Admit it: the best thing about the holiday season is all the next-level makeup collections. And in the Year of Our Lord Beyonce 2016, nobody β nobody! β has done a holiday collection quite like MAC Cosmetics.
Nutcracker Sweet, which goes on sale in late October, is MAC's biggest and best launches ever. Where most brands give us two or three sad eye shadow palettes for the holidays, MAC is blessing us with 45 separate products and kits.
That's right; this is a holiday monster. Let's take a look at literally EVERYTHING in MAC's upcoming Nutcracker Sweet Holiday collection.
We begin with the campaign's main images, which are STUNNING.
The Nutcracker ballet is a holiday staple for many β and it stands to reason that MAC's take on the iconic tale is a little sweet (think lots of pinks and plums) and a little subversive (latex, unexpected finishes).
I haven't confirmed this yet, but per this Instagram post, that ASTOUNDING neon pink mascara looks like it might be MAC's In Extreme Dimension Color Lash Mascara β which, per the brand, is coming this winter.
How good is this glossy purple eyelid lewk?
Love the plum eye makeup paired with the pinky-pastel lips. Color clashing done RIGHT.
But let's jump STRAIGHT into the products. The Nutcracker Sweet collection contains THREE awesome eye shadow palettes.
Each contains nine shadow shades in a hard case, with a full-sized mirror and dual-ended brush β the MAC 213 and 214, which are my FAVORITES β and each retails for $39.50. This is the Cool Eye Palette, containing shades of smoky plum.
This is the Warm Eye Compact.
Neutrals, greens, and golds, OH MY!
And this is the Smoky Palette.
Swooning over these sugary pinks right now.
If you're more of an eye shadow singles person, guess what: six brand new shades of Magic Dust Eye Shadow to fall in love with!
The shades are, from L-R: Dance Flowers Dance, Forward March, Pretty Dainty, Rabblerouser, Dark Lullaby, and Mustache. All look to be heavily pigmented and sparkly, which are my two favorite words ever to use in a sentence. $23 each.
And how do you feel about pink pigments?!
These are Rose (baby pink glitter) and Process Magenta, a MAC classic product making its triumphant return. $22 each.
As for eyeliner, Nutcracker Sweet contains four new shades of MAC's superb Eye Kohl.
The shades are (top to bottom, not including the pencil with the cap on): Powersurge (old gold), Prunella (purple), and Feline (black). $17 each.
Prepare yourself for five new, extra-bold lipsticks in a range of finishes.
From L-R: Kingdom of Sweets (cremesheen), Flamboyish (matte), Saucy Little Darling (amplified creme), So Good for You (matte), and β my favorite β Leap of Delight (matte). $19 each.
These beauts are Magic Dust Powder, and are embossed with stars!
The two colors are Yum Yum Yum (soft pink with gold pearl) and Sweet Vision (peach with gold pearl). $28 each.
These are the Face Compacts, and they are my everything.
There are two color options, both in the Nutcracker-inspired packaging: Copper (left) and Peach (right). Each contains a full-sized Extra Dimension Skinfinish highlighter (the pan at the top) and a co-ordinating matte blush (the pan at the bottom). $35 each.
Are you tired yet? Get it together, because we're only at the halfway point.
Seriously, MAC is not playing with this holiday drop.
It wouldn't be the Holidays without brush kits, and Nutcracker Sweet has FOUR.
This is the Essential Brush Kit, with three mini-brushes perfect for eyelids, brows, and cheeks. It's $35.
This is the Basic Brush Kit, which has everything you need for a flawless lewk.
This kit has five brushes for powder, foundation, liner, eye shadow, and lips β plus a cute zippered pouch. Amazing. $52.50.
Here's the Contour Brush Kit, an online and MAC stores exclusive.
Here we have two mini angled brushes for powder and foundation, plus a spoolie for lashes and brows, a flat blending brush, and a tapered blending brush. You can only buy this online and at special MAC stores β not at counters. $52.50
And this is the Mineralize Brush Kit.
These four brushes have MAC's Duo-Fibre bristles, so your blending game will be impeccable. Four brushes for blush, stippling foundation, blending shadow, and REALLY packing it on the lids. $52.50
There are two Nutcracker Sweet Mineralize Kits, containing everything you need for a holiday glow.
The kits come in two colors: Nude (top) and Sweet Pink (bottom). Each contains a Mineralize lipstick, a Mineralize Lipglass (shown with cap on and off), and a Mineralize Skinfinish highlighting powder. $66 each.
Then there are three Retro Matte Kits, if you aren't into the glossy lips.
Yes, I said three but I only have two pictures β I'm sorry, the third one didn't arrive in the MASSIVE PRESS RELEASE I got about this collection. Anyway. The three kits are Plum (top), Red (bottom), and Pink (invisible). Each contain an Upward Lash Mascara in black, as well as a Retro Matte lipstick, and a Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolor. $45 each, which is a damn steal.
Introducing the two holiday eye kits, which MAC is calling their "Eye Bags."
Hmm, weird name there. Anyway. Two color choices: Plum (top) and Smoky (bottom), each containing an Extra Dimension Eye Shadow, a Pro Longwear Paint Pot, a Technakohl Liner, and a tube of black False Lashes mascara. $42.50 each.
Do you like mini things? FEAST YR EYEBALLS ON THE FOLLOWING:
These are the Nutcracker Sweet Nude (L) and Red (R) Kits, each containing four super-teeny shades of MAC's patent leather Cremesheen and Dazzleglass glosses. $35 each.
There are also two Pigments and Glitter mini-kits.
Again: two color options (Bronze and Gold, L and R respectively), each containing two pigments and two glitters. YASSSSS. $35 each.
If you move fast, you can grab the Red and Nude Lipstick Kits, each containing four gorgeous lipsticks!
The Nutcracker Sweet Red Lipstick Kit (L) contains Lady Danger, MAC Red, Diva, and Rebel. The Nude Lipstick Kit (L) features Whirl, Kinda Sexy, Nouvelle Vogue, and Creme Cup. $35 each.
Tired yet? Don't be, because here are two Patentpolish Kits to wake you up.
Second verse, same as the first: the Patent Lip Polish kits come in two colours (Pink and Nude), and contain four gorgeous Patentpolish lip colors in said colorways. $35 each.
The final two Nutcracker Sweet sets are Viva Glam themed, so consider these gifts that give back.
On the left, we have the Viva Glamorous Kit, containing Ariana Grande's Viva Glam lipstick and Lipglass in an embroidered pouch. It's $32. On the right in the teeny compact, we have the Viva Glam Lip Compact, which has three shades of Viva Glam lipstick (I, II, and IV, if you're interested). It will retail for $30. Read more about Viva Glam, and the MAC AIDS Fund, right here.
So if THIS isn't the biggest Holiday collection you've ever seen, I don't know what to do with you.
Which of these products and kits are you most excited about? I'm pretty excited about the Mineralize kits myself. Anyway! Tell me which Nutcracker Sweets you'll be splurging on this season in the comments, or over on Facebook!
