MAC Makeup

I have always clung to the belief that a woman can never have too many black shoes, black purses or black eyeliners. It’s a world view I sometimes refer to as “smart hoarding,” and while it makes perfect sense to me, non-believers like El Hub consider it just plain ridiculous. 🙂

Maybe it is, but that doesn’t change the fact that I was pretty much pre-ordained to like the new 3 Assorted Black Eye Liners boxed set from the MAC Packed To Go collection of travel exclusives (click here for a full list of boxed sets in the release).

What are MAC travel exclusives?

Well, MAC isn’t the only brand with them, but travel exclusives are individual products (and sometimes entire collections) sold primarily through domestic and international travel hubs like airports and duty free stores. Prices and availability can vary widely, but tracking ’em down can be a lot of fun!

This particular boxed set, one of many in MAC’s new lineup of spring 2011 travel exclusives, comes with three full-size MAC eyeliners — the Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline, Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved and Penultimate Liner in Rapidblack — in subtly different shades of black.

1. The mighty Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline’s a must for black liner enthusiasts AND cat ladies alike. A true black matte, it applies sans any blue or green undertones at all (an issue I have with MAC Smolder), and I love, LOVE layering it beneath powder shadows for super quick smokey eyes.
2. Waterproof Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved feels softer than my favorite tabby’s squishy tum. It’s a long-wearing pencil perfect for those days when you go straight from work to the gym. Oh, and if you’re looking to just get this pencil on its own, it’s also available now on the MAC website.
3. Penultimate Eye Liner in Rapidblack is like that one guest who refuses to go home at the end of the night. It’s a liquid pen liner that stays put no matter what, through sweat, tears, unexpected slushie attacks in the hallways at school, etc. I LOVE how long it lasts, but I have a tough time drawing precise lines with its stiff felt tip. This one’s also available by itself on the MAC website.

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Haaay, boo! How ’bout a mid-day makeup break? 🙂

Question for ya: How do you feel about looks with taupe, purple, pink and black? That’s the direction I went in today when I based my eye look on the MAC Packed to Go: 6 Cool Smoky Eye Shadows palette from MAC’s new line of spring travel exclusives (Packed to Go).

What are MAC travel exclusives?

Well, MAC isn’t the only brand with them, but travel exclusives are individual products (and sometimes entire collections) sold primarily through domestic and international travel hubs like airports and duty free stores. Prices and availability can vary widely, but tracking ’em down can be a lot of fun!

How about you? What did you do for your eye makeup today?

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What would you do if I told you that MAC put a look in a box? Would you want to set it free?

Before you answer that, what if I also told you that the neutrals in this particular box don’t bite? No, they’re much too sweet for biting. As a matter of fact, the shades in the MAC Look in a Box: Girl Next Door kit ($40) are sugar and spice and everything nice (i.e. charming), like the kind of makeup you’d wear to meet a new beau’s mom for the first time.

The limited edition 2011 travel exclusive boxed set, one of three from the MAC Packed to Go Collection, comes with five products, a few of them full-size items from the MAC permanent line, and a couple of hard-to-find limited edition shades from previous releases.

• (2) Eyeshadows in Grand Entrance and Smoke & Diamonds: Remember these two from 2009’s Love That Look? Well, the names are the same, but MAC changed the finish. When they came out with Love That Look, they sported the limited edition Starflash finish, but these have the MAC Frost finish instead. Frankly, I like both finishes and think the differences between them are subtle. Color-wise, however, I think the new colors are a shade lighter than the originals.
• Iridescent Power in Belightful: This sheer and shimmery peachy gold highlighting powder had its coming out party back in 2008 with the fabulous MAC Fafi Collection. This version’s the spitting image, too, right down to the big chunks of golden glitter.
• Zoom Lash in Zoomblack: Like “Drag Queen Lashes Light,” or the mascara a diva would wear to Sunday service, what we have here is a repromote from the MAC permanent line. It subtly thickens while it lengthens to take lashes up a notch or two.
• Cremesheen Glass in Deelight: This creamy neutral rosy pink feels smooth and non-sticky on my lips, and if you find yourself falling in lurve, it’s also available now on the MAC website.

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