Archives for May 2009

What makes the MAC High-Light Powders so special?

If you’re looking for a flexible powder that can be worn on a wide range of skin tones, the new MAC High-Light Powders ($25) got yo back.

According to MAC Senior Artist Fatima Thomas, “Every skin tone, from your fairest porcelain girl to your ebony girl, can use one of these powders if not both.”

Embossed with a raised honey comb pattern (soo pretty!), these limited edition pressed powders will add a dreamy touch of pearly glow to your skin.

Both new shades — Honey Light (a light peachy gold with shimmer) and Golden Nectar (a muted, golden tan with shimmer) — go on sale next month as part of MAC’s Naked Honey collection (don’t miss Christine’s breakdown of the collection over at Temptalia.com).

At first I thought both of the powders were just straight up highlighters, but it turns out they’re more than meets the eye!

Fatima has some suggestions on ways to put them to use…

Fair-skinned beauties: Wear MAC High-Light Powder as a bronzer

A lot of bronzers have orange undertones that can look muddy on super pale skin.

“If you’ve ever seen somebody that’s really fair using an orangey bronzer,” says Fatima, “you know what a hot mess that can turn out to be.”

Fatima thinks pale beauties should try using the MAC Naked Honey High-Light Powders as bronzers to add dimension to their skin and to sculpt the face.

Unlike other bronzers, both the Honey Light and Golden Nectar colors have olive undertones, which look natural on even the lightest shades of skin.

Brush recommendation: MAC 168
When applying the MAC Naked Honey High-Light Powders as a bronzer, Fatima likes the MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush ($32). With soft bristles and a slightly angled brush head, it effortlessly hugs the contours of the cheeks.

Application tips
Dust the High-Light Powder along the hair line, back behind the ears and then along the lower jaw line. To finish, sculpt the cheek bones by first placing the brush next to the ear and then sweeping it along the curve beneath the apple of the cheek.

Medium-to-dark-skinned cuties: Wear MAC High-Light Powder as a highlighter

For girls with darker skin tones, Fatima likes using MAC High-Light Powder as a highlighter to brighten the skin, enhance bone structure and to create a sculpted look.

Brush recommendation: MAC 224 or 225
She recommends either the MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush ($28) or the MAC 225 Tapered Blending Brush ($36). Both have soft fibers and fluffy brush heads, making them great for the precise application of sheer layers of color.

Application tips
Try applying High-Light Powder on the skin where light would naturally bounce/reflect off the face.

• Lips: Pat a bit of High-Light Powder atop the divot in the upper lip for a sexy, pouty look.
• Nose: Apply High-Light Powder to the bridge of the nose, and avoid applying highlighters of any kind to the ball or the tip of the nose. That’s a sure fire way to make a nose look greasy.
• Eyes: A layer of High-Light Powder applied to the browbone, and then applied between the eyes and inside the inner corners of the eyes brightens and opens ’em up.
• Cheeks: Sweep High-Light Powder on top of the cheek bones for a sculpted and look and to lift the cheeks.

One last note on brushes: When it comes to applying the High-Light Powders, less is more.

“Most people I find are heavy handed when they’re doing their own makeup,” says Fatima. “They tend to pick up way too much product, and then they over-apply and don’t blend.”

Fatima suggests applying these powders with very soft, fluffy brush heads like the MAC 168, 224 and 225, which deposit very little color, helping you avoid the over-application trap.

“You have to work really hard to overload these brushes. They allow you to get a softer, blended effect with less effort.”

The more I hear about MAC Naked Honey, the more I can’t wait for June 11! What do you think so far?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen