I’m hypnotized by this pan of MAC Optical Bronzer!
Can’t Look Away
Matchmaster, Matchmaster, Make Me a Match: New MAC Matchmaster Foundation
Unicorns and four-leaf clovers aren’t half as rare as a great foundation (read: one that provides great coverage yet leaves skin looking like real skin), but MAC hopes their new line of liquid foundations will change that.
New Matchmaster Foundation SPF 15 makes its North American debut September 22 and also arrives on most international shores some time this month (oddly, it’s not slated to arrive in Asia until September of 2012).
The new line offers medium coverage with a demi-matte finish designed to even out skin tones and mask imperfections, yet — drum roll, please — still look like real skin, yay! 🙂 The ol’ bare-skin-but-better motif.
The secret ingredient? Spheres. No, not the cheesy movie starring Sam Jackson and Sharon Stone. These spheres belong to MAC’s Patented Pigment Technology, which squeezes pigments into tiny translucent spheres.
For traditional high-coverage foundations, companies use a mix of iron oxide and titanium dioxide-based red, yellow, white and black pigments to find matches for different skin tones, but it’s not a perfect science. Some formulations leave skin looking dull, or like it’s wearing a mask, and appearances can vary widely depending on the undertones in a wearer’s skin.
That’s where Matchmaster Foundation SPF 15 is supposed to come in. Clear acrylate spheres encapsulate micro-fine iron oxide and titanium dioxide pigments. When light hits the surface of these spheres, it enters and refracts, combining the undertones in the skin with a mix of micro fine pigments that should appear more natural to the naked eye.
At least that’s the idea.
More about Matchmaster from Nick Gavrelis, Vice President of MAC Global Development
- The new line includes 14 shades, some of which are MAC’s lightest and darkest foundation shades to date
- Provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 protection
- The new foundation was designed to suit all skin types, but MAC says that people with oily skin might really love it thanks to a botanical ingredient called laminaria saccharina (a form of seaweed/kelp), which is supposed to combat oil
Here’s a little look at six of the 14 shades…
From the left: 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0
[Continue reading…]
Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 156
Tabs the Cat, international style icon
During his apprenticeship with Tim Gunn, Tabs learned some very valuable lessons about the cat-eat-cat world of feline high fashion, one of them being to always stay ahead of the trends. Fall behind for even a minute, and the gossip/celeb/style mags and blogs will skewer you.
Luckily, Tabs has a solid team of talented stylists surrounding him — professionals who keep him fabulous from head to tail — but sometimes, like now during NYFW, those professionals are too busy for Tabs, and I get tasked to help.
Which brings us to this: hats. This fall Tabs needs clever, stylish headgear to keep his ears warm and his bad fur days covered while remaining fashion-forward all the way.
I did some research this weekend, but I could use a second opinion. Can you help?
Which of these hats would look best on Tabs? Keep in mind that while he values form over function, he likes practical accessories, too.
Who is Tabs the Cat? About three years ago I befriended a stray, flea-bitten tabby cat with a bad case of worms. I could see he’d fallen on hard times, but his profound knowledge of high fashion and department store cosmetics led me to believe that he was more than meets the eye. We became fast friends, and now he’s actually my boss (and a successful kitty model). 🙂
1. William Bowler Hat
$20, available now online at the melpdesigns Etsy shop.
2. Froggy Hat
$12, available now online at the mseebaldt Etsy shop.
3. Robin Hood Hat
$26, available now online at the ToScarboroughFair Etsy shop.
Guerlain Belle de Nuit Collection for Holiday 2011: Les Ombres de Nuit 4-Colour Palette
More from the Guerlain Belle de Nuit holiday 2011 collection!
Say bonjour to the limited edition Les Ombres de Nuit 4-Colour Palette ($59), available at Guerlain counters in November.
The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed
Photo remixed from an original by Guillaume Cattiaux
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already, but I can still remember the day like it was yesterday. Clear as a bell.
I remember thinking on the day it happened about something my high school history teacher used to say. He would always talk about the day President Kennedy was shot, and how it was just one of those things that was so traumatic, so frightening, that he remembered every single thing that happened to him that day. That’s how it is. I remember every single thing that happened to me on September 11; the day was etched into my memory forever.
I’ve been reading some of the stories of the families who lost loved ones, the children who lost parents and are now 10 years older, and although there’s deep sadness there, there’s also something remarkable about how people keep going, how they carry on, despite tragedy.
Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing today, I hope you feel safe, happy and loved. And if you feel like it, stop by and say hi in the comments.
The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed
MASSACHUSETTS TO MELBOURNE
BEAUTY DOWN UNDA’
Late last year my husband and I became American expats living abroad when we made the move to Australia from the U.S. for his new job. I knew about our big journey months in advance, so I did the best I could to prepare and studied anything and everything I could about the land down unda’ before we arrived; however, I made two fatal mistakes.
First, I never fully realized just how expensive things would be down here, and second, I was unprepared for how long I’d have to wait for makeup collections to make their big debuts here after being released in the States.
As a woman of substance, I have my needs. Among them: facial moisturizer, hair products (loads of ‘em), perfume, nail polish, and anything pertaining to MAC, Benefit, Clinique and Philosophy. Not long after moving, I was already hitting the bottom of my assorted elixirs and potions, wondering what I was going to do. Read more…
DOLCE & GABBANA SWEET TEMPTATIONS COLLECTION
CINNAMON, CANDIED AND GREEN ALMOND FEEL FRESH-FACED AND SWEET
Dolce & Gabbana’s epic eyeshadow quads are total limelight hogs that often steal the show in the brand’s seasonal makeup launches, but in this fall’s Sweet Temptations collection, the Smooth Eye Colour Duo in Cinnamon ($36) and Crayon Intense Eyeliners in Green Almond ($29) and Candied ($29) are giving the Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Cocoa ($59) a run for its money.
Nothing against Cocoa’s warm, cozy chocolate, cream and orange, but I’m liking the fresh, sweet glow I get from these pieces even more. Read more…
YOU’LL BE SPARKLING FOR HOURS
WITH THE NEW URBAN DECAY STARDUST SPARKLING LIP GLOSSES
I’m making the weekend last through Tuesday this week with Urban Decay’s new Stardust Sparkling Lip Glosses, because ooh-la-la, sis-boom-bah! — these sheer, sparkly glosses are just too much fun for regular weekends.
I’m still tracking down prices and availability on these and the other Urban Decay fall/holiday launches, but I think it’s safe to assume that these will cost around $16-19 each, right in line with the price of an average UD gloss.
Based on the three I’ve been getting to know since late last week — Space Cowboy (a shimmery champagne) Andromeda (a shimmery, peachy pinkish gold) and Glitter Rock (a shimmery magenta) — these are light on pigment but heavy on glitter and shine, and what I like most about them is the way they feel on my lips. There’s no grit to ‘em, as far as I can tell, unlike quite a few other glittery glosses on the market. Read more…
TEAM TAUPE TAKES HOME THE SILVER IN THE NEW
CHANEL OMBRE ESSENTIELLE SOFT TOUCH EYESHADOW IN FAUVE
Doth shimmery taupe eyeshadows make thy booty shake? If colors like MAC Satin Taupe make you want to drop it like it’s hot, better limber up, young lady, because Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Fauve ($28.50) is going to ask you to dance.
Like Satin Taupe’s 21-year-old cousin, shimmery taupe Fauve is a bit of a party girl. Her fab flecks of silver glitter distinguish her from everyday workhorse shades, and when I swatched the shadow at the counter last week, I must have sounded like a hungry Homer Simpson when I spontaneously said, “Mmmmmm… glitter.” Read more…
THE LIP COLORS IN THE DOLCE & GABBANA SWEET TEMPTATIONS
COLLECTION ARE SPRINGING INTO FALL
For the first time in many moons, I felt a chill this morning when I stepped out of bed, and before making my way downstairs with Tabs, I bundled up with long pants a sweatshirt and robe.
Bluh…
It turned out to be sunny today, but the brisk kiss of crisp air that heralds fall never completely went away. Soon, the oak tree outside my window will lose its leaves, and the sun will set every afternoon before El Hub gets home from work.
Fall won’t wait just because we wish it would, but at least the springy new lip products in the Dolce & Gabbana Sweet Temptations collection aren’t all about fall. Read more…
BLONDES REALLY DO HAVE MORE FUN
WITH CHANEL INIMITABLE INTENSE MASCARA IN PURPLE
Truer words were never spoken — in reference to Chanel’s new Inimitable Intense Mascara in Purple ($30, part of the new Sophisticated Eye collection). The first time the wand graced the back of my hand and I got a good look at the swatch, I feared that the color of this brownish plum would be lost upon my dark fringe. But oh, how I wanted to believe!
The logical part of my brain said I shouldn’t expect much; it said I’d never be able to see the tint on my dark lashes, but the Coco-obsessed part of my brain kept telling me not to worry. “Trust in Coco, Karen. Everything will work out in the end.” Read more…
THE RICH COLOR EYESHADOWS IN THE BOBBI BROWN MARRAKESH CHIC COLLECTION
LOVE LADIES IN THEIR 30s, 40s, 50s AND BEYOND
Not gonna lie, Marrakesh Chic is probably the most excited I’ve been about a Bobbi Brown release in a while. The new Rich Color Eyeshadows, WHEW! Kind of amazing.
But before we dive in, let’s — beep, beep, beep! — back up a second. Bobbi recently launched this new fall collection for eyes, lips and cheeks at Bobbi Brown counters and also online. The Rich Color Eyeshadows ($24 each), a brand spankin’ new line of powder shadows, headline the launch.
I swatched the collection a couple weeks ago; right off the bat, I had a feeling that Bobbi’s Rich Color Eyeshadows would rock me down to Electric Avenue. And they did. Now, after having worn two of the eight shades, I’m itching to grab a few more. Read more…
THE MAC FALL COLOUR
COLLECTION MAKES IT EASY TO SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
Photography geek alert! Everyone please remain calm, but this is kind of a big deal, especially if you’re a fellow photography geek and/or major MAC fan.
When I heard a while back that acclaimed New York photographer Cindy Sherman was going to be taking pics for the new MAC Fall Colour collection, I nearly dropped my DSLR!
Sherman’s probably best known for her self-portraits, where she gets into a specific character and does the whole kit and caboodle herself — everything from her own makeup, to styling, to modeling for the shoots and, of course, taking her own pics — and her work often tackles topics like women in society, media and art. Read more…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Cozy Up with Burt’s Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Body Butter This Fall
Bees and tattoos have at least one thing in common. Both of them sting, but the sting isn’t why I haven’t gotten any tattoos. Credit for that goes to my fickle nature.
I’m probably the worst candidate for permanent body ink because I’m just way too fickle for my own good. I mean, I can’t even commit to a body cream, for crying out loud!
Last month I was crushing hard on Nuance Salma Hayek Super Secret Moisturizing Body Cream; this month I’m buzzing over Burt’s Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Body Butter ($13).
I haven’t set Super Secret aside altogether, but I have been craving cozier scents lately, like the one Burt’s moisturizing body butter exudes.
Ingredients: aqua (water, eau), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, glycerin, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, cetyl alcohol, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, parfum (fragrance), sucrose stearate, vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) seed oil, punica granatum seed oil, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) butter, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, tocopherol, lactic acid, magnesium aluminum silicate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, glyceryl laurate, sucrose polystearate, glycine soja (soybean) oil, xanthan gum, phenoxyethanol, evernia prunastri (oakmoss) extract, citral, citronellol, farnesol, geraniol, limonene, linalool, natural fragrance
I’ve been tempted to gobble it up (but not enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room)! It smells exactly like Burt’s wonderful Pomegranate & Cranberry Scrub — just like a homemade cranberry crumble, hot and fresh from the oven.
Guerlain Belle de Nuit Collection for Holiday 2011: Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush
How pretty is the new Guerlain Parure de Nuit Presse Powder & Blush ($67)? It’s one of five pieces from the Guerlain holiday 2011 collection, Belle de Nuit. Find it at Guerlain counters in November. 🙂
A September Saturday on the Deck
Whatcha been up to? I spent a good chunk of my day on the deck: writing, drinking green tea, reading and just chillin’.