MAC Cosmetics

I miss recess…

Remember recess in school, when bell would go off every 45 minutes, and you’d sprint out of the classroom to the playground and basically run around and raise hell for 10 minutes?

Those were good times, yah? Good times…

I have a theory about recess. I think that if adults were mandated or otherwise required to take 10-minute recess breaks every 45 minutes, people would generally be less grumpy.

Picture yourself hanging upside-down next to your coworkers on a jungle gym, or sprinting down the street with everyone to see who makes it to the corner and back first. 🙂

I’m serious! — adult recess could revolutionize work as we know it, LOL!

But all kidding aside (yeah, right), I am a big fan of breaks, even though I haven’t always been very good about taking them.

I’ve been trying lately, though. Every day for the past few weeks I’ve been taking two 10-15 minute breaks per day, ideally away from the computer. I think it makes a big difference in my mood, too. Sometimes I’ll go for a quick walk; other times I’ll play with makeup, but it only counts if I get away from my computer.

See, the computer is the thing.

Today on my first break this morning I went for a 10-minute walk at the Indian Valley Open Space Nature Preserve, which is a couple blocks away.

That was like a mental health break, because I really needed to get outside.

Then on my second break I played with some of the 11 lip products from the new MAC Playland collection. I wanted to mess around with some bright, glossy lip combos using the Lipsticks and Lipglasses.

Combo Idea #1: Amplified Creme Lipstick in Happy-Go-Lucky + Lipglass in Pure Silliness

Combo Idea #2: Amplified Lipstick in Toying Around + Lipglass in Live It Up

Combo Idea #3: Frost Lipstick in Head in the Clouds + Lipglass in Bright Side

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It has been gloomy, wet and gray here all day today, both outside my house and inside my head.

CRANKY! — with a capital B for BRAT. That’s what I’ve been today.

Not even swatching all 12 of the new MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencils could cheer me up, which is like…unfathomable.

I mean, hello! — they have names like “Pleasant,” “Fearless” and “Revved Up,” and just look at how bright and shiny they are. Oh, yeah, and supremely moisturizing.

I just felt cooped up, tense and scatterbrained this afternoon. At one point I turned on Milli Vanilli’s Blame It on the Rain and listened to that for a while…

Didn’t help, so I just sat in my chair and pouted. 🙁

And then, finally, there was a break in the storm we’re having (which, incidentally, laid waste to my deck garden), and I saw sunshine outside. Sweet blue skies and sunshine, rejoice!

I pulled on my Zella hoodie, a pair of tennies and told Tabs, “BRB.” Then I went for a walk.

Just walked around my circle, down the big hill, then up the street and back. I looked for cats but didn’t see any. I also made myself look at random things — everything — really closely, like at the glistening wet asphalt and the rain drops hanging from the pine needles overhead and the lavender bushes along the side of the road and how they all lean the same direction together like choreographed dancers.

And then I felt better.

Better about everything.

Isn’t that weird? I spent hours today unsuccessfully trying to will myself to feel better (it’s nothing, really, just one of those days), and Mother Nature did it in 10 minutes.

That’s some powerful stuff right there. 🙂

In other news…here are swatches of the 12 new MAC Patentpolishes on my NC42 kisser (they’re $20 each US, $24 CDN).

I reviewed them last week but didn’t swatch all of the colors, so here goes. Maybe if you’re trying to decide among them, the swatches will help.

The MAC Patentpolishes are available online now at maccosmetics.com and coming April 3 to North American MAC counters (internationally this May).

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Four more days and zombie-filled nights until The Walking Dead season 4 finale, whoop-whoop!

We’ll see if I get any sleep…

I’m having another bout of insomnia, which, on the one hand, is a pain because — hello, dark circles! — but on the other hand, it’s kind of rad, because I’m usually up at the witching hour pondering pressing questions of great importance like, “If the characters from The Walking Dead were MAC Lipsticks, which ones would they be?”

Here are my picks for my favorite characters on the show. 🙂

Daryl Dixon — Lady Danger, a reddish coral

I seriously cannot imagine Daryl’s character being anything other than this edgy reddish coral. Like Lady Danger, he may keep you at arm’s length (the distance of a crossbow bolt perhaps?) until he gets to know you better.

But stick around, because once he lets you into his life, he’ll always have your back.

Also like Daryl, dressed up or dressed down, Lady Danger always looks hot. 😉

Rick Grimes — Crosswires, an orangey pink

I think of Rick as the everyman character, an ordinary guy thrust into extraordinary circumstances.

For a long time, he serves as the group’s de-facto leader, shouldering the burden of keeping everyone alive and making the tough decisions.

I definitely see him as Crosswires.

Rick’s a survivor, a man who tries to do the right thing, even when the right thing isn’t always clear.

Glenn Rhee — Brave Red, a warmish red

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