Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Mac Upstarts/New Eyeshadow Recommendations

I have neglected on posting, I know! I have so much to talk about but I'm going to try to keep this short and post more later. I purchased the Mac Upstarts Kit for $27 a while back. It came with Nightsky eyeliner, Zoom Lash Mascara, Prep and Prime Lash Primer, and Eye makeup remover. I think that is a great deal because if you were to purchase all of this separately it would cost over $40! Below you can see what the kit looks like and what it comes with.




Nightsky Eyeliner

The Nightsky eyeliner is the reason I bought this kit because it was limited edition and came back only with this collection. It's a black with sparkle built in. It's very similar to Mac's Pearglide Eyeliner in Black Russian. Nightsky was my favorite eyeliner so I'm very excited to have it back!



Zoom Lash Mascara

I think this mascara works very well and does create thicker lashes. My only complaint with this is that it clumps my lashes together in places. However, I find that if I wipe the wand off on the top of the bottle this doesn't happen. I still think my favorite Mac mascara is Plush Lash because it doesn't clump and creates thicker lashes....I have to stick with my old favorite!


Prep & Prime Lash Primer

I had always wanted to try this product because I'd never tried a lash primer before. It's a white consistancy that you put on your lashes before applying mascara. It will help the mascara cling to your lashes and make them appear thicker. I like this alot because it does work well....just be careful not to put too much on your lashes otherwise you will experience clumping.

Eye Makeup Remover

This kit comes with a sample size of the Eye Makeup Remover. Mac's larger bottle costs $18.00. This works amazingly! I am loving this product so much! This remover works so well and you only need a small amount! I just put a small amount on a tissue and wipe it over my eyes and all my eye makeup comes right off! I will definately re-purchase!

Mac Eyeshadows:
I recently went to Mac to get a few more eyeshadows. I was trying not to spend too much money so I decided to buy two. I got Expensive Pink and Sable. Expensive Pink is a bronzy pink and Sable in a frost brown color. Very pretty!
I am really liking these colors, but they are very light so you will need a primer such as Indianwood Paint Pot or Rubinesque. Or...an NYX pencil in brown which is what I used when working with these shadows.
I did not buy anything from Mac's Style Black collection because I'm not a fan of darker makeup...but I might get something the next time I go to Mac.
I will be posting some swatches of Expensive Pink and Sable later on.

I will update again later and include some pictures of these shadows.



































Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Review/Pictures of Mac Blush, Paint Pot, Studio Sculpt.

Recent Mac Haul Product Reviews
I finally took pictures of the items from my last post. I'm going to quickly review and talk about the Mac Well Dressed Blush and Paint Pot in Soft Ochre. I also just purchased some new Mac lip products which I am loving!



Mac Blush Well Dressed (Satin)
This blush is a light pink color that appears sort of matte, but it's actually a satin finish. It goes on smooth since it is a satin finish and it's really a pretty baby pink color. It's very pretty and appropriate for an everyday more polished look, which is exactly what I bought it for! For going out/or out to dinner, I'd still wear my Mac Mineralize Skin Finish blush in Gentle that has some shimmer. But for an everyday work look, this Well Dressed Blush is great!
Mac Paint Pot in Soft Ochre
$16.50

I've been hearing alot about all different eyeshadow primers and am SO happy with this paint pot. I have been using this product as an eyeshadow primer everyday since I bought it. I first used L'oreal Decrease eyeshadow primer which caused me to get alot of creasing when wearing my eyeshadow. But this Mac paint pot is amazing! I put it on before I apply my eyeshadow and then apply my eyeshadow on top. It works soo well to make the eyeshadow colors brighter and stay on longer. The paint pot is a creamy but light product that goes on the lid smooth and is easily blended in to the skin. The Soft Ochre color is similar to the color of my skin so it blends in nicely. They also have other colors that have shimmer or are darker that can be worn as an eyeshadow color. But I am loving this paint pot! It works brillantly as an eyeshadow primer!

Mac Lipstick in Hue
I am loving this lipstick! It is a perfect neutral pink color that is great for an everyday work, offic or even school look. I think this color is great for someone just starting out with Mac and wants just a neutral everyday color. This color is also great if you've created a very dramatic eye look and need something to soften your look. ALSO, you can wear Hue under a lipgloss and it would look great as well.



Mac Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks

I bought this with Hue because I thought the two would go great together. This Dazzleglass is a gorgeous light pink color that compliments Hue perfectly! It has only slight sparkles in it and isn't too bright of a color. I think that you could wear this as an everyday look since it is very light. The office would definately welcome this look!


I swatched Hue and then put Baby Sparks on top of it. The two look really pretty together! You can also adapt this look to whatever lipstick and lipgloss you have if they are similar colors. You can use any drugstore lip product and pair lipstick with a lipgloss for a brighter, more exciting look! Next time you're in the drugstore and want to try this look, find a lipstick and then choose a lipgloss that is a similar color to go over it!


I hope you enjoyed these reviews!

Next up:

Mac Upstarts Kit Review
Blue/Green Eyeshadow look.
























































Thursday, September 3, 2009

Mac Necessities!

Today I was in the mall helping my mom and grandma get some clothes. I wasn't going to buy anything and was showing great restrain! Then we passed by Mac and I just had to look. I wanted to get everything...but I was thinking about what I really thought I needed the most.

I ended up with:


Mac Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20....
I wasn't sure if this was the right shade but I got color matched and the girl thought this would look best. She had said the lighter NW 15 would highlight the under eye circles more than cover them. So I decided to follow her advice and got this concealer. I tried it on using my SS194 concealer brush and I really like it. It's kind of a wipped consistancy that can be blended in easily. I'll do an actual review as I use it more.




Mac Paintpot in Soft Ochre.
I wanted to get an eye primer to make my eyeshadow stay on longer and look brighter. I went with this color because it was just light and wouldn't show through my shadows. She said this one would go best with Nylon since that is my go to color for the lid!

I almost got Bare Study which is a lighter paint pot color and it had a little shimmer, so I decided to go with the more matte Soft Ochre.



Mac Blush in Well Dressed.
I needed to get a matte blush color that is more for an everyday look. The Mineralize blush I had in Gentle is very shimmery which for fall I felt like I wanted a darker color more for everyday. This blush is a light pink with a slight shimmer. I will post swatches later on.



So if you are looking to build a makeup collection, a concealer, eye primer and blush are great staples that you will get a lot of use out of. Also, I think that these will last a long time because you aren't using much concealer or primer each day you do your makeup.



That was my mini haul from Mac. I also ordered online a kit from the Upstarts Collection. They have kits put together of varying face primers, lash primer, mascara, and various other exciting products. They are great because they are a bargain if you were trying to buy the products separately.



I got the Lined & Lashed kit with Nightsky eyeliner (my ultimate favorite that is limited edition and is only sold in this kit right now), Eye Makeup Remover, Zoom Lash Mascara and Prep + Prime Lash. They also have two other kits that you might want to check out.
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT1781&PRODUCT_ID=6454



So that's about it, I will be posting pictures of all of these products later on. Happy shopping!
Makeup is love!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

August Favorites

I decided to do an August Favorites on my blog since I have many products that I love this month. I've been watching some You Tube videos on monthly favorites and I wanted to translate this as a post to my blog. I love watching the favorites videos because I think it gives an excellent glimpse into great products. This will just give you an idea as to which products I think are worth it and are good quality products.

Favorite # 1

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

$25.00



I love, love this powder! I really can't say enough about it as I have been saying alot about this powder! I've been using it for a while...probably about a month and I just think it's an amazing powder. It has great coverage and leaves such a nice finish on the face. It may be a little on the expensive side, but if you are looking for a great quality powder then here it is! My shade is medium, but I would ask the MA to help match your shade at the counter.



Product # 2

SS150

Sigma Powder Brush
$16.00


I've been using this brush since I got my brush roll in July and I'm loving all of the Sigma Brushes. The brush roll is definitely a favorite of the month, which I'll talk about later on. This large powder brush that came in the kit is a brush I've used everyday this month. It works beautifully to apply my Mineralize Skinfinish powder and to blend it out. It also works great for blending in blush. The brush is soooo soft and nice and it's definitely worth it! The brush itself is only $16 from Sigma which is such a good price! This brush can be purchased singly from their website: http://www.sigmamakeup.com/


Product # 3

Sigma 187 Brush




$16.00


I am loving this brush! It is a foundation brush that can be used to apply liquid foundation to give the face an airbrushed look. I've been using it all month to apply my foundation and blend it out. I put a little bit of my foundation on my outer wrist and put a little on the brush then I stipple the foundation on my face. I then take the brush and use circular motions to blend it in.

This brush is so great and so soft! It works perfectly for blending in foundation.


Product # 4

Sigma SS190


When I started out my monthly favorites, I didn't think I'd have this many brushes in my favs! However, I've been loving these brushes this month because of the way they help me to apply makeup to my face.


This brush is amazing!!! I absolutely love it! It's sooo soft (as all my Sigma brushes are). I use it to put powder underneath my eyes to avoid circles. I don't use this brush for foundation, but that can be done as well with this brush. I have an older Mac SE 190 that I use for that.


This brush works so well for putting powder in a smaller area like under the eyes. It really is great! This brush can't be bought separately from Sigma but needs to be purchased in a kit such as the $49 Travel Brush kit, Professional Face or Eyes kit, or the Professional Brushes Complete Kit for $69. You can go to the website using the link above to find more information on all Sigma products.


I personally think the professional brushes complete kit which gives you 12 face and eye brushes is worth it and more economical in the long run if you're going to start your brush collection. Anyway...on to the next favorite!


Favorite # 5


Mac 226 Brush

$24.50


This brush I just got a few weeks ago and I love it! I have the 224 Sigma brush and it works great for blending out colors in the crease, but this one is alot smaller. The Mac 226 works great in placing color precisely in the crease which is nice. It makes applying eye makeup so easy with this brush! Love it!


Favorite # 6

Mac Brush Cleaner $11.00




I've used my brush cleaner just about everyday this month as well to clean my brushes. I think this brush cleaner works great and get the eyeshadow right off the brushes. I will post later on about how exactly I do this to make sure my brushes remain clean and also undamaged! So yes...this brush cleaner I'm finding to be very necessary!



Favorite #7
Mac Politely Pink Lipstick




This lipstick I've used just about everyday in August. It is a pale pink and is really pretty. It can be worn for an everyday look to the office and isn't too bright at all. I like to wear a lipgloss/dazzleglass over it to give it a brighter look. I've been wearing Via Veneto Dazzleglass (as many of you know) over it.


Favorite # 8

Mac Nylon Eyeshadow


This eyeshadow I've been wearing for about 5 years or so. I absolutely love this color! Nylon is a great all over the lid color that can be worn with just about any color in the crease. It really brightens up my eyes and I love wearing it in the inner corner/tear duct area. I think this color is a great color for someone just starting out with Mac and would be great in any one's collection.



Favorite # 9

Mac Satin Toupe Eyeshadow




I <3>! This color is such a pretty brown color that goes great on the outer corner and in the crease. It goes great with Nylon and just creates a great look. I think it's a great starting out color for anyone looking to build their collection. It's got just a subtle shimmer which is soo pretty!


Favorite #10

Sebastion Penetraitt

$13-15

This leave in treatment is one of my favorites as I have been using it for almost a year. It works great to restore protein in the hair. I have very damaged hair from highlights/flat ironing and this treatment is a great leave in that helps to give more moisture to the hair. I use it after my normal shampoo/conditioner routine and then leave this in for 5-10 minutes and then rinse. It is sold at most beauty supply stores or CVS.



So that's about it for my August Favorites! Hope you enjoyed! Please, please comment and subscribe in a reader and follow my blog! Happy Shopping! Makeup is love!