MAC Cosmetics

A MAC Chromat Collection Makeup Tutorial With Royal Blue Cat Eyeliner, Deep Orange Lids and Bright Aqua Lips

June 28th, 2017 by Karen 25 Comments

mac chormat the future is meow k ears — The future is meow!

Hmm… What does one do, and where does one go, while wearing shimmery royal blue cat eyes, teal brows and aqua blue lips?

Perhaps waaaaaaay far into the future behind the wheel of a time-traveling DeLorean? To a time in a fantastical future when bad-@ss babes run the show wearing makeup by MAC and clothing by Chromat?

Gigawatts of girl power course through the MAC Chromat collection, which electrifies domestic MAC counters and the MAC website starting June 29th (and internationally this July), and it got me fired up to turn this look into a tutorial.

The MAC Chromat collection: Overview

Blue and gray supercharge the eight-piece limited edition release, while pops of orange and red crackle, and the collection comes complete with bionic-seeming blue LE packaging that looks like something straight out of Tron!

I’m feelin’ the eyeshadow palette, the lipsticks and the mini angled brush, which is a re-promote from the MAC permanent line. The blue mascara, blue gel liner and blue pencil liner, however, aren’t quite as electrifying IMO. I don’t dislike them… I think they’re fine. The only thing is, they require lots of layering to get them to really show up on me. Major patience.

becca chromat — Designer Becca McCharen of Chromat

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A 4-Step Cute Lip Combo That Goes With Almost Everything: Layer MAC Soar Lip Pencil With MAC Patisserie Lipstick

June 26th, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

mac patisserie soar prep prime lip — You can’t go wrong with MAC Lipstick in Patisserie ($17), Lip Pencil in Soar ($17.50) and Prep + Prime Lip ($17.50)

Here’s a neutral pink lip combo recipe I love because 1) it’s comprised of three products from the MAC permanent line, so the ingredients aren’t going anywhere, and 2) it goes with almost any and every eye look.

Here’s what you do…

1. Prep your pout with a layer of MAC Prep + Prime Lip.

2. Line and fill in your lips with MAC Lip Pencil in Soar.

mac soar lip pencil — Mid-toned pinkish brown MAC Soar

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MAC Coral Lipsticks: 5 MORE Essential Summer Staples

June 23rd, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

mac corals part — MOAR CORALS! From the left, MAC Lipsticks in Nippon, Koi Coral, Shy Girl, Ravishing and Hot Tahiti

Did you really think I could stop at five?? GIRL, YOU SO CRAZY!

It’s totally normal for a MAC coral enthusiast to have at least 10 lipstick options in rotation at any given moment…

Right…?

UGH, keep telling yourself that, Karen. Seriously, I’m only one or two tubes away from an intervention.

YES! These corals (like these from earlier today) are in the MAC permanent line. One of them, Ravishing, is an old fave I’ve been wearing for years, but the other four are pretty new to my personal coral kingdom, like Koi Coral, a creamy, marvelously moisturizing peachy nude coral Cremesheen that happens to share part of its name (albeit with a different spelling) with one of Connor Claire’s nicknames (“Coywolf,” which sometimes gets shortened to “Coy”).

I think of her whenever I wear it.

Mmm, I’m tasting that signature MAC vanilla flavor on my lips right now. It tastes like coming home, and it feels like everything is right again with the world…

Anyway! Diversion much, Karen?

Also in this batch — Shy Girl, and oh, my gosh! So nice. It’s a creamy, dreamy peachy beige coral I just recently found through MAC Fruity Juicy.

I mean, it’s been around a while, but I forgot it was in the permanent collection. It almost functions as a nude.

Nippon is another peachy coral, but it’s less beige than Shy Girl. Like Koi Coral, it’s also a Cremesheen, so it’s creamy and mega moisturizing. It’s like a drink of water for dry lips.

1. Ravishing

2. Koi Coral

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MAC Coral Lipsticks: 5 Essential Summer Staples

June 23rd, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

I’m low-key crazy for coral all year long, but now that it’s summer, I let my freak flag fly and my full-on coral craziness is unleashed!

If it were socially acceptable…I might even wear all five of my favorite MAC coral lipsticks on my face AT THE SAME TIME.

Flamingo, Costa Chic, Coral Bliss, Vegas Volt and Pretty Boy are all found in the MAC permanent line, so they’re always there whenever you need them, which is comforting to me…like a makeup security blanket.

I rotate among them during summer.

If you see a couple you like, jump on them now, because MAC is having a special lipstick promotion where you get a free lipstick if you buy any two lip products. The free lipstick has to be one of six specific shades (Breathing Fire, Lust, Lured In, Pressed & Ready, Barbeque and Invite Intrigue), though, so you can’t go picking any old free lipsticks willy-nilly. But the selections are lovely.

The promo lasts through June 25th, both at MAC stores and the website.

1. Flamingo

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MAC Relentlessly Red Retro Matte Lipstick Is a Shout-Out to the Jungle

June 20th, 2017 by Karen 22 Comments

SRLSY, shout-out to the jungle for having The. Best. Plants. Ever.

I spotted this pretty plant at a place called Haiku Gardens on Oahu last week, and it’s been haunting my dreams ever since!

I think it might be a flower…? Wow, how striking is that red? It’s so intense, and the finish! I don’t even know where to start… Matte, and I love the way it contrasts with the green leaves behind it. I mean, Mother Nature? *Mwah!* Best painter ever.

Anyway, I was wanting to wear the exact same color on my lips, and someone on Instagram mentioned that the red in this pic looked like MAC Relentlessly Red ($17 and available in the permanent line), so when I was getting ready today (by the way, this is probably the most makeup I’ve worn in two weeks), I dug through my MAC drawer…

And I found it! Yay! It’s a perfect match.

mac relentlessly red lipstick 2 — I’m wearing a mish-mash of things today, not gonna lie (I just kept piling stuff on and hoped for the best!). I’m wearing Chanel Mirage Illusion D’Ombre Cream Shadow, MAC Hushed Tone Blush and Urban Decay Diamond Dog Eyeshadow on my lids; MAC Relentlessly Red Lipstick on my cheeks; Milk Makeup Lit Highlighter on my upper cheekbones; and MAC Matchmaster Concealer

One of the Retro Matte Lipsticks in the MAC permanent line, Relentlessly Red is a bright coral-red with a fuchsia spirit that sets it apart from many other MAC reds, like Lady Danger, which is more orange, and MAC Ruby Woo, which is cooler- and bluer-toned.

The MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks vary in terms of how dry the formula feels. Some are smoother, slightly more “moisturizing” (air quotes, because none of them are exactly moisturizing) and consequently easier to wear than others.

Relentlessly Red is one of the drier ones (but that’s not to say that it’s super dry) and benefits from a little babying and prep work if you have any flake action on your lips. In that case, exfoliate first; then prep your pout with a layer of lip balm, and I used Urban Decay Lip Love today. Then blot and apply Relentlessly Red.

Because I’ve been *mucho lazy* lately, I had been applying lipstick straight from the bullet, but I recently started using a lip brush to apply lipstick, usually a layer or two, and then I pat everything down with my finger.

It’s more work than going straight from the tube, but I like the look. It looks like my lipstick is merging with my lips, as opposed to sitting on top of them.

It’s all part of that ongoing phase I’m in where I want my makeup to look like I’m not trying too hard (even when I am), and that’s the effect I get with a lip brush.

mac relentlessly red lipstick 1 — Take me back to the jungle

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Current Crushes From MAC: Matchmaster Concealer, Melba Blush, In Extra Dimension Mascara and More

June 9th, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

current mac crushes — Um, please excuse my hair. I just couldn’t be bothered today, apparently.

Just a few MAC faves I’ve been lovin’ extra lots lately!

MAC Matchmaster Concealer ($22). Guuuurrrrrl. BOMB. DOT. COM. They’re creamy stick concealers with auto-magical self-adjusting pigments that personalize themselves to your own awesome skin tone…

Yes, that was a bunch of nonsensical fancy talk. 🙂

I’m an NC42, and I wear Shade 5 (there are 11 in all).

Somehow, once this concealer settles in after blending it out, it matches my skin perfectly, and it’s freaking me out! I would love to learn about the cosmetic chemistry behind it because I’m sure it’s cutting edge. The coverage is medium, and the finish is satiny. I think it reflects just enough light and looks natural.

Of course, you can still change the finish by buffing a matte face powder on top, but I like to keep it dewy, so I set mine with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.

mac matchmaster concealer 5 — I went a little ham on the concealer, but that’s what blending is for…

Matchmaster lasts all day long for me without scooting, budging or fading. MAC says its also sweat-resistant and ideal for humid climes, so I’m bringing it with me to Hawaii, for sure.

Another thing I’ve been into this week: $23 MAC Melba Blush.

Look at that pan! Mine is well-loved, LOL! It’s a coral-peach with a matte finish.

I may or may not have just googled “Melba Toast”

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A “Gilt and Gloss” Makeup Look With Nudestix and Urban Decay

June 9th, 2017 by Karen 15 Comments

Ya know, this whole “makeup in 30 minutes or less thing” I’ve been doing all week long has been VERY liberating. To think, there was a time when I didn’t want to try anything beyond basic makeup because I thought that any looks worth doing would take at least 45 minutes to an hour (or sometimes two).

This look took 20 minutes and — get this! — only one brush. I used an angled eye brush to take out the edges of the cat eye.

Oh, and a BeautyBlender, if we’re being really picky.

To blend the makeup on my eyes, cheeks and lips, I just used my fingers! I’ve been inspired by a makeup artist a friend of mine named Fieran (hey, Fieran!) introduced me to, violetta_fr on YouTube. She’s this impossibly chic French woman who lives in New York, and she does most of her application with her fingers and a handful of products (only what she can fit in her cross-body Chanel purse).

It’s refreshing to see makeup out there beyond the hyper-glam beat that dominates social media, ya know?

Anywho, I call this look “Gilt and Gloss” because I used a mix of sparkly glitter, golden shimmer, and matte taupe and beige eye gloss on my lids.

I wanted to play with finishes and textures, and I wanted to do it in a messy, grungy way that still looks somewhat “lady like.”

For my eyes, I drew thick cat eye liner with a taupe matte shadow stick (Nudestix Magnetic Matte Eye Color in Slate). Then I used my fingers to smudge the edges on my lids.

Next, I took a shimmery neutral gold shadow stick called Gilt (also by Nudestix) and layered that on top of the taupe (quick! — say “top of the taupe” five times fast) on my lids, blending it with my fingers. I wanted to keep the flicks and my lower lash line dark, so I didn’t layer the gold on those parts.

Then I grabbed a pan of Urban Decay Diamond Dog Eyeshadow, a delicious glittery golden brown, and dabbed it on my lids with a finger, and then loaded my lashes with HELLA mascara (MAC In Extra Dimension Waterproof).

Lastly, I applied highlighter in my inner corners using a shiny beige eye gloss called Milk Makeup Eye Vinyl in Bridge.

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More MAC Metallic Lips Coming June 22nd

May 30th, 2017 by Karen 20 Comments

mac metallic lipstick summer 2017 — The MAC Metallic Lipsticks are back in another LE release coming June 22nd for $17 each.

Dry lips, be gone! I will not have ye! — ’cause, honestly, I don’t want any flakes up in my mix when I’m wearing these new MAC Metallic Lipsticks, because flakes + metallic finishes equal nooo!

Metallic lips are back. In the event that you’ve been taking the longest cat nap ever (in which case, I’m so jelly because: naps!), they’re back in style and 100% Rosie-the-Robot chic.

If these are tickling your memory chips, you might be recalling the Metallic Lipstick launch from earlier this spring (remember the cray-cray green?). That was an LE collection, and so is this one, which will be available at all MAC locations and online from June 22nd to August 3rd.

mac forbidden romance lipstick — Forbidden Romance…

Of the 17 shades, 10 are re-promotes from that earlier launch — deep royal purple Royal Hour, bright bluish pink Foiled Rose, cool reddish burgundy Hades Fire, cool neutral pink Pale Rose, silvery Silver Spoon, warm neutral In Lust, bronzy Jupiter, white frosty Pearly One, deep burgundy red wine Disobedient and blackened blue Anything Once. For swatches of those cuties, click here.

mac ionized iris lipstick — Ionized Iris

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