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MAC Makeup

MAC Graphic Garden and Look in a Box Swatches and First Impressions

June 22nd, 2009 by Karen 43 Comments

mac-nordstrom-beauty-exlusives-1

I’m getting fired up, fellow MAC fans! Next month two exclusive, Nordstrom-only MAC collections arrive, the first for ladies who love bright colors and the second for gals who gotta go neutral.

Both Graphic Garden and Look in a Box are Nordstrom Beauty Exclusives, special limited edition items made by big cosmetics lines like MAC and sold only at Nordstrom stores.

If you’re on the market for bright summer colors, consider the Graphic Gardens collection’s black and white flower print makeup bags and eyeshadow palettes, lip kits and brush kits ($35-50) in greens, blues, pinks and grays.

Or, if you’d prefer basic neutrals for your eyes, cheeks and lips, check out Look in a Box, which offers three color-coordinated makeup kits ($60 apiece, but valued at $100), each one with six pieces — eye, lip and face makeup as well as a kabuki brush — designed to create a complete look.

Last weekend I spent a few minutes with both of the upcoming collections — now available for pre-order at Nordstrom stores and online (for pick up or delivery next month).

Graphic Garden

mac graphic gardens eye shadow palette
Graphic Garden Palette, $35

I’m a palette kinda girl, so I was most interested in Graphic Garden’s two eyeshadow palettes, Graphic Garden and Fresh Cut ($35 each).

The Graphic Garden palette comes with six shimmery shadows in cool-toned shades of green, blue, gray, beige, purple and black. Each of the colors has excellent color payoff (soo rich!), and one could easily mix and match the shades for a variety of different looks.

mac graphic gardens fresh cut eyeshadow palette
Fresh Cut Palette, $35

Now, Fresh Cut kinda fooled me at first. Its pink, bronze and brown shades looked warm in the pans, but the shadows apply super sheer, requiring several layers on both my tan NC 35 skin as well as lighter NW 20.

mac-graphic-garden-baby-blooms-lip-bag
Baby Blooms Lip Bag, $35 (includes Lipglass in Baby Blooms; Lipsticks in Soft Illusion, Amplified Spice Flower; and a black makeup bag with a white floral print)

mac-graphic-gardens-summer-crop-lip-bag
Summer Crop Lip Bag, $35 (includes a Lipglass in Summer Crop; Lipsticks in Semi-Annual and Garden Bed; and a white makeup bag with a black rose print)

mac-graphic-gardens-brushes-define-and-blend
Define and Blend Brush Set, $50 (includes short-handled versions of the MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush, 190 Foundation Brush, 252 Large Shader Brush, 219 Pencil Brush and the 209 Eye Liner Brush, as well as a white makeup bag with a black rose print)

mac-graphic-gardens-brushes-shape-and-perfect-brush-kit
Shape and Perfect Brush Set, $50 (includes short-handled versions of the MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush, 129 Powder/Blush Brush, 275 Medium Angled Shading Brush, 212 Flat Definer Brush and 194 Concealer Brush, as well as a black makeup bag with a white floral print)

Correction: it looks like two of the brushes in the sets were mixed up in the store. The Define and Blend Brush Set should have the 128 Powder/Blush Brush, and the Shape and Perfect Set should have the 168 Large Contour Brush.

mac graphic garden swatches nc35
Graphic Garden on NC 35 skin

mac graphic gardens swatches eye shadow palette nw 20
Graphic Garden on NW 20 skin

mac graphic gardens swatches fresh cut nw 20
Fresh Cut on NW 20 skin

mac graphic gardens swatches summer fresh cut graphic garden palettes-1
Graphic Garden on the left and Fresh cut on the right; both on NC 35 skin

mac graphic gardens swatches eyeshadow palettes fresh cut graphic garden-on-nw-20
Graphic Garden on the left and Fresh cut on right; both on NC 20 skin
[Continue reading…]

There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup

What Are Your MAC Musts Haves? Friends & Family Sale Starts Today

June 16th, 2009 by Karen 62 Comments

mac-must-haves

Fellow MACaholics, is your wish list ready for MAC’s latest Friends & Family sale?

Good online only, the promotion runs today through June 18. Use coupon code SUMO (or try SAVE25 if SUMO doesn’t work), et, voila — 25% off purchases made on maccosmetics.com (valid in the US and Canada).

If you’re not able to take advantage of the sale this time around, no worries; MAC holds these sales a few times/year.

Not sure what to get with your discount? Well, it’s the trying to decide that’s my favorite part. 🙂

Here are some ideas among products that are currently available…

My MAC Must Haves!

  • MAC Russian Red Lipstick ($14; $10.50 after discount): “When I finally got my hands on MAC’s Russian Red lipstick, I had a minor Madonna fan freak-out moment. Madge rocked the Russian Red in her late-80s Blonde Ambition era. Remember the Express Yourself and Vogue videos? I taped them on MTV and replayed the sh*t out of both until my mom yelled at me to ‘turn it off!’ Parents just don’t understand.”
  • MAC Wipes Take it All Off ($24.50; $18 after discount): “These wipes work great. As usual, MAC’s got game. A single MAC Wipe removes all of my makeup, even waterproof mascara, and smells fresh and clean (like flowers and soap). The wipes don’t leave a sticky film on my skin, either, like Pond’s Clean Sweep wipes do.”
  • Cork, Soba, Brun and Concrete aka a Few Great Non-Orangey Brown Eyeshadows ($14.50 each; $11 after discount): “I can’t live without my MAC browns, so I raided my stash and found a couple non-orangey options.”
  • MAC Fix+ Rose ($17; $12.85 after discount ): “MAC took spring and rose waters and infused them with minerals, and the resulting face spray feels about as refreshing on my skin as anything I could imagine.”
  • MAC Blot Film ($12.50; $9.30 after discount): “It cuts down on the shine and leaves skin looking super matte without leaving a powdery residue.”
  • MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder ($21; $15.75 after discount): “Prep+Prime Finishing Powder looks natural when I dust it on my face with a powder brush. The finely milled powder melts right into the foundation. It never looks caked on or heavy and doesn’t leave one of those white, ashy casts.”
  • Two of my favorite MAC Greens — Humid Eyeshadow ($14.50; $11 after discount) and Golden Olive Pigment ($19.50; $14.60 after discount): “When I wear green eyeshadow, I usually try to work it into some sort of smokey variation, but for St. Patrick’s Day today I thought I’d try something with a little shimmer.”
  • MAC Amber Lights Eyeshadow ($14.50; $11 after discount): “Have you met MAC Amber lights? She’s a shimmery peach and bronze eyeshadow from MAC’s permanent collection.”
  • A few Mighty MAC Crease Brushes: “The 217 Blending Brush ($22.50; $17 after discount), the 219 Pencil Brush ($22.50, $17 after discount), and the 224 Tapered Blending Brush ($22.50; $17 after discount)>.”
  • MAC Club and Woodwinked Eye Shadows ($14.50 each; $11 after discount): “I could write sonnets on both of these colors, as they’ve seen me through a lot over the past few years. Club, a shimmery duochorome, flashes from green to brown, and Woodwinked is a warm, shimmery gold. Today I paired ’em for this easy, breezy, work-friendly daytime eye.”
  • Get Eyes That Pop with MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50; $12.40 after discount): “MAC’s Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50) makes colors really pop, taking eyeshadow to a brighter, bolder, and more diva-superstar level. With Cream Color Base, your eyeshadow is like an A-list celeb; without it, it’s like Jen Bunney from The Hills.”

What are your MAC must-have products, and are you stocking up for the Friends & Family sale?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Still need help making a decision? This article suggests maybe some brushes. 🙂

There are 62 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, MAC Makeup

Review Roundup: MAC Naked Honey

June 12th, 2009 by Karen 12 Comments

MAC Naked Honey43%
Consensus: Bronzed beauties may find more to like in Naked Honey than lighter-skinned lovelies. Don’t miss the Skin Salve or Buckwheat Eyeshadows, though; they’re getting rave reviews! 🙂

Makeup and Beauty: Thumbs Up“The color palette features warm and shimmery brown, copper, pink and gold shades that should look gorgeous on warm skin tones and tans. There’s nothing here too out there or arty, nor are the colors apt to induce naps. They’re straight-up pretty (but wearable) products, and I’m a big fan.”

Full Review | Makeupandbeautyblog.com

Makeup and Beauty: Thumbs Down“Anyone who expected very honeyish scents will be a bit dismayed, as most of the scented products are more floral/spicy and less honey. The skin salve is the most honey scented product, but it is still quite floral-honey. I liked several items, but I felt like you could miss this launch and not live to regret it.”

Full Review | Temptalia.com

Makeup and Beauty: Thumbs Down“Over all this launch was not my favourite. Although it did have some winners. If you want to save your money for the next few MAC launches you won’t miss much here. I like the shadows and glosses along with the highlighters, but as far as ‘NEED -MUST- HAVES’ there are only a few…”

Full Review | Pursebuzz.com

Makeup and Beauty: Thumbs Up“I’ve got to tell you, this is undoubtedly the freshest, most exciting collection MAC’s come up with in a looong time. Along with Buzz Lipglass, I’m also kind of addicted to Naked Honey Body Wash ($19.50).”

Full Review | Tiawilliams.net

Makeup and Beauty: Thumbs Down“I dont think I have been excited about The Naked Honey collection since I saw it on Specktra. The shadows in the collection felt like repeats of ones I already have.”

Full Review | Themakeupsnob.com

Makeup and Beauty: Thumbs Up“…if you’ll excuse the pun, I’ve succumbed to all the buzz. The collection is half-makeup, half-body-stuff, and though the makeup portion is small compared to other releases, I think MAC did well with what they created.”

Full Review | Karlasugar.blogspot.com

Makeup and Beauty: Thumbs Down“…there was nothing that stood out enough for me to peel off some greenbacks. I have so many similar colors already that I can’t justify buying anything from NH. I have been lusting over Pollinator e/s for months but it is so much lighter than I thought.”

Full Review | Butterfly08, Longhaircareforum.com

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I’d like to update this post with as many Naked Honey collection reviews as possible. Let me know if you find any more or if you’ve done one yourself, and I’ll update the score up at the top. 🙂

There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, News, Product Reviews

I’m Sweet on MAC Naked Honey

June 11th, 2009 by Karen 72 Comments

mac-naked-honey-tabs-1

Now that I’ve seen MAC’s new Naked Honey collection up close and personal, I think I know how bees must feel, ripped on honey and sunlight, dancing in the sky above fields of blooming wildflowers.

Not since Cult of Cherry have I been so moved by a MAC collection…

Available now, the 13-piece release of eye and lip makeup, skin care products and fragrances ($14-25) is a sensory feast! The colors excite me, the scents entice me, and the skin care hydrates the mutha’ effin’ crap out of my alligator dry bod.

The color palette features warm and shimmery brown, copper, pink and gold shades that should look gorgeous on warm skin tones and tans.

There’s nothing here too out there or arty, nor are the colors apt to induce naps. They’re straight-up pretty (but wearable) products, and I’m a big fan.

Eyeshadows

mac naked honey eyeshadow creme de miel
Creme de Miel Eyeshadow

mac naked honey eyeshadow pollinator
Pollinator Eyeshadow

mac naked honey eyeshadow buckwheat
Buckwheat Eyeshadow

Creme De Miel ($14.50), a shimmery, lemony gold, gets the frost just right. It’s my favorite of the three eyeshadows — a perfect color to brighten up the eyes. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Pollinator ($14.50), a peachy pink, applies sheer with a semi-matte finish. It’s like a peachier version of MAC Expensive Pink Eyeshadow, sans the golden shimmer. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

Buckwheat ($14.50), a shimmery taupe-ish brown, is the coolest of the three shades. I had to look closely to spot the little flecks of gold glitter it hides. So pretty! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

mac-naked-honey-swatches-creme-de-miel-pollinator-buckwheat
Swatches from left to right: Creme de Miel, Pollinator, Buckwheat

Lipglasses

mac naked honey tinted lipglass buzz she's a star queen bee
Tinted lipglass from left to right: Buzz, Queen Bee, She’s a Star

Don’t the Lipglass shades look like the eyeshadow colors? Neat, huh?

She’s a Star ($14), a shimmery lemon-gold, looks like a lip gloss version of Creme De Miel eyeshadow. I can’t wait to layer it above lipsticks in bronze, brown or red. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Queen Bee ($14), a shimmery, peachy gold, looks neutral enough to pair with smokey eyes but packs enough color to make bold statements on her own. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Buzz ($14), a shimmery, warm copper, applies with intense pigmentation and sparkle (for a full lip photo, click here). Love! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

mac naked honey swatches tinted lipglass buzz she's a star queen bee
Swatches from left to right: Buzz, Queen Bee, She’s a Star

High-Light Powders

mac naked honey high light powder honey light
High-Light Powder in Honey Light
[Continue reading…]

There are 72 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Product Reviews, Skin Care

Comment to Win MAC Style Warrior Purple Rite Lipstick

June 5th, 2009 by Karen 232 Comments

The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

mac style warrior purple rite

Yes! We made it to Friday, haaay!

I wish we could all take a long lunch together, hang out at the MAC counter and talk about our weekends while drooling over makeup…

I’m starved, but before we go, let’s hold a Friday giveaway!

The prize

One lucky lady will win a tube of frosty MAC Style Warrior Purple Rite Lipstick (a $14 value). 🙂

How to enter

Entering is supa dupa easy. Just leave a comment describing your plans for the weekend.

I’m attending a NARS event at Nordstrom, and then El Hub is taking me to a baseball game tomorrow night.

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59PM PST Saturday night.

행운!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

There are 232 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, MAC Makeup

Comment to Win MAC Style Warrior Bright Future Eyeshadow

June 3rd, 2009 by Karen 189 Comments

This giveaway is closed! Thank you for entering. I’ll be contacting the winner soon.

060309-mac-style-warrior-bright-future

If the summer sun hasn’t brightened your corner of the world yet, MAC’s Bright Future eyeshadow may be able to help.

One of five shadows in the new MAC Style Warrior collection, it’s a vibrant yellow — almost like a slice of summer in the pan.

If Mother Nature isn’t cooperating and you need a summer sunshine fix, enter today’s giveaway! 🙂

The prize

One lucky lady will win a pan of frosty, golden MAC Style Warrior Bright Future eyeshadow (a $14.50 value).

How to enter

It only takes a second to enter (well, a few seconds). Just leave a quick comment on this post letting me know something that always brightens your day.

A big cup of coffee, an upbeat song and well-behaved hair are all things that brighten my day!

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59PM PST Thursday night.

Noroc!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

This giveaway is closed! Thank you for entering. I’ll be contacting the winner soon.

There are 189 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, MAC Makeup

What’s Been Your Least Favorite Recent MAC Collection?

June 1st, 2009 by Karen 18 Comments

mac-cosmetics-poll-2009

June means we’re almost halfway through 2009 ALREADY! Can you believe it? Halfway through ALREADY!?

MAC’s sure been busy, haven’t they? Some of their recent collections totally curled my toes (Brunette Blonde Redhead, holla!), but a few left me uninspired (*ahem*, Grand Duos).

They’re still batting a good game though. I’m a MAC junkie at heart, so I (usually) don’t mind how fast they crank out new products.

Refresher course on MAC’s 2009 releases so far…

  • January: Brunette Blonde Redhead
  • February: Creme Team, Well Defined, Hello Kitty
  • March: Kitty Kouture, Grand Duos, Viva Glam VI Special Edition, Sugarsweet
  • April: Colour Ready, A Rose Romance, Double Dazzle
  • May: Style Warriors
  • June: Naked Honey (arrives next week)

What's been your least favorite recent MAC collection?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 18 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, MAC Makeup

Comment to Win MAC Style Warrior Vibrant Grape Eyeshadow

May 30th, 2009 by Karen 206 Comments

This giveaway is closed! Thanks for entering.

mac-style-warrior-vibrant-grape-eyeshadow

What up, pretty ladies?! I’m getting ready to head into SF this morning for a blogging function called WordCamp. It’s a conference on WordPress, which is the program that runs MBB. I’m hoping to learn some tips on mobile blogging from my cell phone, but if I happen upon any tech girls in great makeup, I’ll have my camera with me just in case.

Before I go, let’s do another giveaway!

The prize

One lucky lady will win a pan of MAC Style Warrior Vibrant Grape Eyeshadow (a $14.50 value).

This bright purplish magenta will drench your lids in some seriously purple goodness.

How to enter

Entering is easier than breathing, yo! Just leave a comment on this post telling me what the highlight of your week was.

Mine was picking up my tubby tabby from Hotel Cattyfornia on Monday. I got a little teary when I saw him…

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59PM PST Saturday night (tonight).

Held og lykke!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

This giveaway is closed! Thanks for entering.

There are 206 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, MAC Makeup

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