MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC: Nail Lacquers

MAC released a new two-part collection this past Thursday. One part is called Shop MAC, and the other part is called Cook MAC. Shop MAC includes 17 products, and Cook MAC includes 15 products. Cook MAC sees the release of three new and limited edition Nail Lacquers. They come in regular black packaging, with secondary cardboard packaging in bright lime green gingham with the MAC logo in pink. Each Nail Lacquer contains 10 ml of product, and retails for $19.

Al Fredo, Kid Orange, and Salad Dressed

Al Fredo is a light bright chartreuse-tinged yellow in a Cream finish. It seems to read more yellow in some lighting and more chartreuse in other lighting. I didn't find this too thin or thick in terms of consistency, but it does go on streaky. It has low pigmentation and sheer colour pay-off. I needed six coats to get this completely opaque, which I would have expected in a jelly finish nail polish, but not in a cream. It leans slightly more chartreuse than Deborah Lippmann Yellow Brick Road.

Kid Orange is a medium bright orange-red in a Cream finish. It goes on smoothly and evenly, and has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It went nearly opaque in one coat, but two will make it perfect. This one had the best formula of the three. It is similar to Essie Braziliant, more red than Essie Clambake, and more orange than Essie Fifth Avenue.

Salad Dressed is a medium turquoise blue in a Cream finish. I didn't find this too thin or thick in terms of consistency, but it does go on slightly streaky and can be prone to pulling. It goes opaque in two coats, though you may need three due to pulling or streaking. It is darker than China Glaze For Audrey, less green than Essie Turquoise & Caicos, and darker and more blue than Sephora by OPI Read My Palm.

For the record, I absolutely love these colours. Kid Orange isn't the most unique colour, but it has a fantastic formula, reminiscent of the better shades from Butter London or China Glaze. Salad Dressed is a lovely colour with less dupes than Kid Orange, and the formula overall isn't too hard to work with — certainly not the best, but not terrible. Al Fredo is the most unique shade of the three, but the formula is absolutely horrendous. I don't know if they meant to make it sheer on purpose, but it doesn't give that nice sheer jelly finish like Deborah Lippmann's Yellow Brick Yellow — it just makes your nails look diseased with a fungus. It will only look good if it's opaque, and if you're using this polish on its own, you will need at least five coats. If you love the colour, I would definitely suggest using a white nail polish underneath it first. In the end, I think they're super-fun colours for Spring and go well with the theme and colours of this collection. I just wish MAC would make their nail polishes with more consistency!