Makeup

Straight From Strutting Down Catwalks in New York and Paris, the Limited Edition MAC Fall ’13 Forecast/Lips Palette Now Hopes to Sashay Along a Boulevard With You

April 8th, 2013 by Karen 43 Comments

MAC Trend Forecast Fall 13 Forecast/Lips — The forecast calls for lips! — MAC Fall 13 Forecast/Lips, that is ($40)

If any brand’s got their finger on the pulse of makeup lovers like me, it’s got to be MAC. Especially when it comes to [INSERT ANY MAKEUP CATEGORY HERE OR] lip palettes. They’re hands down one of my favorite lip palette lines…and I don’t even consider myself a big lip palette fan!

It’s the colors they choose to put together — they just have a knack for it — like does this one go with that? Why yes, MAC, it does, and I can’t even figure out how/why!

Take their new $40 Fall ’13 Forecast/Lips palette, for instance, and its six fashion-forward fall shades. None of the colors, all of which have MAC’s preternaturally pigmented Amplified lipstick finish, seem wasted or like they’re merely taking up space.

The colors that come with the chic limited edition set stalked New York and Paris fall fashion week catwalks, and now they’re looking for love on all of our faces. 🙂 From colors for work lunches (I’m thinking any of the neutral colors on the palette’s left would do well) to drinks at a stylish lounge (any of the shades, really), this palette has it covered.

MAC Fall 2013 Forecast Lipstick swatches from the left: Au Naturale, This Is Autumn, Style Apparent, Rich New Mood, Red Statement and Fashion Noise

MAC Trend Forecast Fall 13 Forecast Lips Au Naturale — Au Naturale, a light neutral flesh shade with an Amplified finish

MAC Trend Forecast Fall 13 Forecast Lips This Is Autumn — This Is Autumn, a warm midtone flesh shadw tih an Amplified finish

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Don’t Forget to Bring Your Blush Brush, Babe, Because We’re Heading to a MAC Extra Dimension: The MAC Extra Dimension Blushes in Blazing Haute and Flaming Chic

April 8th, 2013 by Karen 25 Comments

MAC In Extra Dimension Blush Pictures, Swatches, Review — Wow! — I didn’t know there was an extra dimension… Well, I guess it’s always nice to have a spare. Here I’m wearing MAC In Extra Dimension Blush in Flaming Chic, available now online (coming to North American MAC counters and stores April 11; internationally this May)

Buckle your makeup safety belt, and brace your cheeks, because we’re about to break through the blush barrier! On the other side, an Extra Dimension, where MAC’s liquid-powder blushes radiate light, and adhere to cheeks like second skin.

MAC’s new 16-piece In Extra Dimension collection of brushes and hybrid liquid-powder eye shadows, blushes and Skinfinishes touches down like a NASA lunar lander on counters April 11 (it’s already available online). Its destination? An exotic land of luminous skin, eyes and cheeks, and color that lasts up to six hours.

The Extra Dimension blushes ($25 for a 0.22-ounce pan) come in five shades that range from sheer satin to high-shine metallic.

I test piloted two of them last weekend, and based on that, if civilian inter-dimensional travel ever becomes a reality, I’d want my spacesuit to have a special pocket for Blazing Haute and Flaming Chic.

Both of ’em just look so darned natural on my skin (I think so) and actually last a full eight hours.

Here’s a closer look…

MAC In Extra Dimension Blush in Blazing Haute, a a dirty peach ($25) — MAC In Extra Dimension Blush in Blazing Haute, a dirty peach ($25)

Blazing Haute: Nothing thrills my 30-something cheeks more than a peach blush with a pinch of juicy color and a velvety finish. The delicate pigment means I can’t muck things up too badly when I’m in a hurry, so no clown stripes (WHOOP!). Plus, the luster finish seems to brighten my face and erase a few years without pointing out the fact that my pores are at Defcon 3 now. Even better, Blazing Haute should look smokin’ hot on gals of all ages, since it’s neither very shiny nor sheer. It’s just right. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

MAC In Extra Dimension Blush in Flaming Chic, a bright bluish pink ($25)

Flaming Chic: So frightening in the pan! — but don’t let that scare you. This bright blush pink is surprisingly wearable. Like Blazing Haute, it’s probably more t-shirt and jeans than body-con dress and high heels, as it dusts cheeks with semi-transparent color, but it’s hot (picture the way your cheeks look when crush brushes your arm). 🙂 Lovely, natural and a perfect pairing for long, lush lashes and a lip stain. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

MAC Blazing Haute Flaming Chic Blush swatches — Blazing Haute (left) and Flaming Chic (right)

MAC Flaming Chic Blush In Extra Dimension — That’s MAC Flaming Chic Blush on my cheeks

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MAC Added a Pinch of Pastel, a Spoonful of Sparkle and a Dash of Cream to the MAC Baking Beauties Collection

April 5th, 2013 by Karen 20 Comments

Now where’d I put my KitchenAid…?

Don’t let me catch you dipping into the frosting again. 🙂 These products aren’t for tummies. They’re for eyes, lips, nails and cheeks.

The recipe calls for pastel colors and 24 cups of sugar. Definition: it’s sweet, sweet, sweet.

Step into the kitchen! Here’s a taste of 10 of the 24 pieces from the MAC Baking Beauties collection, which comes out of the oven April 18 in North American MAC kitchens, stores and online (and internationally this May).

Ya know, I’m lovin’ the idea of this release (because I’m a sugar fiend). Cupcakes and I — we roll deep! But I don’t know… From what I’ve seen so far, these pieces seem more Splenda than C&H.

I was expecting ecstasy with these — the same visceral, intense reaction I get when I bite into a real life red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting (yum!) — but I’m actually on the fence. A lot of these colors look similar on my NC42 skin.

MAC In For a Treat Pearlmatte Face Powder, a champagne base with a matte coral flower and mint leaves on the pan ($29)

Like In For a Treat Pearlmatte Face Powder and the pretty design (the white edges are an overspray, but I don’t think the design in the center of the pan is). It has all the makings of an award-winning dessert! Normally, I’d want seconds of something like this, but I find myself craving more oomph! Less frost and more coral.

MAC Pink Buttercream Pearlmatte Face Powder, a light silvery pink base with dark pink flowers and periwinkle leaves ($29)

MAC Pink Rebel Lustre Drops, a blueish pink with golden pearl ($21)

MAC Lavender Whip Lipstick, a light cool lavender with a Cremesheen finish ($15)

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Vibrant Orange and Coral Storm the Stage in the MAC Hayley Williams Collection

April 5th, 2013 by Karen 25 Comments

I can’t guarantee you’ll go completely American Idol on that @ss when you wear the new MAC Hayley Williams collection and blast Paramore’s The Only Exception…but I think the chances of it happening are quite high, especially if you like orange and coral on your lips, tips and lids.

MAC has long loved collaborating with musicians, and the new four-piece online exclusive with Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams is their latest duet.

It’s also the most wearable one I’ve seen in a while.

I mean, well…Nicki Minaj Viva Glam 2 doesn’t exactly epitomize wearable. I know, like, one person who can pull off pale violet lips without looking totally and completely cray.

This collection sure seems more like music for the masses, and I like it. It sings with rock-n-roll brights, but still manages to stay chic.

And that coral eye shadow? Beautiful! It really surprised me when I got it on my lids.

Today I took the stage — also known as the hallway outside my office — with a sparkly fake microphone to put three of the four pieces to the test.

MAC Daydreaming Eye Shadow, a frosted mid-toned coral with a veluxe pearl finish ($15)

Daydreaming Eye Shadow ($15): Man, I thought this bright reddish coral had “zombie girl!” written all over it, but the red relinquishes the spotlight on my NC42 skin. I get more of an orangey pinkish coral from it, and the veluxe pearl finish hits all the right notes to keep things interesting. I’m not usually into colors like this, but I’m feeling this one, especially with thick cat eye liner. No fallout or patchiness, and it only takes one or two layers. Daydreaming is my favorite piece from this release.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

MAC Sounds Like Noise Lipstick, a bright true orange with a matte finish

Sounds Like Noise Lipstick ($15): Like a songstress belting out the blues at a gin joint, this bright orange matte has a story to tell. It’s trickier than I expected, but there’s pigment there. I have a tough time getting it to put down smooth color — apply, blot, then reapply — but a liner should help with that. I like the color, but I’d probably like it more if MAC remixed it into an Amplified Creme… Now that would top the charts!
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

MAC Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish, a soft, candlelit beige with multidimensional shimmer ($29)

Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish ($34): A shimmering beige that whispers on my skin like a breathy intro to a naughty Maxwell slow jam. On me, I think its true potential gets kinda lost, but it should really sing on lighter and medium skin tones.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

MAC Hayley Williams swatches from the left: Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish, Daydreaming Eye Shadow and Sounds Like Noise Lipstick

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Flower’s $8 Forget-Me-Not Win Some Rouge Some Creme Blush Says No to Bathrobe Funk, Yes to Cute Puppies

April 5th, 2013 by Karen 13 Comments

Flower Creme Blush Forget-Me-Not — Flower’s $8 Forget-Me-Not Win Some Rouge Some Creme Blush

Whenever I swipe a little blush on my cheeks, there’s that moment afterwards when I take a step back, see myself in the mirror and sigh with relief. “Ahhh…”

You know what I’m talking about. 🙂

Without at least a hint of color on my cheeks, I look like a walking billboard for one of those all-inclusive island resorts — an aimless, ambling, barely-aware “before” picture of someone in dire need of a margarita on a white sandy beach (picture me in a ratty terrycloth bathrobe, mismatched socks and unkempt hair).

The new $8 Forget-Me-Not Win Some Rouge Some Creme Blush from Flower Beauty — yup, Drew Barrymore’s new makeup line — takes care of that.

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NARS Summer 2013 Collection Pictures and Swatches and Orders From a Demanding Cat

April 4th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

When I got home from the salon this afternoon (took off about 2 inches and got some layers), Tabs was meowing up a storm.

“Mrrroow!?” Where the heck have you been!?

“MRRRROWWW!” If you don’t preview the new NARS Summer 2013 collection for me, I WILL CUT YOU!

And I believed him (seriously, have you seen that cat’s claws? SHARP!).

Let me know if anything makes you purr… 🙂 Reviews and looks coming soon.

NARS Barrow Street Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner, $24

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The Sonia Kashuk Moroccan Dunes Eye Palette Channels Chanel and Luxuriates Lids With Luminous, Chrome Colors

April 4th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

When the production crew of Hoarders finally arrives at my doorstep to film “the very special makeup episode,” they’ll find me half-buried under a mound of Friskies Gravy Lovers cans, unread issues of Entertainment Weekly and Chanel eye quads.

I’ll be wearing the gray bathrobe I borrowed from my friend Jen once and never returned and clutching something small and Chanel-like in one of my hands…

“Forget about me!” I’ll say to the production assistant trying to free me from the mound. “Save the quad instead!”

What quad is that?

A new one from Sonia Kashuk called Moroccan Dunes. 🙂

The Sonia Kashuk Moroccan Dunes Eye Palette ($16.99)

Is it just me, or does this quad shout, “COCO WAS HERE!” The sleek, Chanel-esque packaging, the luminous finish that glimmers on lids, and the colors, like precious metals, in rich, dark brown, grayish mauve, shimmering pink and rosy gold.

But in this case, the price is right — much lower than Chanel. It’s just $16.99, so you won’t feel like you have to sneak it into the house in your big purse (been there, done that).

When I work with these hybrid shadows, which combine baked, powder, cream and liquid finishes/textures, I like to start with a kick-@ss primer on my lids, like NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, to lock the shadows in place.

Sonia Kashuk Moroccan Dunes Eye Palette Swatches — Sonia Kashuk Moroccan Dunes Eye Palette swatches

Then, to apply, I load a flat eye shadow brush with one or two of the shades, tap it to remove the excess and reduce any fallout — which can get pretty wicked with a couple of the fluffier shades — and press the powder on my lids.

Pressing, as opposed to swiping, seems to help the shadows bind a little better to my skin. Then I blend the edges with a domed brush.

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Four Taupes, One Quad, One Happy Gal: The New Sonia Kashuk Textured Taupe Monochrome Eye Quad

April 4th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

My fellow eye shadow junkies — if you obsess over shades like taupe, I’m talking to YOU! — once you’ve taken a whirl with one of Sonia Kashuk’s new Monochrome Eye Quads, you may be tempted to call it your new BFF.

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself sending it texts while you shop for shoes (“I can’t tell if these make me look short…”), or offering to braid its hair, or inviting it over one Friday night to watch BRAVO, drink champagne and eat cake.

Each of the four new spring quads (Textured Rose, Textured Mauve, Textured Coca, and Textured Taupe) comes with four variations on a different shade, and you can find them now at Target for less than the cost of lunch at a fancy food truck.

Textured Taupe has totes been my jam as of late…

Sonia Kashuk Monochrome Eye Quad in Textured Taupe ($13.69)

Inside the sleek black matte package lives 1) a matte taupe, 2) a matte taupe with tiny flecks of golden glitter, 3) a pearly golden taupe and 4) a shiny golden taupe with big o’ pieces of glitter.

Sonia Kashuk Textured Taupe Swatches — Textured Taupe swatches on my NC42 skin

I really dig this quad, and not based solely on my love for taupe.

Whenever I need a lift, I pat one or two shades on my lids to brighten my eyes, and because the shades are so closely related, they only take a few swipes to blend. I just have to remember to dust off any excess from my brush first to avoid any fallout.

You’d think that a quad with four of the same shades might be boring, but among the four finishes, I always seem to find a fresh new combo to keep it spicy.

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