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MAC Loud and Clear, Glow Play Blush Collection Swatches on NC42 Skin

February 6th, 2020 by Karen 22 Comments

mac loud and clear collection — The MAC Loud and Clear Collection and Glow Play Blushes, both available now at select MAC locations and the MAC website

Man, I couldn’t get this on my arm and face fast enough. First of all, NEUTRALS. Second, MAC.

Seriously, too good.

Technically, you are looking at two LE MAC collections. One is Loud and Clear, which consists of single Eyeshadows ($18 each), Lipsticks ($20), Lipglasses ($18.50) and Extra Dimension Skinfinishes ($37 each), and the other is a collection of Glow Play Blushes ($30 cheek colors extraordinaire).

A few high-level observations:

The blushes are not in the standard-issue powder formula. They have a creamy, bouncy formula and feels gel-like. They’re silky. They’re soft, and they work best when applied with my fingers. I believe they’ll be fab friends to five-minute makeup.
As for the eyeshadows, they feel softer than usual, like they have more “give” than usual for MAC powder shadows. I have high hopes for them, especially because they appear to be more intense than usual, too.
If you like monochromatic looks, this is the collection for you. There are several coordinating eye/cheek/lip products (this becomes more apparent when you separate the items into color families). I love matchy-matchy makeup because I think it’s easy sophisticated, so I’m all about that life.
THE PACKAGING! It’s kinda Shu Uemura, yah? I’m into the clear cases, not just because they look cool, but they’re also practical, because it’s easy to tell what shade they are from the front and the back.

mac loud and clear collection swatches lipstick and lipglass — Lipsticks ($20 each) and Lipglasses ($18.50 each)

mac loud and clear collection swatches eyeshadow extra dimension skinfinish — Eyeshadows ($18 each) and Extra Dimension Skinfinishes ($37)

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MAC Lunar Illusions Collection in Action With Swatches on NC42 Skin

January 6th, 2020 by Karen 8 Comments

mac lunar illusions 2020 — The new MAC Lunar Illusions collection, available now

OK, I totally get it. MAC-aholics are always questing to find “The Newest Newness,” but every now and zen (hint, hint), a MAC collection comes along that puts the classics in the spotlight. And ya know what? I’m not mad at it.

The new Lunar Illusions collection highlights so many MAC must-haves. The Now and Zen eyeshadow palette alone is packed with greatest hits like Soft Brown (LOVE), Honey Lust, Omega, Expensive Pink and good ol’ Tilt, which is a beautiful bluish green…and that’s just for starters!

The shades may be repromotes, but that LE packaging is a fresh twist, so if you’re on the market for a replacement tube of Ruby Woo Lipstick, why not grab one of these for fun?

mac lunar illusions swatches nc42 skin — From the top: Lipsticks ($20 each), Lipglasses ($18.50 each), Blush Split Pan ($31), Eyeshadow X 9 ($33). Not pictured: Extra Dimension Skinfinish ($37).

mac lunar illusions eyeshadow — Lids: Eyeshadow X 9 in Soft Brown, Omega, Honey Lust and Tilt. Cheeks: Blush Split Man in Pinch O’ Peach and Modern Mandarin (mixed together). Lips: Marrakesh Lipstick topped with Magically Delightful Lipglass.

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Product Spotlight: MAC Opalescent Powder in Rising Star, From the New Starring You Holiday 2019 Collection

November 14th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

mac rising star — Shoot for the Stars, Rising Star!

This Rising Star from MAC ? is shooting straight to the top of my list of “Best of the Best Makeup to Wear With MAC Teddy.”

(Wait…doesn’t everyone keep that list around?)

Of all the things in the new MAC Starring You holiday makeup collection (which is the sub-collection of makeup within the mega collection of LE holiday items, including the kits and palettes), warm golden Rising Star ($36) face powder is the 1) most wearable eye product IMO, and 2) the kindest to fine lines, which makes it the star of the show in my book.

And, oh yeah, it looks amazing when you wear it with MAC Teddy! (Totally key.)

Rising Star is a warm golden pressed powder in the MAC Opalescent Face Powder fam. It’s a pressed powder with finely-spun grains of granulated powder that practically float atop your skin, and it’s designed to be worn as a highlighter.

Are you familiar with the Hourglass Ambients? If so, MAC’s Opalescent Face Powders are very similar in terms of texture and finish, but with slightly higher shine.

As a highlighter, it gives cheeks a soft, subtle candlelit glow…but I like to take my cues from MAC artists who use it as an eyeshadow! That’s where I think it really shines (pun intended).

I buff it on top of my lids with a MAC 217, and it automatically adds a glam “Charlotte Tilbury-ness” to my lids, especially when I wear it atop a base of MAC Teddy liner.

It’s an easy and elegant eye look, which is totally my style, and best of all, the powder lasts all day. I wore this eye makeup to the bakery the other day, and it stayed put for a solid 14 hours!

mac rising star k — Rising Star Powder layered on top of a base of MAC Teddy liner

mac rising star look — Makeup worn in this look

Makeup in this look

Eyes: MAC Teddy (base), MAC Rising Star (lids), Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (crease), MAC Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash (lashes), MAC Concrete and It Cosmetics Prow Power (brows)

Base: Estee Lauder Double Wear mixed with Becca Backlight Priming Filter

Cheeks: NARS Amour (this looks really great with MAC Smoked Almond lipstick)

Lips: Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, MAC Smoked Almond, NARS Chelsea Girls

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

To Me, From Me

November 13th, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

trader joes 12 days of beauty — You guys, I had to do it!

LOOK WHAT I FOUND AT TJ’s!

This 12 Days of Beauty gift box is $20, and it comes with 12 beauty minis exclusive to Trader Joe’s. Everything it comes with is listed on the back (and reproduced below), so it’s not a super-hard-to-figure-out surprise…but if you don’t wanna know what it comes with (SPOILER ALERT), look away meow.

I’m serious, look away!

This is your last warning…

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The MAC Holiday 2019 “Starring You” Collection! (Swatches on NC42 Skin)

November 13th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

mac starring you holiday 2019 collection — The new limited edition MAC Starring You Holiday 2019 collection, available now

As the name would imply, “you,” or “we,” are intended to be stars of this show — the MAC Holiday 2019 “Starring You” collection show — since it’s starring…you, buuuut as much as I love ya, the real stars of this show are the glitter and frost.

Sorry! But yeah. Lots. O’. Glitter.

This release is all about big bling.

Quick MAC backstory: every year, MAC releases a massive limited edition holiday collection that includes a bunch of gift sets and at least one large makeup collection. The swatches here (all on my NC42 skin) are of the products in this year’s makeup collection.

First, the LE packaging stands out with glossy black compacts and tubes and caps sprinkled with multicolored disco glitter, and it’s very disco ’70s over-the-top glam. 🙂

Me like.

It definitely makes a certain kind of impression…that we are here to have a party!

Also, I mean, I guess one could wear every product here on their face at once, because why not, right? Life is short. Might as well wear all the glitter you can, but for me, that would be a lot of look, especially to wear to work during the day. So, I’m much more likely to pick just one element, maybe two at the most, of bling, and keep the rest of my makeup low-key.

My favorite things in this collection are the intensely pigmented, sparkly loose eyeshadows, which are amazingly still totally wearable. Definitely give the purple and coppery bronze ones a swatch (the coppery bronze one looks like a loose eyeshadow version of MAC Teddy!).

I also like the glosses, which, like the eyeshadows, are shimmery, but still subtle enough to wear to most jobs.

My faves are the lightest colors — Counting Stars and Young Star — which look like nude, glossy lips when you pair them with MAC classic liners like Subculture and Whirl.

mac holiday 2019 swatches — Swatches of the entire Starring You makeup collection on my NC42 skin

mac starring you kiss of star lipsticks — Kiss of Stars Lipsticks, $20 each

mac starring you spellbinder — Spellbinder Shadows, $25 each

mac starring you face powder — Opalescent Powders, $36 each

mac starring you holiday 2019 packaging — Glitter, glitter everywhere!

OK, if it’s MAC Holiday collection time already, then the holidays are officially near! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Space Buns and Sparkly Purple Lids

November 12th, 2019 by Karen 11 Comments

triple hair buns — I may or may not have about a billion bobby pins in my hair at the moment.

I’m sure this tri-bun hairstyle has an official/formal name, but I intend to call it “space buns,” because there’s something undeniably Star Wars about it…

If I were hurtling through space on a rocket bound for Mars, and I was required to wear my hair up (to protect the sensitive electronic equipment from static discharge, you see), you better believe I would NOT be rocking a basic low pony.

SPACE BUNS ALL THE WAY, GIRLFRIEND.

Side note: Connor calls this a “pony hairstyle” because she’s into horses at the moment.

Maybe it’s the stars twinkling in the firmament…but sparkles and space buns just seem *right* to me, hence the purple glitter in this look.

mac wishful thinking — Wearing some newness from the MAC Holiday collection

I got a few compliments from my coworkers when I wore this to the bakery the other day. 🙂 It was nice. I think it was because this is one of those looks that isn’t too over the top in terms of base and lips (I kept the foundation super sheer and the lips glossy and subtly sparkly, which boosts the wearability for daytime), but I think the glitter is punchy and fun enough to catch your eye.

If you like this type of makeup, you need to follow Katie Jane Hughes on Instagram ASAP. She’s a celeb makeup artist known for her sheer base, the wings she does, and her penchant for sparkle. It’s very inspiring!

I’m using some new MAC products from the very sparkly Staring You holiday collection, by the way. This collection, which is out now, has new Spellbinder Shadows in glittery holiday shades (you might remember these ionized eyeshadows from 2016).

mac starring you holiday 2019 — The new, limited edition MAC Starring You holiday 2019 collection, available now

Two things if you plan on picking up one of these loose shadows: 1) most definitely DO NOT skip wearing an eyeshadow base; and 2) apply it using a stiff, flat eyeshadow brush, or your fingers.

If you’d like to chat more about the Spellbinders, drop me a comment. I’m happy to help!
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The MAC Pony Park Collection Is Luminous and Lighter Than Air!

September 26th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

mac pony park matte lip mousse — In the MAC Pony Park collection, you’ll find MAC’s latest lippie: a lightweight matte mousse

MAC’s new tarot-inspired collab with South Korean beauty blogger Pony Park (a.k.a. Park Hye-Min, a.k.a. a bondafide Instagram mega-star with over six million followers) makes me wish I could find my tarot cards…

I had a brief side gig as a tarot card reader, and by “brief,” I mean that it lasted all but a week, because I did one reading on my college roommate’s bestie, then lost my deck of cards in the shuffle of moving back home to the Bay Area.

Thus ended my brief stint as a diviner of fortunes!

Anyway, if I could find those tarot cards, they’d probably tell me what the universe (and you and I) probably already know: influencer collaborations are still a thing, and this one’s a big enough deal that MAC is releasing a brand-spankin’ new lip formula with it.

mac pony park collection — The MAC Pony Park collection

The Matte Lip Mousses ($20 each) practically float like feathery clouds and feel like an airy meringue whipped into soft peaks when you glide them across your lips.

Available in nine shades, ranging from neutrals to bright pinks to reds to deep plums, the Lip Mousses are the centerpiece in this limited edition collection, which features varying levels of luminosity, a central spoke in the wheel of K-beauty — and influencer Pony Park’s makeup looks.

MAC’s latest beauty partner, Pony Park

This looks fun.

Wearable, but with a twist

The Lip Mousses, along with the rest of the collection — a $35 eight-pan neutral eyeshadow palette, a $20 plumping gloss, a $30 pearly Fix+ setting spray, two highlighters ($37 each), a set of $19 lashes, a $58 face brush and a $35 eye brush — are all dressed in Tarot-inspired packaging.

mac pony park hocus pocus eye shadow — Hocus Pocus Eye Shadow X 8

mac pony park skys the limit cold comfort — Extra Dimension Skinfinishes and Prep+Prime Fix+

mac pony park matte lip mousse doe foot — Doe foot action

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New From bareMinerals: The Dusk Eyeshadow Palette and the Bounce & Blur Blushes

August 1st, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

bareminerals bounce blur — Bounce & Blur, by bareMinerals

Everything in my condo is bumping. The walls are rattling, floors are clanging… Oh, and these four new bareMinerals blushes and eyeshadow palette are bouncing.

We started doing the household repairs I mentioned the other day, which means LOTS of noise and workmen doing stuff right now, but I should be living like royalty (“I’m the queen of the world!”) with a new furnace, new water heater AND a working air conditioner by the end of the week. YAY!

With the tools banging and the classic rock blasting from the very nice workmen, concentrating has been…a challenge, so if I seem a little disheveled, that’s why.

Hella random side note regarding classic rock and misheard lyrics, but Bad Moon Rising just played a few minutes ago, and when the chorus started, instead of thinking, “There’s a bad moon on the rise,” I thought, “There’s a bathroom on the right.” THANKS, SUZANNE!

OK, bareMinerals has a few fun new powder products for fall that bare fingers will be bouncing over, literally. The items in their new Bounce & Blur Collection (two eye palettes and four blushes) have a squishy, soft texture that boomerangs right back at ya when you press on the pans. They’re purposefully made to lay down diffused, hazy color, so they’re better for washes of color than precise placement.

I’ve seen this bouncy formula before from Chanel, MAC, Maybelline and Kaja Beauty, and the bareMinerals formula is comparably slick and smooth (it’s not wet, though, like cream blush). The powder skates across the skin.

Bounce & Blush Eyeshadow Palette in Dusk ($29)

I like using these eyeshadows as single washes of color on the lid, because fading the edges doesn’t require any work. Of course, you could use ’em with a brush, but for me, fingers work best both for application and blending.

It’s like working with a crayon cream shadow, but in a pot, and it’s easy and, most of all, fun. If you like simple, diffused glowing lids, I think you’ll have a blast with these.
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