MAC Makeup

MAC Unsung Heroes: Modesty Cremesheen Lipstick

April 2nd, 2012 by Karen 38 Comments

mac modesty cremesheen

I know that for some folks, especially ones who aren’t as ~~fanatical about~~ interested in makeup as you and I, it’s surprising to find wearable lip colors in MAC’s permanent line.

At lunch with my BFF Cindy a couple months ago, when I pulled out nude pink Modesty Cremesheen Lipstick ($14.50) to touch up after the meal, Cindy was shocked when I told her the lippie was from MAC.

Cindy, a makeup minimalist (to the extreme!), had an impression of MAC that many people share. She doesn’t wear makeup very often (the last time I saw her wearing eyeliner was at my wedding six years ago), but she has cruised by MAC counters many times before, and seeing the glammed-up artists there, always just assumed MAC only carried crazy colors.

No matter how many times I’ve tried to set her straight, gah! I swear, if I had a nickle for every time I’ve told that girl that MAC isn’t only about brights… But she doesn’t listen, probably because we’ve known each other for more than 20 years (she’s like the sister I never had), so she tunes me out when I go into makeup mode…or talk about Tabs. 🙂

mac modesty cremehseen lipstick

She did show an interest in MAC Modesty, though, which is great! — because I think it’s one of those eminently agreeable lip colors that every gal should try.

mac modesty cremesheen
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Double Dare Cremesheen Lipglass

March 26th, 2012 by Karen 43 Comments

mac double dare

I usually have a pretty good memory. Like, I can normally recall the things you’ve told me about yourself — how many cats you assist or the name of your favorite perfume — even if you mentioned them months or years ago, but for some reason, today I can’t remember the last time I played Truth or Dare.

And it’s bugging me! — because I wanted to tie it into this post about MAC Cremesheen Glass in Double Dare ($19.50), today’s MAC Unsung Hero.

I’ve been sitting here racking my brain, but the best I’ve come up with is one hazy memory of my roommates back in sophomore year daring me to knock on the door of the guy who lived in the apartment across from ours to tell him that we thought he was hot (“Hi, uh… My name is Karen and I live across the way and my roommates and I just wanted you to know that we think you’re cute okay bye!”), but I don’t think that was the last time.

Maybe the last time was so traumatizing that I blanked it out. Or perhaps I’m just running out of free space in my mental storage area, so my brain is deleting some of the useless stuff to make room for more important things, like makeup. 🙂

Oh, well… I’m sure I get more value out of remembering to bring this creamy reddish coral lipgloss with me than I’m likely to get from any of the stupid stuff I did back in the day, LOL!

Now, coral glosses? I happily rock ’em all year round, but during spring and summer, when bright lips rule the school, I could wear them 24/7. Double Dare happens to be one of the glosses that rarely leaves my purse, and it’s the shade I usually recommend to friends who say they like the idea of wearing a bright coral gloss like MAC Lychee Luxe or Viva Glam Cyndi, but don’t want to deal with a sticky Lipglass.

It’s just so darn easy! I can wear it without a lip liner, and even apply it without a mirror, like when I’m walking through a parking lot, which I actually did last night when I stopped by Target.

mac double dare

mac double dare swatch

mac double dare
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Bamboo Eyeshadow

March 19th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

mac bamboo

What do we want? BAM-BOO!

When do we want it? NOW!

What do we want? BAM-BOO!

When do we want it? NOW!

Weirdo that I am, I’ve been chanting this to the windows and walls all morning long. FYI: This is what happens when you’re a stay-at-home professional pet assistant starved for human contact (no offense, Tabs).

I’ve also been marching up and down the halls, one fist raised in defiance, the other clutching a pan of MAC Eye Shadow in Bamboo ($14.50), to protest against the lack of love this often overlooked warm brown matte receives. RAGE AGAINST THE MAKEUP MACHINE, YOU UNSUNG MAKEUP HERO!

LOL! Seriously, though, MAC rock star browns like Soft Brown and Soba always get a lot of love, while Bamboo scoots under the radar.

I know it might sound strange to refer to matte browns as flashy, but for me, as far as staple shadows go, Soft Brown is a rock star. A lot of people, and I’m one of ’em, love it for contouring and as an anchor shade for more complicated eye looks.

Basically, Bamboo is like the light rock version of Soft Brown. Instead of those intense orange tones, I get more of a subdued apricot on my NC42 skin, which I think is just as pretty in its own quiet way.

And Bamboo fits a niche that Soft Brown sometimes fails to fill. On some skin tones, Soft Brown can look really…orange. If you feel too much like an Oompa Loompa in Soft Brown, take a swipe at Bamboo on your next trip to a MAC counter.

I love it in the crease for subtle contouring, and all over the lid when I want a really simple neutral eye; I think it looks great patted on the brow bone, too.

mac bamboo swatch

mac bamboo eyeshadow
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Which Way Did You Vote for MAC By Request?

March 16th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

The riddle of time travel remains a nut science has yet to crack, but even though we can’t alter the past (yet), we can shape the future!

With the new MAC By Request collection, MAC is giving 18 of their former bestselling Eye Shadows, Lipsticks and Lipglasses a second chance at stardom, and it’s by people’s choice on Facebook.

The three top vote getters in each of the three categories will go on sale again in the limited edition release beginning this August in North America (online only) and in internationally sometime this fall.

Missing your favorite MAC colors from days of yore, like the kinder, gentler days of The Jersey Shore’s first season (when Sammi and the Situation were, like, a thing)? Act now, because MAC is taking requests for comeback colors. Now through March 30, cast your vote on Facebook for the colors you’d like to make an encore appearance in MAC By Request. The top nine fan favorite shades will go on sale again beginning this August, exclusively online.

I was able to track down 13 of the 18 eligible colors… Have you made your decision yet? Which of these former stars (three each per category) deserves a comeback? The shades not shown here are Candy Yum Yum and Moxie among the Lipsticks, Icescape among the Lipglasses, and Moth Brown and Solar White for the Eye Shadows.

I cast my votes for… 🙂

Lipsticks: 3N, Eden Rocks and Rocker
Lipglasses: Cult of Cherry, Flash of Flesh and Bait
Eye Shadows: Cool Heat, Guacamole and Heavenly Bliss

Eye Shadows

mac by request eyeshadows
Eye Shadows clockwise from the blue pan on the left: Cool Heat, Heavenly Bliss, Guacamole and JetÃ©

mac guacamole
Guacamole

mac heavenly bliss
Heavenly Bliss
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Speak Louder Cremesheen Lipstick

March 12th, 2012 by Karen 36 Comments

MAC Speak Louder Cremesheen Lipstick

Let’s say you’ve already squirreled away some of MAC’s classic pink lipsticks (like Girl About Town) but still feel the urge to wear a slightly different pink this spring. What do you do?

I’m glad you asked! 🙂 I might have just the thing.

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Speak Louder ($14.50) does pink by way of blue. Part of the permanent collection, it’s a blue-based pink lipstick with hints of reddish orange.

It’s bright, for sure, but the poppy/reddish-orange undertones dial it back a bit, at least compared to full-tilt fuchsias and pinks like Impassioned, or Force of Love, from the new Chenman collection.

For me, that makes it a little easier to wear than many of its punchier pink counterparts.

Speak Louder and I hadn’t been on a play date in a while when I pulled it out after my chat with Bobbi Brown last week. On the call, Bobbi suggested swapping spring’s bolder neon lip colors for something a little quieter (but far from silent), like a bright pink lipstick, as opposed to a straight-up neon or fuchsia shade, and then pairing those lips with minimal makeup on the face, eyes and cheeks.

Speak Louder could be perfect for something like that.

For a light whisper of semi-transparent color, like a creamy stain, I’ll just dab the tube on my lips. But when I want my lips to SPEAK LOUDER (sorry, couldn’t resist), I’ll apply a layer, blot with a tissue, and then slick on a second, intensifying layer.

mac speak louder lipstick

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Sandy B Lipstick

March 8th, 2012 by Karen 36 Comments

T-minus 961,218 seconds to spring and counting! 217…216…215…

That’s just a little more than 11 days from now, love! Here in the Northern Hemisphere, spring begins on March 20, but before I ask you to hand me that bottle of Zyrtec on my desk (ah-choo!), could I trouble you to pass me that perky, peachy pink tube of lipstick there instead?

mac sandy b

That, my friend, is someone I’d like you to meet. Her name is MAC Sandy B, and I think she, with her peachy pink pigment and golden shimmer, sure looks lovely worn with spring and summer shades like bronze, teal, gold, peach and brown.

Sandy B is just one of those shades that makes everything better. Seeing it on my lips always fills me with a little more hope and puts an extra spring in my step (I think it might even give my ponytails more bounce).

mac sandy b

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Marcel Wanders Isn’t the Only One With Fingerprints on the New MAC & Marcel Wanders Collection

March 6th, 2012 by Karen 24 Comments

mac marcel wanders kim
Wearing MAC & Marcel Wanders Lip Gloss in Kim on my lips and Sheer Mystery Powder in Light Medium beneath my eyes

Stealth alert! If you’re currently undercover as a secret spy and/or must avoid leaving your fingerprints behind for classified reasons, you might want to handle the MAC & Marcel Wanders collection with kid gloves.

Literally.

Available now on MAC counters, in stores and also online, the 14-piece release, a partnership with Amsterdam-based industrial designer Marcel Wanders, is a feast for the eyes! — and the makeup, brushes and lone fragrance that comprise the collection, with their sleek, mirrored surfaces and mock chrome packaging (replete with striking angles and curves) would be tough to miss, even from across a crowded MAC store.

Seriously, these pieces could have a career in forensics. They pick up fingerprints quicker than you can say “Yes, Jason Bourne, you may dye my hair in the sink.” 🙂

Man, I love that scene…

Here’s a look at three of the pieces from the release, the details of which, like how the angular packaging of the Sheer Mystery Powder compact contrasts with the curves on the Lipstick cases, I was able to appreciate more fully once I’d buffed my fingerprints away.

MAC & Marcel Wanders Lip Gloss in Kim, $22.50

With a smooth, non-sticky texture that feels less like a Lipglass and more like a Plushglass to me (but without the telltale tingling), Kim surprised me.

Before I tried it on, I was sure this shimmery plum would be too cool and dark for my warm NC42 skin, but I was wrong. I think it’s neutral enough for most gals to wear, and I like the way it brightens my face.

I also dig the faint vanilla flavor and scent, and the brush-tip applicator feels good against my lips. As for wear time, I get about two hours, which isn’t bad for a non-sticky gloss. That said, the $22.50 price tag still seems a little high.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

MAC & Marcel Wanders Sheer Mystery Powder in Light Medium, $60

I remember paying $45 for a Sheer Mystery Powder for Holiday 2006 and feeling like it killed me a little at the time, but compared to this, with its special edition $60 packaging, that was a steal!

For me, Light Medium is a touch too pale to wear all over, but I do like dusting it beneath my eyes to set my concealer and to brighten the center of my face.

Even though it’s mad pricey, the Sheer Mystery Powders are still among my MAC faves. Their silky texture always looks and feels lightweight, and their sheer coverage never lets me down. Plus, you get an extra refill pan.

The compact is a mighty magnet for fingerprints, though, and the price sure seems high. $60.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

MAC & Marcel Wanders Lipstick in Annelie, $22.50

At first I was like, “Eh,” when I swatched this peachy beige on my arm. It just seemed so pale, frosty and difficult to wear, but I changed my tune when I saw it on my lips. Maybe it’s the rich peach tones, but something mellows out the frostiness and keep things from looking too harsh.

I really like how Annelie layers with other peachy pink lip products. Lately, for an easygoing neutral lip, I’ve been wearing it with Subculture liner and a dab of Evolution Revolution on top.

Beautiful color, but the fingerprint-attracting packaging remains a minor sticking point for me. $22.50. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

mac marcel wanders annelie lipstick
MAC & Marcel Wanders Lipstick in Annelie, $22.50

mac marcel wanders annelie lipstick with beurre and evolution revolution
MAC & Marcel Wanders Lipstick in Annelie layered with MAC Subculture and MAC Evolution Revolution
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Pink Cherry Blossoms and Blue Skies: Another MAC Chenman Face of the Day

March 6th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

mac chenman

I was looking through those pics of cherry blossom trees from my walk around the neighborhood last weekend, and this one down below, with the branches reaching for the sky, stopped me in my tracks.

Hmm… pink and blue. How very MAC Chenman!

So here’s my second take on a look inspired by that release. This time, I also incorporated a couple of my tried-and-true MAC faves — Feline Eye Kohl (which I love because it doesn’t turn blue on my skin!) and Dollymix blush.

Wearing just the eyeshadows alone, I thought my eyes in this look were subtler than they were in last week’s eye look, so I added swishes of black liner on my upper and lower water lines to amp things up.