MAC Marilyn Monroe: Pure Zen & The Perfect Cheek
When I came across this collection, I swatched Pure Zen and The Perfect Cheek like thousand times. I have had dry lips for a decade and now they are normal-dry, this means, I can try more lipstick formulas. The packaging is adorable with that imprint of Marilyn Monroe.
Pure Zen (cremesheen) is described as a frosted warm nude, I would describe it as a peachy beige nude. It has some soft shimmer. The texture is quite creamy indeed. The staying power is very good, after two hours, I still had a soft peachy beige stain on my lips. I have to moisturize very well before I use any MAC lipstick, otherwise it will dry out my lips. I have to say, MAC has some very interesting and wearable nudes (I definitely have to rebuy Shy Girl, a lipstick I purged due to my lip condition). Pure Zen looks amazing on, I fell in love with this colour, it’s perfect for every day. I also feel like it brightens my complexion a bit.
The Perfect Cheek (matte) is described as a neutral pink beige, I would add, that it also has some mauve undertone. The texture is not powdery, not the smoothest out there either and feels very solid in touch. It is medium pigmented I would say. I don’t have any problems with staying power, it lasts all day (but all MAC blushes I’ve tried stay on all day on me). This colour is my perfect pink nude so far. The colour is either more beige or more mauve-pink, depends on how the lighting is.
ok. seriously this could be my first real MAC purchase. (i am practically a MAC virgin. can you believe that? ;p) i really like the color of the blush!
Hi Lena 🙂 Those two products kinda stand out to me, they seem not to be the most unique in the world but the blush is very beautiful. If you are darker than NC15 you should definetly swatch it first, it appears more beige the darker the skintone. Tbh, I don’t have many MAC products, I mean, I have three 😀 Those two in this post and face and body white, haha.
Hi Claire, MAC Pure Zen is my current favorite MAC lippie. It’s gorgeous! I’m tempted to buy it in the MArilyn packaging, though I don’t really need another one. The perfect cheek looks beautiful and complimentary too!
Thank you Dovey, your swatches made me look into this collection actually, I really like the MM packaging 🙂
Pure Zen is gorgeous! I will definitely be on the look out for that! The perfect cheek is so pretty too, I guess I’ll just have to get BOTH lol.
Hi Stacey 🙂 Pure Zen is a gorgeous nude and I find it wearable. The perfect cheek is indeed a perfect pink beige nude on me 😀
Ahh didn’t you pick up nice pieces! The perfect cheek didn’t really show up on me when I swatched it, though I do think it looks fantastic on lighter gals 🙂
Hi Sunny 🙂 That’s what I thought about The perfect cheek when I swatched it, it always surprises me how different a colour can look on different skintones. I definetly need more nudes but I always get tempted by reds in first place! *sigh*
Ahhhh I’m SO jealous that you got The Perfect Cheek! I (of course) waited too long to pounce and now it’s sold out :*( i always do that with MAC collections–partly because I am always annoyed that they make such limited quantities of their most popular LE products and I hate feeling rushed into buying something
Hi Becca 🙂 That’s what I don’t like about MAC, all their LE, that hunting down, etc. One of the reasons I don’t like to buy from them. I really liked the ember glow gloss, now it is impossible to get it, it was sold out within minutes. annoying. I don’t like to feel rushed either. I totally understand what you mean!
I won’t be braving the MAC counter, but your swatches have inspired me to try a new cheek/lip combo. Thanks :*
Hi Kate. I never actually tried this combo for fall before, it was very interesting actually. I did a heavier eye makeup and really liked it.
The Perfect Cheek is gorgeous, Claire. I wish that I had made an effort to get that!
Hi Lola, The Perfect Cheek is my first MAC blush I got and really like. It truly is beautiful.
Claire it is so gorgeous!! I also think that Pur Zen looks like the perfect nude lipstick!! Very very pretty! xo
I totally missed out on The Perfect Cheek by waiting too long. I swatched it in-store and it is a really lovely color that would work well with so many different looks! I’m so glad that Pure Zen is a permanent color, but it’s nice to have the Marilyn packaging 🙂
I normally don’t look at MAC collections, but the combo Pure Zen and The Perfect Cheek really appealed to me. It’s nice that pure zen is not LE, that means I can get it when mine is empty D: (if ever). I really like that MM packaging.