a feeling I would be passing on them in the end (me wear brown polish? so doubtful!). I know paint pots have a huge following since their introduction, and I don’t think that either Quite Natural or Soft Ochre will disappoint. The stand outs in my opinion were 3N lipstick, 4N lipglass, Modest Tone eyeshadow, Nanogold eyeshadow, Neutral Pink eyeshadow, and Soft Ochre paint pot.

What did you get/will you get?  Favorites? Feel free to share your swatches in the comments or e-mailing me your photos (and I’ll post them).

Check out more swatches and in-depth reviews for individual products…

Lipstick

  • 1N is a very sheer, creamy beige color with high sheen and low opacity. It is actually not the “lightest” by sight or in the tube. I think those looking for a very sheer nude would like this, but for anyone with pigmented lips, it wouldn’t add much beyond shine.
  • 2N is a pale, pinky nude that is also fairly sheer. This had more pay off than 1N, but it is still quite light.
  • 3N is a lovely medium glossy pink, and I think this is going to be a favorite, because it’s such a workable and wearable pink. It might even be the answer to people’s quests for the perfect pink lipstick. It isn’t too bright nor too pale or sheer.
  • 4N is a deeper beigey nude with pink undertones, and those with darker natural lips will find this one of the better choices from N, because the color pay off is much more intense. It is still more on the sheer side, though.
  • 5N is a dark, plummy-mauve with brown undertones that would work well on deeper skintones. It goes on with more color than the other N lipsticks, but it does have some sheerness to it that makes it a wearable deep color, even for lighter skintones.

Lipglass

  • 1N is a lovely beigey tan color with gold shimmer, and I think it would make an excellent gloss on top of any nude lipstick, regardless if it’s from N.
  • 2N is a warm medium pink with white-gold shimmer, much like N3 (though N3 is cooler rather tham warmer if I had to pick one way or the other), so obviously you could pair these two together for a nice pink lip. I did like the lipglass, though, and it is a good universal color.
  • 3N is a rich brown with pink-gold shimmer. It’s dark enough where I am not sure it would be the most flattering color on my skin tone, but I could see it as adding some punch to any nude lip.
  • 4N is the most gorgeous lip product out of the launch, because it is a rich, vampy, berry color with gold shimmer. In fact, I was kind of reminded of Real Desire from The Originals. It is more burgundy-berry than red, like Real Desire, though. I would say this is one of my must-haves!

Eyeshadow

  • Nanogold is a gorgeous opalescent pinkish-gold-white with a fair amount of shimmer/frost, but it is really a gorgeous color. I would say this is the only shadow I went in wanting to buy, and it didn’t disappoint. Though, I wouldn’t have put “gold” in the name, but that’s just me! It reminds me of a more gold Pink Opal pigment (or a more gold Whistle eyeshadow).
  • Modest Tone is a fleshy pink gold-beige color (wow, could I get more colors in that one?). It’s hard to describe these shadows, because it’s almost as if they’re duochromes. I think this makes an excellent pink for anyone who has been afraid to do a pink-themed eye look. It’s not at all bright, and it’s quite natural.
  • Neutral Pink is so rich and luxe; it’s an amazing shade of deep plum-berry. It has lovely shimmer, but not overwhelmingly so. Loved this one! Payoff was awesome!
  • Rich Flesh is a warm, milk chocolate brown. Anyone dying for a great medim brown that’s rich and warm with gold sheen, this is the one for you.
  • Remotely Grey is a greyish brown, dark taupe color. I was reminded a bit of Mothbrown eyeshadow, but probably not an exact duplicate. This would make a great smoky eye for the day time, because it isn’t black, nor is it straight grey, so it would be a nice compromise.
  • Dark Edge is a glittery dark black-brown with gray undertones. I felt like the shimmer was almost a bit gold in reflects, and this would be the chunkiest in texture out of the six shadows. It’s a nice color, but it isn’t a must-have.

Paint Pot

  • Groundwork is a dirty-gray brown, would make a nice base for a smoky eye or subdued eye. My store didn’t have it in stock, so please refer back to my Painterly swatches here. This is a permanent color, so no rush to get it.
  • Quite Natural is a rich, warm chocolate brown, much like Rich Flesh eyeshadow, only darker and with nearly no shimmer (maybe none at all, actually).
  • Soft Ochre is gorgeous, because it is a really lovely base color for any look. It’s kind of like a warmer Beige-ing shadestick, which lots of MAC fans use as their eyeshadow base. The texture was fabulous, really creamy and went on like a dream.

Mineralize Skinfinish

  • Light Flush is a lovely peachy-pink with gold shimmer. I can see this becoming a holy grail kind of color for many MAC and MSF fans alike. It should deposit just the right bit of glow for many skintones. As NC30, it would probably give me, just as it states, a light flush. I was reminded of Motif eyeshadow, which I do like as a highlighter.
  • Warm Flush is very different from Light Flush–it is a rich, coppery bronze with gold shimmer. I would love to see how people wear this color, because it has a lot of color pay off and it is quite dark. You would definitely need to use the 187 with this one (or else a very, very light hand).

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

  • Light Medium is the lightest of the naturals to come out, and you can see it fades entirely away in my swatch (that’s my under forearm, the lightest skin I have!).
  • Medium has some pink undertones to it, so I don’t feel like it’d be great for warmer skin tones.
  • Medium Plus is more neutral than Medium, but it makes my skintone just a touch chalky.
  • Medium Deep is cooler with just the faintest hint of a peach-pink in it.
  • Medium Dark is a warmer, deeper color, probably too dark for me as a NC30, but it would make a nice bronzer for NC30ish skintones.
  • Dark is very rich and smooth, a deep warm bronze color. This is as dark as it goes, and I don’t think it would satisfy the entire range of skin colors, because it is quite warm.

Cremestick Liner

  • Creamola is a deeper tan-beige lip liner. I love cremestick liners, so I have nothing bad to say about them. I can’t imagine using Creamola very much, so I passed.
  • Sublime Culture is a pretty pink with gold undertones, which is definitely one of the favorited cremestick liners because it’s so versatile.

Nail Lacquer

  • N Colour is a sheer, pale beige polish that goes on quite thickly. It dries to a semi-sheer finish, but it makes a very nice, professional color.
  • Naturally Rich is indeed a milk chocolate brown, as described, and it just isn’t a color I could see myself wearing.
  • Demi-blanc has a gorgeous duochrome nature to it, with pink-purple iridescence. The only problem with it is that it is incredibly sheer, so even after two coats, I felt like I didn’t get near the color I would have liked. It also didn’t apply as evenly as I would have liked (it didn’t look as mixed well in the bottle, so maybe that was why).
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Skyler Avatar
Skyler

Woo hoo! It’s sad, but I have this site opened in a tab at work and I keep refreshing even though I know it’s not time yet. Haha. 😛 I’ll be checking back in a bit. Thanks so much for doing this! <3

n.fiona Avatar
n.fiona

HAHHAHAHa omg. that’s what i do at work too. it’s just open and when someone passes by i just minimize the screen teehee!

thanks for the review ms. christine 😛

Carrie Avatar
Carrie

Last night my local counter had the collection out! I loved it and am going back today to pick up a few things; I was totally into Neutral Pink e/s which surprised me, and the lipsticks were much sheerer/lighter color payoff than I expected based on product photos.

Can’t wait to read your review!

Carrie Avatar
Carrie

Here is a really bad photo of my crummy swatches from last night. Top line includes all 5 lipsticks 5N to 1N (can barely see 3N, 2N, 1N). On lower left are 2 paintpots (the new ones which are not Groundwork). On lower right is 3 eyeshadows, (not sure what the warm brown one is 🙁 ) then Remotely Gray and Neutral Pink.

Sorry it’s bad, but maybe it’ll provide some comfort or interest until 12 PST!

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t148/woolyowl/Nswatches3.jpg

TUPRNUT Avatar
TUPRNUT

I’m super excited to see what you think! Hey – I took your advice and called the MAC counter again today. Surprise, surprise, it was released today instead of next week. I’m planning to stop by tomorrow or Saturday.

annie Avatar
annie

Which of the skinfinishes would you most recommend for NC35? For example, I [purchased the “Lighthearted” mystery powder from the Stylists collection and it’s literally the teeny-tiniest smidge dark on me. But BARELY.

Tina Avatar
Tina

Thank you! Wow!

I’m NC50 shade (still not 100% convinced, though), do you think that 4N will be a true burgundy?
I thought that Real Desire would be but when I put it on, it was pink.

Tina Avatar
Tina

I’m really looking forward to checking out 3N & 4N. I’ve been looking for a sheet true burgundy non-creamy gloss.
Thanks again for the swatches!

Tina Avatar
Tina

I’m looking into getting a natural msf…I had medium for a long time, from the older collections, but it was a tad too dark and warm for me…which one would you suggest for me? and where do you think the original medium would place itself in this collection? is the medium from this collection the same as the medium from previous collections? sorry for all the question.. 🙂 I live 5 hours from MAC, so I have to order online and I just want your recommendations, which I trust always!

Tina Avatar
Tina

no…I never got matched for skin tone at MAC since I’m so far…would you say that the new medium is lighter than the old one? thanks doll!! you’re such a great help!!

Tina Avatar
Tina

thanks doll!! I’m way lighter than you…I only WISH I was dark like you…the original medium was a tad too dark for me…you’re amazing, christine!! just amazing!!

ariele Avatar
ariele

Thank you, as always, for providing a great review and the bset swatches! I always find yours to be the most true to life. The lippies from this collection kind of bore me – I’ll most likely only end up with 3N l/s. The eyeshadows, on the other hand, are gorgeous! I will be buying 5 of the 6, as well as both MSFs. Yay for neutrals with great color payoff!

Erin Avatar
Erin

well i’m glad to know i wasn’t the only one refreshing to see this review 😉 amazing as always, and now I can go put part 2 of my order in with those I wasn’t as sure of (and of course those I didn’t know i even wanted until i saw swatches ;))

thanks!

annie Avatar
annie

Thanks to Christine, I just purchased Light Flush, Warmed, Medium Plus AND Medium Deep based on C’s recommendation and that of an MAC CHAT as well as both of the Charged Waters. Never tried them but since I like vibrant makeup, the N Colour offers me zero interesting options. Still Not a bad haul for leaving out e/s and lips.

Coffee Avatar
Coffee

WOO HOO!! I’ve been waiting for your review!!! For some reason, I’m excited about this collection! I don’t know why. I can’t wait to go see them in person…hopefully SOMETHING will work for my NW43 skin!

Mariah Avatar
Mariah

Ok, quick question:

How does the N3 Lipstick compare to Twig-Twig Lipstick? Both are something I’m considering buying, but I want to get the best one! Are they nearly the same? Or is one more pink than the other? I don’t usually go for neutral tones.

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

N3 is much lighter and it’s brighter than Twig Twig. Twig Twig is kind of like a darker pink I would say. It’s hard to pick between the two of them, really. If you like more babydoll, pastel pink lips, go for N3. If you want more sophisticated pink, then Twig Twig.

Skyler Avatar
Skyler

Is it a good idea for someone who is NC15, even in summer, to get Warmed MSF? 🙁 It does look really dark. But then I thought about using it as a shadow or lightly using it as a blush… I dunno, gimme your expertise, Christine. 😛

Thank you soooo much for all of these wonderful swatches. You’ve helped me make decisions on many products from this collection!

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

If you use it LIGHTLY, then I think it would be okay. It just has a lot of pay off to it, you know? If you’ve been able to use something as deep as Gold Deposit or So Ceylon, I think you’ll be fine. It’s sort of like a brighter, warmer (with more peachy/orange) than New Vegas.

My pleasure, Skyler! 🙂 I just get happy knowing a few people are eager to read my review, lol!

naomi Avatar
naomi

I ordered both paintpots and msf’s, online and am waiting on them. I went to MAC this morning and bought most of the eye shadows, charge water and 4n. I have to go back because they gave me 1n which I did not like on me. They grabbed the wrong one. I actually did not like the msf’s well. I played with light flush and it seemed light and I had them apply warm flush but yea it looks real dark on me. A heavy one. I am debating whether to keep one msf. Oh yea did not care too much for quite natural paint pot either. Guess ill be returning them when they get here.

Stacey Avatar
Stacey

Oh no!!! Now I can’t wait for this to come out in NZ! I’m going in next week for The Originals release (STILL not out yet) so I’ll ask about this one, because I think I will die if I miss out on getting Light Flush! Must remember to buy back-ups!!! 😀

addicted_2color Avatar
addicted_2color

darn! i thought i was going to pass, but the lighter MSF (flush) is catching my eye. is there any other MSF that you would say that compares to it? (I don’t want to get it if there’s something out there that is similar to it)

Sound Of Vision Avatar
Sound Of Vision

Aaaah I love Neutral Pink!! and N3 and N4 looking good…

🙁 *sniffle* But I can’t get it…

Nice work!

Lol, do you have some privileged treatment in your MAC store? Beside you’re faithful costumer. I mean, a woman that colors all her arms there :p…You must have told them you have beauty site which is dedicated to MAC.
I don’t think they would let anyone do that…or maybe would.
I don’t know MAC’s policies actually.

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

Aww, broke or other reason?

Nope, not at all. You can swatch to your heart’s content, really. There’s no policy that says you can’t. Even before I did hardcore reviewing procedures, I usually swatched a bunch of stuff just as a consumer and had no problems at any of the places I went!

The store I go to these days, I do know the manager from Fashion Week, and a few of the MAs do know I run a beauty blog.

Lindsay Avatar
Lindsay

I got more than I expected from this collection, it is very very pretty stuff! I was more excited about the stuff that I got today than any of the collections that have come out in the last year.

I picked up Neutral Pink e/s, Rich Flesh e/s, Light Flush MSF, Groundwork paintpot, and I think I might go back and check out Modest Tone e/s.

I am in love with Light Flush MSF. I have NW 20 skin and it comes out as a really pretty coppery pink, and I like that its not a chunky sparkle just a nice shimmer. Also on my skin Neutral Pink comes out more like Modest Tone does on yours. All in all it was a gorgeous collection and I think everyone should check it out!

Julie Avatar
Julie

Yay! Thanks for your review AND swatches, Christine!

Definitely picking up the Light Flush MSF now 😀 Might also get the N2 l/g, Nano e/s and Modest Tone e/s for Australian retail when (if) if gets released here.

Julie Avatar
Julie

Just checked and it’ll be released in about a month!

Ordering the Light Flush MSF from the US and then I’ll be paying Australian retail for the Warmed MSF plus the rest.

Bleurgh, we pay almost double to what you Americans pay, LOL.

Moriah Avatar
Moriah

Hey Christine! Thanks so much for all your swatches and reviews! They’re perfection as usual.

I was wondering if Light Flush is similar enough to Porcelain Pink to skip out on it if you already had PP. Do you know? Thanks a lot!

Allysha Avatar
Allysha

Christine!! Why do you do this to me?? Now I want it all!! 😛 I’m very confused with the MSF’s. Especially the pink one. I wasn’t very impressed with Northern Lights which I have. I don’t want this MSF to be something else that isn’t pink enough on me and provides too much shimmer when enough pink is visible. Is it like this? I’m an NC42.

victoria Avatar
victoria

i finally got my first msf!!! i got light flushed and i’m surprised because the glitters are not so chunky as i anticipated. when i got home and put it on, it looked exactly like nars orgasm. i put that on my other cheek and it was identical even with the shimmer. i’m glad though because i’m almost out and nars blushes are expensive. i’m also glad that i could use this more than i thought. i liked it that they added shades to the face powder but i got the mystery powder already. i’m thinking about neutral pink, what a pretty color but i was dissapointed with nanogold. it came out in chunks. maybe because so many people’s fingers were on it. thanks for the lip swatches, it’s so hard to tell with the lighting at nordstroms, i think i’ll go back for n5.

Lori Avatar
Lori

Okay so originally I was hyped for the collection, then I wasn’t, then yesterday I was. Today I saw it and I had thought I would get 4 e/s, only got Neutral Pink and Nanogold (for the latter I agree with the pink opal comment–I swatched it right after the pink MSF and I thought I had mixed them somehow, lol so swatched it twice on my skin). LOVED these both! The rest I swatched comparing to some things I already have (Copperplate, Satin Taupe etc) and none of them were worth me getting. Also got Light Flush, the 3N lipstick! (I thought this wasn’t going to be good colour for my lips and that it’d be my lip colour like Her Fancy from Antiquitease was) but its my fav nudie look light pink lipstick. LOVE! Also got Demi Blanc nailpolish (kinda wishing I had better swatched this, but damn it it looked good). Hmmm what else–just light medium natural msf.

Christine, question: I am an NW15 and the Warmed MSF intrigued me. I’ve seen some ppl use it for contouring. Do you think an NW15 should buy it and use it with a light hand/and/or contour or should we just WALK AWAY? lol thanks!

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

Sounds like you had a great haul, Lori, and you definitely made sure to get good items that would work for you!

I would never really advise Warmed MSF as a contour color… it has SO much shimmer in it. Contouring is more to add shadows to your face, so you’d want it to be more matte than shimmery!

You could use it as a light bronzer, though! Just with a light hand 😀

Lori Avatar
Lori

Thanks Temptalia! I think I will pass–I don’t need to be spending another 29.50 plus tax here in Canada for something I’d realistically not use too much!

Carrie Avatar
Carrie

Wow, this is the most comments I’ve ever seen!

I picked up Modest Tone, Neutral Pink, Remotely Gray, and 3N l/s. I think I want to go back for 4N l/s and l/g.

[I also finally got Carbon (how did I apply makeup for so long without it? It’s the best!) and an Orpheus power kohl left over from fall (yay! thought i’d missed the boat on that one)]

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

Apparently N was much more popular than anyone anticipated!

Nice haul, Carrie! I think 3N is going to be a huge hit.

OMG, how DID you survive without Carbon? I love it. It’s the perfect shadow to instantly add drama to ANY eye.

Feline kohl power is my favorite liner EVER! I love the kohl powers, but Feline is/was just the blackest black. I’m so sad I didn’t get a back up!

Shefali Avatar
Shefali

OMG I went completely nuts on this collection today. It’s hard for me to say this, but seriously, there wasn’t a color in this collection that didn’t look good on me. For reference, I’m an NC35. And for the first time EVER, a pink lipstick that looks good on me. They are always so chalky on me. For reference, Cream O’ Spice lipliner is my exact lip color and the liner I wear with almost EVERYTHING.

So I ended up with alot of stuff…more than I thought I was going to get, but I’m going to use it daily because everything is so versatile!! You can seriously mix stuff in this collection and get new colors, but they are all nice and neutral. It’s too cool. Plus I was super excited to discover this morning that I had 6 recyclable containers…so 1 extra lipstick that I didn’t have to pay for…woo hoo!!

Here’s what I got:
Eyeshadows: Nanogold, Neutral Pink, Remotely Gray
Lipsticks: 3N and 4N
Lipgloss: 3N

If I could have, I would have bought 4N l/g and l/s and 2N l/g. I had to seriously restrain myself.

Tanya Avatar
Tanya

HOLY S*IT BATMAN!! WOW this is one popular post 🙂 So I hit the mall today and checked out the N collection. I think I am the only one who is going to write the following words BUT honestly I wasn’t all that thrilled. Maybe it was because it has been forever since I had a MAC fix and I was expecting too much….but I just wasnt thrilled. The MSF were nice, but I have one that matches my skin perfectly and didn’t really need another. Not a huge fan of the MSF because I think it tends to settle in my fine lines and looks kinda “dry”. The shadows were nice but kinda looked like a ton of other nude/natural/everday wear colors, so I wasn’t really thrilled by those either. The paint pots didn’t do it for me either but they seldom do, I thought the Ocre was hidious, it reminded me of the color of weird cover-up. The brown was too dark for my taste as well. Nope didn’t care for any of those. The marble blush thingys were nice but had too much shimmer (OMG I just said something had too much shimmer, what has the world come too?). If I was going to wear one of those, the pink or the bronze I would do it on top of blush and then why not just use my beauty powder. Seemed like a dup for beauty powder with blush. The lipglosses were weird all too beige. The only thing I liked were the lipsticks of which I bought Bling which I am not certain I will keep, its a bit on the pale side. I also bought Myth which I am also having second thoughts about, its a very “chalky” nude…it kinda looks like I put foundation on my lips. I don’t wear liner so I didn’t look at those. Blah I can’t wait for Fafi and Heatherette. Oh so my MA told me there will be a “doll/figurine”, a t-shirt, and maybe a scarf with Fafi and maybe some other trinket type things.

The best buy I made today was from the Originals from which I picked up Supersequin lipstick. A very unusual pink for me.

Jenni Avatar
Jenni

The colors are all so lovely!

I wish I had the cash to spend on some of this stuff. I did have a gift card I used recently, but was kicking myself for doing that when I saw the first pics of Light Flush. After seeing swatches now, I feel it’s juuust close enough to Northern Light in color that I’m okay without it unless I see more comparison swatches proving otherwise! I won’t be able to go in to check it out for myself. I am very pale, so Northern Lights shows up on me beautifully.

Do you feel that there is a big enough color difference between the two? Even the way you described Light Flush sounds exactly the way Northern Light shows up on me!

Tina Avatar
Tina

Hi Christine!

I wanted to thank you for recommending 4N Lipglass. It was everything you said it would be. I’m NC50 shade and I love this lipglass! It looks sexy!

I also bought 3N and it’s a nice neutral. When I put 3N over 4N, the result was a spicy chocolate bar…in a good way.

I only bought Warmed MSF because Light Flush didn’t look great on me. It had a pearly/ashy finish. Warmed was a subtle glow…no flashy sparkle. Very pretty and perfect for daily use.

Finally, I tried the Warm Light/Definitive Sculpt & Shape powder, and it looked muddy on me.

I didn’t look at the N Collection eyeshadows because I’m forcing myself to start using what I already have.

I just might go back and get another 4N Lipglass…and I rarely do backups.

Stephanie Avatar
Stephanie

Well I went ape Sh*t crazy on this collection and now my wallet is completely empty from N collection and mei.. Heres my haul.
Mei Collection – All of it. I can’t wait to see siss lipstick.
N Collection – Both mineralized finishes (love the mineralized finishes these are a def must). The Brown one I will wear in the summertime, I think this will be great with darker complexions, the pink one is probably going to sell out fast. Soft Orche paint pot (a must), nano gold, neutral pink, rich flesh, remote grey, modest tone. 1N both, 4N both, 3N both, 5n lipstick, 2N lipgloss. overall I really like this collection as I love neutrals. Overall Lipstick/lipglass are the best out of this collection esp those of you that been looking for nude lips. It’s really hard to find a good nude lipstick/gloss..

Stephanie Avatar
Stephanie

Yeah, I guess I am a bit obsessive when it comes to these da*n collections! hehe 🙂 I read one of the entries above about the feline, that is my absolute favorite too! I’m holding out on buying eyeliner hoping one day they will come out with many colors!!! 🙂

Erin Avatar
Erin

At first when I looked at Neutral Pink I thought “I already have Quarry.” Then I tried them both on my hand and realized there was a HUGE difference. So… since it’s limited, I got it. That’s all I got though, everything else it seemed I already had- I liked Nanogold, but to me, it’s a lot like Ricepaper, and I could reasonably recreate it by using other colors I already have.

Tekoa Avatar
Tekoa

Gah! Curse my student budget! I cant decide if I want to get the Light Flush MSF or one of the charged waters. I haven’t tried either product family and both could be potentially useful. Both are very different. Both are limited edition :(. Any suggestions?

Virginia Avatar
Virginia

Hi christine!

Thank you so much for the swatches. I love 3n l/s and i would love to know if it´s like Hue l/s which i already have, does anybody have both lipsticks and could make me a comparison?

Thanks in advance

iAnon Avatar
iAnon

I just dont know what to choose. I’ve got tanned skin and I love nudes. I dont know if the lipstick 3N will look good on me for example. In fact, there are so many products I liked in this collection that is becoming hard to choose. =(((

elegant-one Avatar
elegant-one

Thanks Christine!

If thats your hand, I actually like the Naturally Rich polish on you. I just got OPI Chocolate Mousse to go with this collection & its similar.

This is my FAVORITE collection ever (ok I really liked Barbie)
It’s the sexiest day smokey natural no make up look!
I bought the Light Flush, two – 3N l/s, two – 2N l/g, the eyeshadows, 2N l/s

TUPRNUT Avatar
TUPRNUT

So, I gotta say that I was really excited about this collection. However, I was pretty disappointed seeing it in person today. The lipsticks and lipglasses were kinda blah for me. I ended up buying Neutral Pink and that was it from this collection.

I’m glad to hear the the natural MSF’s will be part of the permanent collection… it’ll be nice to have a larger selection of shades to choose from.

Tekoa Avatar
Tekoa

Wow this is a popular topic….anyways!
I walked away with Light Medium natural MSF, Light Flush MSF, Quite Natural, Dark Edge and Renewal charged water (smells like oranges). I love Quite Natural and Dark Edge because they’re that perfect dark brown for me. I’m curious to try out the MSF’s and the charged water. To me the product promises unrealistic things but…to heck with it. The worst I’m doing to my face is spraying water on it. The most dissapointing thing from this launch (sadly) was the lipsticks. N1-N3 looked too sheer and pale on my lips. The rest didn’t look quite right either. Oh well.

On a funny side note, Canada has embraced the N collection with open snowsuits. Every MAC store I went to had sold out of two or three eyeshadows, and its only the second day. Gadzooks!

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

It apparently got to be! I didn’t think it’d become so long myself!

Sounds like you had a decent haul, Tekoa!! Make sure to tell me what you think of the Charged Water. I have one, and I never use it. I just can’t buy into its promises (just like most facial water-based sprays).

Wow, I can’t believe how fast it’s sold out in Canada!

iAnon Avatar
iAnon

Christine,

I just read through the comments (thanks for replying mine!) and I saw a girl saying she’s NC50 and 3N looked good on her!

Now I ask you: do you honestly think the l/s 1N, 2N and 3N are going to look good on me?

For reference, I’m NC42!

Thanks!!! =)))

Catherine Avatar
Catherine

Wow, great review! I’m thinking about going out and getting some of these products =]
I’m just wondering, I’m a NC40 but I’ve gotten probably lighter so probably now in the 30’s? (not sure haven’t gotten new powder from Mac yet!) would the ‘Light Flush’ MSF show up on my face instead of just having sparkly cheeks?

Erika Avatar
Erika

I’m absolutely in LOVE with everything in this collection. I already bought 3N, 4N lipstick and 2N liplglass. I wasn’t considering trying 4N lipglass until I read your review and decided to give it a shot and loved it! So I had to get that as well. I’m already thinking of stocking up on the 3N lipstick though…

Elle Avatar
Elle

I was seriously debating on whether or not to get the Nanogold eyeshadow until I saw this swatch. It looks absolutely lovely! Thank you so much for the photos and reviews!

n.fiona Avatar
n.fiona

Hi christine, few questions pls:

you described Warm Flush as “very different from Light Flush–it is a rich, coppery bronze with gold shimmer. I would love to see how people wear this color, because it has a lot of color pay off and it is quite dark. You would definitely need to use the 187 with this one (or else a very, very light hand).”

I’m an NC44 and I put on the Studio Fix Fluid and then applied Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Medium Deep. I finalized it with the Warmed Flush. I tried to LIGHTLY dust it with a 187 but it didn’t do any good. I had to use the same brush I used for MSF Natural (134) to apply it on the apples of my cheeks while grinning.

Is this not a good idea? Will it look too light?

Also, do you recommend I exchanged my Medium Deep to Medium Plus?

I can send you a picture on your gmail account tonight just to show you how it looks.

Pls. comment. Thank you!

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

Hi Fiona! Well, Warmed is not going to be nearly so potent on NC44s! There’s no real WRONG way to do it if you’re happy with the results. If you use the 134 and it gives you a nice “glow”, then that’s great! If I was deeper, I would probably use a regular blush brush (150 or 129) with it, and maybe buff it out a bit with the 182.

Do you feel like Medium Deep is the wrong shade for you?

rocketqueen Avatar
rocketqueen

I just had to get the Light Flush after seeing your pics and descriptions, thank you so much! The N collection still haven’t reached Sweden but I’m anticipating the 3N lipstick…yum! And I can’t wait for the Fun N sexy lipstick from Fafi, plus the tangerine Flash N Dash l/s! Wow!!! I have to get a hot pink lipstick and a fuchsia one too… Immodest Mattene is a bit expensive here so I think I’ll reach for a Maybelline Moisture Extreme one. Any thoughts? Thanks for a great blog!

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

No problem, I’m happy to help! I haven’t had an opportunity to try out the Maybelline Moisture Extreme line, but I imagine it would be all right! I know here in the states we have great return policies, so I’d just suggest returning it if it didn’t work out, but no idea what Sweden policies are like!

rocketqueen Avatar
rocketqueen

I swatched that hot pink yesterday and it was a great shade! I really love the texture of the ME lipsticks, very much like the MAC Glazes. We have crappy return policies here; if they are nice in the store and we have the receipt, we can return the unused item within ten days – if it’s sealed…

Gina Avatar
Gina

Help Christine! I’m an nc37 (I use nc35 concealer) in SFF and when I got a makeover done a loooong time ago, the MA used the MSF Natural in Medium on me. It looked fine to me, but I never bought it. When I went to buy one of the new MSF Naturals, the MA recommended Medium Dark, so I bought it and the next day, everyone was asking me if i had a self-tanner accident on my face! What shade would you recommend?

Gina Avatar
Gina

Hi Christine! Thank you so much for your advice! I bought the Medium Plus after work yesterday and wore it today-it looks amazing. I really appreciate your advice and the professionalism with which you run this site. Keep up the excellent work!

Mikella Avatar
Mikella

I LOVE the neutral pink eyeshadow. Thanks for doing this. Do you think you’ll post some looks using these products if you have them? (Not sure if you do)

chuarmk Avatar
chuarmk

I am really surprise that I like this collection,as I am not a nude/neutral color person.

I had bought a few items from this collection esp. love the 3N lipstick (finally my 1st HG lippie, got 3pcs of this),Light Flush (2pc),Neutral Pink e/s,Nanogold e/s and maybe 2N lipglass.

I only truly love 3 Collections by MAC. The 1st is Barbie Loves MAC (the collection that got me addicted to MAC),2nd Flashtronic and now 3rd N Collection.

So tempted to get the rest of colors..

Pimms Avatar
Pimms

Does anyone know ‘if Medium Dark would be too dark for my Bobbi Brown shade in ‘Honey’? i don’t use MAC so i don’t know what i am?? any help would be great thanks

brenda Avatar
brenda

the msf natural , the ingrediants has talc in it. i heard you can get cancer or what so ever from it. do you know how much exactly talc it has in the msf natural ? im still debating if i should get it or not im scared of the talc. thank you (:

Haylie Avatar
Haylie

I bought the Cliche cosmetics eye primer but it just creases on me! Total disappointment.

So I’m debating to try the MAC paint pot or shadestick as a base. What would you recommend Christine? I saw another blog post comparing the paint pot and shadestick along with UDPP w/ eyeshadow on top and the shadestick one was so pigmented even at the end of the day! But I have super asian oily monolids so I’m wondering which would hold up longer.

Stacy Avatar
Stacy

Wow. You are truly amazing at this. I love your swatches, they help so much.. When I go in, I don’t feel overwhelmed because I’ve already seen really good swatches on here. 🙂 thank you.

I have two questions, if you could answer please?
A while back I bought a MSF natural in medium plus (I am a NC30) and out in the sunlight it looked too pinky peachish? And I returned it. Went in a couple of weeks ago and a MUA tried medium on me and it seemed a tad too light. What do you recommend? I’d really appreciate your help 🙂 thanks so much.

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

Hi Stacy,

You might be, unfortunately, in-between shades 🙁 You could try to mix them, or else try another product instead. I found that Medium Plus was a little too dark on me, but Medium seemed a little too light on me as well! (I’m NC25!)

Stacy Avatar
Stacy

Forgot my second question! Hah!

Being an NC30, what is a good MSF (bronzy) for my skin tone. I want to purchase comfort from the warm and cozy collection, but there have been so many reviews of people saying it’s orange. Any suggestions?

I’d really appreciate it!
Thanks again!

Roxana Avatar
Roxana

Is not fair! Your picture does not make justice to nanogold!
A gorgeous color. I would say its a naked tone with iridescence pink. Very pretty

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