Belated Post: My Haul from MAC's Liberty of London Collection (Review & Swatches)

So here's what I got from MAC's Liberty of London collection (I know this post is soooo late.. sorry!!) I picked up Shell Pearl beauty powder, Prim & Proper blush, Ever Hip, Blooming Lovely, and Peachstock lipsticks. I really want to go get Birds & Berries eyeshadow and Blue India lacquer.. hopefully they still have them when my No-Buy's over (very soon!! Yay!)

The Packaging: I simply adore the packaging. From the boxes to the actual product packaging -I love it! I especially love that the product containers are white. I'm so used to the standard black, gold, or silver and I love that I now have some lipstick tubes and compacts in sleek white! I love the beautiful, artsy designs. They give that perfect "pop" of color without crossing the line of being too childish. I also thought it was cool how the lipsticks came in their normal boxes but with the "LOL" sleeve on the oustide.

Packaging Pics..

Product Pics..

The Product and Color:

1. "Shell Pearl" Beauty Powder- I'm really loving this stuff. I've replaced my Smashbox Tint with this now that there's been tons of sun and warm weather where I live (I compared the 2 products in a post here.) The color is a light peachy shade with the slightest touch of coral. Shell Pearl is a great highlighter for me without being too light. I don't wear it as an all over powder/highlighter or blush because I have medium skin -will work great on those with fairer skin tones. It's "just right" as a highlighter above my cheekbones and I love to use it with a little blush or bronzer.
2. "Prim & Proper" Blush- This is a nice nudey beige blush. I was really psyched about this when the collection first came out but now that I have it -I don't find it a must-have whatsoever. It adds a nice touch and can be useful for achieving a more "low key" look but I don't think it's something I need. I do like how it's not overly matte though -more of a satin.
3. "Ever Hip" Lipstick (Cremesheen)- This is a peachy orange lipstick with a hint of coral. I expected it to be very opaque since it's a Cremesheen but to me, it applied more like a Lustre! It was a bit sheer -but definitely buildable. It's fairly pigmented once you add a few more layers.
4. "Blooming Lovely" Lipstick (Amplified)- This was the lipstick that I was most looking foward to. I love pale lavender/purple lipsticks so I was really excited when I first heard about this. On the MAC website, it's descibed as a greyed lilac mauve. The word "grey" really scared me off and I opted out of buying this in the beginning. Later when I swatched it at my local Nordstrom, I fell in love! This is a very "mod" color and the "greyed" part isn't as bad as it sounds. I'd say MAC's decription is accurate although it looks brighter on the lips which gives that mod effect.
5. "Peachstock" Lipstick (Satin)- Since this is a permanent PRO color, I wasn't going to get it. However, I love the packaging too much to pass it up! =P This is a good peachy nude -something to pair with smokey, dramatic eyes or something to go with an every day natural look. I like that it has that hint of peach to keep you from looking washed out or "dead." The coverage is opaque but I did find this to me a tad drying.

Swatches..

Above NO FLASH (from left): Blooming Lovely, Ever Hip, Peachstock lipsticks

Above WITH FLASH (from left): Blooming Lovely, Ever Hip, Peachstock lipsticks

Above NO FLASH (from left): Prim & Proper blush, Shell Pearl beauty powder

Above WITH FLASH (from left): Prim & Proper blush, Shell Pearl beauty powder

Overall: I didn't expect myself to be so drawn in with this collection. I thought every product and color suited the collection well and I just loved the packaging. In my opinion, the must-haves were Shell Pearl beauty powder, Blooming Lovely lipstick, and Ever Hip lipstick. I didn't bother with any of the glosses although they did look promising -nothing really looked "amazingly unique" though. Again, I plan on buying Birds & Berries eyeshadow and the Blue India lacquer when I have a chance -hopefully they don't sell out soon!

Tip: The site just restocked on all their Liberty of London products. All the lipsticks, Shell Pearl beauty powder, and the nail lacquers were quick to sell out when they were first available. I'd scoop these products up ASAP. I've seen lots of people on MakeupAlley trying to trade for these products!!

Out of curiousity, have any of you ever purchased a beauty product soley for the luscious packaging? MAC seems to have this effect on me.. but I'm happy that the products are usually good.