MAC Makeup

Seeking The Perfect Cheek? The Legendary MAC Marilyn Monroe Powder Blushes Tint Cheeks in Silky Shades of Pink and Coral

October 2nd, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

mac marilyn monroe legendary blush — Wearing MAC Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in Legendary

Quick! Picture something that goes really well with strong fall eye and lip looks (but don’t tell me what it is).

Okay, now let me guess… Is it cats?

No? It’s not cats?

Alright, how ’bout false lashes? Is it false lashes?

It is?! Yay! 🙂 But wait — you say there’s more than that?

Okay, let’s say we’re looking for something easier than false lashes — something that we can wear to tone down bold eyes and lips.

Any ideas?

How about a natural-looking blush? Perhaps a MAC Powder Blush like The Perfect Cheek or Legendary ($16.50 each)?

Softer than powdered sugar but just as sweet, both of these velvety Powder Blushes take center stage with the new MAC Marilyn Monroe collection on counters this week. The launch flaunts rich red lip colors and dramatic cat eyes inspired by Marilyn’s signature makeup style, and both of these blushes — matte pinkish beige The Perfect Cheek and soft coral Legendary — promise to complement the look well.

When I met them, I thought, “Wow! Gals with milky skin tones like Marilyn’s are gonna think these are great,” but I wasn’t sure about gals with darker skin tones like mine. Then, I tried them on my NC42 cheeks…

Sweet! 🙂 For sure, they don’t appear as intense on me as I think they would on lighter lasses, but I still like the effect. Even if you’re in the NC or NW 42-44 range, I think you could still pull these off. You just might have to layer.

Babes beyond NC or NW 44, however, may want to brace themselves. These blushes are probably still worth a try, but I suspect they might appear ashy on darker damsels.

Some quick thoughts on both shades…

The Perfect Cheek

Like a paler version of MAC’s classic Blushbaby Blush, The Perfect Cheek is a true matte without any hint of shimmer or shine. If you’re hankerin’ for some color on your cheeks but don’t want to draw attention to your pores, look no further than right here! The Perfect Cheek should be neutral enough for guys/gals with warm or cool skin tones, which only adds to its awesomeness. Pair it with a true red or a reddish pink lipstick for a makeup look equal parts timeless and classic.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Legendary

One word: effortless. Lazy gals, rejoice! You won’t want to miss trying this soft coral color. When I swirl it on my cheeks (on either bare skin or atop foundation), I barely have to move to blend away any lines or edges. It’s like a dressier, grown-up version of a casual summer coral, and I’m drooling over the idea of wearing it with bold, orangey red lippies like MAC Lady Danger.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

MAC Marilyn Monroe The Perfect Cheek Blush — Blush in The Perfect Cheek

MAC Marilyn Monroe The Perfect Cheek Blush Closeup

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Elmer, Meet Marilyn: Like the Glue That Keeps Lips Together, the New MAC Marilyn Monroe Collection Dazzleglasses Are Super Stuck on You

October 2nd, 2012 by Karen 23 Comments

mac marilyn monroe little rock dazzleglass — Wearing the MAC Marilyn collection Dazzeglass in Little Rock

Some days, I feel like I need a shot of glitter even before I crawl out of bed. Something to distract me from the tabby lying next to me and staring with those disapproving eyes that say, “Why do you look like such a train wreck first thing in the morning?”

MAC’s new limited edition Marilyn Monroe Dazzleglasses in Phiff! (exclamation mark included) and Little Rock were made for days like that.

Sprinkled with large pearl particles, the two sheer, glittery $21.50 glosses shimmer and shine like a Disney princess (or a diva kitty supermodel’s eyes). 🙂

While pretty and sparkly on their own (and pretty sparkly), I think Phiff! and Little Rock look even better layered on top of lipsticks. Both of them are super sheer, and consequently, leave the color of underlying lipsticks alone. They’re content just adding oodles of sparkle and shine.

I like popping either one on top of a rich red, like MAC Marilyn Monroe’s Scarlet Ibis, or a nude like Pure Zen.

MAC Marilyn Monroe Phiff Little Rock Dazzleglass — Dazzleglass in Phiff! (left) and Little Rock (right)

mac marilyn monroe phiff dazzleglass — Wearing MAC Marilyn Monroe collection Dazzleglass in Phiff!

MAC Marilyn Monroe Swatches in Lipstick in Pure Zen, Lipstick in Scarlet Ibis, Dazzleglass in Little Rock and Dazzleglass in Phiff — Lipstick in Pure Zen, Lipstick in Scarlet Ibis, Dazzleglass in Little Rock and Dazzleglass in Phiff!

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Lips Like Marilyn’s Are One Swipe Away: Pigment Abounds in the New MAC Marilyn Monroe Lipsticks

October 1st, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

mac marilyn monroe scarlet ibis lipstick — Wearing the new MAC Marilyn Monroe collection lipstick in Scarlet Ibis

Some say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

My chapped lips and I have to politely disagree. I mean, sure, diamonds have some cool things going for ’em. They’re all sparkly, and allegedly you can use them to cut mirrors and glass (I’ve always wanted to try that!), but what good are sparkly, shiny baubles when your lips are all flaky and you want to wear a bright orangey red lipstick like the new matte Scarlet Ibis or a frosty nude like Pure Zen ($16.50 each; both part of the MAC Marilyn Monroe collection)?

I’ve been so jazzed about these colors and their three siblings since I got wind of the MAC Marilyn Monroe collection earlier this year. I imagined re-creating MM’s signature sultry lips while happily stepping over a subway vent and having my skirt fly up for the whole world to see my Spanx…

Okay, maybe not. But I’d still love hot makeup like Marilyn’s, and it’s easier to get with these lipsticks. Both lay down loads of opaque, solid color, and a single swipe takes me from lowly pet assistant to polished screen siren.

Or thereabouts. 🙂

MAC Marilyn Monroe Pure Zen Lipstick Scarlet Ibis — Lipsticks in Pure Zen (left) and Scarlet Ibis (right)

mac marilyn monroe pure zen lipstick — Lipstick in Pure Zen

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How to Marry a Showgirl: The Many Faces of the New MAC Marilyn Monroe Eyeshadows

October 1st, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

mac marilyn monroe showgirl eyeshadow — Wearing the new MAC Marilyn Monroe Eyeshadow in Showgirl

Being the right-hand human to an international plus-size kitty supermodel can be a real chore if you’re not, you know, in the mood to be your cat’s minion/punching bag.

To my feline employer, I’m merely a toady, a gopher, but there’s more to being a successful pet assistant than having opposable thumbs. It’s a multifaceted job requiring a diverse skill set, dagnabbit, and ideal candidates are people with layers — just like the new $21 Large Eye Shadows from the MAC Marilyn Monroe collection.

Blueish gray Showgirl and soft white How to Marry, two of the four shades in the limited edition launch that arrives on counters this Thursday, might look like standard issue shimmers in swatches, but wait until they get on your lids.

MAC Marilyn Monroe Showgirl How to marry Eye Shadow — Eyeshadows in Showgirl (left) and How to Marry (right)

Like Marilyn, these Large Eye Shadows are larger than life! Each of the $21 0.1-ounce pans contain twice as much product as MAC’s regular $15 eyeshadow pans, which contain 0.05 ounces each.

Thing is, these babies love buffing, so start by pressing either one on your lids with a firm, flat eyeshadow brush or finger (side note: this part’s kind of important, because I’ve noticed that if I skip the firm brush/finger part, these shadows exhibit significant fallout), and then swirl a domed, fluffy brush like the MAC 217 on top of the shadows to lift away some of the pigment.

What remains is a semi-opaque wash of shiny color and tiny glimmering flecks of shimmer. Although the effect’s kinda quiet in these pics, I think it’s much more obvious and super pretty in person, especially if you like your glitter on the understated side.

mac marilyn monroe how to marry eyeshadow — Eyeshadow in How to Marry

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Some Like It Hot: For Them, There’s MAC Marilyn Monroe

September 28th, 2012 by Karen 30 Comments

El Hub: C’mon, sweets! Hurry it up, or we’ll miss the movie.

Me: Coming! Five more minutes.

El Hub: You said that 10 minutes ago. Whatever you’re doing, is it more important than kettle corn?

Me: Um…YEAH?! It’s only the new MAC Marilyn Monroe collection, which I’ve been looking forward to since forever.

El Hub: Come on! You can play with it later.

Me: There is no later. Only now! Cool your jets. I’m almost done uploading a few pics for the girls.

The MAC Marilyn Monroe collection: pics and swatches of nine pieces from the launch

MAC Marilyn Monroe Legendary Blush closeup

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Harmony Blush

September 24th, 2012 by Karen 30 Comments

Cheeks and MAC Harmony Blush go together like lemonade and chocolate chip cookies…

Okay, wait — that might not have come out right.

Seriously, though, have you ever had lemonade and chocolate chip cookies before? I mean together? 🙂 I know it sounds like a weird combination, but I swear it’s better than it probably sounds.

The two make harmonious music together, forming an unlikely alliance of sweet and sour that could almost be a metaphor for my life.

Case in point: last Saturday morning I crawled out of bed feeling anxious and overwhelmed. I had a bunch of chores to do around the house (and when the house is a mess, it makes everything worse), but I didn’t want to do any of it. I wanted to unwind more than anything else, and I knew that I wasn’t going to get anything productive done until I improved my outlook.

Two words: window shopping. I threw on some clothes and minimal makeup and decided to hit the mall.

I drove down to The Village at Corte Madera, which is about 20 minutes away, because they have a Nordstrom there with a great MAC counter, an Anthropologie store, Apple store, Bare Escentuals, Blue Mercury, Kate Spade and some other good stuff. Out of nowhere, I got a weird craving for a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of lemonade, so I walked over to this place called Boudin’s, a cafÃ©/bakery chain here in the Bay Area (they make a mean loaf of sourdough). As usual, of course, the universe had other plans…

Gal at the register (who was clearly not having her best customer service day): Hi.

Me: Hi! Everything always smells so good in here; it’s hard to decide. Okay, I think I’d like a chocolate chip cookie…but can you tell me first if they’re chewy or crunchy?

Gal at the register: They’re chewy and crunchy. If you buy one you can find out.

Me: Uh-huh… The thing is, I don’t really like cookies that are too crunchy, sooo I only want to buy one if it’s more chewy than crunchy. [SIGH] Okay, um, do you have lemonade?

Gal at the register: We have water and sliced lemons. But no lemonade. You can squeeze the lemons into your water and make your own lemonade.

Me: (My left eyelid started twitching) Hmm… On second thought, ya know, I think I’m gonna pass. Thank you anyway.

Then, wouldn’t you know it, as I left the restaurant empty handed and rounded the corner outside, I saw a soda machine in front of me with what? — lemonade! And me without a cookie.

Mom always says not to sweat the small stuff, but when I’m cranky and craving sweets, that’s easier said than done…

Still, I tried. I went back to walking around the mall and tried to ignore my rumbling tummy. I came upon a woman with her little girl, who looked to be about three years old, playing in the middle of the mall’s courtyard.

The girl was smiling and holding a green balloon. Suddenly, it slipped out of her hands!

Instead of screaming or bursting into tears (something I might have done had it happened to me at that moment), the girl chased after the balloon, laughing and jumping as she watched it float higher and higher into the sky.

As I watched the girl, who never stopped smiling, I felt something inside of me click. It was my reset button, turning me away from my crazy place and bringing me back to inner peace and harmony.

Which reminds me about a blush… 🙂

How do I love thee, MAC Harmony Blush? Let me count the ways…

This muted rosy beige could almost pass for a brown.
Considering its versatility, $20 is a bargain for this blush. You can use it as a contouring face bronzer, a warming blush or an eye crease color to give depth to different looks.
If you’ve ever had trouble with bronzers having orange undertones before, take a look at Harmony. It adds warmth without the orange undertones. Fantastic for skin tones from pale to medium!
I wear it when I want a natural-looking cheek color with a little warmth that won’t interfere with the rest of my makeup, like when I wear a strong eye and lip combo.
On my NC42 skin, I usually wear 2-3 layers to reach a level of color I like.
I wear Harmony a lot when I’m in a hurry. I’ll do a couple quick layers on the apples of my cheeks, and give some definition to my eyes with a small amount swiped into my creases with a 217.
Sometimes, when I want more color than I get from Harmony alone, I’ll add a brighter pink like Dollymix on top.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Careblends Pressed Powder

September 21st, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

Every time I hear the word, “Careblends,” it reminds me of something else…

It’s hard to explain, really, because that something is a little strange. I can’t quite call it a person, but he/she was very caring and nice.

They had a TV show that was quite popular when I was a kid. Can’t seem to recall the name of the show right now, but I remember caring for it a great deal…

LOL!

I can’t believe I haven’t given MAC Careblends Pressed Powders the Unsung Heroes treatment before. I realized this morning that I’ve hit the pan not once, but twice on a Careblends before, and considering how often I change products, that says something about how much I love this stuff.

I know I’ve raved about them before. They come in eight shades and live in MAC’s permanent line, although they occasionally make appearances as limited edition colors in collections like the Surfbaby launch.

So what exactly is a Careblends Pressed Powder? Is it a cuddly technicolor bear with an identifying icon on its tum?

No, no, it’s not. 🙂 It’s a $24 sheer-to-medium coverage tinted pressed powder with a finish a hint glossier than matte. Worn on either on bare skin or atop foundation, the Careblends look naturally flawless to me, like real skin, and I can’t remember seeing one ever look chalky.

My combination dry/oily skin also loves the way they feel — lightweight, smooth, almost like nothing at all — and they love the camera, too. They photograph really well, especially combined with MAC Face and Body, my current foundation crush.

Who might want to give them a try? Guys and girls with dry or combination skin types who like more natural looks might want to give ’em a try. Shoot, even if you have hyperactive sebaceous glands, I think they’re still worth a try. You just might want to mix them with an oil absorbing powder to help the keep shine at bay. Try a 50/50 blend of Careblends and Blot. That’s what I do when my t-zone resembles an oil slick.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

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How Do You Do MAC Face and Body? MAC Face and Body Foundation Application Tips

September 20th, 2012 by Karen 39 Comments

When MBB reader Indoorkitty asked me a question about my current foundation love, MAC Face and Body, I thought, “Great time to gush!”

But first, allow me to gush for a minute… 🙂

Wait — what?! You haven’t tried MAC Face and Body before?? Check it — it’s a total beauty staple, like bread, gravy (for Tabs) and milk. I love that the coverage is flexible, so I can wear it sheer or build it up, and the finish? Oh, the finish… mostly matte, but with a hint of glow. Dewy, like I just walked under a mister, but not all wet-looking like I loitered underneath it for long. It’s just enough dew to keep your skin from looking flat.

And it does all of its awesomeness without feeling heavy at all. In fact, it feels like I’m hardly wearing anything at all! Yup, my previous MAC foundation affair with Studio Sculpt ended on my first date with MAC Face and Body.

Okay, okay, I’m done gushing (for now)… Let’s talk about Indoorkitty’s question:

“Karrrren! This used to be one of my favorite foundations but I’ve forgotten how I put it on. I’m doing a bunch of work travel and srsly considering just bringing it with me + playing with each brush I own in my spare time to find the mojo again. I think I used to use a stippling brush then buffed it out… Which brush do you use to apply/buff it? Please share! It pains me to have such a massive bottle of this in the right shade without being able to put it on successfully.”

-Indoorkitty

Hi Indoorkitty,

First things first: love your screen name (and always have!). Second, and more relevant to your question, Face and Body’s texture can make it a little tough to work with, especially if you’re out of practice. It’s kinda runny, but don’t give up on it! You’ll get the hang of working with it again. Ultimately, it all depends on the level of coverage you crave.

If all you want is a sheer semblance of sheer sheerness (in other words, very sheer coverage), use your fingers and really work the product into your skin. That’s what I do sometimes. It gives a light hint of tint, which is usually enough to mask my red areas but not enough to cover blemishes.

When I’m in the mood for more coverage (with this, anywhere up to medium), I’ll use a foundation brush instead of my fingers, and apply it in thin/light layers.

You could use a traditional flat foundation brush for this, one like the MAC 190, but I usually steer clear of those. For some reason, when I use them with MAC Face and Body, I get foundation streaks.

I like to apply this using a brush with a rounded head — feel like I get more of an airbrushed finish that way — and my fave is the Hourglass Foundation/Blush Brush No. 2. Unfortunately, it’s not cheap, but there are some good budget options, like the $10 Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer Brush, which has a similar shape.

Most mornings I’ll apply 2-3 sheer layers, swirling the brush head, and then once I reach a level of overall coverage I like, I zoom in and target the areas where I want a little more coverage, pushing the product into my skin there, rather than swirling.

Also an indoor kitty... — Also an indoor kitty…

Optional: After I’m done doing my layers, I like to gently buff my entire face using a MAC 187 Duo Fibre Face Brush. I think it just sort of settles everything down… Sometimes I skip this step, but when I do, I’m really careful to blend in the foundation after my swirling/patting.

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