This year the MAC collection is called Snow Ball. Visually, the packaging is stunning. All of the individual products are in their traditional shaped packaging but the casing is covered in what looks like gold leaf flakes. Obviously it isn't, but the effect is there. All of the powder products are embossed with a snowflake design which makes them look very festive. I can safely say that this is the best looking MAC Christmas collection for a few years. In general there were a lot of gold and red shades in this collection which I love for the season but I know a lot of people will complain about how unoriginal it is. I do sort of agree but you can't go wrong with tradition and a lot of the items in this collection sold out very quickly so a lot of people seem to agree with this idea. The above details the packaging of the individual items available for Christmas. Unfortunately the Christmas sets did not continue with this packaging. However it is was equally as pretty.
For the sets, MAC seemed to go for more of a general metal theme, with silver and rose gold being the main packaging shades. However the rose gold and silver was more of the outer packaging opposed to the actual packaging of the product. My two favourite gift sets both contained lipsticks but both looked very different. The first set contained three mini lipsticks and came in a silver sequin pouch which was super cute. I loved the little set and the cool toned lipstick set contained Kinda Sexy which is one of my favourites but at £25, it did feel like it was a bit too expensive. I did think about getting it for my friend but I realised I had bought her the Mini Charlotte Tilbury Lipsticks last year and I thought this would be too similar.
The second set which got me excited, I would completely love to treat myself to but I can't justify £85 on a set for myself. This set is encased in a stunning almost rose gold box with 12 mini lipsticks in it. For me, as a lipstick lover, this was the standout set and would be my dream Christmas present. It had a range of light nude shades, continuing through to pinks and reds and all the way to Stone. Stone is a popular MAC lipstick which is a greige shade. There is no way on this Earth Stone would not suit me but it just shows that there is a little bit of everything in this set. The beauty of this set is, with so many colours which are only in a small size, you aren't committed to them. At the same time, this is the downfall of the set. Not using one shade wouldn't be the end of the world but if you didn't like a few, that kind of defeats the purpose of the set. I haven't seen MAC do anything like this in previous years but some of their other sets are quite similar to what they have done before.
However there was one set that really caught my eye and I decided to treat myself to it. It wasn't too expensive and I had seen it online as a late addition to the MAC Christmas collection. It is the Fix + Set. I had seen this online but for some reason I thought it was an online/Selfridges exclusive so I kind of dismissed it but whilst I was in Debenhams at the weekend, they had it. With the lead up to Christmas, everyone has had discounts so it really has paid to wait this year. In previous years it was always 10% off beauty and if you were lucky 15% but this year there has been 20% and I even saw some Urban Decay products at 30% off which is mad. MAC has been fluctuating between 10% off and 15% off. I think I might have seen 20% at one point but that was only specific items. When I was shopping they only had 10% off but that was enough to convince me to buy this set. It wasn't a massive saving; the set was supposed to be £30 and I got it for £27 but I was happy with it none the less.
I wouldn't say this was one of the must have MAC Christmas sets. I think it is a nice set for the right person. I don't think the plastic packaging catches the eye like some of the packaging for the other sets but I think the packaging reflects the product inside, simple. If you are a fan of the water based product then this could be a really good set. This set was never intended to be a present , I just wanted it for myself; I was interested in this set due to the size of the bottles. I have always wanted a smaller Fix + for when I am travelling and I always seem to miss out when they launch them in the Sized to Go collection, every Summer. Earlier this year MAC did a Work-It-Out Collection which I thought was for working out, like waterproof make up but I'm not sure this was the case. Anyway they launched three mini Fix + bottles and these all had different scents. At the time I really wanted the Rose Fix + as it is one of my favourite scents but it was sold out before I could even make it into store. When I saw this set the other weekend, it felt like redemption.
The three different scents in this collection are: Rose, Coconut and Lavender. The Coconut Fix + was also launched as part of their summer collection in a larger size and the bottle was covered in fruit. Once again it sold out very quickly. When I saw the set I instantly knew what each scent would be used for. The Coconut would be used for summer as it is fresh and tropical. The Lavender would be great to incorporate into my night time skincare regime to help relax me. I actually use a lavender sleep spray and I have found it has helped calm my anxiety a bit before bed. The Rose one will be kept as a treat as it is my favourite out of all of the scents.
Fix + is a funny product. When I first started to get into beauty, no one seemed to know what Fix + really did, all people seemed to know was that they loved it. This was a long time ago, before brand deals and PR packages so no one really knew as much about products as they do now. Back in the day MAC could do no wrong! People would wait eagerly for their next limited edition collection as it was something that not many other brands did. Now the hype around each launch has died down quite a lot but there is always that one collection a year that inspires everyone and reminds them why they love MAC so much. Don't get me wrong, I still love MAC for a variety of their products but I have now narrowed down the products that I really enjoy. You can't beat: MAC lipsticks, I love their concealer and I am a fan of Fix +.
Even though back in the day no one seemed to know what it did and some people even went as far as claiming it was a setting spray, I have found Fix + very useful. Needless to say Fix + is not a setting spray, it is literally a bottle of water but it can come in very helpful. The key way that Fix + can be used is for hydration. It is a water spray so of course it is going to give a level of hydration, not a high level but it still counts. I like to incorporate this into my skincare routine to refresh and revive my skin. During the week I use this post cleanse, when a normal person would use a toner but I only use toner on the weekends so this is my mid week alternative. If it were the weekend, I'd use this post face mask. The level of hydration it gives isn't great but it is better than nothing and it is very refreshing.
This brings me smoothly into my next benefit of Fix + and this was a big one for me during the Summer. There is nothing like spraying Fix + on your face during the heat of summer; it is the only moment of refreshment you get in the stuffy, British Summer time. The week of hot weather we had this year was unbearable. No one in the UK has air conditioning so I ended up putting my sheet masks and my Fix + in the fridge. If you leave them there overnight, the next day they are so refreshing and it allows you a couple of minutes of not feeling overwhelmed by heat. These mini bottles are perfect for my fridge as that way they will be a little bit more discrete and it means my parents will stop questioning why I move my skincare to the fridge every summer. I can think of nothing better to provide refreshment during the Summer than the Coconut Fix +.
Even though Fix + is not a setting spray, it can be used as a finishing spray. Fix + does help to make your make up look more dewy and natural, especially if you have gone overboard on the powder products. We've all done it, there is always that one time when you've gone too hard with your powder and you end up looking dusty. Fix + will help to even out this cakey mess. This isn't illuminating but it will stop you from looking too matte.
Not only can Fix + be used to even out powder but it can also be used to pack it on; whether that is eye shadow or highlight. All you have to do is spritz a bit of Fix + onto the brush and it helps you put the pigment on your eye lids rather than allowing it to drop onto the rest of your face. I personally only use this trick for eye shadow and highlight and I'm not sure you would use it for anything else as you don't really want any other products to be that bold. I also spray a bit of Fix + on my Beauty Blender. Admittedly I really do not like the Beauty Blender as an applicator so this isn't something I do very often but for those of you who are a fan of the Beauty Blender, this is a way of using Fix +. I'm not sure scented Fix + really makes a difference to either of these uses but why not be that little bit extra?
Fix + is versatile if you know what it can be used for. If you know a make up artist this might possibly be a good gift but as I only do my make up, I have no idea. I had seen this online and I really wanted it and I didn't expect to see it in store so I was thrilled to see it in one of my local stores and to get 10% off. This is a good gift for any beauty lover who has absolutely everything! MAC are running low on their Christmas gifts now but I think they are a brand to pay attention to over the festive season.
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