Search Results for: cult of cherry

MAC Make-Up Art Cosmetics Fall 2009: What Would You Get?

August 12th, 2009 by Karen 50 Comments

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Art by Richard Phillips

I love it when cosmetics companies embrace the contemporary art scene like MAC has with fall’s Make-Up Art Cosmetics collection (arriving Aug. 20).

It’s something MAC has done before — hitching their thematic wagon to an established or up-and-coming artist — and it always seems like such a brilliant concept to me. Isn’t makeup, after all, just one of many forms of art?

For past MAC fall collections like Cult of Cherry and Smoke Signals, smokey eyes and dark lips took center stage. The color palettes differed, but both collections still fell along what I consider traditional fall makeup lines, with the addition of MAC’s much-loved theatrical flair! 🙂

With the massive Make-Up Art Cosmetics collection, however, MAC created three completely different sets of products (as far as I can tell), each set designed by a different artist.

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Art by Marilyn Minter

Painter Richard Phillips, illustrator Maira Kalman and photographer Marilyn Minter each created an interpretation of their artwork through MAC makeup.

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Art by Maira Kalman

The concept excites me, but I’m not sure what to make of the colors…
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I’m Sweet on MAC Naked Honey

June 11th, 2009 by Karen 72 Comments

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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

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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

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Swatches from left to right: Creme de Miel, Pollinator, Buckwheat

Lipglasses

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+

Swatches from left to right: Buzz, Queen Bee, She’s a Star

High-Light Powders

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High-Light Powder in Honey Light
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MAC A Rose Romance Pictures, Swatches and Review

April 23rd, 2009 by Karen 46 Comments

mac rose romance display

Roses are red, violets are blue; the MAC A Rose Romance collection arrived today, what say you?

At first I wasn’t sure I would dig it, but after previewing a few items last week and checking out the full collection today, I’m a fan.

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Beauty Powder in Summer Rose

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Beauty Powder in Blush Of Youth

If you wear cool tones well, you’ll probably find a lot to like in this collection of lip, eye and cheek makeup (with some face, nail and perfume products thrown in for good measure!).
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MAC Amber Lights Eyeshadow Face of the Day: Version 1

March 7th, 2009 by Karen 35 Comments

mac cosmetics amber lights eyeshadow fotd

Ladies, thanks to your recommendations I’m now officially obsessed with MAC Amber Lights eyeshadow, aka the ultimate pan of peachy bronze goodness. 🙂

Yesterday, I borrowed a few of your color combination suggestions for this plummy bronze eye.

mac cosmetics amber lights eyeshadow fotd eye

I know spring is right around the corner and all, but the colors remind me of autumn leaves.

mac cosmetics amber lights eyeshadow fotd eye map

I used six MAC products for the look.

MAC Indianwood Paint Pot cream shadow: shimmery bronze
MAC Amber Lights eyeshadow: shimmery peachy brown
MAC Saddle eyeshadow: matte orangey brown
MAC Star Violet eyeshadow: shimmery plummy brown
MAC Shadowy Lady eyeshadow: matte plummy black
MAC Honey Lust eyeshadow: shimmery bronzy peach

It starts out with a thin layer of Indianwood Paint Pot patted over the entire lid. It’s a cream base that adds staying power to the powder eyeshadows and turns up the color intensity.

After Indianwood, I go straight for Amber Lights, aka my new eyeshadow crush, applying it on the lid with a MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush.

For added color and contrast in the crease, I follow Amber Lights with a sweeping of Saddle eyeshadow on the inner half of the crease using a MAC 217 Blending Brush. After that, I sweep Star Violet eyeshadow on the outer half with a MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush.

I’m shooting for a little more of a smokey look, so I grab my trusty pan of MAC Shadowy Lady eyeshadow (remember her from the MAC Cult of Cherry Collection?) and pat her in the outer corner with the MAC 239.

After lining both the upper and lower lash lines with a MAC 209 Eyeliner Brush, I sweep some Honey Lust eyeshadow onto the brow bone and into the inner corner of the eye with a MAC 217 Blending Brush.

A few coats of mascara and concealer under the eyes, and then I move on to the lips and cheeks…

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For the rest of the look, I decided to go with a strong lip and nearly-nude cheeks. I apply a single of layer of MAC O lipstick (a plummy red) on the lips and MAC Emote blush on the cheeks.
mac cosmetics amber lights eyeshadow fotd 2

I think I’ll wear this look with my plum dress (or maybe a white top and chunky gold jewelry) out to dinner tonight…

Weird urges

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9 Blue Posts: A Homage to Blue Eyeshadow

January 7th, 2009 by Karen 27 Comments

It’s winter, ladies, which means cold linoleum and gray days. I’m longing for warm seas and sunny skies, but until spring I’ll have to get my silver linings in other ways. Maybe these 9 blue eye makeup looks can help.

MAC Red She Said Face of the Day: Navy Blue, Bronze and Brown Smokey Eye

“I tried this brown, bronze and navy blue smokey eye. When I was done with the look, I walked around the room by myself, pretending I was contemplating impressionist paintings in a fancy art gallery.”

MAC Blue Zone Face of the Day

“I hate having a lot of errands and household chores to do over the weekend, but sometimes that’s just how it goes. I did this blue and purple eye while I whined my way through five loads of laundry.”

A Copper, Tan and Blue Eye with Cargo Color Palette in Vienna

“I knew today would be a rough day and wanted to wear something colorful (while still safe for the office) and upbeat. It’s a shimmery copper and tan eye with blue accents and features a few different holiday and fall products, including the new Cargo Color Palette in Vienna ($28).”

A Blue, Pink and Silver Eye with Clarins So Sublime Quartet

“I didn’t think I’d be able to use the colors in the So Sublime quad when I first saw them a few weeks ago because they seemed too bright, but playing with them today changed my mind. I like the results. I think I’ll include this eye in my regular rotation of work friendly (yet colorful) looks.”

MAC Cult of Cherry Face of the Day Using the Shadowy Lady Quad

“A few days ago, reader Lexi asked to see a face of the day with the Shadowy (Shady!) Lady quad. That sounded like fun, so here’s the look I wore to work yesterday — a light purple eye with a bright blue liner.

MAC Cosmetics Naughty Nauticals Face of the Day: A Light Purple and Blue Eye

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“I didn’t want to look like a purple drag queen, so I decided on a light purple eye with blue accents using a few colors from the MAC Naughty Nauticals collection.”

Mally City Chick Smokey Eye Kit in Nolita Navy: Makes Blue Eyes Easy

“There was a time when blue eye looks terrified me worse than MJ’s Thriller video scared me as a kid. Nature’s rarest color isn’t always easy to work with, and even the simplest of blue eye looks can quickly devolve into hot blue messes if you don’t know which products to use and where to put them.”

MAC Cosmetics Blue and Green Face of the Day

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“We’ve had a stretch of unseasonably warm weather here in the Bay Area, but this morning started off overcast and gloomy. To brighten up my Monday, I did this blue and green eye with MAC Parrot and Sprout.”

Face of the Day: A Pink and Blue Pastel Eye

“Pastels aren’t usually my style, but today the makeup gods chose to bestow enough courage upon me to attempt this pink and blue eye, inspired by Shiseido’s spring makeup look.”

Keep warm, and happy hump day!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

43 Things I’m Thankful For: The Makeup Edition

November 27th, 2008 by Karen 26 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving, ladies! Guess who’s back in the foggy Yea Area, aka home.

I hope you’re having a great day so far. Is there a turkey in your immediate future?

I was sitting here at my computer, daydreaming about food, when I remembered that last year I made a list of 43 makeup and beauty related things I was thankful for. It was a play on the website 43things.

I can’t believe that was a year ago… I swear — the older I get, the faster time flies!

For sure, there’s much more to life than makeup, but for now here are 43 more (makeup and beauty) things I’m thankful for, *raises glass*. 🙂

43 Things I’m Thankful For: The Makeup Edition, 2008

1. My favorite makeover of 2008.

2. Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia Perfume.

3. Trying out this crazy pastel eye in the Shu Uemura Rebirth Spring Collection Tutorial got me thinking outside the box.

4-9. My favorite Chanel of the year: Summer 2008 , Smokey Eye Quad, Aurora Blues Spring 2008, Les Tissages Blushes, Aqualumiere lipglosses and Leopard Lipstick.

10. The MAC Fafi collection made me realize that makeup stakeouts = fun.

11. Olay Quench Mousse, aka moisturization for lazy ladies.

12. MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl: a hidden gem.

13. Bobbi Brown’s Beach Shower Gel gave me my ocean fix.

14. I learned so much and had a lot of fun attending MAC and Chanel makeup classes.

15-16. Dior Eyeshadow Quints that really brought the hotness: Golds 569 and Earth Tones from the Impression Cuir collection.

17. The Essie Neon Collection made me fall in love with yellow nails (wait… that sounds bad).

18. Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer.

19. So long, Chewbacca legs: Say howdy to the Gilette Venus Embrace.

20. Clinique Long Glass Glosswear SPF 15 protected my pucker from the hot summer sun.

21-24. The mascaras that rocked my year: Chanel Exceptionnel, Shu Uemura Precise Volume, Clarins Wonder Mint (aka the Teal Terror), Diorshow Iconic.

25. Lancome Le Stylo Waterproof in Noir stayed on my waterline through tears of joy at my brother’s graduation.

26. I fed my brush addiction with Sonia Kashuk’s fanstastic Synthetic Flat Top Blusher, Eye Shadow and Face Brushes.

27-32. The MAC releases that made my heart skip: Neo Sci Fi, Cremesheen, Cult of Cherry, Cool Heat, Beauty Powder Blushes, and Originals.

33. Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows.

34. Drool-inducing palettes: Mika Shu, Cargo Vienna Palette, Clarins So Sublime, Laura Mercier Toolbox, Stila Front Cover Look No. 4, Beiges de Chanel, Lancome Couture Warms and Sonia Kashuk Blue Lagoon.

35. My easiest smokey eye, EVER.

36. Bag Balm: not just for udders anymore!

37. Poof! makes “dropping off the kids at school” (*ahem*) a more pleasurable experience.

38. Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Mist.

39. Clean & Clear Soft In-Shower Facial kicked my clogged pores to the curb.

40. Sally Hansen Fall Nail Lacquer Colors by Tracy Reese.

41. The bargain hunter in me loved The Cosmetics Company Store.

42. More bargain lovin’ with Aussie Opposites Attract hair products.

And holla! — Last, but not least…

43. Give the girl a hand with Miss Oops Mishap Tape!

What beauty products are you thankful for?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Celebrate the Holidays with Holiday Makeup

November 10th, 2008 by Karen 13 Comments

1. Chanel Holiday 2008

“Some might say Chanel was too tame in the color department, but I’m liking the browns, beiges and golds. The look features neutral beige and brown eyes paired with either pink-gold or red lips. The face and cheeks glow with touches of gold and shimmery pink highlights. Mmm… I lurve Chanel.”

2. MAC Holiday 2008: Red She Said

“I’ve been a little late to the Red She Said party, but I’m getting into it now. At first, I didn’t think it had the same WOW factor that Cult of Cherry did, but both Enough Said blush and Inter-view eyeshadow delivered beautiful results and helped me see the error of my makeup lurvin’ ways.”

3. Shu Uemura Mika Holiday Collection

“Each of the eyeshadow palettes comes with pressed shadows and a cream liner shade with the same wonderfully high color pigmentation and fine textures we’ve come to expect from Shu Uemura’s eye products.”

4. Lancome Holiday 2008

“OOH! If you’re more into red, you gotta check out In All Her Splendor next time you hit a Lancome counter. It’s sheer and glamorous and very nicely done.”

5. Lippmann Collection Nail Colors, Holiday 2008

“Take a gander at the new Lippmann Collection Holiday 2008 colors ($15 each). The four new full-size shades are available online and at Nordstrom stores nationwide.”

6. Clinique Holiday 2008: Blackberry Bloom

“The first time I saw the gorgeous model in this promotional picture — her smokey purple eyes, berry lips and cheeks — I about fell over in my chair!”

7. Prescriptives Aglow Holiday 2008

“With a thick, non-stick texture, the Colorscope glosses feel a lot like Stila Lip Glazes but are much more moisturizing (no dry or peeling flakes, huzzah!). I think it’s a natural-looking lip, sure to look fab with smokey eyes.”

8. Estee Lauder Vintage Jewels Collection Holiday 2008

“The collection’s adventurous eye, lip, face and nail shades remind me of jewel-filled pirate treasure chests bulging with amethysts, emeralds and sapphires. Aye, matey! I’ll walk ye plank for these colors!”

9. Benefit Cosmetics Holiday 2008

“Does m’lday like to keep her options open? If so, the set provides a lot of options. Two of the six shades in Peace Love & Glossiness are a purple and a gold, and each of the three double ended gloss sticks come with two coordinating glosses, to be worn by themselves or mixed together.”

10. Bobbi Brown Holiday 2008

“While the blue, silver and black shades in the Night Sky Long-Wear Eye Palette are pretty on their own, I like this palette mostly because the cream shadows and gel liners complement a wide variety of powder eye shadow shades.”

The Holidays…
This year the holidays will be a little different for a few reasons, one of which is the economy and how it has grind to a halt. I hope the big players in the makeup and beauty industries wake up and pay extra attention to their pricing. Why not offer a few more value sets and better sales than usual? Now is the time, right?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Red She Said Face of the Day: Navy Blue, Bronze and Brown Smokey Eye

October 29th, 2008 by Karen 55 Comments

For one precious hour last Saturday afternoon I got in some quality me time. El Hub had gone to the bookstore for something, so I had the place to myself. I plopped down on the living room floor with a bowl of chilled grapes, started an episode of Law and Order: SVU (lovin’ ya, Detective Stabler!) on the Tivo and reached for a few items from MAC Red She Said.

My mind was racing with thoughts of Tabs and other troubles, and I needed to distract myself with something uncomplicated, like Inter-view Mineralize Eye Shadow ($17.50), Enough Said Beauty Powder Blush ($18), Quiet, Please lipstick ($14) and Miss Dynamite Dazzleglass ($17.50).

From left to right: Enough Said Beauty Powder Blush, three shades from the Interview Mineralize Eye Shadow trio

I tried this brown, bronze and navy blue smokey eye. When I was done with the look, I walked around the room by myself, pretending I was contemplating impressionist paintings in a fancy art gallery.

Here’s how I did this look…

The Eyes

I started by priming my lids with a layer of MAC Painterly Paint Pot applied with a fingertip.
Next, I layered a mix of the brown and bronze shades from the MAC Inter-view Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio onto the inner two-thirds of my lid using a MAC 252 eyeshadow brush.
Still with the same brush, I patted the navy blue shade from Inter-view onto the outer third of the lid and just barely into the crease, concentrating most of the color on the side closer to the ear.
Then, I wet a MAC 239 eyeshadow brush with a spritz of MAC Fix+ and swept the wet brush head across the pan of bronze eyeshadow to load the brush and applied the rich, wet shadow to the inner third of my lid. With the edge of the brush, I lined the lower lash line.
Using MAC Technakohl liner in Graphblack, I lined my upper and lower water lines.

To finish the eyes, I curled my lashes with the (legendary) Shu Uemura lash curler and added a couple coats of MAC Zoomlash mascara in Zoomblack.

The Cheeks

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