New York-based makeup brand MAC has tapped American couple Isabel and Ruben Toledo to produce a new collection of lipsticks, blushers, eye shadows, mascara, eyeliner and nail polish dubbed MAC Toledo.

The limited-edition collection had its local launch recently at SM Aura.

Isabel, a fashion designer, gained global attention after doing US First Lady Michelle Obama’s inaugural dress in 2008. Ruben is an artist and sought-after illustrator of fashion books.

The couple began collaborating last year with MAC to produce the collection—from new and catchy shades such as Opera, Tenor Voice, Barbecue, Vixen and Venus Red, down to the makeup’s whimsical white and black packaging.

“Like the regular MAC line, MAC Toledo’s colors are very wearable,” said MAC resident makeup artist Raf Mañosca. “The lipsticks, for instance, come in five shades of red and one nude color.”

MAC’s colors also suit most Filipino women’s skin tone. This universal quality is also present in MAC Toledo.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why MAC has become so popular all over the world,” he said. “The brand suits almost everyone. Our shades are not limited to a specific group of people. We cater to all races, sexes and ages.”

Three shades

MAC Toledo blushers such as Azalea Blossom, Bright Peach and Kindergarten Red each come in three gradating shades, which users can combine or limit to one or two depending on their mood and the occasion.

“With a sweeping stroke of the brush, they could mix everything together,” said Mañosca. “If they want a brighter hue, they could limit it to one area of the blusher and use the lighter shade as highlighter.”

The same applies to the collection’s range of eye shadows. Each eye shadow palette offers six shades.

“Everything in the palette has been preselected to suit day and night looks,” said Mañosca. “It all depends on how you mix and match shades. You can even mix regular MAC items with certain items from the MAC Toledo collection.”

Mañosca, who works at MAC’s store at Power Plant Mall, also vouched for the products’ “longevity and opacity.” Despite the summer heat, MAC makeup holds up longer than most brands without losing its fresh and vibrant qualities.