MAC Cosmetics

Happy Friday, and a MAC Billion Dollar Smile

October 1st, 2021 by Karen 11 Comments

Hey, guys! Happy Friday to ya. I’m happy to report that this week’s makeup and hair uniform experiment was a success. I was afraid I would get antsy to try something different halfway through the week, but it was quite the opposite; knowing I already had a basic template to work from was, in a way, strangely freeing.

I especially looked forward to picking a lip color, and the one I wore yesterday is one of my favorites from MAC called Billion Dollar Smile.

Another thing I noticed was that as the week progressed, the liner got progressively bigger. I started off the week with the tiniest wisp of kitten liner and ended the week with a thick flick! LOL.

I’m planning next week’s “uniform” and am contemplating doing something like this crown braid.

And maybe perhaps pairing it with monochromatic makeup on eyes/cheeks/lips? I’m thinking fall tones, like warm orangey browns and whatnot. What do you think?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

A Hair “Uniform,” Answering a Foundation Question and a Friendly Reminder About This Hot Pink Lipstick

September 30th, 2021 by Karen 4 Comments

makeup uniform hair uniform candy yum yum — Hello, hair uniform.

Good morning, friend! How are you today? 🤗 I’m actually a little less frazzled than I was yesterday because of this glorious thing I stumbled onto called “a makeup uniform” (we talked about it the other day).

Which leads me to…

A hair uniform

In that post, I think I forgot to mention that, along with the makeup uniform, I’ve also been doing a hair uniform. To go with the bold lips and winged liner this week, I’ve been doing a simple low ponytail with a smooth side swoop. I think the structure of the hair works well with the makeup, and — bonus! — I can whip it out in less than five minutes.

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

September 29th, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

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

This MAC classic foundation is still one of my favorites!

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+.

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.

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.

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Checking In: Creative Mascara Placement, a Makeup Uniform and Jones Road Beauty

September 28th, 2021 by Karen 18 Comments

mac fashion legacy winged liner coycoy — With my co-pilots!

I tried to take this picture by myself, but my sidekick and her sidekick (his name is Teddy, by the way, and he goes on all the adventures these days!) wanted in on the action.

Creative mascara placement

I realized a couple of makeup related things yesterday. Beauty epiphanies, so to speak. First of all, let’s talk mascara. Specifically, mascara placement!

I read somewhere that applying mascara just to the outer half of your upper lashes — and leaving the inner half completely bare — makes your eyes appear more lifted, because the thicker lashes draw all the attention to the outer corner. I tried it yesterday, and lo and behold, it totally works!

It’s a small tweak, and probably more obvious to people who love makeup, but I definitely see a difference.

It’s such an automatic habit for me to coat every single lash with mascara, though, so I don’t know how long I’ll keep it up, but I do like the effect. Try it! And then let me know if you see a difference.

A makeup uniform

I’ve decided to also try something new this week — a makeup uniform. I’m wearing a similar eye and cheek every day — blackish-brown winged liner, mascara on the outer half of the upper lashes and a wash of warm blush — with a different bold lipstick each day of the week. Yesterday was a warm bright red, MAC Fashion Legacy.

I really need to simply my mornings, and I think wearing a different lip with the same eye and cheek will provide me with some flexibility, while still giving me structure. I might be bored by Wednesday, but eh, I’ll try it anyway. If it works, maybe next week I’ll wear the same lipstick, and swap out different shades of bright winged linger.

Jones Road Beauty?

One last thing. I’m contemplating a few things from Bobbi Brown’s new-ish minimalist makeup line, Jones Road Beauty. Have you tried anything yet? I’m interested in the eyeliner (it won an Allure Best of Beauty Award), the Miracle Balm (although I’m not quite sure what it is exactly… A foundation? A blush? A bronzer?) and the Lip and Cheek Stick. If you’ve found anything good, please be sure to drop a comment for me below.

Have a good Tuesday, and talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

September 16th, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

mac mineralize skinfinish natural — MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Tan and a Chanel travel0size face brush

I’ve been wearing the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powders for years, and hands down, they’re one of my favorite things about the line.

MAC has a looot of face powders, and I think many of them are rock solid performers (see: MAC Blot and Careblends Pressed), but if you and I were at a counter at this very moment, and you asked me, “What’s your favorite, best-of-the-best, most natural-looking, comfortable MAC face powder available now?” I’d say one thing: the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Naturals.

Depending on which color you choose, you can use the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural line of baked pressed mineral powders for a number of different things, like cutting down on shine, evening out your skin tone, blurring pores, bronzing, and setting your foundation and/or concealer.

They have a semi-matte finish and a moderate amount of pigment, but they can be sheered down. They’re available in the permanent line in 15 shades for $32 each.

In MAC parlance, I’m an NC42, and I have combination skin that ventures between oily and dry. I wear the color Medium Tan as my face setting powder daily, and I also use Give Me Sun sometimes as a bronzer.

mac mineralize skinfinish medium tan — MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Tan on my NC42 skin

I love so many things about this powder! — but I’m going to try to keep this short (yeah right, Karen), because otherwise we’d be here ’til next Tuesday. 🙂

The gist of it is this: in powder-land, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is my current favorite powder across the board — not just from MAC — for casual, dewy, natural-looking skin.

I’ve worn it for everyday makeup looks, big events, pictures, HD video, daytime work meetings, dinner dates and taking Rosie out for her walks, and I think it looks just as good on camera as it does in real life. Unlike many pressed powder formulas, the Mineralize Skinfinish Naturals look more like loose powders than pressed powders when they’re sitting on the skin.

After having taken a zillion pictures over the years, I think that loose powders generally look better than pressed powders in person and in pics — softer, I guess. Less like makeup and more like real skin. But MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural bucks that trend. When I wear it, my skin looks even toned, smooth, and it doesn’t look shiny (nor does it look severely matte). The powder also doesn’t look super obvious.

The effect reminds me of Chanel’s Loose Powder, which is absolutely beautiful, but Chanel’s powder is also 1) much more expensive ($52 vs. $32 for this), 2) available in fewer shades.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana

August 31st, 2021 by Karen 13 Comments

mac havana extra dimension eye shadow — Havana oh-nah-nah

Good morning, my friend! Here’s another look at one of my favorite MAC eyeshadows of all time, Extra Dimension Eyeshadow in Havana. It’s a deliciously gorgeous brown that I think you’ll love. I’ve worn it for years and still love it just as much as ever.

Girl… One day. One day I’ll sit down, put on my makeup for the day, and NOT do a brown smoky eye.

But today was not that day. 🙂

I had to run errands, and I wasn’t about to spend 45 minutes on my makeup just to buy some Charmin, so I went with something I’m (very) familiar with. I had to go to the pediatrician’s office to get a form for Connor’s pre-school enrollment, and then hit Target to get an industrial-sized case of toilet paper because last night I realized that we only had four rolls left in the house — total — which amplified my anxiety by like a million percent, so out came one of my favorite brown eyeshadows in the world, MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana.

I think it deserves more love than it gets.

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 havana swatch — Oh, my gosh! It’s a floating arm!!

Side note: whenever I say “Havana,” I think of that Camila Cabello song.

Havana, oh-nah-nah… La-la-la-la-la-la Havana oh-nah-nah…

That’s about the only part I know, LOL!

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5 Fabulous MAC Lipsticks to Celebrate National Lipstick Day!

July 29th, 2021 by Karen 15 Comments

Happy National Lipstick Day, team! 💄🥰💖 I’m going need you to drop the color you’re wearing today in the comments, or, heck, even if you aren’t wearing lipstick today, what has graced your lips lately? Or, what lip color do you normally wear the most?

Here are five of my personal faves (these are all from MAC), and, uh…I wear these colors a lot! There are two bold brights — juicy red (All Fired Up) and neon pink (Candy Yum-Yum).

Of course, there are also a couple of neutrals, namely Velvet Teddy and Half ‘N Half, a.k.a. “The MAC Lipstick Loves of My Life.”

And then the “in between” color is Model Off-Duty, which is from the Powder Kiss Collection.

Let me put it this way: I LIKE THESE COLORS A LOT.

mac lipstick national lipstick day 2021 — Swatches, babe!

Since we’re on the topic of lipstick, when you think about it — I mean really think about it — is there a lipstick out there from any brand that makes you feel magnificent when you wear it? “Magnificent.” That’s such a powerful word, isn’t it? Magnificent! Inquiring lipstick-loving minds want to know. 😻

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Summery Makeup Look With Coral Cheeks and Lips and Blue Lashes, and Carrying On

July 28th, 2021 by Karen 13 Comments

OK, so fun fact: right before I put on this makeup, I had a minor meltdown. Long story short, El Hub is back in the office and Connor’s at camp, so it’s just me and Rosie all by ourselves at home, and even though I love her torbie-tude and her sassy company, I’m having trouble adjusting to being alone again. For over a year now, I’ve constantly had someone nearby, and now that I’m by myself again for long stretches of time, well, it’s weird. It’s waaaaaay too quiet. I thought I would love having so much time to myself, but when the house is silent and all I can hear is the hum of the air conditioner…I feel isolated and very lonely.

Anyway, I’ve been trying this new thing where I “lean in” to whatever uncomfortable feelings I’m experiencing, so that instead of fighting it, I allow myself to just feel the feelings and let the sadness pass over me. Does that make sense? Leaning into it for me usually means walking for 10 minutes or so on the treadmill or outside to get my body moving, and listening to music. Sometimes I cry to get it all out. After I do this, I usually feel better.

Yesterday this was the song I listened to while I walked…

Afterwards, I felt so much better that I even put on some makeup. Not a ton, but just enough to feel like myself again. I did blue lashes with coral cheeks and lips and a touch of bronzer. Very summery!

I only used a handful of products…

The main focal point is the blue mascara, which, by the way, is Blue Ya Mind by Colourpop. I bought it on a whim at Ulta last month, and eh, it’s just OK. I probably won’t buy it again because it’s not particularly great at curling or fattening up lashes on its own, but when I layer it on top of a waterproof mascara, it’s doable. I have it here on top of a single coat of waterproof Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara.

I’m also wearing my favorite gel bronzer and gel blush by Chantecaille on my cheeks and lids. I like to do a 50/50 mix on my cheeks, let that layer dry, and then dab just the blush on the apples of my cheeks. For my eyes, I applied the bronzer on my lids with my fingers. SO EASY!

The blue lashes and bronzy coral cheeks pair well with a matte coral lipstick (MAC Crossfade), but I think a coral gloss would’ve looked good with this too.

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: Avene Solaire UV Tinted Mineral Sunscreen, Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid in Sand
EYES: Chanel Boy de Chanel Brown Pencil in Deep Brown, Colour Pop Volumizing Mascara in Blue Ya Mind, Chantecaille Radiance Gel Bronzer, Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara

CHEEKS: Chantecaille Radiance Gel Bronzer, Chantecaille Cheek Gelee in Happy

LIPS: MAC Crossfade

Is anybody else out there experiencing something similar? I can’t be the only person having trouble adjusting to the latest new normal.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen