MAC Cosmetics

The MAC Ellie Goulding Collection Is Polished Pop Star Power

December 4th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

There’s also a video review in this post. If it’s not appearing, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

Wearing a sexy scuba outfit while rocking big blonde hair that looks like it’s being whipped back by 12 Beyoncé fans doesn’t mean you have to go OTT with your makeup.

The first time I saw the sexy scuba promo pic for the MAC Ellie Goulding collection on Instagram a while back, I thought, “OOH! LOVE! Now this is makeup I would want to wear.” It looks so approachable and fresh, but there’s still some drama to it, like the black-winged liner and falsies. I think Ellie just looks really beautiful.

Then I saw the promo pics for the products and fell head over heels.

I’m not sure, but I might be in the minority when it comes to how much I love these colors, specifically the warm browns and neutral browns, but I’m sorry. I’m not 22 years old and about to rock an emerald green eyeshadow to Costco anymore.

I mean…I’ll do it on occasion, 🙂 but when I think of makeup that I know I can wear over and over and over again, it’s things like this: warm browns on the eyes; beautiful bronzy cheeks with a peachy glow and juicy, glossy coral lips.

In that promo pic, Ellie looks like she’s either about to belt out a song, or make out with somebody, LOL!

mac ellie goulding ill hold my brush — MAC Ellie Goulding Powder Blush Duo in I’ll Hold My Breath ($28)

mac ellie goulding halcyon days — MAC Ellie Goulding Halcyon Days ($44)

MAC releases so many collections, but for me, this one stands out. The brand does stuff with singers all the time, but sometimes their collaborations seem a little half-@ssed, ya know? Like the Mariah Carey one? Come on… One lipstick and no special packaging? Like, that’s it? But this got the full red carpet treatment.

Lots and lots more info in the video at the top, and here are some swatches and pictures. Have a look, and let me know what you think.

mac ellie goulding halcyon nights — MAC Ellie Goulding Halcyon Nights ($44)

[Continue reading…]

MAC Unsung Heroes: High Tea Lipstick

December 4th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

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.

There ain’t no party like a high tea party ’cause a high tea party don’t stop!

This occurs to me not only because I’m currently craving tea and those tiny sandwiches from The Rotunda again (OH, MAH GOSH! So good…), but also because of the recently launched frosty beige MAC Mariah Carey Lipstick.

Even though I can totally picture Mimi rocking a frosty beige lipstick, it’s the kind of color that isn’t always easy to wear, which got me wondering about other MAC lipsticks with a kinda-sorta similar vibe.

After combing my mental MAC files, I remembered High Tea. It’s a $17 pearly beige pink in the MAC Lustre Lipstick line, and it has just enough frostiness to hit those high notes without being so frosty that it becomes difficult to wear.

mac high tea closeup — Wearing MAC High Tea on my lips

There was a time when I was regularly wearing tubes of High Tea down to the nub (you know I love me some nude lips). It’s one of those “it goes with everything” nude lipsticks, and I think it looks great by itself for a quickie nude lip.

Maybe because of the subtle frosty, shiny finish, it also makes my lips look a little fuller (I think). Yup, being a MAC Lustre, High Tea has a glossy, holiday-hoppin’ finish, but it isn’t sticky like a gloss, which means that I can wear it without worrying about my hair whipping around when it’s windy and getting stuck to my pout.
[Continue reading…]

MAC Unsung Heroes: Blooz Eye Kohl

December 2nd, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of my all-time favorite permanent collection products.

MAC COSTA RICHE: And there she goes! She’s grabbing Blooz, YET AGAIN.

MAC TEDDY: Seriously!? What’s up with that? She was using us every day, and now it’s like she doesn’t even know we exist. All she cares about is Blooz.

MAC COSTA RICHE: Yeah, and it’s giving me a case of the blues.

MAC TEDDY: Haha.

MAC COSTA RICHE: I’m not kidding! I miss being on her water lines…

MAC TEDDY: Me too. 🙁

MAC COSTA RICHE: You know what I want right now?

MAC TEDDY: What?

MAC COSTA RICHE: Brownies.

MAC TEDDY: Ooh!

MAC COSTA RICHE: Let’s make some brownies.

MAC TEDDY: YASSS! 🙂

If eyeliners could talk… I bet if Costa Riche and Teddy could talk, they’d be talking mad sh*t about MAC Blooz ($16.50). It’s one of MAC’s sassiest, sexiest dark navy liners, and it’s the only MAC Eye Kohl I’ve been wanting to wear lately.

But let’s back up a little… Cue the falling leaves and jingle bells! *jingle, jingle, jingle*

Every December, like clockwork, my eyes freak out, and the only liners I’m able to comfortably wear are the old-school MAC Eye Kohls. The dry, crisp air outside coupled with the dry, warm air inside from the heater, which runs nonstop this time of year, wreaks havoc on my lash and water lines. They practically cry out for moisture and won’t tolerate long-wearing eye products like gel liners that are just too drying.

I wouldn’t say that MAC’s old-school Kohls are moisturizing, but for whatever reason, they don’t bother my eyes in fall and winter when so many other things do. I was all about Teddy and Costa Riche for the past few winters, but now I’ve got the Blooz.

[Continue reading…]

MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Fleur Power Blush

November 25th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of my all-time favorite permanent collection products.

‘Tis the season for smoky eyes, fa-la-la-la-laa-la-la-la-laaaa!

But there isn’t just one season for smoky eyes, fa-la-la-la-laa-la-la-la-laaaa!

Every season is a good season for smoky eyes, fa-la-la-la-laa-la-la-la-laaaa!

OK now I’m gonna stop singing this dumb song, fa-la-la-la-laa-la-la-la-laaaa!

Seriously, though, fall and winter are the BEST seasons for wearing smoky eyes. That’s when they feel extra super duper *right* to me, along with wearing boots and sweaters and chunky knit scarves.

Even just generally, because of the cooler weather and no risk of sweating everything off, this is my favorite time to wear a little more makeup.

Good times, peeps. Good times. 🙂

And you know what can take your smoky eyes to the next level? — or, at least help you look more awake?

Blush. You gotta get some blush up in there, too.

At least I do; otherwise, I feel like I look asleep, which may be due to the fact that I’m really, really pregnant at the moment, and when it comes to sleep I’m like, “Huh? What’s that?”

Today, it’s all about MAC Fleur Power Blush ($22), homie. Wear it with smoky eyes — any smoky eyes — and you’ll be set. It’s a mid-temp pink with a kiss of coral, so it goes great with warm- or cool-toned smoky eye looks.

If you love a natural-looking pink cheek flush, like where you look like you just came in from the cold and your cheeks look all cherub-y, Fleur Power kicks butt.

It’s an excellent everyday blush with all-day staying power, and I’d even go so far as to call it universally flattering.

And since it’s part of the MAC permanent line, you can always get your paws on it. No need to worry about it disappearing into limited edition makeup oblivion.

Technically a MAC Satin Blush, Fleur Power looks more like a matte on my cheeks. I hardly see anything satin or shimmery about it, but that also makes it treat my pores and fine lines well.

I usually wear Fleur Power with either brown or gray smoky eyes, by the way, because I like how the pink injects some color into the look without taking over. Then I couple that with either a pale or bright pink lip.

You could also rock it with a brighter eye look, like a purple or blue smoky eye, but in that case, I’d probably go with a nude lip instead of pink, lest you end up with a whole lotta color on your face… Unless that’s what you want, and if you do, hey, that’s cool too.

mac fleur power swatch — MAC Fleur Power Blush swatched on my NC42 skin

[Continue reading…]

MAC Mariah Carey Frost Lipstick in All I Want

November 18th, 2015 by Karen 31 Comments

There should be a video in this post, but if you can’t see it, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

mac mariah carey all i want lipstick — MAC Mariah Carey Frost Lipstick in All I Want ($17, coming exclusively to the MAC website Dec. 3)

I don’t think I’ve been this excited about a frosty pale lipstick since the late ’90s. Seriously, all I need now is a plummy black lip liner, and then it’s “Hello, 1997!”

Say “seasons greetings” to new MAC Mariah Carey Frost Lipstick in All I Want ($17).

I have to admit that Mimi was the main reason I took an early interest in this color.

Did I mention I’m a fan?? I think I may have mentioned it once or twice… 🙂 I’ve been a fan of hers since the very beginning, and by “very beginning,” I’m talking about the Vision of Love days.

I mean, I don’t bid on locks of her hair on eBay or anything, but I did take my mom to a Mariah Carey concert once (I think she enjoyed it), and I did make my brother watch Glitter with me on opening day (I know FOR SURE that he did not enjoy it, haha!).

And I know almost all of the words to all of Mariah Carey’s songs…

mac mariah carey all i want closeup — MAC Mariah Carey Frost Lipstick in All I Want ($17)

So, yeah. Needless to say, I was pretty psyched when I heard about MAC All I Want Lipstick (it’s an online exclusive coming Dec. 3 to the MAC website).

On my lips, it’s a frosty, shimmery champagne with little bits of silver glitter in it for an extra element of cuteness, and coverage-wise, I can still see a bit of my natural lip color peeking through when I wear it.

Now, I’ve seen Mariah wear colors like this before, so it makes complete sense to me that it’s the product of a MAC/Mariah collaboration.

mac mariah carey all i want swatch — Wearing MAC Mariah Carey All I Want Frost Lipstick

[Continue reading…]

Introducing MAC Maximized False Lashes Maximizer

November 16th, 2015 by Karen 34 Comments

See that pristine white porcelain candelabra/bed post in the picture below?

Haha, just kidding. It’s actually a tube of new $17 MAC False Lashes Maximizer (coming to the MAC website November 30 and to MAC counters and stores December 3), and it only stayed looking pristine like that for about 18.325 seconds…which is about how long it took me to get foundation fingerprints all over it.

If I didn’t know better, I would have assumed that this stuff was designed to take false eyelashes to the next level, because of its name, False Lashes Maximizer, but it’s actually designed to make the most of your real lashes.

It’s a lash treatment and volumizing lash primer rolled into one, with the idea being that it’s supposed to make your real lashes look like falsies.

As the owner of stick-straight, underwhelming natural lashes, THAT’S an idea I can totally get behind. 🙂

The formula, which goes on white but dries clear, is supposed to condition lashes while priming them for mascara layered on top, and it’s also supposed to make your lashes look thicker and plumper.

So it’s basically a mascara primer, but unlike some others, it doesn’t have those tiny fibers in the formula.

[Continue reading…]

MAC Berry Black Friday Patentpolish Lip Pencil

November 12th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

For me Black Friday means sitting in my pajamas and eating leftover Thanksgiving pecan pie for breakfast.

And maybe also for lunch…

And perhaps dinner…

Aaand it also means playing Fill the Online Shopping Cart, which is a game I like to play where I see how much I can put into various online shopping e-carts with no intention of actually completing the checkout, and going “WOW!” as the tally grows into the thousands of dollars. 🙂

LOL!

For MAC, Black Friday means another limited edition makeup launch on one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

This year, they’re putting the focus on lips with a new shade of Patentpolish Lip Pencil called Berry Black Friday. It’s a blackened plum with a shiny finish, and it’ll be $20, available exclusively on the MAC website (I believe it’s a one-day limited edition product available only on Black Friday).

If you like sheer-to-medium coverage dark lip shades, it’s a beauty.

mac berry black friday — MAC Berry Black Friday Patentpolish Lip Pencil

[Continue reading…]

MAC Dita Von Teese | Von Teese Matte Lipstick

November 10th, 2015 by Karen 36 Comments

There should be a video right here, but if not, you can also watch it on YouTube.

mac dita von teese — MAC Dita Von Teese Matte Lipstick in Von Teese ($28)

You know you’re a little obsessed with typography and fonts when you notice things like how the swoosh on the lower case “t” slides under the dot above the “i” on MAC’s new Dita Von Teese Lipstick, and your first thought is “Dang! I wish I’d thought of that.”

It’s those little touches, man!

Limited edition MAC Matte Lipstick in Von Teese ($18) is an online exclusive arriving on the MAC website ~~December 7~~ December 9, and as you’ve probably already guessed, it’s a collaboration with burlesque beauty/dancer/author Dita Von Teese.

Yup, she’s also an author. Her new book, Your Beauty Mark: The Ultimate Guide to Eccentric Glamour, arrives in bookstores December 1.

The lipstick, on the other hand, isn’t very eccentric. It’s a pretty classic take on matte tomato red, and it’s very, very Dita. Her love for matte red lips is well known.

On me, it’s an opaque warm red with a hint of yellow, and the hint doesn’t take it into MAC Lady Danger Land, so there aren’t any orange undertones.
[Continue reading…]