MAC Cosmetics

You know how in boy bands there’s always that one dude whose name you can never remember? He was usually stuck in one of the back corners, probably put there by a choreographer because perhaps his high kicks weren’t quite up to par?

Well, MAC Mulch would not be that guy.

If it were, say, one of the members of New Kids on the Block, Mulch would be Jonathan. Doesn’t hog the limelight, but you’d still tape his picture up in your locker. He’s not quite Jordan (MAC Freshwater) or Joey (MAC Chrome Yellow), yet he’s still an important member of the band.

Shimmery brown Mulch has been one of my go-to neutrals since 2007 (I remember because I wrote about it on the blog). MAC describes it as reddish brown with bronzy pearl, but it reminds me more of a bronzy milk chocolate brown.

I think it really complements warm-toned skin — oh, and this is unrelated, but I’ve seen it look incredible on gals with hazel eyes.

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MAC Sable Eyeshadow ($15) and I go way back. I think it was maybe the fourth or fifth eyeshadow I brought home from the line, and I remember the day we met because of the hot guy in drag who helped me pick it out.

He looked fierce working behind the MAC counter, like straight off a runway, and I asked him what he was wearing on his eyes.

He said it was Sable, a bronzy golden plum with a frosty finish, and he considered it one of the most flexible MAC shadows, saying it went with just about everything. I’d already decided to get it when he said he thought it would really pop on my skin.

Since then Sable and I have been plummy partners in crime.

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What good is a fast-acting beauty product if it takes forever to find?

Not much, which is why I like to strategically place tubes of MAC Fast Response Eye Cream ($30) where I can reach them in a hurry. To that end, I keep one in my travel makeup bag, and another atop my dresser.

Oh, and then there’s the wayward one I found, with all of two drops remaining, in the passenger side door compartment of my car the other day. Poor thing probably thought I’d forgotten it was there (I didn’t.

Needless to say, I kindasorta love this cream. 🙂

It’s been a member of MAC’s permanent makeup line for years; I think I started using it circa 2001.

What is it exactly? Well, it’s a caffeinated, quick-absorbing eye cream to reduce puffiness around the eyes and diminish the appearance of dark circles, while smoothing and firming up the skin.

It also contains subtle light diffusers that really seem to brighten my under-eye area and soften the look of my fine lines, too, which, with this dumb-@ss insomnia I’ve been having, works out great.

I did some digging into the effectiveness of topical caffeine in skincare products, and it appears the jury’s still out. There’s some evidence to support that it might diminish under-eye circles over time (and a few studies have shown that it might be helpful in other ways), but it’s probably not a miracle in a tube/jar.

Either way, Fast Response is widely loved as a lightly hydrating eye cream, especially for normal and oily skin types, but my favorite way to wear it is paired with MAC concealers, a trick I learned from a friendly MAC artist. Combined, they cover dark circles yet don’t look heavy or obvious.

Just mix a couple drops of MAC Fast Response Eye Cream in with some concealer, and buff the blend under your eyes using a fluffy brush like the 224 or 217. The result? — flawless, natural-looking coverage, almost like you’re not wearing any makeup at all.
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Welcome to the Age of the Eyeshadow Primer, young lady. Right now there are loads of them out there to choose from, many of them un-tinted, like Urban Decay Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, and my current go-to girl, NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, to name just a few.

But there’s another great way to prime your lids, and all it takes is the right long-wearing cream eyeshadow.

Since they’re pigmented, some of them (especially the neutral ones) can also be used as color correctors, and they’re a great way to give depth to your other favorite eyeshadows. MAC calls their line of cream shadows Paint Pots, and one of my absolute faves of all time (okay, at least the past four years) is also my Unsung Hero today, Soft Ochre ($16.50).

Why Soft Ochre?

MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot ($16.50) touched down a few years ago with the MAC N Collection of neutrals and nudes, and shortly after that it was added to the company’s permanent line. It’s a neutral yellowish beige with a matte finish, and many gals consider it one of the line’s primo primers.

I think it looks great worn all by itself on my lids with some liner and mascara, but I also use it to extend the wear time of other shadows and to intensify shadows that contain yellow or gold tones.

Dang if it doesn’t brighten my eyes as well as anything. It also evens out the skin tone on my lids — mighty convenient when I’m chronically sleep deprived, as I’ve been this week.

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I know I did not just hear you say that you don’t have MAC Ricepaper Eyeshadow ($14.50) yet because that, my love, would be a makeup travesty of epic proportions.

EPIC!

Okay, maybe not epic. But large. Let’s say, bigger than a breadbox? 🙂

Shoot, I can’t even remember when I first started wearing Ricepaper (I think it was around 1999), but I do remember that it changed my life (as only good makeup can).

This shimmery, pigmented peachy gold is one of those colors I find I’m able to wear every single day, and I almost do. I probably reach for it at least a few times a week and wear it most often as a wash over my lids, or along my brow bone as a highlighter (I think it lifts the arches), or at the inner corners of my eyes when I feel I look tired.

It’s quite the team player, too. It maintains an excellent working relationship with many MAC neutrals, like Soba, Saddle, Soft Brown, Brown Script, Cork and Smoke & Diamonds, and I think it also works well as an accent color for brights that go well with golds, like blues and teals. Freshwater and Aquadisiac are two of its biggest fans.

How do you feel about peachy golden Arena? Similar pigmentation and same soft, buttery texture, but I think Ricepaper looks lighter and peachier to me. Both colors work together really well.

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