All posts tagged: mac cosmetics

Autumn Blush Picks

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I don’t usually discriminate makeup as seasonal only, but from time to time, I get swept up by the vibe of various holidays that my makeup just follows suit. Here are some blushes that I’ve been tending to reach for lately. L-R: Addiction Cheek Stick (Tea Rose), Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (Exposed), MAC Extra Dimension Blush (Fiery Impact), NARS Blush (Sin), Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (Blushing Bride), BECCA Beach Tint (Raspberry), Addiction Cheek Stick (Suspicious) I tend to go neutral (to pair with a vampy lip) or with plums and berries if I want to wear a nude or neutral lip. I’ve been laying off the corals and pinks right now, but I can’t say for sure if that’s due to the seasonal changes. What blushes have you reaching for lately? Is it seasonally inspired? Do share!

Favorite Fall Lipsticks: Berries & Reds

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Here are some of my favorite fall lipsticks. Whenever I think of autumn & the holidays, my mind reverts to the vampy and the berry shades that I have. These are a bit on the pricier side, but if you don’t want to spring for a darker lip that you don’t know you can wear everyday, I’m sure you can get ideas and search for dupes if you find one that tickles your fancy. 🙂 L-R: MAC Plumful, NARS Vendanges, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Antigone, Snoe Beauty Plum Crazy, shu uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Luxe Burgundy (LE), Guerlain Rouge G L’Extrait M69 Orgueil, Addiction by Ayako Lady of the Lake, Le Métier de Beauté Hydra-Crème in Signature, Chanel Rouge Allure in Envoutante Here they are on the lips, for a better idea of how they wear: Ol’ Reliables are Orgueil, Vendanges, Lady of the Lake, Signature, and Envoutante. Plumful is also pretty reliable, though I find that I have to be in a certain mood to wear it. Luxe Burgundy pulls too red on …

Quickie: MAC Fix+

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Marketed as a finishing spray, the MAC Fix+ was actually on my radar for another reason entirely. I knew you could use eyeshadows wet to get more intensity from them, but I also knew that water would destroy most eyeshadows. And then, I found out that a solution like MAC Fix+ was a work around, so after much dilly-dallying, I went and got myself a bottle. Thankfully, it works as an Eyeshadow Intensifier fairly well: Just spritz the brush, or onto a dish, and use the damp (not wet!) brush to apply the eyeshadow onto your eye. So easy, it kind of hurts. Also, please observe how intense that eyeshadow became. It is applied without a primer underneath, on both sides. As a setting spray, it works like a charm, too. The mist is pretty fine, which is not what you would expect when you see its nozzle. My makeup stay put throughout the day—I can’t really say anything else about that. One other cool thing about this is that the nozzle locks in place, …

Quick Tips for Bright Eyes

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There are two basic tricks for an immediate bright-eyed, Disney Princess effect, and those involve a light-colored liner on the lower lashline or an inner corner highlight. For that extra-bright, wide-eyed look, use both tricks. THE SCIENCE BEHIND A NUDE LINER The first time I found out about a bright liner on the lower lash line was when I was watching an episode of America’s Next Top Model. I wasn’t so convinced when Tyra said to use a white eyeliner, so it was a tip that went ignored—until people started talking about swapping it out for a nude eyeliner. Placing a light, neutral liner on your lower lash line makes you appear more awake because it cancels out the red on the inner rim of your eyes, without defining it the way a black or brown eyeliner would. It creates the illusion of bigger, brighter eyes, because there is continuity with the white part of your eye. This is why a light-colored eyeliner sort of creates a bigger eye look, where as a black or …

Stash Shopping No. 4b

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Here’s a semi-new stash. I decided to keep the eye products in rotation, because I’d like to play with them some more. I just added some more transitional lipsticks into the mix, in preparation for Fall. Which we don’t really have here, but still. To see more details on last week’s stash, click here. Here’s a photo of it: Here are the lipsticks I added for use this week. Seems like a lot, but let’s see which ones I’ll actually use: Swatched from L-R: MAC Impassioned, Flower Beauty in Ginger Lily, YSL Rouge Volupté Shine in Rose in Tension, Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in RD305, Guerlain Rouge G L’Extrait in Gourmandise I picked dark brights and deeper neutrals, if that makes sense. What’s on your to-use list this week?

My MAC Eyeshadow Palette (Swatches, Looks & Video)

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I know I’ve shown these before, but I have this feeling that it shouldn’t be left out of any eye month. Someone is bound to ask for these, so here: My MAC Eyeshadows. MAC eyeshadows seem to be the gateway to makeup madness. It’s a phenomenon quite unlike anything I’ve seen—anyone who’s at least knee-deep in the business of beauty knows what Satin Taupe, Woodwinked, and All That Glitters all mean. I don’t have a lot of MAC shadows and I don’t have a special relationship with them. I bought my first two eyeshadows in October 2012, and bought the rest in one go. Today, I’ll show you my MAC eyeshadow palette (plus, 2 that don’t fit), and give you a rundown of what they look like and how I use them. Here’s a pretty short video, if you want to see the swatches in action (different angles, etc): Here are the two out-of-palette stragglers. The Runaways: Amber Lights, and Trax — Amber Lights is a “peachy brown with shimmer” and has a frost finish. …

Stash Shopping No. 4

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Hello everyone, here’s this week’s edition of Stash Shopping! I accidentally posted the concealer post early (for those of you who saw it—sorry!), but this is actually what I had planned to post today. Like I did with the last S.S. post, I will post photos of some looks throughout the week. P.S. For the past three weeks, I started posting these editions on Tuesdays, now I’m moving them to Monday, so it’s not so confusing. 🙂 Tuesday, Meeting + Book Launch: Chanel Ombres Fleuries (Délicatesse) over LUSH Cream Shadow (Sophisticated). NYX Powder Blush (Raisin) as a contour; Smashbox Whipped Blush (Dusty Rose) as a blush. Maybelline Lipstick (Chestnut), MAC Lipglass (Flight of Fancy) on center of lips + L’Oreal Lucent Magique Liquid Foundation (N5), Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Luminous Light), K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner, The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit (02) Wednesday, Brunch: Shiro (Victory Road) + Chanel Ombres Fleuries (Délicatesse, Purple shade) over LUSH Cream Shadow (Sophisticated). Smashbox Whipped Blush (Dusty Rose); Revlon Mineral Blush (Roseberry) over it. Maybelline Lipstick (Chestnut) + …