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MAC Makeup

Desperately Seeking Brown MAC Eyeshadows: Help!

April 11th, 2009 by Karen 40 Comments

mac cosmetics soba cork concrete brun

Hey, chicas! How was your Friday night?

Mine was filled with rap and yummy Chinese food. I dragged El Hub to a Chinese food joint in Sausalito called Tommy’s Wok. I’m addicted to their lettuce wrap dish, which I also like to call, “Let us rap.”

My name is Karen, and I’ve got a cat,
His name is Tabs, and he is a brat.
He eats Fris-kies every day and night,
And bites his mom if his food ain’t right.

Okay, so I’m no Biggie Smalls. 🙂

After dinner we just chilled at home, watching both new eps of Dollhouse (twisty!) and Terminator (scary!).

So far today I haven’t done much… but I did get this email from MBB reader Camille.

Hey Karen,

I was just wondering if you could suggest a MAC brown eyeshadow that isn’t too orange or too red-toned? Soft brown and sable already look too red and too orange. I just want a nice matte brown. Please let me know.

Camille, you know I can’t live without my MAC browns! 🙂

I raided my stash and found a couple non-orangey options.

  1. As far as brown shades for the lid or crease, I really like Soba and Cork. Both are warm golden browns that aren’t overly orange or red. What’s the diff between the two? Cork applies more brown than gold and has a matte finish; Soba, on the other hand, has the slightest touch of shimmery gold. It’s more gold than brown, but I love both shades and reach for them often.
  2. For a darker brown to use as a liner or in the outer V, check out Brun or Concrete. Brun’s a blackish brown, and Concrete’s a taupey brown (I also use it to fill in my brows).
  3. Additional browns worth checking out: Omega (a beigey taupe), Era (a soft golden beige) and Charcoal Brown (a muted taupe brown). Each of these shades gets very high ratings on Makeup Alley.

mac cosmetics soba cork concrete brun swatches with flash
Swatches from left to right with flash: Soba, Cork, Brun and Concrete

mac cosmetics soba cork concrete brun swatches no flash
Soba, Cork, Brun and Concrete swatches without flash

Fellow fans of MAC’s browns, can you think of any other non-orange/reddish brown eyeshadows that might work for Camille?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 40 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup

MAC A Rose Romance Collection: What Would You Get?

April 10th, 2009 by Karen 52 Comments

mac a rose romance

Ring around the rose-y, MAC’s pocket full of posies!

Read on to catch a whiff of their latest collection, A Rose Romance, before it goes on sale April 23.

The 23-piece color collection for cheeks, lips, eyes, face and nails draws inspiration from different hues of roses — how romantical!

From the promo pics it looks like it offers plenty for ladies who love cool toned violet, pink and plum makeup.

I lurve purples and pinks.

I think it’s time for another installment of WHAT WOULD YOU GET?

WHAT WOULD YOU GET?

I’ve broken the collection down into four groups — 1) Cheek, 2) Eye, 3) Lip and 4) Mixed Bag. Each group features makeup from MAC’s new A Rose Romance collection.

Choose the one group you’d most like to take home with you, and let me know in the comments.

[Continue reading…]

There are 52 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, MAC Makeup

MAC Doubledazzle Dazzleglass: Swatches and First Impressions

April 9th, 2009 by Karen 32 Comments

mac doubledazzle dazzleglass utterly posh and extra amps
From top to bottom: Extra Amps, Utterly Posh

Hey, hey, MAC fans. Take a minute (I won’t tell your boss) to peep some pics of the Dazzleglass lipglosses from the Double Dazzle collection.

It features 18 shades of MAC’s most glittery lipgloss, Dazzleglass ($18 each). If you’re all about blinged-out lips like I am, something is bound to catch your eye.

MAC included a couple of re-promoted colors from last May’s Dazzle Glass release (here’s a complete listing of last year’s colors) along with some new shades.

My nearby MAC counter only had 13 of the 18 colors, but I took swatches of the ones they had on hand.

What do you think of these? Glitter much?

mac doubledazzle dazzleglass sugar rimmed goldyrocks smile
From top to bottom: Sugarrimmed, Goldyrocks, Smile

mac doubledazzle dazzleglass rags to riches steppin out love alert
From top to bottom: Rags to Riches, Steppin’ Out, Love Alert
[Continue reading…]

There are 32 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup

Get That Groom Some MAC Blot Film!

April 5th, 2009 by Karen 14 Comments

mac-blot-film-nordstrom

Happy Sunday, girls. I’ve been trying to catch up on e-mails today, but I’m a little behind.

MBB reader Spring Bride recently sent a note asking for wedding makeup advice — for her groom!

Hi Karen,

I’m an avid reader of your blog. Thank you for your great advice and tips. I’m getting married in 2 weeks and my fiance would like some recommendations for blotting paper as his forehead gets really oily.
 
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Spring Bride, congrats on your upcoming nuptials! That’s fab that you’ve got your honey’s back. Nobody wants to look too shiny in their pics, you know?

Because you only want that boy glowing when he says “I Do,” I highly recommend MAC Blot Film ($12.50 for 30 sheets). It cuts down on the shine and leaves skin looking super matte without leaving a powdery residue.

I used it a few months ago on myself at my BFF’s wedding, and it worked great. Before the wedding, I stuffed five of the papers into a small mirrored lipstick case and popped that into my purse for touchups through the 10-hour celebration.

If your boo’s wedding outfit has pockets, maybe he could carry a few of the papers on him that way.

If you don’t have a MAC counter nearby, Clean & Clear makes a blotting paper called Oil Absorbing Sheets ($5 for 50 smaller sheets). They work well, too, and cost a little bit less.

To save even more (hey, weddings ain’t cheap), you could always use Starbucks napkins. No kidding, but for some reason I think they work really well at removing oil. Go figure!

Sunday is my fun day

Are you having a good weekend so far? I’ve mostly been chillaxin’ and doing a whole lotta nothing. 🙂 The only effort I’ve expended today was when I danced around the living room to VH1’s 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ’80s.
[Continue reading…]

There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Beauty Tips, Drugstore Beauty Finds, MAC Makeup

MAC Trip Collection: Travel Exclusives for Spring and Summer 2009

April 4th, 2009 by Karen 51 Comments

mac trip

I love to travel…

Even if it’s just a quick day trip up to the Napa Valley or down to Fisherman’s Wharf, El Hub and I will try to swing a small vacation every few months if we have the time and moolah.

No matter where we go, I’m always on the lookout for makeup and beauty because you never know what you’ll find, particularly at airports. Totally nerdy, I know, but I actually like getting to the airport early so I have time to hunt for products. Sometimes I’ll find limited edition items special to airports (they call ’em travel exclusives) from big lines like Estee Lauder, Clinique and MAC that aren’t available at their regular stores and counters.

This spring and summer, MAC has a special travel exclusive collection called MAC Trip. It features nine limited edition eye, cheek and lip palette products on sale at various airports and travel hubs around the world.

If you have an hour to kill at the airport before your next flight, keep your eyes peeled for MAC Trip. Some of the palettes take me back to other limited editions like Barbie Loves MAC and Strange Hybrid.

Pricing and availability will vary from airport to airport, but the approximate US prices are $35 for the eye, $22 for the lip and $30 for the lip and cheek palettes.

MAC Trip Eye Palettes

5 Cool Eyes

mac cosmetics cool eyes palette

  • Prismique: A creamy white with pearl
  • Springtime Skipper: A yellow green with golden pearl
  • Water Nymph: A blueish green with golden pearl
  • Flashtrack: A frosted dirty navy
  • Knight Divine: A charcoal with silvery pearl

5 Warm Eyes

mac cosmetics warm eye palette

  • Whistle: A pastel pink
  • Da Bling: A bright pink with golden reflects
  • Parfait Amour: A vivid blueish violet with pearl
  • Leisuretime: A cranberry plum with pearl
  • Cassette: A blackened eggplant

5 Neutral Eyes

mac cosmetics neutral eyes palette

  • Bisque: A soft muted beige
  • Mineralism: A frosted light taupe
  • Say, Yeah: A pinkish coral with golden pearl
  • Sable: A muted bronze with golden pearl
  • Bateau: A dirty midtown brown

[Continue reading…]

There are 51 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup

Say Hello to Glow with MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

April 2nd, 2009 by Karen 24 Comments

mac transparent finishing loose powder top

Are ya heading over to MAC to check out the new Colour Ready collection today? If you have some time to play at the counter, dust the new Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder ($21) on your pretty face.

MAC Colour Ready
The entire MAC Colour Ready collection

MAC says Prep+Prime Finishing Powder sets makeup, eliminates shine and makes your skin glowl while reducing the look of fine lines and the size of pores. That’s a tall order, right? So does it deliver?
[Continue reading…]

There are 24 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Product Reviews

Ready or Not, Here Comes MAC Colour Ready

March 26th, 2009 by Karen 39 Comments

mac colour ready 1

MAC works hard to keep us on our toes. Doesn’t it seem like they always have something new up their sleeves? I just love that!

Next Thursday another new collection arrives. Colour Ready, a small release containing just nine products, includes three new additions to the MAC Prep+Prime makeup primer line along with a smattering of colorful lip and eye goodies.

My friends at MAC sent over a few of the new Prep+Prime products to preview. I’m still in the midst of testing (oh, please, oh, please don’t break me out!), but I thought you gals might want a quick look.

mac colour ready 6

Leave it to MAC to take regular old makeup primer a step forward. Prep+Prime Skin Refined Zone ($19.50) specifically targets the t-zone area (forehead, nose and chin), where many women have trubs with excess oil and large pores.

According to MAC, Refined Zone’s the ultimate multi-tasker. It controls oil, minimizes pores and primes the t-zone for foundation. In addition to all these things, Refined Zone also treats skin, exfoliating clogged pores with salicylic acid.

mac colour ready 7

MAC designed the clear, colorless gel to be worn beneath or on top of makeup. I patted some on my t-zone this morning. It dried lightning fast, and my skin felt instantly smoother. I really hope it doesn’t break me out, *crosses fingers.*

If you have a sensitive nose like I do, take heed — my tube has a weird smell that reminds me of barbeque coals. Hmm…

mac colour ready 2

The second item, Transparent Finishing Powder ($21), also looks interesting.

It’s a loose powder that sets makeup, eliminates shine and adds a glow to the skin without looking heavy or caked on.
[Continue reading…]

There are 39 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup

Comment to Win MAC Perfect Topping Mineralize Skinfinish

March 26th, 2009 by Karen 255 Comments

The giveaway is now closed, and the winner will be contacted soon.

mac perfect topping mineralize skinfinish giveaway

If you haven’t satisfied your MAC Sugarsweet tooth yet, would a pan of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Perfect Topping help?

Satiate that sweet makeup craving by adding some highlighting shimmer to your cheeks with Perfect Topping’s mish-mash of pretty peach, pink and purple.

The prize

One you of sweet thangs will dine on MAC Perfect Topping Mineralize Skinfinish, a $27 value.

How to enter…

There are a two different ways to enter the giveaway, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

First, enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. In the comment, describe your perfect day of pampering. 🙂

In my perfect day of pampering, I’d awaken at a fancy resort somewhere warm and tropical like Hawaii and hit the beach for some easy surfing (where I’d catch every wave!). After a couple hours riding waves, I’d be served breakfast on the beach and spend the rest of the day getting every spa treatment known to man!

Second, enter by subscribing to my updates by email if you haven’t already. They’re once-a-day emails with my latest makeup tutorials, crazy cat pictures and beauty product news.
(note: if you’re already subscribed, you’re automatically entered to win.)

Recap…

  1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
  2. Sign up for my updates by email if you haven’t already. Just enter your email address using the form below, or click this link.

Enter your email address:

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

Bonne chance, sweets!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 255 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, MAC Makeup

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

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