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MAC Cosmetics

On Wednesdays We Wear Pink (and Purple)

October 4th, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

igk-girls-club-mac pinklight strobe cream becca pink haze
It’s a pink hump day party with IGK Girls Club Color Spray, MAC Pinklite Strobe Cream and BECCA Pink Haze Soft Blurring Powder.

In the wise words of the Mean Girls movie, “On Wednesdays we wear pink,” and whoops! — sometimes purple, thanks to this temporary hair color spray by IGK, Girls Club ($19), which looks more like purple in my hair.

igk girls club
I call this pose “Purple-haired girl gazes out window.”

I like it, though. It smells like too-sweet bubblegum, and I have to use about half a can before the color really comes through, but I still think it’s fun, especially on mornings when the thought of covering my salt-and-pepper roots with regular ol’ root spray (I use the one by Rita Hazan) is just waaaaaay too depressing.

Even though I have to use a lot, so it’s not something I’ll do every day (because it’s $19), I think it’s better than most of the temporary hair color sprays I’ve used. It doesn’t make my hair feel crunchy (YAY!), and it’s easy to wash out.

OH, EM GEE, change my world, why don’t you?! BECCA Pink Haze Soft Blurring Powder ($38) is a loose makeup setting powder with a sheer pearly pink tint, and it subtly brightens your face, but you can’t, like, really tell when you first put it on. It takes 10-15 minutes before it seems to settle on the skin. Then you can see the subtle soft pink pearl reflecting in the light.

becca pink haze
I’m wearing a 50/50 blend of MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC 42 and MAC Pinklite Strobe Cream on my face. The lipstick is MAC Patisserie, and the blush is Neutrogena Skin in Vibrant.

[Continue reading…]

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Becca, Face, Hair, IGK, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews

MAC X Nicki Minaj Collection: 9 Nude Lip Combos to Try

October 3rd, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

mac nicki minaj lip combos
Nude. Lip. Love.

Of the multitude of ways to refer to a booty/buttocks/bum/butt, derrière is my fave.

Derrière, daaaaahling! DAIRY AIR.

That’s classy.

There’s a lipstick in the MAC X Nicki Minaj collection called Derrière, which I take to be a celebration of Nicki’s famous backside, and why not celebrate it?! I think it deserves a parade.


BOOTY ALERT!!! For reals, my HIIT instructor plays this song in class sometimes, and it always cracks me up!

Nicki’s new booty-rockin’ limited edition collection of nude lipsticks, lip pencils and Lipglasses is available now with lots of love for #TEAMNUDELIPS.

There are SO MANY ways to work nude lips into cool combos, and here are nine ideas.

Note: If you happen to not be a member of #TEAMNUDELIPS, oh! Please come here. I have to try to convince you, but where do I start?? There are warm pink nudes, neutral pinks, peachy pinks, beige-pinks, AND THOSE ARE JUST THE PINKS. There are also peachy nudes, nude browns and… So many possibilities! The pics below just barely scratch the surface of the nude lip iceberg, but I hope they give you one or two impulses. 🙂

1. Boldly Bare Lip Pencil + Japanese Maple Lipstick + N-U-D-E Lipglass

6 mac nicki minaj boldly bare japanese maple nude
Boldly Bare Lip Pencil, Japanese Maple Lipstick and N-U-D-E Lipglass

2. Cork Lip Pencil + Derrière Lipstick + Beaux Lipglass

5 mac nicki minaj cork derrier beaux
Cork Lip Pencil, Derriere Lipstick and Beaux Lipglass

3. Edge to Edge Lip Pencil + Playing Koi Lipstick + Please Me Lipglass

4 mac nicki minaj edge to edge playing koi please me
Edge to Edge Lip Pencil, Playing Koi Lipstick and Please Me Lipglass

[Continue reading…]

There are 10 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup, Makeup

Unsung Heroes: MAC In Extra Dimension Waterproof Mascara

October 3rd, 2017 by Karen 3 Comments

mac in extra mascara review
THE BEST mascara in the entire MAC fam IMO is this one here.

MAC has megatons of mascara. There must be millions of them! You know this. They aren’t one of those brands that only does, like, one mascara and calls it quit. No.

I think quite a few of MAC’s mascaras are good, too, like Extended Play. I’ve gone through a number of tubes of that one, among others, but there’s one MAC mascara I’ve been using more than the others for months, and I think it’s leagues above the rest. It’s In Extra Dimension Waterproof Mascara, the one in the curvy black tube with the teal MAC logos all over it.

Now, Karen is someone who finds fault with pretty much every mascara she tries. (Karen is also apparently someone who refers to herself in the third person!). But this one’s The. Best. in the entire MAC mascara family IMO. And, girl, I’ve tried them all!

You get so much bang for your buck with it, and the look is almost as dramatic as falsies, and that’s with just one or two coats.

I mean, it’s a mascara…so it’s not gonna make you look like you’ve grown Snuffalufagus fringe overnight, but if you want it all — thickness, length, curl separation and, most importantly, THE DRAMA — In Extra Dimension Waterproof brings it.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

mac in extra dimension waterproof before after
Before and after! I’m also wearing MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC 42 mixed with MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite topped with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden (foundation and powder), Hourglass Radiant Bronze Light (blush), MAC Brow Sculpt Pencil in Spiked and Benefit clear Brow Gel (brows) and MAC Lipstick in MMMMM (from the new Nicki Minaj nude lipstick collection

There is one other thing I feel you need to know up front before you fall in love with it, and here it is: this mascara is truly waterproof. You’ll need an oil-based eye makeup remover and/or an eye-friendly cleansing balm to thoroughly take it off; otherwise, you’ll be stuck rubbing at your lashes for days and could even accidentally break them off (NOOOO!), which happened to me a couple times before I “wised up.”

Now when I wear this and go to remove my makeup at the end of the day, I soak a Shiseido Facial Cotton with a few drops of Klorane Waterproof Eye Make-Up Remover with Soothing Cornflower (you can get it at Sephora), then gently press the pad on top of my lashes. When I hold it there for a few seconds, this mascara slides right off.

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There are 3 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews, Unsung Heroes

MAC Nicki Minaj Lipstick and the First PSL of the Season

September 28th, 2017 by Karen 22 Comments

mac nicki minaj the pinkprint swatch
MAC Lipglass in Please Me, MAC Lip Pencil in Dervish and MAC Nicki Minaj Lipstick in The Pinkprint

I was going to go get my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season today (#TEAMPSL) without even filling in my brows or curling my lashes, but then I saw The Pinkprint, one of the MAC X Nicki Minaj Collection Lipsticks, and wondered what Nicki Minaj would do…

Because she’s kind of a bad-@ss, and I can’t picture her going low-key to Starbucks. Nah, she’d be all decked out with full-on glam and a pink wig.

Probably. 🙂

In honor of Miss Nicki’s latest MAC collab (she’s done others before), I put on mah eyeliner, mah lipstick and a smile, then grabbed my first PSL of the season…which was iced, actually, because it was hot enough here for shorts and a t-shirt.

With my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season and the new MAC Nicki Minaj Lipstick in The Pinkprint, along with a few other MAC lip goodies. (See below!) Oh, and please note the little photobomber in the left-hand corner…

Light nude pink The Pinkprint is one of two lip products in the collection with LE packaging, and it’s the product I’m playing with first from the release because I thought it would look yummy with blue eyeliner.

mac nicki minaj pinkprint swatch
The Pinkprint Lipstick on its own without any accouterments

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There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews

#FoundationFocus: Mostly Matte With a Subtle Pink Sheen Using MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 and Strobe Cream in Pinklite

September 27th, 2017 by Karen 12 Comments

mac studio fix nc 42 k final look 2
Natural-looking skin with a classic MAC foundation

I threw it waaaaaaay back to the old school today with MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation.

C’mon, MAC girls, I know y’all went through a phase when you wore this for a minute. I know I totally did! It was my jam back in the day. I’m talking late ’90s, early 2000s. It was the first MAC Foundation I ever tried.

Oh, the trouble I got into while wearing this… So great. 😉

macfixfam
MAC Studio Fix Fluid — old school and effective!

Full-coverage matte MAC Studio Fix Fluid is THE foundation I think of when I picture classic full-on glam MAC makeup, but here’s the deal: it’s surprisingly flexible. You can easily change the look of it if you’re feeling creative, which is how I was feeling this morning after I watched this video with MAC Artist Nemah Hasan.

She mixes Studio Fix Fluid Foundation with Pinklite Strobecream…

So genius, right? Why didn’t I ever think to try that?

Anyway, it inspired me, so today I put my own spin on it. I did a mostly matte, skin-focused makeup look with a subtle pink sheen. I think it’s quite sheer and natural looking, which I’ve been loving lately.

Here’s how I did the foundation…

1. Prep your skin first by spritzing a few sprays of moisturizing MAC Prep + Prime Fix+.

mac prep prime fix
My love, always and forever, MAC Fix+
mac fix plus k
Moisturize meeeee

LOL! I look like I just emerged from an ocean swim in this pic! My face is drenched. For the record, it’s not easy to take a self-portrait when you’re spraying your face with Fix+.

I do this to moisturizing my skin and make the foundation look smoother.

2. Prime your skin with MAC Prep + Prime Skin.

mac prep primes skin
Just a dab

Today was my first time trying this smoothing face primer. The colorless formula contains tiny, seductive sparkles that I can’t really see once they’re blended in, unless I look very closely. I like it. It smooths ‘ze pores while delicately blessing you with radiance. Ah…

mac prep primes skin k
Don’t forget to let it dry before applying foundation.

3. Mix equal parts MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation and MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite.

mac studio fix strobe cream pinklight brush
MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 in NC42, MAC Strobecream in Pinklite, and the 190 Foundation Brush

Adding Pinklite Strobe Cream sheers out the Studio Fix Fluid a bit.

I wanted to keep the sheen on my cheeks and chin, so, when I was done with the foundation, I set my forehead and the sides of my nose with a little MAC Mineralize Slinfinish Natural in Medium Golden using a MAC 140S Synthetic Fan Brush.

mac 190 foundation brush
I mixed equal parts on the back of my hand.
mac studio fix nc42 k
Fingers work too, but I was feeling fancy today.

[Continue reading…]

There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Makeup

The MAC Gently Off Wipes + Micellar Water Bulk Wipes

August 29th, 2017 by Karen 7 Comments

mac gently off wipes micellar water k1
Pink and black!

What do pastel pink and black have to do with removing makeup?

Good question.

Maybe it’s a subliminal reference to black liner and pink lipstick…? I don’t know, but the new MAC Gently Off Wipes + Micellar Water ($29 for 100 wipes and coming to MAC counters in September) is working its voodoo charms on me.

Freakin’ pink and black, man! Yeeeeah, I’m a sucker, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Pink and black gets me every single time. 🙂

MAC’s first micellar wipe remover

They come out next month, but micellar cleansers in general have been around for at least a decade. I know I’ve been talking about them since 2007… They’re a specific type of gentle liquid makeup remover, and “gentle” is the key word here, which uses oil to remove makeup, dirt, grime, kitty kisses, etc.

The oil is encapsulated in water, so when you apply the liquid to your face with a cotton ball or, in this case, a pre-soaked wipe, you can take off everything without stripping your skin.

Now about that pink again…

mac gently off wipes micellar water k2
I can’t handle it.

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There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Product Reviews, Skin Care

MAC Viva Glam Taraji P. Henson 2 Lipstick and Lipglass

August 24th, 2017 by Karen 8 Comments

mac taraji p henson viva glam 2 lipstick
She’s baaaack! MAC Taraji P. Henson is back with a second Viva Glam Lipstick and Lipglass (coming soon)

I read somewhere that it took Taraji P. Henson of Empire and Hidden Figures — who’s back, by the way, with a second MAC Viva Glam — a long time to get her big break as an actress.

That’s cool. She never gave up. She persisted, and she got there.

It gives me hope! Like, I still wanna write a young adult novel, and I’m no spring chicken (I’m 42). But it’s never too late, right?

Taraji’s new MAC Viva Glam comes out next month (September 7th to counters and the MAC website). Viva Glam Taraji P. Henson 2 Lipstick and Lipglass are $17 each, and I think they’re just as rad as her VG Lipstick and Lipglass last year.

Viva Glam Taraji P. Henson 2 Lipstick and Lipglass

mac taraji p henson viva glam 2 lipglass
MAC Taraji P. Henson Lipglass
mac taraji p henson viva glam 2 lipglass
Details, details
mac taraji p henson viva glam 2 lipglass
Love me some tiny glitter…

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There are 8 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Collections, Lips, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews

About Those Glittery New MAC Dazzleglass Shades…

August 15th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

mac dazzleglass
New MAC Dazzleglass shades

A couple days ago I posted a pic of some new MAC Dazzleglass lipglosses that were added to the MAC permanent line last month, and I didn’t anticipate the powerful pull o’ the Dazzleglass glitter, because I was inundated by requests for me to list their names.

So here goes…

mac dazzleglass nemac dazzleglass neww
From the top: Extra Amps, Like Venus, Baby Sparks, Sugar-Rimmed, Moth to Flame, Rags to Riches, Money Honey, Smile and Steppin’ Out

Of course I like the pink, peach and coral ones, LOL! There are also some edgier colors too, like a blue (Comet Blue), a few purples (Funtabulous, Date Night and Boys Go Crazy), a white shade (Pleasure Principle), a copper (Get Rich Quick) and a red (Love Alert).

If Love Alert and Sugar-Rimmed look familiar, that’s because they also appeared in earlier MAC LE launches.

The new ones are just like I remember them (err, the other ones). They’re extra glittery and shiny, with glitter flecks bigger than the glitter in a MAC Lipglass, but they aren’t gritty at all, which is great, so they’re quite comfy, even though they’re super sticky, and there’s no way in hell you can avoid getting your high pony stuck in your gloss when you wear them.

That’s just not happening!

But, on the flip side, they last a solid four hours.

mac money honey rags to riches
Money Honey (top) and Rags to Riches (bottom)

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There are 10 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup, Makeup

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