MAC Makeup

MAC Unsung Heroes: Bombshell Lipstick

June 2nd, 2011 by Karen 44 Comments

mac bombshell lipstick

I’ve always loved the theatricality of makeup, and by that I mean more than just its ability to alter our appearance (the WHIZZ! BAM! POP!), but also how something as seemingly insignificant as a tube of lipstick can completely change the way we feel and how we see ourselves.

Take today’s Unsung Hero, the mighty MAC Lipstick in Bombshell ($14.50). One minute with it on, and I feel my inner Mary Ann turning into Ginger!

Sometimes this frosty golden pink gets typecast as a “Barbie pink,” and it’s not hard to see why. Like Barbs, she can be quite flirty and fun, but this Bombshell is also capable of playing other roles, like seductive siren/Bond girl. 🙂

While Barbie cruises the PCH in her pink convertible, Bombshell tests her Masarati on the streets of Monaco. Girlfriend werks a pair of four-inch patent-pink Louboutins and a black tank dress. She’s on her way to a high-stakes poker game to gather intel, her slick ponytail whipping in the wind as she takes every turn a little too fast. Although her mind is on her mission, she recalls the brief but witty exchange she had with a charming billionaire last night. She wouldn’t mind getting to know him better, but now is not the time.

LOL! Yeah, that’s my Bombshell. Sure, she’s pink and girly, but she might just kick your @ss.

mac bombshell lipstick

mac bombshell lipstick swatch
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Sunbasque Sheertone Shimmer Blush

June 1st, 2011 by Karen 60 Comments

mac sunbasque blush

At the top of the list of not-so-smart things I’ve done over the past few days: starting to watch a scary movie at 10:30 p.m. Yes, that’s when I cranked up Insidious the other night thinking I’d only watch “10 minutes of it” before going straight to bed.

Bad idea.

Of course I had to finish it, which was like watching Britney’s infamous breakdown (I couldn’t look away!), except with sudden loud noises, scary silhouettes seen through darkened windows, and creaky wooden floors. NOTE TO SELF: films featuring demon possession do not make for relaxing bedtime fare.

Luckily, I also managed to do something pretty smart this week, which almost balances things out. I remembered where I put my missing pan of MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Sunbasque ($19.50), one of my summer faves for sunkissed cheeks, and arguably one of MAC’s user-friendliest (I don’t think that’s a real word…) blushes.

Sheertone and I met a couple of years ago at a MAC counter when I’d asked a MAC artist for a blush recommendation. I wanted something easy that would look great with a tan, and she pulled out Sunbasque, a shimmery, peachy pink bronze. What made it special, she said, was the slight red it contains, which complements the reddish tones in tanned skin.

It’s like a multifunction printer, but instead of printing, scanning and faxing, it blushes, bronzes and highlights. The bronze tones lend warmth to my cheeks, while the peachy pink adds a flush of color. The subtle shimmer just draws a little more attention to the face, but not so much that I look like I’m rollin’ straight to da club.

Two layers (it’s sooo easy to blend), and I look like I spent the entire day practicing cannonballs at the pool…and napping and reading Us Weekly.

mac sunbasque blush in pan

mac sunbasque blush swatch
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12 Ways to Wear MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass

May 31st, 2011 by Karen 110 Comments

When I imagined MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass ($14.50), I really wanted it to be flexible — something that wouldn’t only look pretty on its own, but would also work with as many other products as possible.

Here are 12 possible pairings to spark some ideas (featuring some of my favorite peach, pink and coral MAC Lip Pencils, Cremestick Liners and Lipsticks). Oh, and please let me know in the comments if you can think of any other cool combos to try.

mac evolution revolution lipglass Hibiscus

mac evolution revolution lipglass hibiscus

mac evolution revolution lipglass Hibiscus

mac evolution revolution lipglass Subculture

mac evolution revolution lipglass subculture

mac evolution revolution lipglass Subculture
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The MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions Collection: MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass

May 30th, 2011 by Karen 281 Comments

mac evolution revolution lipglass

I suppose the very first spark that led to MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass ($14.50) ignited one day in Mrs. Mannah’s second-grade class. The year was 1982, and I’d just met Jen, who would quickly become one of my lifelong BFFs.

Evolution Revolution is the shade I created for the upcoming MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions Collection, a nine-piece collection of MAC Eyeshadows and Lipglasses launching June 21, exclusively online (available now!). It’s also the real reason for the secret squirrel trip I took to Toronto last April.

MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass

MAC Lipglass in Evolution Revolution

mac evolution revolution lipglass

Jen and I still recall with frightening accuracy all of the cute boys in our second-grade class. “Remember Lee, with the missing tooth?” Jen will ask. “Oh, yeah,” I’ll reply. “Total hottie.”

Sometimes I find it hard to believe, but we’ve been obsessing over boys for nearly 27 years. Jen’s having a baby boy in the fall, and I can already tell he’s going to be the new object of our affections.

The next piece of the EvRev puzzle fell into place the very next year in Mrs. Hartunian’s third-grade class, which is when I met Cindy. She had long black hair, a talent for drawing graceful pictures of glamorous girls, and a great Granny Goose potato chip hookup (her dad worked there, so she would always bring a huge box of assorted chips to every class party).

Cindy is still my number one surf buddy, and the one person I can always depend on when I’m feeling blue.

But Evolution Revolution’s real roots didn’t take hold until high school, when Jen, Cindy and I all played flute in the school band. It was between orchestra rehearsals and marching band competitions (BAND GEEKS!) that our friendship really grew.

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My MAC Thursday Surf Baby Face of the Day

May 26th, 2011 by Karen 57 Comments

mac surf baby

If you’d asked me 15 years ago (back when I was deep into my brown/pink eyeshadow phase) if I’d wear a yellow shadow like Sun Blonde, I probably would have said, “OH, HELL NAW!”

I was pretty conservative with my makeup back then and almost never ventured out of my comfort zone. That slowly changed over time. Now, when it comes to wearing bold eye makeup, I’m still not a Rainbow Brite girl, but I am more adventurous than I was.

When I find a color I really like, I’ll try to figure out ways to wear it that I know I’ll feel comfortable in — sometimes it’s a bright pop on the lids, a subtle wash in the crease or a sweep along my lower lash lines.

I also like to balance my brights with neutrals, and for my makeup today I played with the yellow and teal shades from MAC Surf Baby, pairing them with browns and beige.

MAC Surf Baby products used for this look, clockwise from the lipgloss in the lower left: Lipglass in Krazy Kahuna, Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Blue Noon, Studio Careblend Pressed in Gold-Go-Lightly, Eyeshadow in Short Shorts, Eyeshadow in Surf USA and Eyeshadow in Sun Blonde

Hibiscus, one of the Surf Baby makeup looks on the MAC website, gave me the overall idea, and using a mix of limited edition Surf Baby products and MAC permanent collection sweets, I ended up with a look featuring teal, yellow, brown, coral and beige.

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If Pressed to Answer, I’d Say Yes! I Care Deeply for the MAC Surf Baby Careblend Pressed Powders

May 24th, 2011 by Karen 33 Comments

mac surf baby careblends review

With MAC Surf Baby riding onto counters soon and already hanging ten online, I thought this might be a good time to wax our surfboards philosophic about two superstars from the limited edition collection, the Studio Careblend Pressed Powders in Lush-Light Bronze and Gold-Go-Lightly ($28 each).

I love the Careblends. Like really, really love them. MAC added the line of sheer-to-medium coverage face powders, arguably some of the company’s best face products to date, to their permanent line earlier this year.

Where some tinted face powders can look chalky and/or develop cracks and creases, the Careblends, with a finish just shy of a matte, look like flawless, real skin to me. Lightweight and smooth, they’re also a joy to blend, never irritating the combination dry/oily/acne-prone skin on my face.

MAC Surf Baby Studio Careblend
Studio Careblend/Pressed Powders in Lush-Light Bronze (left) and Gold-Go-Lightly (right)

And the limited edition Careblends MAC included with the Surf Baby release are just as fab as the eight shades already living in the permanent line. I’ve been wearing golden tan Gold-Go Lightly (reminds me of a matte version of NARS Laguna) and pinkish brown Lush-Light Bronze (goes great with a tan!) this week to contour, and also to give my face a warmer look, much like I would with a bronzing powder.

My routine has gone a little something like this…

Forehead — Sometimes a single foundation and powder color all over my face can make my skin appear flat. Dusting a Careblend across my forehead, one of the places where the sun would normally fall, with a big, fluffy powder brush gives the entire face more realistic dimension through subtle variations in color.
Cheeks — Next, to emphasize my cheekbones, I load a small blush brush with one of the Careblends and follow the curves along the bottom of the apples of my cheeks, up toward my ears.
Jawline — Then, to further sculpt the face, I sweep a Careblend along my jawline with the same small blush brush I used for my cheeks.
Eyes — Finally, to really open up my eyes (because you know my @ss looks hella tired all the time, LOL!), I sweep a Careblend into my creases and along my lower lash lines with a domed fluffy crease brush.

Surf Baby does also feature two Bronzing Powders, Solar Riche and Refined Golden ($24 each); I’ve tried them and think they’re solid products, but if I had to choose one or the other, a Bronzing Powder or Careblend, I’d grab one of the Careblends in a heartbeat. I just think they’re a little easier to use, useful in a wider range of situations and look more realistic. I’ve worn them atop bare skin, foundation and even tinted moisturizer, and in every case they’ve done well.
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Clear Lipglass

May 13th, 2011 by Karen 25 Comments

MAC Clear Lipglass

Kissed by the same shining light that blessed that pair of Manolo Blahnik patent-leather Mary Jane heels you’ve been coveting since forever, MAC Clear Lipglass ($14.50) makes other clear glosses question their line of work. 🙂

With wear time I can only characterize as supernatural, MAC Clear Lipglass outlasts them all. I applied it once before a marathon shopping day at a four-level mall (I was looking for a new bikini… Lipgloss always seems to ease the pain of seeing myself jiggling from all angles in the fitting room), and six hours later it was still going strong. When it comes to longevity, this is one lipgloss that does not mess around.

It even feels serious on my lips (even through MAC’s trademark light vanilla taste and scent), like it came to throw down. The thick, sticky texture gives it great wear time, but it’s a turnoff for some (I kinda love it though).

MAC Clear Lipglass is my favorite clear gloss, and just like a pair of black patent-leather pumps, it works in so many ways…

For a simple, subtle sheen — The way I usually wear it. All it takes is just a tiny drop on the lips distributed with a lip brush (or just by rubbing/moving your lips around).
For lips that go va-va-va-voom! — When I’m in the mood for big, juicy lips with mirror-like shine, I’ll swipe a lip brush across the slanted tip of the tube, and apply a layer either directly to bare lips, or atop a lipstick or lip pencil.
All mixed up — MAC also suggests mixing Clear Lipglass with pigments and applying anywhere except for the eye area. NOTE: If you plan to apply a mixture containing pigments to your lips, double check with your nearby MAC store first to confirm that the pigments you plan to use are safe for use on the lips, because not all of them are.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Teddy Eye Kohl

May 11th, 2011 by Karen 40 Comments

I firmly believe that life’s too short to waste wearing boring brown eyeliners (or, on an unrelated note, wearing shoes in summer).

Today’s inductee into the hallowed halls of MAC Unsung Heroics is called Teddy, and when it comes to boring, he’s anything but. Teddy is a MAC Eye Kohl ($14.50) pencil, an intensely rich, dark bronzy brown with subtle golden shimmer, and it’s that shimmer that takes Teddy from the bored-room to the ~~bedroom~~ best room (haha! oops, bad pun).

I think I use Teddy almost as often as MAC Powersurge. It’s one of those colors that always seems appropriate, day or night, and it totally hits the spot when I want to draw extra attention to my eyes but don’t feel like wearing basic black.

Its soft, creamy texture glides along my lash and water lines, defining the shape of my eyes. Every so often I’ll even wear it as a base by smudging it onto my lids; other times I might layer it beneath powder shadows, where I think it looks particularly cute with bronzy golds like MAC Woodwinked.

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