Archives for July 2011

The rundown on MAC’s Fall 2011 MAC Me Over collection, available on counters and at MAC stores August 25. Collection details, official product pics, winner bio’s and a Q&A with MAC Creative Director James Gager.

Last fall, MAC held a contest in which gals and guys submitted pictures and videos of themselves using the phrase, “MAC me over because…” and completing it with “style, heart and soul.” MAC recently announced the winners, who look totally incredible in their bio pictures, don’t they? Now, they go on to become the face of and inspiration for the upcoming collection.

This is gonna be so cool! 🙂

Icelandic Cool collection details

EYE SHADOW X 4 Lady Grey, $38.00 U.S./$45.50 CDN
All Races — Cool light taupe mauve (Matte)
Tendersmoke — Muted silver lilac (Frost)
Lady Grey — Light frosted green-grey (Satin)
Hazy Day — Mid-tone grey (VXP)

SHADESTICK, $17.50 U.S./$21.00 CDN
Butternutty — Frosted light neutral beige
Cakeshop — Frosted pewter
Tundra — Icy Silver
Heirloom — Light icy pink
Street Cool — Mid-tone grey violet taupe

LIPGLASS, $14.50 U.S./$17.50 CDN
The Wee Coquette — Naked neutral pink
Good Times — Pale mauve
Spite — Muted plum-taupe brown

NAIL LACQUER $15.00 U.S./$18.00 CDN
Quiet Time — Beige nude (Creme)
Fatigues — Army green (Creme)

214 SHORT SHADER BRUSH, $24.50 U.S./$29.50 CDN
226 SMALL TAPERED BLENDING BRUSH, $24.50 U.S./$29.50 CDN

New Black collection details

Eye SHADOW X 4 — Evil Eye, $38.00 U.S./$45.50 CDN
Evil Eye — Deep yellow grey (Matte)
Palace Pedigreed — Deep berry with dark soft pink pearl (Satin)
Spellcaster — Blackened violet (Matte)
Moody — Blackened green (VXP)

FLUIDLINE, $15.00 U.S./$18.00 CDN
Dark Diversion — Darkened Plum
Avenue — Charcoal black with gold pearl
Midnight Blues –Blackened blue
Dark Envy — Blackened Green

LIPSTICK, $14.50 U.S./$17.50 CDN
Rebel — Vivid pinkish-purple (Satin)
Prince Noir — Deep blue-purple (Matte)
Smoked Purple — Deep eggplant purple (Matte)
Runaway Red — Rich red-blue (Satin)

NAIL LACQUER, $15.00 U.S./$18.00 CDN
Purple Majesty — Deep purple (Creme)
Deep Sea — Deep teal (Creme)

211 POINTED LINER BRUSH, $18.00 U.S./$21.50 CDN

MAC Basics collection details

M·A·C BASICS EYE SHADOW, $15.00 U.S./$18.00 CDN
Creamy Bisque — Dirty ivory with pearl (Frost)
Moleskin — Nude brown (Matte)
Outré — Dirty mustard (Matte)
Satin Taupe — Taupe with silver shimmer (Frost)
Mythical — Frosty coppery red (VXP)
Carbonized — Frosty dark brown (VXP)

EYE KOHL, $15.00 U.S./$18.00 CDN
Teddy — Intense bronze
Smolder — Intense black

LIPSTICK, $14.50 U.S./$17.50 CDN
Secret Lover — Pale pink with yellow frost (Lustre)
Peachstock — Neutral peach (Satin)
Offshoot — Mid-tone neutral pink (Cremesheen)
Oh, Oh, Oh — Plum bronze with pearl (Lustre)

LIPGLASS, $14.50 U.S./$17.50 CDN
Illicit — Creamy neutral pink
Social Light — Neutral pink with pearl
Curvaceous — Light grey pink
Plum Fun — Neutral plum purple with pearl

LIP PENCIL, $14.00 U.S./$17.00 CDN
Spice — Pink cinnamon stick
Chestnut — Intense brown

CREAM COLOUR BASE, $17.00 U.S./$20.50 CDN
Take Root — Rich red brown (Frost)
Seaside — Soft peach rose (Frost)

POWDER BLUSH, $19.50 U.S./$23.50 CDN
Equilibrium — Light bronze (Satin)
Stunner — Light coral pink (Satin)

STUDIO FIX FLUID in NW20, $26.50 U.S./$32.00 CDN
STUDIO FIX POWDER in NC35, $26.50 U.S./$32.00 CDN
STUDIO FINISH CONCEALER in NW25, $17.00 U.S./$21.00 CDN
116 BLUSH BRUSH, $34.00 U.S./$41.00 CDN

Icelandic Cool product pictures

EYE SHADOW X 4 Lady Grey

Butternutty

Cakeshop

Tundra

Heirloom

Street Cool

The Wee Coquette

Good Times

Spite

Quiet Time

Fatigues

214 SHORT SHADER BRUSH

226 SMALL TAPERED BLENDING BRUSH

New Black product pictures

Eye SHADOW X 4 — Evil Eye

Dark Diversion

Avenue

Midnight Blues

Dark Envy

Rebel

Prince Noir

Smoked Purple

Runaway Red

Purple Majesty

Deep Sea

211 POINTED LINER BRUSH

MAC Basics product pictures

Creamy Bisque

Moleskin

Outré

Satin Taupe

Mythical

Carbonized

Teddy

Smolder

Secret Lover

Peachstock

Offshoot

Oh, Oh, Oh

Take Root

Seaside

Equilibrium

Stunner

Illicit

Social Light

Curvaceous

Plum Fun

Spice

Chestnut

Studio Fix Fluid in NW20

Studio Fix Powder in NC35

Studio Finish Concealer in NW25

116 Blush Brush

190 Foundation Brush

MAC Me Over bios

A Star is Born — Shirely Daley

Cleveland native Shirley Daley has a truly inspirational story. The 29-year-old grew up in foster care and was abused at the age of four. “But I’m a survivor!”, she insists. When she was six, her new foster mother saw that she had talent, and encouraged her to sing in church. Later she enrolled in the Cleveland School of the Arts, which she attended from elementary until graduation. As a classically trained vocalist, she was accepted into Morgan State University, where she toured the world with the school’s choir. “My number one favorite place is Paris, it just oozed glamour!” Later she joined Group Therapy, a gospel-influenced troupe that performed as background singers and for various BET programs in San Diego, California. She now lives in Newport News, Virginia and is married to a Naval Petty Officer 1st Class and meteorologist, but still works with Group Therapy, who just recorded an album to be released later this year.
A self-described “M·A·C fanatic,” the makeup junkie almost missed the opportunity to enter the makeover contest. “My friend forwarded me the email assuming I’d already applied, but I actually had no idea that the contest was going on.” Shirley made sure she wrote in, and before she knew it, found herself flying to New York for the photo shoot. “I’m a girly-girl, I love to dress up, I love the drama of it and trying all kinds of different glam looks. Obviously, makeup fits right in, and when it comes to M·A·C, it doesn’t get any more dramatic than that!” Currently, she’s pursuing a degree in the music business so she will be better equipped to manage her own career.

Hidden Talent
“Something many people don’t know about me is that I have a secret passion for acting.”

Favorite Song
“Always” by Stevie Wonder

Fave M·A·C Product
“Without question, Studio Fix. That compact is like a badge of honour. Once you find your number and get your first compact, you officially become a M·A·C Diva… I’m NW45.”

Style Icon
Vintage Diana Ross. “I love her look with bold lashes with eyeliner, no shadow, a little blush and a lip colour. It’s classic, simple and dramatic at the same time.”

Who Would Play You in a Movie?
Jennifer Hudson. “But who knows, I may do it!”

Top Makeup Tip (you learned from M·A·C Me Over!)
“To make your eye shadow pop with shine, dab a tiny bit of clear Lipglass on it. This adds drama!”

Favorite Magazine
Essence

Winning Entry
“I am going to change the world, one smile at a time.”

The Glamourous Gunslinger — Nicole DiCrescenza

Nicole DiCrescenza, 20, is one tough chick. The sometimes model and straight-A Communications and Journalism major at Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania has an unlikely hobby for such a makeup-loving glamazon: One day she tagged along with her boyfriend to a shooting range and discovered that she was a perfect shot. “I love shooting guns! I collect shotguns and rifles, among other firearms,” she confesses. If that doesn’t make her enough of a badass, she also drives a huge baby blue ‘81 Oldsmobile Regency that she named Belladonna. “My dad likes that I am protected by this majorly heavy steel,” she explains. She claims that winning a spot in M·A·C Me Over! means she can die happy. “I’m not kidding,” she says. “My absolute goal in life was to model for M·A·C. It is literally a dream come true.” After her makeover experience, which she deemed “transformative,” now she’s focused on her ideal job, which is to work in public relations for the company someday.

Nickname
Bling Bling

Hidden Talent
Makeup artistry

Fave M·A·C Product
M·A·C Studio Sculpt Concealer and Skinfinish Natural Pressed Powder

Style Icon
Kim Kardashian

Favorite Designers
Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo

Who Would Play You in a Movie?
Cher

Top Makeup Tip (you learned from M·A·C Me Over)
“Curl your lashes with mini-spoon.”

Favorite Magazine
Vogue

Web Obsession
MACCOSMETICS.com

Winning Entry
“I want to spread the versatile, unique and artistic philosophy that M·A·C Cosmetics illustrates! M·A·C products allow me to imaginatively morph my original look into a multitude of unique appearances. My features offer a universal quality that can be manipulated for the future world of M·A·C designs.”

As Smart as He Looks — Ian Marc Saisselin

The closest Connecticut resident Ian Marc Saisselin, 20, ever came to wearing makeup would be as a toddler, when he gained some experience with the world of NYC editorial and commercial photo shoots via the occasional jobs he picked up as a child model with Ford. That all changed when he became a new face for M·A·C Me Over after his mother and sister, both M·A·C enthusiasts, encouraged him to enter. Subsequently, he has developed a new appreciation for the art form: “I never realized how much the face is like a canvas,” he admits. “It was really interesting to see how the colours and textures come together to create a certain look.” Recent high school graduate and self-described “computer geek,” the new college student is more comfortable with computer games and building robots than lipsticks and mascaras. Still, that didn’t stop him from wearing his makeover, what he calls a “sort of dark, vampiric David Bowie kind of look” out on the streets of New York on the afternoon following the shoot. “People were definitely starting at me, though it was unclear whether they thought I was a rock star or just a freak,” he says. Another lesson he learned about a full face of camera- ready makeup? “It’s hard to get that stuff off. I must have used at least 20 remover wipes!”

Hidden Talent
Web designer

Favorite Book
Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman

Ideal Meal
Chicken parmesan with spaghetti

Fave M·A·C Product
Facial cleanser

Style Icon
Albert Einstein

Astrological Sign
Cancer

Favourite Magazine
Popular Science

Web Obsession
BBC.com, Engadget

Winning Entry
“With my American/French genes I feel I represent a worldly look. I am a college student majoring in English with a Philosophy minor. I am a dedicated volunteer, humanitarian and lover of animals. I am a strong yet sensitive type, which I think truly shows in my eyes. I would love to be M·A·C’s new face.”

California Girl — Rachel Martinez

Rachel Martinez is your typical West Coast gal. The 27-year-old L.A. born-and-bred beauty loves hanging at the beach, and cites the “great weather and laid-back attitude” among her favourite aspects of living in Southern California. Perhaps it was the restrictions of her all-girls, Catholic school upbringing that propelled her toward the world of makeup artistry. “In high school my makeup was pretty modest,” she admits. “Only after I graduated did I start getting into it.” The pastry chef also acknowledges that her interest in baking coincides with beauty as well. “It’s a similar passion,” she explains. “With makeup, there are so many different colours and looks and if you add or take away a product you can create something different. Same with cooking, where you take one ingredient and you could make a whole new dish.” Flying to New York for M·A·C Me Over! made her recall her all-time favourite movie makeover, when tomboy cop Sandra Bullock becomes an overnight beauty queen in the movie, Miss Congeniality. “They gave me this bold red lip look and now I have been rocking one ever since.”

Hidden Talent
Cooking and baking

Favorite Book
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Ideal Meal
Sushi. “But I love all kinds of food!”

Fave M·A·C Product
Lipglass

Astrological Sign
Taurus

Favourite Designer
Stella McCartney

Who Would Play You in a Movie?
Ellen Page

Top Makeup Tip (you learned from M·A·C me Over!)
Apply lipstick with a lip brush.

Favourite Magazine
Cosmopolitan

Web Obsession
Food Network.com

Winning Entry
“I think I have a great personality, and I’m easy to get along with. I love my family and I’m grateful to the people that have stood by my side. I work in a bakery and design the best cupcakes. I have strong values that I inherited from my grandparents.”

Sister Act — Xee Lo

Twenty-seven-year-old Xee Lo might never have discovered her love for makeup artistry had her little sister not dragged her along to a M·A·C counter for a makeup lesson a few years ago. “Ever since then, I started buying lots of M·A·C products and wearing a lot more makeup!”, she laughs. Growing up in Stockton, California, where she worked in restaurants after the school day, didn’t leave a lot of time for extracurricular pursuits. The power of cosmetics was an outlet. “When I wear makeup, it makes me feel a lot more confident. It’s truly an art form, like painting.” Currently going to school in Georgia in order to obtain a nursing degree — “It makes sense, I have four brothers and three sisters, so I have always been taking care of people,” she explains — she entered M·A·C Me Over on a whim. When she was notified that she had won by email, she thought someone was playing a joke on her, and deleted it. “Luckily, they got in touch again,” she says. Though she’s always maintained a fairly natural look, post-M·A·C Me Over! she’s feeling a little more experimental. “I’m definitely playing with colour more these days!”

Hobby
“Shopping! I have over 20 pairs of shoes.”

Favourite Song
“Grenade” by Bruno Mars

Ideal Meal
Chocolate chip waffles, scrambled eggs and a cold glass of fresh OJ.

Fave M·A·C Product
M·A·C Studio Sculpt Foundation

Style Icon
Christian Dior

Favourite Designer
Christian Louboutin

Who Would Play You in a Movie?
Zhang Ziyi. “Because she’s beautiful and talented.”

Top Makeup Tip (you learned from M·A·C Me Over!)
“Defining my eyebrows to frame my face. I usually keep them light and simple but I noticed a dramatic change in appearance after Brigitte finished doing my brows the day of the shoot. Now I use my M·A·C Brow Pencil daily.”

Favourite magazine:
Nylon

Winning Entry
“M·A·C gives me the confidence to feel beautiful in my skin.”

Beauty Before Age — Sharon Marcus

 
Reference librarian and Rockville, Maryland native Sharon Marcus surprised herself when she entered the M·A·C Me Over! contest. Hardly a beauty junkie, she says “I don’t really wear tons of makeup, and I quit dyeing my hair a few years ago. I sent in my photo on a lark.” Still, the 59-year-old isn’t a total novice. Growing up in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, “I was very thin and identified with models like Twiggy. I guess I was inspired to start playing around with makeup then.” She claims that she never thought about aging until she turned 50, when she started to become more conscious of it. “But then I went to my 30th Peary High School reunion and looked around and thought, ‘Hey, we don’t look so bad.’ That’s when I realized that I may be getting older, but I’ve also become more confident.” Besides her weekly belly-dancing class and maintaining a “childlike curiosity about the world” at all times, she swears by the following fountains of youth: “Stay out of the sun, too much alcohol will age you so be moderate, and don’t sleep on your stomach because it smooshes your face into the pillow and can cause wrinkles!”

Hidden Talent
Making custom birthday cards

Favourite Song
“Wild World” by Cat Stevens

Ideal Meal
Greek food

Fave M·A·C Product
Cream Colour Base

Style Icon
Audrey Hepburn

Astrological Sign
Gemini

Favourite Designer
Donna Karan and Calvin Klein

Who Would Play You in a Movie?
Penelope Cruz

Top Makeup Tip (you learned from M·A·C Me Over!)
“It’s very important to prepare the skin before applying foundation.”

Favourite Magazine
A tie between Vanity Fair, Real Simple and Oprah Blog/Website, Love Now Smell This, Makeup Alley and Osmoz

Winning Entry
“I am 58-and-a-half years of age and I am wearing no face makeup…only M·A·C Cyndi Lipstick…and my hair is uncoloured and in its natural just-shampooed state — and I clean up real nice (I’m serious). I want to be an example to show women my age that a woman can look her best without having to be 20.”

Q&A WITH JAMES GAGER, Senior Vice President and Creative Director, M·A·C Cosmetics

How did the idea to do a sweeping search for new M·A·C faces emerge?
Well, part of the idea was the simple fact that everyone loves a good makeover. Just look at all the tv shows and magazines that cover the topic! And of course, when it comes to the idea of transformation, who better to do it than M·A·C? However instead of just making up a pretty face and concentrating on one facet of a makeover, I really wanted whoever won our contest to be involved in a total transformative process, which meant the makeup and the hair, the clothes, the attitude, the experience of being in New York and working with an A-list team of Michael Thompson (photographer), Paul Cavaco (stylist), Brigitte Reiss-Andersen (makeup) and Serge Normant (hair), and how this team and photographer would interpret their look. Who wouldn’t want to win that experience? It’s all about living out a fantasy.

You received thousands of entries. What was the process of combing through them like and how did you make your selections. What was the criteria?
I asked a very trusted member of my team, Executive Director Rory Gevis, who worked as Style Director at W as well as other fashion magazines, to help by doing some pre-selecting for me. After she narrowed the entries down, I evaluated whom we had and found myself more interested in the reasons why they wanted a M·A·C Me Over!, not only their looks. It had to be more personal than that, so we focused on the “I want to be a part of this because…”. It worked out that the M·A·C mantra — All Ages, All Races, All Sexes — was definitely represented in the chosen winners.

M·A·C is famous for working with celebrity spokespeople and collaborating with artistic luminaries. How was working with average American M·A·C lovers different for a change?
People living and working in New York and especially this industry can get a bit jaded, but these people were not taking a second of this experience for granted. Frankly, that’s very refreshing. I think when they all arrived at the photo shoot and walked in the door, they didn’t have a clue of what was going to happen to them! When you arrive and you’re the star being treated like one by all these amazing people, you really have to trust and hand yourself over. Each of them really went for it. It was just great to be among people that were so excited. I think that level of appreciation happens in our stores a lot, when a makeup artist creates a look on a customer and they not only look good, they feel wonderful. It gives them
a confidence boost. So this was a taste of that exchange, which is thrilling!

At the shoot, how did you and the creative team decide who would represent what look?
The best way to describe it would be to say it was like going on a blind date! You didn’t know what you were going to encounter or what to expect. Obviously, we had photos of them beforehand. Paul had some ideas of how he was going to style, and they had some of the makeup looks assigned to them, but on the day of the actual shoot we chatted with them and tried to understand their personas and where they could go, transformation-wise.

What was the goal of the makeovers? How did people feel once they were transformed?
The general feeling was,”I never thought that I could look like this.” They were exposed to a different way of seeing themselves and their full potential. Some people were really amazing on camera too. Xee, for example, was a natural. I was like, “Have you done this before?”