#mac powersurge

Honestly, why did they take so long? 

MAC Cosmetics finally opened in Rustan's Alabang Town Center today. Instead of the current Archie Collection, they Nicki Minaj Viva Glam  splashed on their wall. The sleek black counter and the fiercely made-up Amazons were such a striking contrast to the rest of the soft and "pretty" makeup brands in Alabang like Chanel, Laura Mercier, and Lancome. While NARS also brings in a similar downtown vibe, MAC dominates with the bigger counter space.  

I apologize for the lousy pictures. We're not really allowed to take pictures inside Rustan's, so this is the result of my guerrilla tactics (where in I imitate my mother trying to read a SMS without her glasses on). 

Anyway, I do suggest that all southern girls pass by. Not only has the local MAC amped up their hygiene practice, but practically all the testers are brand-spankingly new. 

Look how smooth the shadows are!

And how sharp and crisp the tubes... Heaven! 

Go and get a makeover. NOW.

I'm supposed to be on a makeup shopping embargo since my Hong Kong splurge, but this is a special occasion! It's MAC for heaven's sake. Even though it was Cover Girl who first enchanted me with their 90s ads, it was the MAC counter in Glorietta 4 that first gave me that funny feeling in my stomach. My first self-earned splurge was on two eyeshadows: Mystery and Goldmine. Even when Shu Uemura lorded over the local makeup scene during the Gucci Gang era, I was a loyal MAC devotee, obsessing over their Studio Fix foundations and Fluidlines. 

MAC lipsticks also hold a special place in my heart. I remember filching Retro from my mother, reasoning that she looked better with reds anyway. While my Chanel collections is now fast catching up, MAC remains the clear winner. Just last year I found myself scrounging for the Marilyn Monroe collection in 3 different continents. I finally found it in the Dubai airport, where a kind sales associate took pity on me and let me purchase Charmed I'm Sure, Love Goddess, and Deeply Adored. A line promptly followed as one woman after the other caught a site of the lovely red lipsticks.  

So what did I end up buying in MAC Alabang? Well, a tube of lipstick of course! Chatterbox elicited the most number of nods from all the ladies who were playing with the makeup (one elegant lady told me to get it, after showing me her makeup kit that had 3 MAC lipsticks. "I'm obsessed with MAC!" she declared.). Just so it wouldn't feel alone, I also caved and finally bought 2 classic Eye Kohls: Teddy and Powersurge. 

I'm probably going to wear them all tomorrow.