MAC: Make-Up Art Cosmetics - Maira Kalman

As I sit down to write this, my first post for Beauty Squared, I am tempted to tell you a little about myself. But that will come later for both Jill and myself and you'll get to know us both little by little by what we write anyway. So welcome to Beauty Squared! I hope you enjoy it and stay a little while.

Since MAC's latest collection - the Make-Up Art Cosmetics Fall '09 as seen by three distinctive artists Richard Phillips, Maira Kalman and Marilyn Minter - is so extensive (35 pieces!) Jill and I choose to divide the task of reviewing them. She reviewed the Richard Phillips collection and I chose the Maira Kalman and the Marilyn Minter collections.

What's possibly the most exciting thing about this Fall '09 collection (released August 27 in North America) is that there's something for everyone. For more classic looks, neutral shades and basics for any make-up collection there's Richard Phillip's glamourous lips, cheeks and eye collection. For those of us with a penchant for daring, drama and sizzle, there are the two smaller, bolder colour collections done by Marilyn Minter and Maira Kalman.

I will review Maira Kalman's here and Marilyn Minter's in another post.

In total: 11 pieces (6 eyeshadows and 5 Technacolour Liners)

Please note that all colour descriptions are my own.

Eyeshadows:
Crest the Wave - Soft Buttery Yellow (Frost)
Off the Page - True Orange-Rust (Frost)
Maira's Mood - Salmony Pink (Satin)
Haunting - Pale Turquoise (Satin)
Purple Shower - Cool Pink With a Touch of Purple (Satin)
Violet Trance - Blue Purple (Matte)

All swatches taken in indoor lighting on NW20 skin tone

Top Row L-R: Crest the Wave, Off the Page, Haunting
Bottom Row L-R: Violet Trance, Purple Shower, Maira's Mood

Technacolour Liners:
Colour Matters - Acid Yellowy Green
Obviously Orange - True Orange-Rust
Artistic License - Pale Turquoise
Full of Fuchsia - Cool Pink With a Touch of Purple
Graphblack - Rich Black

L-R: Colour Matters, Full of Fuchsia, Artistic License, Obviously Orange

All pieces are Limited Edition (LE) except for Graphblack Technacolour Liner.

Maira Kalman is an artist, designer (fabrics, accessories and sets) and writer whose aesthetic can be described as childlike, bold, whimsical and giggly yet sophisticated. Her collection is all about vibrant and joyful colours, certainly colours to play with.

To me, this is the most "artistic" collection of the three, with colours you wouldn't normally expect to find in any make-up line except MAC's. These are not colours that are meant to blend in. To be honest, my first instinct upon seeing the colours was that they were extraordinary shades but I had no idea how to use them. But once you get past the boldness of the colours and see the textures and sheens of the shadows, you can see how they could be used.

These are not colours that you want to wear all at once, but pairing one or two of them with a sophisticated eye look - I would wear them say along or on top of a liquid liner or blended into a smoky eye - would be dramatic and fun without being over-the-top. As you can see in the swatches, the colours may be bright, but they go on lightly so they will easily blend with darker, more neutral colours. For Fall I would pair any of them with a soft medium grey, layering the bolder shade over the grey for subtle oomph. Of course for full-colour impact you will want to use an eye primer!

C.