Mega Metal Eye Shadow Dupes/Similar Colors:

CENTRE STAGE = Chocolate Brown Pigment, also close to UD Twice Baked

DALLIANCE = Urban Decay Maui Wowie

DANDIZETTE = Urban Decay Goddess

PEEK-AT-YOU= Soft Force

PRANCE = Hypnotizing

SEX-PECTATIONS = Mix of Coppering and Cranberry

SPECTACLE OF YOURSELF = Antiqued

TOP OF THE POSH = Ego

TWEET ME = Melon pigment or Snatch

UNFLAPPABLE = Smut

NOIR PLUM = Grape Pigment, or Push the Edge Pigment

PAPARAZZ-SHE = Firespot or Orange Tangent

ODALISQUE = Urban Decay Haight

MAC, Urban Decay, NARS, Too Faced & NYX Eye PURPLE shadow and pigments

I only bought Noir Plum and Odalisque from this collection.  Sadly enough, when I got them home they are nearly identical to MAC Grape Pigment and Urban Decay Haight from the BOS 3!  However, the texture and color payoff of the mega metal shadows is AMAZING and they are gorgeous shades so I may keep them anyway;)  Here are some pictures I took of the swatch comparisons.  I am NW25 in MAC and #35 (Vanilla) in MUFE HD for reference.

MAC Noir Plum Dupes

Top Row: (L-R) Noir Plum, NYX Purple Jumbo Pencil, Urban Decay Ransom, MAC Grape Pigment, Violet Pigment, Push The Edge pigment, NARS Melusine, Altered State, Black Tulip, MUFE #92, UD Altered State, Too Faced Glamourland Palette Exclusive, Parfait Amour. BOTTOM ROW: UD Psychadelic Sister, UD Underland (AIW Palette)

As you can see from the swatches,MAC Grape Pigment and Push the Edge pigment are both very close to Noir Plum.  Grape is a little less blue and same with Push the Edge (which also lacks any shimmer).

Top Row: (L-R) Noir Plum, NYX Purple Jumbo Pencil, Urban Decay Ransom, MAC Grape Pigment, Violet Pigment. BOTTOM ROW: UD Psychadelic Sister, UD Underland (AIW Palette)

The other shadow I bought from this collection was ODALISQUE

TOP: (L-R) MAC ODALISQUE, Urban Decay Flipside, Parrot, UD Peace, Too Faced Glamourland Exclusive teal, UD Alice, UD Haight, Shimmermoss. BOTTOM: Teal pigment, Deep Blue Green Pigment, Partylicious Pigment, Mutiny Pigment.

MAC Parrot was really close but lighter, but Urban Decay Haight from the Book Of Shadows III (BOS 3) was dead on.  I would say if you already own that one, you wouldn’t want ODALISQUE Mega Shadow.  Unless you really love teals

FACE:
Prime with Philosophy The Present Clear Makeup

MUFE Mat Velvet + HD Foundation

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus

Smashbox Blush Rush in Radiance on Cheeks

EYES:
MAC Vintage Selection Paint Pot all over lid

Line upper and lower with Urban Decay Asphyxia 24/7 Eyeliner

L’Oréal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

LIPS:

MAC Sin-tillation Lip Gelee

So I will be updating with random product pictures, dupes, comparisons, swatches, and things like that.  I am always searching the net for certain stuff and it’s really great when I come across a blog with something I’m looking for, so hopefully I can provide some advice for you guys.

I have also really broadened my horizons and branched off into various makeup brands (NARS, Dior, Urban Decay, Smashbox, NYX, to name a few) so I will be comparing those products as well.

On a final note, I hope to have my first *BLOG SALE* with some very rare and hopefully tempting items that I need to find a loving home for:)  My husband and I move around the country at least 3 times a year for his job and it’s become nearly impossible to bring my collection along.  I went overboard buying and “collecting” makeup the past couple years and really need to condense.

Without further ado, here are the dupes… sorry they are so random but I have been writing these down on note pads here and there and finally figure I should type up the list and share with the rest of the world:)

*Just a note: Some of these might not be dead-on dupes, but they are similar enough to where you could substitute one shade for another, and/or to where you do not need to buy both (unless of course, it’s a total HG for you- I found this to be the case with The Faerie Glen;)

**I am MAC NW30 for reference, and MUFE 150

MAC A Tartan Tale Dupes:

Reelers and Rockers Palette:

Silver Pigment = Melt My Heart

Eye Shadows:

Prized (more pigmented) = Shroom
Skintone 2 = Flip
Burmese Beauty (More pigmented) = Club
Courtly (Less shimmery and pink) = Seedy Pearly
Palace Pedigreed = Plum Dressing
Quite Spoiled = Modest Tone
Wild By Nature (lighter) = Soft Brown
Style Predator = Straw Harvest / Off The Page
Furiously Fabulous = Brun + Satin Taupe

PIGMENTS:

Lithe (less frosty)= Dazzleray / Jardin Aires

LIPGLASS:

Fancy Cat = Chai

Best of Breed = Chillin’

Docile = Icescape

Lap Of Luxury = Odyssey Lipstick

A Quiet Roar = Almondine

Schemer = Gold Dust

LIPSTICK:

Kittenish = Media

Pet Me Please (Frostier, pinker) = Pervette

To Pamper = Call My Bluff / Shitaki

Aristo-Cat (cooler) = Fresh Salmon

Of Royalty = Saint Germain, Snob, VG Gaga

Drive Me Wild = Rose Maiden

Powerful = Infused With Glam

BLUSH:

The Soft Meow = Comfort MSF

Pet Me = Peaches + Dainty

Utterly Game = Ripe Peach

My To The Beach Haul from the preview party

Well, I was lucky enough to attend my first MAC preview party last Tuesday, May 18th for this collection.  I wasn’t all that excited about these products to tell you the truth.  But once I got there and saw them in real life, and tried them on, I was actually impressed.  I ended up buying a lot more than I thought I would (what else is new?!  LOL).

The party was really fun- it was packed when I first got there, but I came toward the end of the night, so by the time I was trying out the shadows, there were actually two MA’s helping my sister and I.   They had stations set up for each set of products (lips, eyes, bronzers/blush).  An MA would ask you which colors you wanted to try and help you put them on (or you could do it yourself if you wanted).

LIPSTICKS/LIPGLASS:

The first place I went was the lip station.  I had my eye on Lazy Day lipstick and it ended up being pretty sheer on my lips.  But it’s a pretty pink nonetheless and I cannot pass up a pink lippie;)  It’s a bluer pink, kind of similar to Viva Glam Gaga (I will swatch some comparisons later;)

The lipglass the MA gave me to try over it was Splashing and it was too bright and just looked off with my skintone (I am NW25/30 and a Medium Plus in MSFN).  Splashing is very pretty but very pigmented and I’m more of a light pink/nude lip kind of girl:)  I told her I wanted to try Easy Lounger which is a sparkly baby pink.  It was exactly what I wanted it to be- lots of sparkling pearl (not chunky glittery sparkles) and pretty light pink.

I completely overlooked Flurry of Fun while at the lip station.  It looked a little scary in the tube and I haven’t ever worn anything bright orange on my lips before.  But as we were checking out later in the night, the MA put Flurry of Fun on my sister’s lips and it was the most AMAZING thing I have ever seen!  It was unique and not orange at all!  It looks nothing like in the tube once you put it on.  It gives just the right amount of peachy color with little bluish pink sparkle!  I ended up trying it on and it instantly became my favorite lip product of the collection.  My sis said it was the only thing she wanted from the collection.  All I can say is, if you get the chance TRY IT ON!  You won’t be disappointed;)

Oh, I got the lip pencil in Life’s A Breeze which is a pretty soft pink.  I have lots of nude and darker and brighter pink liners but nothing like this.  It’s definitely unique so worth buying if you’re a pink lip freak like me.

BLUSHES/BRONZERS/HIGH-LIGHT POWDER:

MAC Marine Life High-Light Powder

Marine Life

Next we hit up the bronzing and blush station.  The MA put the cream bronzer in Beach Bronze on my sister with the 130 brush.  It looked okay, but didn’t really seem to blend properly and looked “muddy”.  I wasn’t impressed with the cream bronzers but they make work better on other skintones.

I already own both Refined Golden and Golden powder bronzers.  I wore Refined Golden for a couple years before I realized it wasn’t a flattering color on me and that it made me look orange.  Once I tried Golden, I never looked back to Refined Golden.  Golden gives the perfect glow to my NW25-30 skintone and just a hint of shimmer.

We both had the MA put Hipness powder blush and Marine Life high light powder on our cheeks.  Both are GORGEOUS!  I thought they may be too bright or too corally on but they are really pretty!  From what I saw at the party, they are universally flattering too.  Depending on how hard you hold the brush, and which brush you use to apply, they can be used for most skintones.  No one I saw looked bad with either of them on!  I ended up with both of those.  I didn’t try Get Away Bronze blush but one of the MA’s had it on and it was awesome on her!  I will prob go back for it when the collection comes out next week, because they forgot to put hipness in my bag when I left:(

EYE SHADOWS:

Firecracker, Sand and Sun, Sweet & Punchy, Humid

Then the shadows are all even prettier in real life than the pics and swatches I have been seeing online (and those are gorgeous!)  A super pretty MA was wearing a combo of Sand and Sun and Firecracker, and since I have Sharp from the Tempting quad, I opted to try that combo.  I had painterly on my lids already (I came prepared;).  Sand and Sun is a great nude shade, very buildable matte color and blends nicely.  The MA applied firecracker in my crease and it was a quick, yet colorful, wearable look.  Loved it!  Firecracker is a must from this collection if you do not have any bright reddish-orange shadows.  Colors like this don’t come along very often so I think it’s def worth looking into.  Sweet and Punchy looked amazing on one of the MA’s and it’s a pretty bright color for summer.  One of the MA’s said it was more yellow than Sharp so I bought it.  But when I swatched them together, they are IDENTICAL on me (see my pics for the swatch comparison).  It’s very pigmented, blendable, and lovely color payoff, so I guess I am not sorry I bought it… but if I had to do it again, I would pass.  I have Urban Decay’s Shattered, which I have heard is close enough to Shimmermoss so I passed on that.  I don’t wear teals all that much anyway… I actually found TWO untouched Shattered shadows in my Urban Decay palettes the other day LOL.

Liners:

I wasn’t in the market for more eyeliner since I don’t wear it much as it is.  I am a huge fan of Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencils and not such a MAC liner fan.  So I wasn’t even tempted with the liners… until the MA put Float on By on me!  She just put a little under my eyes and OMG!  It really brightens the eyes and brings out the blue.  I would imagine that it would bring out the green in green eyes, and really make brown eyes pop too!  I saw it on most everyone at the party and it was another color that seemed to flatter everybody.

BRUSHES:

MAC 130 and 131 brushes

I already have both the 130 and 131 brushes.   I think they are nice but not really necessary.  If you have a 187/188 brush you could def pass on these.  The 130 is too small for everyday foundation, in my opinion and I don’t wear cream blushes or bronzers so I haven’t really found a good use for it.  The 131 is nice for blush and MSF’s and one MA told me he uses it for liquid foundation (not stippling, but painting it on the way you would with a 189 or 190 brush).  I haven’t tried this yet, but it sounds interesting.

So that was my To the Beach party experience.  If you get the chance to go to one of these parties, it’s free and fun so nothing to lose.  You don’t have to buy anything and it’s a great way to try out some new colors and products you may normally overlook.  The MA’s were really helpful and did such a great job helping everyone try out the products.

SWATCHES:

**MORE COMING SOON**

Firecracker, Sand and Sun, Sweet & Punchy, Humid on NW25/NW30

Top: Firecracker, Sand and Sun, Sweet & Punchy, Humid. Bottom: Sharp

Sweet & Punchy Vs. Chartreuse pigment, Sharp, Golden Olive pigment

DUPES:

Eyeshadow: Sweet & Punchy = Sharp (from Cult of Cherry “Tempting” Quad)

Sweet & Punchy = Sour Lemon

Firecracker = Red Brick

Lipstick ($14.00 U.S. / $16.50 CDN)

• Call My Bluff Mid-tone creamy coffee (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)
• Jazzed Bright coral pink (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)
• Creme de Nude Pale muted peach beige (Cremesheen) (Permanent)
• I Like It Like That Deep Blue pink (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)
• All Styled Up Bright yellow pink (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)
• Go For It Mid-tone blue purple (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)

Cremesheen Glass ($18.00 U.S. / $21.50 CDN)

• On the Scene Light Coral beige (Limited Edition)
• You’ve Got It Mid-tone silver grey (Limited Edition)
• Going Casual Sheer lilac (Limited Edition)
• Fashion Whim Light Beige (Limited Edition)
• Right Image Mid-tone blue pink (Limited Edition)
• Chillin’ Light white blue (Limited Edition)

Mineralize Eye Shadow (Trio) ($19.50 U.S. / $23.50 CDN)

• Love to Love Satin beige/Pearly Bronze/Satin Brown (Limited Edition)
• In the Groove Satin green/Pearly burgundy/Satin coral (Limited Edition)
• Making It Easy Satin red brown/Pearly beige rose/Satin dark beige (Limited Edition)
• Togetherness Satin lavender/Pearly purple/Satin grey (Limited Edition)
• Style Influencer Satin silver/Pearly deep blue/Satin deep mauve brown (Limited Edition)
• Soften the Mood Satin light brown/Pearly rose/Satin light blue (Limited Edition)
• Fresh & Easy Satin pink/Pearly burgundy/Satin grey (Limited Edition)
• Calm, Cool, & Collected Satin deep green/Pearly green/Satin beige (Limited Edition)
• Blue My Mind Satin light blue/Pearly deep teal/Satin black (Limited Edition)

Powerpoint Eye Pencil ($14.50 U.S. / $17.50 CDN)

• Stubborn Brown Deep Rich Brown (Permanent)
• Permaplum Deep plum with pink shimmer (Permanent)
• Navy Stain Royal blue with shimmer (Permanent)

Zoomlash ($13.00 U.S. / $15.50 CDN)

• Zoomblack Rich Black (Permanent)

Mineralized Skinfinish ($28.00 U.S. / $33.50 CDN)

• By Candlelight Golden pink (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote)
• Stereo Rose Coral with golden/bronze shimmering nuances (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote)
• Comfort Golden bronze (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote)
• Petticoat Pale rose with gold and amber veining (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote)

Mineralize Blush (Duo) ($23.00 U.S. / $27.50 CDN)

• Happy Together Satin caramel/Pearly beige (Limited Edition)
• A Little Bit of Sunshine Satin light brown/Pearly beige (Limited Edition)
• Hang Loose Satin bright pink/Pearly lavender (Limited Edition)
• Band of Roses Satin blue pink/Pearly light plum (Limited Edition)
• New Vibe Satin deep rose/Pearly bronze (Limited Edition)

Brush ($42.00 U.S. / $50.50 CDN)

• 187 Brush A large full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of face powder or pigments. Use to create soft layers or add textures. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres.

MAC’s permanent Mineralize collection varies from season to season. They will rotate in different Mineralize Eyeshadows as of April 29th, 2010 (all repromotes so nothing new to worry about here:) Pigments will now be available permanently at counters starting June 10th.

Mineralize Eye Shadows ($19.50 U.S. / $23.50 CDN)

SWATCHES COMING SOON…

Pink Split – Rose with bronze and pale blue veining/Pink with gold pearlized pigments (Frost)
Fresh Green Mix – Golden Olive with blue, gold, and aqua veining/Lime mono (Frost)
Play On Plums – Peachy gold with pink and bronze veining/Bronzed burgundy (Frost)
Sea & Sky – Silvery pale blue with deep blue and silver veining/Bright blue mono (Frost)
Odd Couple – Warm gold with lavender and bronze veining/Purple mono (Frost)
Illusionary/Burning Ambition – Pale gold with icy shimmer/Sinfully rich coco (Frost)

Pigments at Counter & Freestanding Stores ($19.50 U.S. / $23.50 CDN)

SWATCHES COMING SOON…

Antique Green (MAC Stores ONLY)
Bright Fuchsia (MAC Stores ONLY)
Blue Brown
Copper Sparkle
Corn Flower
Dark Soul
Fuchsia
Full Force Violet
Gold
Golden Lemon
Golden Olive
Grape
Kitschmas
Magenta Madness
Melon
Naked
Neo Orange
Old Gold
Rose
Rose Gold
Tan
Teal
Vanilla
Violet

MAC Alice + Olivia Collection

U.S. Launch Date: July 8th, 2010
International Launch Date: August 2010 (Japan & Korea only)

Dazzleglass Creme ($18.00 U.S. / $21.50 CDN)

• Sparklicious Creamy pale pinky white with soft multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Limited Edition)
• If it’s Pink… Hot pink with soft multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Limited Edition)
• I.Want.Candy. Hot yellow with soft multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Limited Edition)

Pigments ($19.50 U.S. / $23.50 CDN)

• Later: Black with transforming purple pearlized pigments (Limited Edition)
• If It Sparkles… White with transforming pink pearlized pigments (Limited Edition)
• Partylicious: Turquoise with silver pearlized pigments (Limited Edition)

Nail Lacquer ($12.00 U.S. / $14.50 CDN)

• Morning.After. Creamy turquoise (Cream) (Limited Edition)
• So Rich So Pretty Bright purple with pearlized pigments (Frost) (Limited Edition)
• Military Black matte with silver suede pearl (Matte with Pearl) (Limited Edition)

U.S. Launch Date: January 7th, 2010

All Ages, All Races, All Sexes

U.S. Launch Date: January 7th, 2010

From Our Lips Collection (Viva Glam)

U.S. Launch Date: February 10th, 2010

Spring Colour Forecast

U.S. Launch Date: February 11th, 2010

Riveting

U.S. Launch Date: February 18th, 2010

Mineralize Foundation SPF 15

U.S. Launch Date: February 18th, 2010

Tabloid Beauty

U.S. Launch Date: February 25th, 2010

Too Fabulous

U.S. Launch Date: March 4th, 2010

Give Me Liberty of London

U.S. Launch Date: March 11th, 2010

Art Supplies

U.S. Launch Date:  April 1st, 2010

Pret a Papier

U.S. Launch Date: April 10th, 2010

Prep for Colour

U.S. Launch Date: April 18th, 2010

Superglass

US Launch Date: May 6, 2010

International: July 2010

To The Beach

U.S. Launch Date: May 27th, 2010

International: May 2010 (Asia: June 2010)

Alice + Olivia Collection

U.S. Launch Date: July 8, 2010

International (Japan and Korea only): August 2010

Mineralize Eye Shadows & Pigments (repromote)

As of April 29. 2010

In the Groove

U.S. Launch Date: July 8th, 2010
International Launch Date: August 2010