MAC Makeup

“Why, yes, Ryan Gosling, I am wearing something new. How nice of you to notice. It’s the new MAC Matchmaster Foundation ($32.50; available in 14 shades) in shade 5.0, and I’ve been wearing it for about a week…”

Okay, no, Ryan Gosling did not actually remark upon my makeup regimen, but I sure wish he had. I think he might find the technology behind MAC’s new liquid foundation almost as fascinating as I do.

Almost?

You see, it’s all about those spheres we talked about last week. For the new foundation, MAC encapsulated pigments in translucent spheres that they say allow Matchmaster to cover imperfections while still looking like real skin.

So does it work?

Well, that depends. Shade 5.0 definitely evens out my skin tone and covers everything I want it to cover, from the post-acne discoloring along my jawline (dang hormones have run amok!) to the light spots on my cheeks, but it doesn’t look completely natural to me.

I almost don’t even care, though, because of how much I love the lightweight feel and how long it keeps the shine on my forehead at bay (for hours). Unfortunately, I think it’s almost too good at washing out the natural variations in my skin tone and texture that would keep it looking real. I think my skin looks more natural when I wear Chanel Mat Lumiere, my current favorite foundation. With Matchmaker, I feel like I have to pay closer attention to my contouring with bronzer, lest my skin look totally flat.

It may have something to do with the shade I’ve been using… 5.0 isn’t a perfect match for me; it’s a little redder than my usual NC 42, but it was the closest shade I could find in the range to my skin.

I do notice that the reddish tones in 5.0 mellow out a bit after a few hours of wear and let through more of my natural skin tone, so maybe I just have to be a little more patient.

A few other notes…

No breakouts!

Knock on wood, but so far Matchmaker hasn’t triggered any breakouts on my combination oily/dry/acne-prone skin (read: generally fussy), so that’s a big plus.

Dry skin

Matchmaker doesn’t even flinch at oily skin, but it’s not as confident around the dry stuff. I can see it clinging to the few flakes I have on my cheeks.

Application

Almost like a gel. That’s how Matchmaker feels to me. It’s thicker than most liquid foundations and can apply a little streaky. I tried it a few different ways, and I think I got the most natural looking results when I applied it with a skunk brush and pressed it in with my fingers.

From the left: 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0
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I have mixed emotions about Styledriven’s MAC Pro Longwear Lipglasses…

As a longtime Lipglass fan (10 years plus!), I expected to fall hard for these super pigmented, ultra shiny, long-wearing glosses, but beyond a few similarities — a sticky consistency and a light vanilla flavor and scent — they’re quite unlike their older cousins. As for pigment, MAC increased the dosage. They also thickened the formula, cranked up the shine and replaced the traditional doe-foot applicator with a paddle in the shape of an hourglass.

Pro Longwear Lipglasses, $18.50 U.S./$22 CDN each, from the left: Lasting Achievement, Infinitely Likable, Full Speed Ahead, Driven By Love and Dark As Night

Pro Longwear Lipglasses swatches from the left: Dark As Night, Driven By Love, Full Speed Ahead, Infinitely Likable and Lasting Achievement
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Hark! Is that the herald angels singing or the sound of MAC Posh Paradise parading onto counters?

Huzzah! Huzzah! It’s the 20-piece Posh Paradise collection, and it officially arrives in stores and counters tomorrow (if you can’t wait, it is available now online).

The release features 10 Mattene Lipsticks, two Nail Lacquers and eight Paint Pots in luscious shades of red, pink, blue, plum, orange, bronze and gold.

Paint Pots, $17.50 U.S./$21 CDN each

I’m particularly stoked about the Paint Pots, like these four (of eight) I’ve been putting through their paces for the past few days. 🙂

Nubile

I how this peachy nude looks as a lid color and how it warmly brightens neutrals when they’re layered on top. Not only is it a breeze to blend and apply, but it also brightens up the dark areas beneath my eyes (blast you, insomnia!).
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

Imaginary

I think this blackened navy looks just as great beneath shimmery black shadows as it looks on its own. For these pics I swept it on my lids with a MAC 217 domed brush (was going for a soft watercolor effect). It’s quite a dark shade, though, and has been a tad tricky to apply.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

Genuine Treasure

This dark brushed golden metal reminds me of antiquing and Victorian wrought iron furniture. It’s easy to overdo, especially when applying with a flat brush or fingers (looks heavy and thick). Buffing it in with a MAC 217 has so far yielded the best results — a soft wash of shimmery golden glitter. Très elegant.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Treasure Hunt

While I do like this pearly yellow shimmer, it could have been called Patches, as that’s how it tends to apply (especially when used with a brush). Warm fingers help to smooth out the color.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Paint Pot in Genuine Treasure
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Wearing Street Art Eye Shadow on my eyes; In The Abstract Highlighter and Optical Bronzer on my cheeks

How does that song go again — “These boots heels aren’t meant for walking, because that’s not what they do”?

Something like that… You know what kind of heels I’m talking about. Most of us have at least one pair in our closet. Heels that look great on the shelf but hurt like hell when you take more than a few steps in ’em.

Don’t tell El Hub (shhh!), but I, uh, have a few heels like that in my closet. I call them my “look but don’t touch” shoes. Beautiful to look at, but they’re completely useless attached to a pair of feet.

That’s what I thought of today while playing with the pretty pans in the new MAC Art of Powder collection. The arresting designs emblazoned onto each of the three limited edition powders ($38 U.S./$46 CDN) are works of art in their own right.

So. Damn. Beautiful.

But when I try to transfer that beauty from the pans to my skin, well, that’s another story…
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