Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

The Day in Beauty Vol. 16: Checking In

May 28th, 2016 by Karen 57 Comments

Connor Claire turns three months old in a few days, and seriously, that time has flown by faster than three snaps in a Z formation. I don’t know how this fast-forward button got pushed, but somewhere, somehow, it did, and now it’s almost June. YOWZA!

So. If you’re a regular here in the MBB fam, you’re probably wondering where the weekly Saturday giveaway is, seeing as how I’ve been doing it every Saturday for years.

Well…I’ve decided I need to put it on temporary hold.

Just for a bit.

With a new baby up in the mix, I need to save as much as I can right now, because man! — those diapers are expensive, guys! I hope you understand.

Anywho, if you’re still here…hi! 🙂 Hellooooooo again! *gives you a big hug* I’m happy to see you. What have you been up to lately?

Me? It’s been all about routines. Diaper changes, feedings, sterilizing bottles, feedings, washing burp cloths and blankets, feedings, bath time, feedings, play time, feedings, tummy time…and did I say feedings?

But now that Connor more or less sleeps through the night, life has been less chaotic.

Of course, I’m shaking my head as I type this, because everyone I know who has kids says that once you get settled into a routine, something will come along to shake everything up — like the start of teething, a change in feeding or sleeping habits, a runny nose from a cold — something.

So I guess it’s just a matter of time before the sh*t hits the fan again! — but at least for now I’m trying to get back into my metaphorical groove.

One of the things I’m trying to get back into the habit of doing regularly is running, and yesterday I went for my first run in a really long time. And it was really freakin’ hard.

I think the last time I went for a run was, gosh…last July. Or was it August? It was shortly after I found out that Connor had taken up temporary residency in my tum.

Anyway, it’s been a loooong time.

But yesterday I jogged three slow miles. It took me nearly 50 minutes, give or take.

Yup, that’s slow, and even though a geriatric tortoise could have outrun me, I did it! And it felt good. I’m starting to feel like my body belongs to me again.

The birth in March took a lot out of me, both physically and mentally (I had an emergency C section in the middle of the night after about 40 hours of labor). For a while there (and, truthfully, still now), I couldn’t even think about it without falling apart.

But now that I’m able to do what had been one of my favorite things to do before I got pregnant — running — I’m starting to feel more normal again.

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Say “Bye Bye Pores” With It Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakthroughs

May 27th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 16 Comments

Sometimes I just want to be a poreless alien babe… A couple weeks ago I was at a drag show, and a queen named Kylie Minono was passing shots of vodka to the people seated behind me. She apologized for reaching over me and told me that vodka can sink into your pores. “But wait, do you even have any? Girl, what do you use and where can I get it?”

Well, you can get it at Ulta! It’s a $29 pressed translucent powder aptly named Bye Bye Pores (which you’ve probably heard of by now) from It Cosmetics.

_MG_2527_web — See? Exactly. You can’t because there’s nothing there. I’m wearing NARS Tinted Moisturizer in Terre Nueve as my base.

Let’s backtrack for a second.

I don’t have large pores, but they can get clogged pretty easily, so I try to let my skin breathe as much as I can. Luckily, I’m a workaholic who barely has time for breakfast, let alone fierce wings before work. I wish I did, but I also like sleep.

When I have dry patches, healing spots, or just want the smoothest finish possible, I reach for a silicone-based primer. If I’m getting ready during the day, I reach for Murad’s Invisiblur Perfecting Shield. It stands out to me because it’s a primer with SPF 30. Since I can’t step outside without sun protection, it’s a godsend. While I wear it on light makeup days too, I usually wear it all on its own. I like that it offers protection without making me look shiny. I also love products that let you know exactly how much you have left, because running out of a staple without even knowing it was close to empty is not a great way to start the day.

_MG_3164_web — Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30 / PA+++ (1oz) $65

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Allow Me to Introduce Matt(e) Hughes! theBalm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick

May 27th, 2016 by Jen Clark 11 Comments

Meet Matt(e) Hughes.

He’s attractive, feels good on the lips, smells like Thin Mint cookies (LITERALLY, to the tee!), and sticks around even when you sloppily pound down a massive Big Mac and fries!

Let’s ignore the fact that I just made two food references in the first sentence of this post and get to know Matt(e) a little better…

The Balm has come out with these $17 Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick, and I’m a huge fan. They’re extremely comfortable and don’t feel drying at all, which is so rare when it comes to matte lip products. The formula actually reminds me a bit of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cremes.

When applied they’re quite liquid-y and can even bleed a little, so I would use them with a lip liner to prevent that.

Compared to matte liquid lipsticks from brands like Anastasia and Colourpop before, these are quite different. While those formulas remain full-on GLUED to your lips, which some people like, but some people also hate, these can be easily removed and don’t feel so…claustrophobic. In turn, that does mean that they aren’t quite as bulletproof of some of the other liquid lipsticks out there.

Once they dry down to their matte finish, though, they do stay put.

Here’s the kiss test…

As you can see, they aren’t completely budge-proof, but they are long wearing! (Side note: Why couldn’t I make kiss marks that looked that cute and not like the squid tentacle prints I made when I was busy sending almost every boy in my 5th grade class a “Do you like me? Check yes or no” note?)

I love the color selection too. There’s mostly everything you need, aside from possibly a purple, but I don’t think a lot of people will really miss that though.

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Urban Decay Is Back in Wonderland With the 2016 Alice Through the Looking Glass Collection

May 27th, 2016 by Anna Oh 12 Comments

“I’m not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours.”
~ Lewis Carroll

Those are some inspiring words, and they’re words that UD also uses to describe the new limited edition $60 Alice Through the Looking Glass Eyeshadow Palette and $18 Lipsticks, sequels to Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows. With an emphasis on individuality and embracing the things that make us different, this collection is for the beauty risk-takers!

The Alice Through The Looking Glass Eyeshadow Palette ($60)

urban decay alice in wonderland — The gorgeous, intricate box hides the slide-out eyeshadow palette

Even with the neon kaleidoscope eyeshadow colors, I didn’t find the palette difficult to wear. I’ve heard some mixed reviews about the shadow formula, and that’s open to interpretation, but I will say that the best-performing eyeshadows also happen to be the ones that matter the most. I think it says a lot about the palette’s wearability that I was able to come up with an Alice-themed look on my first try!

There are enough smokier neutrals, along with a trio of terrific matte blending shades, to bring harmony to the bright and quirky shades.

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Play It Tropicool and Go Back to the Fuchsia With Salon Perfect Neon Pop! Summer 2016

May 26th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 8 Comments

Do you remember when I used to paint my nails all the time?

Yeah, me neither. I miss it. I miss having the free time to sit down, manicure, buff, base, color and top coat my nails on the regular.

There just isn’t enough time, and that’s okay. I embrace the people and things that have taken the place of those at-home manicures, and it just means that the opportunities I do have to actually polish my nails are that much more special.

Queue the Salon Perfect Summer 2016 Neon Pop! Collection. These 12 sweet and sour shades (eight shown below) will get you ready for your next afternoon by the pool. At only $3.98 a Pop! (see what I did there?), you can collect ’em all. The challenge will be deciding which one you want to wear first. (Or maybe that’s just me, because I’m like “YAS! Finally, free time to paint my nails!”)

I love the Neon Pop! line’s versatility. A lot of the neon polishes I’ve tried are streaky and consistently dry down to a matte finish that doesn’t last long. They’re also usually only available in warm tones. But Salon Perfect seems to have all that sorted out.

Here are pics of eight Neon Pop! shades alongside their trusty companions — a bottle of Crystal Clear top coat and a white shade called Sugar Cube. To really make the neon-ness of these Pop! shades jump off your nails, apply them atop a white polish, in lieu of a traditional base coat (same idea works for colorful eyeshadows), and then to keep them from chipping too soon or from drying down matte, add a sturdy top coat.

My personal favorite neons (and nail polishes in general) are cool toned, which is why I like the Neon Pop! greens, blues and purples. I’ve been all about calypso teal Mer-Made of Money, which goes five full days for me with a base and top coat before chipping. That’s unheard of for a neon!

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Trying a Bold FOTD With the MAC Fashion Pack Collection

May 26th, 2016 by Adia Goss 14 Comments

fashion pack fotd — Trying something a little bolder

Nothing like playing with new makeup to make getting ready in the morning a little less painful.

I’ve been experimenting with the MAC Fashion Pack collection this week and snapped these pictures one morning before going to work. It was so gray and gloomy outside that I decided to go all out with my FOTD.

Well, “all out” is a relative term. Normally I stick to neutrals for my going-to-work makeup routine, but sometimes it’s nice to switch things up a bit.

fashion pack makeup look — Lots of bold colors in the MAC Fashion Pack collection

MAC Fashion Pack
Available online June 9, 2016
Available in-store June 23 through July 28, 2016
#MACFashionPack

“Lead the way with a new wave of front-row worthy hues. Fuchsia, violet, emerald, deepest plum, midnight…ready to wear, any way we dare! So, be a doll and show us how — the Fashion Pack is always in the know.” -MAC

For this makeup look, I used a few of the shadows in the new Runway Worthy Eye Shadow x 9 palette. I used Dress Me Up all over my lids, Runway Worthy in the inner corners to brighten my eyes, and then applied sparkly violet Zip Me Up along my lower lash line.

I finished with navy blue MAC Fluidline Pen in Indelibly Blue for a nice winged liner. It’s dark enough to define, but the dark blue isn’t as harsh as black.

I rarely wear eyeliner, but this one is so easy to apply that I’m thinking I may have to wear liner more often :-).

This x 9 palette has lots of bold colors, and it intimated me a little, but after playing around with them, I can see why MAC chose this lineup of colors.

They look really nice together, and you can work them into so many different looks!

So, yeah, I guess you could say that MAC knows what it’s doing, LOL.

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Dear Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation: It’s Not Me, It’s You.

May 26th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 32 Comments

Dear Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation,

I really wanted to love you. I really tried to make it work, but today I realized I have to let you go.

When we first entered each other’s lives, I had stars in my eyes. I’d heard what everyone had to say about you, and they were nothing but great things. So I grabbed my favorite buffing brush as of late and got to work.

Oh, my god. I couldn’t believe it — you were so easy to blend, to build, and your finish was so even and just… perfect. I’ve never seen myself with so few freckles, but then again, I don’t generally go for fuller coverage foundations like you.

_MG_3162_web — Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer ($27)

As I went on with the rest of my makeup, I kept remarking at how amazing my base looked. It seemed like we were quite a match, but there’s something you should know… I don’t really fall easily, or ever at all. I can’t help but anticipate disaster.

_MG_3102_web — “This photograph is my proof. There was that afternoon, when things were still good between us.” – Duane Michals

While we seemed to be compatible on so many levels, you were a few shades too dark for me from the get-go. Love can require some sacrifice, and I understood that.

So we went out into the world together, and I was feeling like a total boss.

Eventually, the dream started to fade and reality began to set in. A few hours after we left, I looked in the mirror, and you separated across my skin the way oil beads up around water. It didn’t help that you weren’t quite my shade, which just exacerbated the visibility of our impending separation.

_MG_3155_web — Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer in 5 Breeze compared to Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y205 Alabaster

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The MAC Fashion Pack Collection! The Lipsticks

May 26th, 2016 by Adia Goss 24 Comments

For me, these MAC Fashion Pack Lipsticks are a reminder that MAC still makes some of the best lipsticks around, in my opinion. MAC is still my first stop when I want a new lipstick because of their wide range of colors, and because some of their formulas, like Amplified and Frost, are amazing.

MAC Fashion Pack
Available online June 9, 2016
Available in-store June 23 through July 28, 2016
#MACFashionPack

“Lead the way with a new wave of front-row worthy hues. Fuchsia, violet, emerald, deepest plum, midnight…ready to wear, any way we dare! So, be a doll and show us how — the Fashion Pack is always in the know.” -MAC

The four lipsticks in the launch — Pressed & Ready (a soft whitened nude with a Lustre finish), Aim For Gorgeous (a bright fuchsia with a Matte finish), By Special Order (a deep reddened fuchsia with an Amplified finish) and Stylist’s Tip (a deep violet with an Amplified finish) — are all incredibly smooth and pigmented, and the darker colors absolutely LAST.

You can check out the new MAC Fashion Pack Runway Worthy Eye Shadow x9 and Fluidline Pens here.

I applied Stylist’s Tip one morning before work, and when I got home at the end of the day, it looked good! — and this was with my near-constant eating and drinking, and without a single touchup.

Here are some swatches…

And photos of me wearing them…

Alright…Pressed & Ready is very light, but it feels smooth and comfortable. I was tempted to doctor it up with a brown lip liner but thought that would be against my ethical duties as a beauty blogger, LOL.

This one just doesn’t quite work for me, but it is a pretty pink-toned nude.

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