Iris Apfel for MAC Swatches and Review

Silver Gull Eye Shadow, Toco Toucan nail lacquer, Too Chic Beauty Powder


Silver Gull




Toco Toucan






Too Chic Beauty Powder

Here are some swatches and product photos from the Iris Apfel for MAC collection. A former interior designer and a fashion icon, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City premiered an exhibition about the fashionable style of Iris Apfel entitled Rara Avis (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel. That is why most of the colors of these shades depict birds of all sizes and colors. Iris Apfel is a rare bird indeed. The color palette of this collection amazes me! I usually don't like bold colors on my lips, but I changed my mind when I saw the beautiful lip colors in this collection. When I swatched the colors, they applied really well on the skin and glided like a dream. Here are some swatches from the collection:











Lipsticks: Flamingo, Morange, Scarlet Ibis, Party Parrot






Pink Pigeon lipstick; Lip Pencils: Embrace Me, Redd, Entertain Me; Taupe Brow Pencil; Ebony Eye Pencil




Lip Pencils: Embrace Me, Redd, Entertain Me; Taupe Brow Pencil; Ebony Eye Pencil





The lipsticks are gorgeous and amazing. Pink Pigeon is described as a matte bright cleanest pink. Scarlet Ibis looks amazing in person: a bright matte orange-red. Party Parrot is a matte bright red-pink, Flamingo is alight milky bright coral (lustre), and Morange is a "loudmouth" orange in the amplified formula. My favorites are definitely Scarlet Ibis and Party Parrot, but the latter is already sold out at my neighborhood MAC store.

This collection also launched coordinating lip pencils that you can use with the bright lippies: Entertain Me which is an orange pencil, Redd which obviously describes itself, and Embrace Me which is a vivid fuchsia.

As for the brow pencil, I have Taupe and it works great even for dark-haired people like me. It has the right amount of wax and color so that it doesn't look patchy on the brows. Ebony is a nice staple black, but I already have way too many black pencils that I just completely forgot about this.

Eye Shadows:


Silver Gull, Early Bird, Howzat, Robin's Egg
Diamond Dove











As for the eye shadows, my favorites are Howzat, a deep grey with silver sparkle in the satin formula and Diamond Dove, a deep grey brown in the matte formula.  Look how pigmented Diamond Dove is in the swatches.  Silver Gull is a blue grey with silver sparkle that is not too pigmented.  I would have to see if the color would pop more using a colored base underneath.  Robin's Egg is a mid-tone matte teal, and Early Bird is a matte bright coral.  What I like about these shadows is that they are mostly matte.  No outrageous sparkle that sometimes get in the way of how the color shines through.

Too Chic Beauty Powder:









Too Chic is a nice soft peachy cream with fine shimmer. Well, that's how it's described. I don't see much peach, although it is definitely on the yellow-toned side. So pretty because the shimmer is very fine and not glittery or metallic at all.

Toco Toucan Nail Lacquer:




3 coats





Toco Toucan is a nice fuchsia creme to welcome the spring. Can be a great summer shade as well. I like that it is not too bright of a pink, it has some rose tones to it so I am really liking it. Perfect for a pedi color as well.

All in all, if you like color, the Iris Apfel collection is for you. My favorites are the lipsticks because the colors are very bright but gorgeous. They are not the ugly garish colors that I usually associate with bright, colorful lippies. I am also liking the matte and satin shadows because they are pigmented and apply well on the skin, especially Diamond Dove. Lastly, Too Chic is also a favorite because it is a soft yellow-cream highlighter with very fine shimmer. I love it; it brightens up the complexion.

I can't believe that I really like this collection. I am leaning towards neutrals now that is why I am liking the MAC Naturally collection (swatches and review coming up!). However, the shades in the Iris Apfel for MAC may be bright, but they are beautifully bright, and many of the shades have good color pay-off.

The Shades Of U Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Note: Media sample was provided by a representative of the company for consideration. All opinions are completely mine.