Quick swatches + prices: The MAC It’s A Strike Collection
Is it still called nostalgia even if you didn’t live through a certain period in time but have a romanticized notion of it? That’s how it felt when I caught sight of MAC It’s A Strike collection. It was a scene straight out of the 50s: rock ‘n’ roll music, guys and gals dancing in varsity outfits, milkshakes on the menu, and of course, bowling! Being the Grease fan that I am (it’s a wildly popular high school musical before there was Disney’s High School Musical - am I giving away my age?), the collection instantly gave me the old-timey feels but with the bold, modern twist that MAC is known for.
The retro bowling theme is such a great fit for the collection, considering what a vibrant time it must have been for the youth of the 50s and 60s. Those two decades were arguably the peak of the game’s popularity, so it was the height of fashion to join bowling leagues and don varsity jackets, even off the alley. Now imagine MAC swooping in and taking the most spirited aspects of that period, and you’ve got yourself a fun, somewhat rebelliously curated combination of limited editions and re-promotes.
From left: Perfect Score, Flat Out Fabulous, All Fired Up, Babes and Balls, Liquid Lurex, Honeylove, Bowl Me Over
Four of the lipstick shades (P1,050 each) are special edition while the other three are re-promotes from the permanent lineup: Liquid Lurex is pure gold-pink sparkle on a sheer base with a dazzle finish; Perfect Score is a deep, matte red; Babes and Balls is a matte, plum-touched burgundy; Bowl Me Over, of the retro matte variety, is a reddish deep burnt brown, kind of like a brownish marsala.
The Cremesheen Glass glosses (P1,350 each) are all limited edition and come in five shades: It’s a Strike is a highly-wearable nude pink; Throw a Spare is a popping fuchsia with pink with shimmer; Perfect Frame is a deep berry-purple; King Pin is that trendy chocolate brown with a hint of mauve; Right Up My Alley is a cool-toned red.
From left: Eyeshadows in Gutter Gal, 300 Game, Join My League, Bowl Out, and Bowlarama; Cremesheen Glass in Throw a Spare, Right Up My Alley, It’s a Strike, Perfect Frame
For cheeks, Casual Colors (P1,650 each) are lip and cheek creams with the choice between the subdued nude of Have a Lovely Day! (re-promote) and the bold reddish lilac of Blind Score. To highlight the look, there’s the Pearlmatte Face Powder in Trophy (P1,800), a lovely combination of white, pink, and green shimmer. Swirled together, the effect is a fine, pinkish-white shimmer for a pretty highlight!
Clockwise from top left: Casual Color in Have a Lovely Day! and Perfect Score; Eyeshadows in Bowl Out, 300 Game, and Bowlarama.
The eyeshadows (P1,050 each) come in six colors, with the matte black Carbon as part of the permanent line. Gutter Gal is a matte off-white gray; Bowl Out is a matte midtone gray; Join My League is a matte dark espresso; 300 Game is a matte blackened cherry that allows for a sultry look without going full-on black. Bowlarama is a bright lime green with a satin finish that looks intimidating at first but actually functions well as an accent or pop of color. For definition, there are the Fluidline Pens (P1,230 each) that are also part of the permanent lineup: Vintage Brown, Retro Black, and Indelibly Blue.
On me: Eyeshadows in 300 Game and Bowlarama; Lipstick in Babes and Balls
The collection also includes three new polish shades to jazz up your tips for showing off after you score a strike. The Nail Studio Lacquer (P800) comes in Babysplit (a pale lime green), Rack ‘em Up (a deep khaki), and 5 Pin (a deep wine).
From left: Babysplit, Rack ‘em Up, and 5 Pin
The vintage-lover in me finds this retro collection fun and the colors quite exciting! Never thought I'd sport lime green eyeshadow but it's actually a nice eye-brightening alternative to my usual champagne shimmer.
What do you think of re-promotes in collections? Do any of these strike your eye?
