Salt New York x Samantha Ravndahl | If you were hoping to be de-influenced, now’s your chance to look away.
Wow. Every once in a while, a truly special product blesses our vanities, and this is that. The collaboration (which did definitely give whiplash – iykyk) brings us Kindred Spirit and Cold Soul in light, medium, and deep depths. Kindred Spirit is the reimagination of Mac’s original Warm Soul and is said to have a soft pink & golden glow for a dimensional peach. Cold Soul is the cool-toned counterpart, said to have a berry undertone with fine rose shimmer. Both of these descriptions are quite accurate (though I’d expect nothing less from fellow nuance lovers!).
Those who know me know I say only what I mean – every single shade is stunning, and I have zero regrets about picking up all of them. Upon opening, I got that ever-elusive giddiness that only a true makeup lover understands – when your passion and a product within that sphere collide in such a way that it actually energizes you.
As someone who never owned the original Mac Warm Soul, Kindred Spirit is really lovely, but Cold Soul has gripped my heart. The light and deep shades especially are genuinely unlike anything I own – Light having this cool, muted tone with a nearly lilac undertone in some lights, and Deep reading almost as a “plummed garnet” to my eye.
The base colors + reflects are unique in themselves but together are phenomenal. Only those who sincerely love color would have cared to develop something so dialed in that the only way to do them justice is to see them in person (though I’ve of course tried). I know I will be getting so much use out of these throughout all seasons on both cheeks and lips. No chance are these getting very far from my vanity whatsoever!
The formula is said to be a new one to the Salt lineup, and it has about the same density as their other creams but feels ever so slightly drier, which may make them more suitable across more skin types.
If you’re unfamiliar with Salt New York’s approach and packaging, I’ve included kind of an “unboxing sequence” to give you an idea. Salt NY is an indie brand that genuinely cares about the impact they leave on the planet, creating a packaging solution that means we get fantastic products delivered safely in post consumer recycled paper envelopes (that is also recyclable).
Each magnetic pan comes in one of the aforementioned envelopes. The perforated edge along the back makes it pretty simple to break the seal and pop out the pan. Once opened, the white insert on top just needs a slight wiggle to release it from the cream itself, sometimes taking with it a very small amount of product from its time in transit but never anything significant. After that, just pop them into a magnetic palette!
For this release, the trios come with an Auric magnetic palette (from the Mirage Shift Crème Cheek Palette) but without the inner shell that provided a barrier between the Auric pans. They do still have the holes in the back that allowed for replacement of pans in that system, but I don’t find it bothersome at all – largely because they will be filled with product – and also because I will always appreciate upcycling. The Auric palettes are very well-constructed, having a weight and sturdiness to them along with the beautiful front design.
A full trio can fit in the Auric palettes. While you won’t be able to fit another Salt NY pan, you can certainly include any other products that will and that have a magnetic backing for a custom arrangement. To keep mine together, I personally have moved them into a large palette from Salt purchased years ago, which I understand are being redesigned at the moment so hopefully a comeback soon!
The top two and bottom left photos show the Auric palette and how the pans can be configured within it, while the bottom right shows all pans together in my large Salt NY palette.
While the closure of Auric devastated many of us (myself included), Sam made it clear that her point of view is here to stay, and I couldn’t be more grateful that Kiki brought it to life. Of course I’m biased having supported Salt + Sam for many years but always having been thrilled to do so. So many congratulations to you both!
What I can say is that if there are ever plans to discontinue these… we’re going to need A LOT of notice.
If you picked up this collection, please let me know what you think of the shades! And if you haven’t, a restock is in the works… plan accordingly.
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