MAC To The Beach - Haul and Swatches

MAC's latest limited edition collection, To The Beach, which is the summer collection, was officially released at counters and in stores today.  I raced my butt out to the lone counter in my city to ensure I'd snag what I wanted.  Luckily everything I wanted was still there, except Marine Life Highlight Powder, which I was fortunate enough to get online before it sold out.


I picked up:  Firecracker and Sand & Sun Eye Shadows, Easy Lounger and Flurry of Fun Lipglasses, Lazy Day Lipstick, and Life's A Breeze Lip Pencil.  Marine Life is not pictured since it is still en route.





swatchcat C was quite interested to see what I brought him!





More info and swatches after the jump!

Firecracker is a beautiful pinkish red, with a little orange thrown in there.  It is definitely more pink-red than Firespot which is more orange.  There's even a nice pink sheen to it, and bonus, it's a Veluxe Pearl!!





Sand & Sun is a matte peach, and a pretty pigmented one, at that.  Many of MAC's mattes are notoriously chalky and hard to work with.  *coughNewlyMintedcough*  Sand & Sun is just pure perfection, and I had absolutely no trouble with application or blending.  I compared it to Samoa Silk, which, as you can see, is much more orange.





I skipped Sweet & Punchy, despite it being the fabulous Veluxe Pearl finish, because it is basically an exact dupe for Rated R (Starflash), released last year.  I know there are many who really dislike the Starflash finish, but most of them haven't given me any problems, including Rated R.  If you missed out on Rated R, then definitely snap up Sweet & Punchy.  Personally, as someone who is trying to be fiscally responsible (for those who know me, laugh all you want, but I'm trying!) I didn't feel I needed to own both.





If you didn't snag Marine Life Highlight Powder for the ten minutes it was online, you're SOL now, unless you want to pay those ridiculous prices on the unnamed, well-known auction site.  I stalked MAC's site in order to get mine, not wanting to leave it to chance when it was released to my counter.  Good call on my part as all six were already sold when I arrived at 10:00 a.m.  While Marine Life is awfully pretty, I will say, it's not an absolute must have, so if you missed it, don't fret...MAC always comes out with something better.




I was on a self-imposed no-lippie-buy, but I just had to break it the minute preliminary swatches of Easy Lounger and Flurry of Fun started circulation.  I've already professed my love for all lippies nude/neutral/pale pink, so no shocker that Easy Lounger had to come home with me.  It's a beautiful sparkly peachy-pink, and it's not that milky peachy-pink that Cult Fave is, so it will be flattering on anyone.  Flurry of Fun is a sheer orange with teal reflects.  Definitely an attention-grabber, and one of the stand-outs of this collection.  


Lazy Day is your basic neutral pink lustre that MAC releases a bajillion times a year, and that, admittedly, I also have a bajillion of just like it.  I was going to pass on it, but luckily the counter manager was sweet enough to let me Back2MAC (B2M) for it, so no cost for me means it doesn't fall within the purview of my no-buy, or the aforementioned fiscal responsibility, right?  Say, "yes".





Finally, and I do mean finally in both the 'last-but-not-least sense and 'it's about damn time', MAC released a blue-pink lip pencil, Life's A Breeze.  The couple of liners even close to pink are more "neutral" than pink.  MAC released In Synch this past spring, which while it is pink, it's a yellow-pink.  Unfortunately, Life's A Breeze is limited edition, like In Synch, and all the other good things MAC releases.  If the funds allow, I just may get a couple more to keep in my arsenal.





In my opinion, the stand-outs are Firecracker, Flurry of Fun, and Life's A Breeze, with Firecracker and Flurry of Fun being gorgeous and unique, and Life's A Breeze being a staple item.  To The Beach can be purchased online or at your nearest store/counter.