…as too much basil? I think not.
Is There Such a Thing…
MAC Opulash Optimum Black Mascara: More of a Good Thing with Even Better Curl Hold
It looks like Prep + Prime Powder and Turquatic aren’t the only MAC products getting makeovers next month.
Last year’s totally tubular MAC Opulash mascara started out, like, totally rad, but now it’s getting even radder with a souped-up sibling called Opulash Optimum Black ($16).
It’s basically like the original, except in a darker, more intense shade of black.
Both the original formulation and the new MAC Opulash Optimum Black are referred to as “tube mascaras.” The formulas envelop lashes in a “tube” of mascara. Generally, the term is used to describe long-wearing, durable products ideal for humid climates, yet most are removable with warm water (counterintuitive, I know, considering how well they usually handle humidity).
I’ve used the original Opulash on and off since the first time I tried it last year, and I like the look. It’s very distinct, with uniform thickness from lash root to tip.
The original one’s also great with lifts — like Patrick Swazye was for Jennifer Gray in the last scene from Dirty Dancing (one of the BEST moments in movie history!) — and I reach for it sometimes when I want a lifted, even fringe with good volume. It delivers pumped up, noticeble lashes that are just shy of drag.
And based on the time I’ve spent with it, this newer version, Opulash Optimum Black, lifts lashes while volumizing just as well as the older version, with the added bonus of better curl hold.
Bare lashes (top); with two coats of Opulash Optimum Black (bottom)
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9 Things: I Feel Like I’m Always…
I feel like I’m always writing lists. Like this morning, for example, I was writing in my journal, just jotting down my plans for the day, when I started thinking about things that I find myself doing all the time — ya know, stuff that happens over and over again. In my case, it’s opening cans of gravy, trying to find my iPhone (if I had a nickel for every time I asked El Hub to “call my phone for me…”), wanting another pair of shoes that I probably wouldn’t be able to walk in, and, of course, writing lists like these. 🙂
We probably all have things like that, right? — things we feel like we do over and over again. Well, here are nine of mine. I’d also love to read some of yours.
“I feel like I’m always…”
1. Buying Giant Pet Hair Rollers (that’s actually what they’re called) from Target
CRAZY CAT LADY MOMENT: Sometimes I like to think that Tabs inherited his thick, dark hair from his mother (aka me)… LOL! I know, I know.
When we first started “working” together, I’d originally thought Tabs’ short fur wouldn’t be a problem, but homeboy sheds like a mofo!
I stash lint rollers throughout the house, but they only help so much; his fur still gets everywhere — on my jeans, my shirts, and even my face.
Once, I actually used a lint roller on my face…
Whatever, it worked. 🙂
2. Recharging camera batteries
You may not know this about me, but I take a lot of pictures (kidding). There’s always at least one outlet around me recharging batteries for a camera or other electronic device.
SIDE NOTE: Every so often someone asks about my camera equipment. If you’re interested, here’s a post with the deets and a couple of hopefully helpful camera tips.
3. Washing the blender
I’ve been on a smoothie kick since early spring, so my blender’s been getting a lot of use. Sure, I’ve saved the money I would have spent on Jamba Juice, but my fruit bill has gone through the roof!
Smoothies are just so…irresistible. They’re easy to make and pack plenty of fiber and protein (I like to add plain, non-fat yogurt). I think they’re especially great after a run.
Mmm…mango lassi…
4. Spraying MAC Turquatic on my wrists
Back in late spring when it was raining every day and folks were wondering, “where’s summer?” — I finally figured out the answer to that. MAC had it, and they put it in every bottle of Turquatic.
I got an extra bottle earlier this year when it looked like the scent was being discontinued. Thankfully, it’s staging a comeback next month.
5. Starting from scratch
Wish I could say I was one of those kick-@ss robot people who never got tired and always knew exactly what they were doing, but alas, I’m not.
I feel like I’m constantly having to re-learn things I could have sworn I already knew, and making many of the same mistakes over and over again.
It’s downright exhausting, to tell you the truth, so I just try to take things one day at a time.
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Smokey Eye ‘Til I Die
Ya with me on this?
Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Eyeshadow in Mirifique, $36. Available now at Chanel counters and also online.
Where Have You Been, MAC Turquatic? Oh, Getting a New Outfit, I See
You’re cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway on your way to meet friends for dinner. The sun just set, and the sky’s a mix of orange, pink and violet where it meets the sea on the horizon. Your swimsuit fits in all the right ways, and you’ve got the windows down to dry your hair. You don’t really know the hot boy who sits in dangerously low-hanging board shorts in the passenger seat, but he seems sweet. You’ll get to know him better soon.
That is MAC Turquatic. Light and watery, it’s like a cleaner, crisper, less sugary sweet version of Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue, and it’s my absolute favorite MAC scent, hands down.
When rumors surfaced earlier this year about it being discontinued, and it started disappearing from MAC counters, stores and the MAC website, I freaked!
But it turns out MAC was just phasing out the old bottle (WHEW!) and replacing it with a stylish new one that’s like a fresh sea breeze. Come August 11, Turquatic docks permanently on counters and in stores, in three sizes, a Rollerball ($20 US; $24 CDN), a small 20ml bottle ($27.50 US; $33 CDN; the exact same size as the old bottle), and the super-sized 50ml bottle shown here ($49.50 US; $59.50 CDN).
The fragrance hasn’t changed, but its attire has. Officially, the fragrance notes are still sparking mineral water, fresh lotus leaves, Corsican cedrat (a citrusy fruit similar to lemons and lime) and a warm blend of anemone (a flowering plant in the buttercup family), orris (root of the iris plant) and blue cedar.
A Little Bit of the Tropics
I saw this wee pineapple plant at the garden store last Saturday. Not gonna lie — I kinda wanted to eat it!
Even If Pressed, I’d Have Trouble Finding Fault with MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
Sometimes I wonder whether MAC has my house bugged or if they’ve recruited Tabs as a spy. I’m serious. The company always seems to know my secret makeup desires, even when I haven’t shared them on the blog.
It’s uncanny. Take MAC Prep + Prime Loose Powder, for instance, and how many times in reference to it I’ve said, “I wish MAC made a pressed powder version of this.”
Maybe I just watch too many cop shows, but when I heard that MAC planned to add a pressed version of Prep + Prime to their permanent line next month, the first thing I did was glance at Tabs.
“Are you spying on me?” I asked.
Of course he didn’t answer… Typical behavior for a spy. 🙂
I can’t say for certain that this was a case of corporate cosmetics espionage, but honestly, who cares? I’m just glad I might not have to wrestle with jars of the loose powder to get Prep + Prime’s glowy, airbrushed look on trips anymore.
MAC Unsung Heroes: Fast Response Eye Cream
What good is a fast-acting beauty product if it takes forever to find?
Not much, which is why I like to strategically place tubes of MAC Fast Response Eye Cream ($30) where I can reach them in a hurry. To that end, I keep one in my travel makeup bag, and another atop my dresser.
Oh, and then there’s the wayward one I found, with all of two drops remaining, in the passenger side door compartment of my car the other day. Poor thing probably thought I’d forgotten it was there (I didn’t.
Needless to say, I kindasorta love this cream. 🙂
It’s been a member of MAC’s permanent makeup line for years; I think I started using it circa 2001.
What is it exactly? Well, it’s a caffeinated, quick-absorbing eye cream to reduce puffiness around the eyes and diminish the appearance of dark circles, while smoothing and firming up the skin.
It also contains subtle light diffusers that really seem to brighten my under-eye area and soften the look of my fine lines, too, which, with this dumb-@ss insomnia I’ve been having, works out great.
I did some digging into the effectiveness of topical caffeine in skincare products, and it appears the jury’s still out. There’s some evidence to support that it might diminish under-eye circles over time (and a few studies have shown that it might be helpful in other ways), but it’s probably not a miracle in a tube/jar.
Either way, Fast Response is widely loved as a lightly hydrating eye cream, especially for normal and oily skin types, but my favorite way to wear it is paired with MAC concealers, a trick I learned from a friendly MAC artist. Combined, they cover dark circles yet don’t look heavy or obvious.
Just mix a couple drops of MAC Fast Response Eye Cream in with some concealer, and buff the blend under your eyes using a fluffy brush like the 224 or 217. The result? — flawless, natural-looking coverage, almost like you’re not wearing any makeup at all.
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