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MAC Cosmetics

MAC Unsung Heroes: Sunbasque Sheertone Shimmer Blush

June 1st, 2011 by Karen 60 Comments

mac sunbasque blush

At the top of the list of not-so-smart things I’ve done over the past few days: starting to watch a scary movie at 10:30 p.m. Yes, that’s when I cranked up Insidious the other night thinking I’d only watch “10 minutes of it” before going straight to bed.

Bad idea.

Of course I had to finish it, which was like watching Britney’s infamous breakdown (I couldn’t look away!), except with sudden loud noises, scary silhouettes seen through darkened windows, and creaky wooden floors. NOTE TO SELF: films featuring demon possession do not make for relaxing bedtime fare.

Luckily, I also managed to do something pretty smart this week, which almost balances things out. I remembered where I put my missing pan of MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Sunbasque ($19.50), one of my summer faves for sunkissed cheeks, and arguably one of MAC’s user-friendliest (I don’t think that’s a real word…) blushes.

Sheertone and I met a couple of years ago at a MAC counter when I’d asked a MAC artist for a blush recommendation. I wanted something easy that would look great with a tan, and she pulled out Sunbasque, a shimmery, peachy pink bronze. What made it special, she said, was the slight red it contains, which complements the reddish tones in tanned skin.

It’s like a multifunction printer, but instead of printing, scanning and faxing, it blushes, bronzes and highlights. The bronze tones lend warmth to my cheeks, while the peachy pink adds a flush of color. The subtle shimmer just draws a little more attention to the face, but not so much that I look like I’m rollin’ straight to da club.

Two layers (it’s sooo easy to blend), and I look like I spent the entire day practicing cannonballs at the pool…and napping and reading Us Weekly.

mac sunbasque blush in pan

mac sunbasque blush swatch
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Categories: MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

MAC Unsung Heroes: Clear Lipglass

May 13th, 2011 by Karen 25 Comments

MAC Clear Lipglass

Kissed by the same shining light that blessed that pair of Manolo Blahnik patent-leather Mary Jane heels you’ve been coveting since forever, MAC Clear Lipglass ($14.50) makes other clear glosses question their line of work. 🙂

With wear time I can only characterize as supernatural, MAC Clear Lipglass outlasts them all. I applied it once before a marathon shopping day at a four-level mall (I was looking for a new bikini… Lipgloss always seems to ease the pain of seeing myself jiggling from all angles in the fitting room), and six hours later it was still going strong. When it comes to longevity, this is one lipgloss that does not mess around.

It even feels serious on my lips (even through MAC’s trademark light vanilla taste and scent), like it came to throw down. The thick, sticky texture gives it great wear time, but it’s a turnoff for some (I kinda love it though).

MAC Clear Lipglass is my favorite clear gloss, and just like a pair of black patent-leather pumps, it works in so many ways…

  • For a simple, subtle sheen — The way I usually wear it. All it takes is just a tiny drop on the lips distributed with a lip brush (or just by rubbing/moving your lips around).
  • For lips that go va-va-va-voom! — When I’m in the mood for big, juicy lips with mirror-like shine, I’ll swipe a lip brush across the slanted tip of the tube, and apply a layer either directly to bare lips, or atop a lipstick or lip pencil.
  • All mixed up — MAC also suggests mixing Clear Lipglass with pigments and applying anywhere except for the eye area. NOTE: If you plan to apply a mixture containing pigments to your lips, double check with your nearby MAC store first to confirm that the pigments you plan to use are safe for use on the lips, because not all of them are.


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Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

MAC Unsung Heroes: Teddy Eye Kohl

May 11th, 2011 by Karen 40 Comments

MAC Teddy Eye Kohl

I firmly believe that life’s too short to waste wearing boring brown eyeliners (or, on an unrelated note, wearing shoes in summer).

Today’s inductee into the hallowed halls of MAC Unsung Heroics is called Teddy, and when it comes to boring, he’s anything but. Teddy is a MAC Eye Kohl ($14.50) pencil, an intensely rich, dark bronzy brown with subtle golden shimmer, and it’s that shimmer that takes Teddy from the bored-room to the bedroom best room (haha! oops, bad pun).

I think I use Teddy almost as often as MAC Powersurge. It’s one of those colors that always seems appropriate, day or night, and it totally hits the spot when I want to draw extra attention to my eyes but don’t feel like wearing basic black.

Its soft, creamy texture glides along my lash and water lines, defining the shape of my eyes. Every so often I’ll even wear it as a base by smudging it onto my lids; other times I might layer it beneath powder shadows, where I think it looks particularly cute with bronzy golds like MAC Woodwinked.


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Categories: Eyes, MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

MAC Unsung Heroes: Humid Eyeshadow

May 5th, 2011 by Karen 37 Comments

MAC Humid

“If you’re going to San Francisco,” the song goes, “be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.” Flowers like the ones that bloom 365 days a year inside the gigantic 19th century greenhouse that is the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. It’s the oldest municipal wooden conservatory remaining in the United States and one of my favorite places in the city to visit with a camera.

From the steamy, lush jungles of the Lowland Tropics Room to the giant Victoria amazonica water lilies of the Aquatic Room, the structure must contain every conceivable shade of green (they practically drip from the walls!). Not only is it a very peaceful, beautiful place filled with exotic plants, but by virtue of it basically being a gargantuan greenhouse, it also reminds me of one of my favorite MAC shadows, the appropriately named Humid ($14.50).

A MAC artist introduced me to Humid a few years ago. I told her I was looking for one green to rule them all! “This is the only green you’ll ever need,” she said, as she handed me the pan.

Homegirl was NOT kidding. You know the whole “desert island” scenario? Where you can only bring one thing? Well, assuming of course the island had air conditioning, running water, a Trader Joe’s (gotta get my Mango & Cream Bars, yo!) and Channing Tatum, I’d bring Humid Eyeshadow. 🙂
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Categories: Eyes, MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

MAC Unsung Heroes: Naked Lunch Eyeshadow

April 27th, 2011 by Karen 65 Comments

What I wouldn’t give to learn the story behind the name of today’s MAC Unsung Hero, Naked Lunch ($14.50).

Was there really a lunch in which the attendees were naked (eww!)? If so, I wonder what was on the menu… I assume that soups and other hot foods were absent, as well as beans and cheeses that encourage, um, bloat.

I’m all for culinary adventures, but when it comes to my lunches, I think I’ll stick to wearing clothes and this powder shadow from MAC’s permanent line. 🙂

When I need something foolproof to wear with my favorite browns, I often reach for Naked Lunch. It casts a candlelit glow on my skin that ignores my fine lines, and it blends like a makeup dream.

On me, it’s a champagne peachy pink with a subtle sheen — a demure, slightly warmer, less glittery version of Stila Kitten, perhaps, and its flexibility could rival Olympic gymnasts! I wear it as a lid color (fab for a wide-eyed look), as a highlighter along my brow bone, at the inner corners, and sometimes even as a face highlighter.


Swatch of Naked Lunch with the flash
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There are 65 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

MAC Unsung Heroes: The 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush

April 22nd, 2011 by Karen 21 Comments

mac 188 small duo fibre face brush

I had a brush with a skunk today! And yesterday. And the day before that. Actually two skunks. The first was the MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush ($42), lovingly referred to by some as “the skunk brush.”

Beloved by bazillions of MAC-aholics (like me), this black-and-white classic has a way with foundations, in particular, and can produce an almost airbrushed look.

Have you ever noticed how often it appears as a repromote in MAC’s seasonal brush kits? Yup, this stinker’s a popular product, and I like it, too, but I prefer its often overlooked little buddy, the 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush ($34).

With bristles fashioned from a blend of goat hair and synthetic fibers, this flat-top circular brush, a member of the MAC permanent line, excels at lightly applying liquid and powder products. The brush head is about half the diameter of the 187’s.

mac 188 small duo fibre face brush
So soft!

It’s one of my most frequently used beauty tools, and I reach for it daily to…
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Categories: MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

MAC Unsung Heroes: Russian Red Lipglass

April 20th, 2011 by Karen 61 Comments

mac russian red lipglass

Heads turn so fast when MAC Russian Red Lipstick ($14.50) enters a room that some of them get whiplash.

The blue-based red, long a favorite of MAC fans (like moi!), lives in the permanent line, but she also guest stars from time to time in limited edition releases like the MAC Wonder Woman Collection as a repromote shade.

I’ve loved the color for years, but I didn’t always know she had a sister, super shiny, highly pigmented MAC Russian Red Lipglass ($14.50).

If any product deserves a share of the MAC Unsung Heroes spotlight, it’s Russian Red Lipglass — one of my go-to colors to pair with cat eyes.

Just how red is it? Well, do you remember how red your cheeks got that time in gym class with the sit-ups (PROOOT!)? Yup, it’s even redder than that. 🙂

mac russian red lipglass

mac russian red lipglass wand
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Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

MAC Unsung Heroes: Syrup Lipstick

April 15th, 2011 by Karen 33 Comments

Sweet! Every time I wear syrup, strangers stop to ask me what it is. Wait — that didn’t come out right. No, not corn syrup or maple syrup, although those are also great. I’m referring to pretty pink MAC Syrup ($14.50), a permanent member of the MAC Lustre Lipstick line.

Described as a cloudy pink on the MAC website, this hydrating, cool-toned lippie hides a hint of purple behind its shiny finish. I dig the way it looks, but my lips love the way it feels — not too thick nor thin. And it’s a great value, too, thanks to its versatility. It looks great with everything from dramatic smokey eyes to conservative everyday looks.


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Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

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