MAC Makeup

Two Ways to Win MAC DSquared Blood Red Lipstick

October 14th, 2009 by Karen 182 Comments

The giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted. Please check the home page for current giveaways.

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Evening, chicas!

Greetings from Vey-gawsh. My dark circles and I are wondering if we should try our luck at the Wheel of Fortune slot machine…

While we weigh the pros and cons, how about a quick giveaway?

This one features one of my favorite things from MAC’s recent DSquared collection.

The prize

One lucky lady will receive a tube of MAC Blood Red Lipstick from the DSquared Collection (a $14 value), a creamy berry red.

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How to enter…

2ways2enter Entering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. In it, tell me how you feel about lipstick.

I feel like a different girl with it on — sophisticated, worldy, put-together… like a super-heroine version of myself! 🙂

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to MAC DSquared Blood Red Lipstick http://bit.ly/40HEyA

Recap…

Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to MAC DSquared Blood Red Lipstick http://bit.ly/40HEyA

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Thursday, October 15.

GÃ³Ã°a eydnu

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Today I just toured the strip, walking around like a dazed tourist. I did find a couple neat things I’ll post about soon (need to download the pics). Hope you’re having a good hump day.

The giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted. Please check the home page for current giveaways.

Splurge or Steal: MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator Versus Aveeno Positively Ageless Warming Scrub

October 12th, 2009 by Karen 25 Comments

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My skin adores MAC’s gentle Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. It makes my face and neck feel softer than a feather boa and smells yummy, too (like brown sugar and honey).

But the stuff ain’t cheap, that’s for sure… The tubes cost $20 a pop!

To put the price in perspective, that’s enough to get 13 Wet ‘n’ Wild 666 Brandywine lip pencils, yo!

Why exfoliate?

It removes dead cells dulling the surface of the skin while smoothing and brightening, and if you’re prone to pimples it can also reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts.

A drugstore option?

I love MAC’s Volcanic Ash but also want a cheaper alternative, so I’ve been haunting/hunting drugstore aisles up in my neck of the woods.

I think I may have found one — Aveeno’s $8 Positively Ageless Warming Scrub.

How it stacks up against MAC Volcanic Ash

It’s a fairly new exfoliating scrub for the face and neck that contains Shitake mushroom complex instead of volcanic ash. The company claims it promotes younger-looking skin.

NOTE: Positively Ageless Scrub’s packaging isn’t very specific about what “younger-looking” skin means. Typically, the phrasing refers to products designed to reduce the appearance of age spots, fine lines and wrinkles.

After using it for two weeks, I haven’t seen a notable change in my spots or fine lines — maybe after I’ve used it longer — but I still really like the product as a skin exfoliator.

Like the name implies, Positively Ageless gently warms when I rub it against my skin.

Performance?

It’s mostly a tossup. I consider my combo-oily/dry skin to be sensitive and have to be careful about abrasive scratching.

Like MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator, Positively Ageless Scrub’s exfoliating grains are finer than sand, and both leave my face and neck feeling soft and hydrated, versus dry or taut.
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MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask: Erupting with Softer Skin

October 10th, 2009 by Karen 18 Comments

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It took all of two made-for-tv volcano flicks in the ’80s (one about Mount St. Helens and the other about Pompeii) to scar me for life.

Growing up near one of the world’s most geologically active fault lines wasn’t half as scary as the thought of mountains spewing lava and ash, yikes!

But so far the closest I’ve come to anything volcanic has been my brushes with MAC’s Volcanic Ash line of skin care products.

It’s not so much a line as a duo of products, and both are part of the Style Black collection. One of the two, Volcanic Ash Exfoliator ($20), has been released before (see an earlier review), but the second, Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask ($20), is brand new.

I always get a little nervous when I try new skin care products because I can never predict how my combo dry/acne-prone skin will react.

MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask

Sometimes it’s good to be dirty. 🙂 I guess that’s where the mask comes in. It’s loaded with actual volcanic ash and oils like jojoba, lavender, evening primrose and sunflower.

Add water and the paste warms ever so slightly. That’s the thermal part (Kilauea would be proud, LOL!).

MAC recommends using it one to three times per week to deep clean and moisturize the skin (should not be used near the eyes).

Is it really volcanic?

One thing those volcano disaster movies taught me was that volcanic ash can REALLY screw people up.

In dry, powder form it contains particles that can cause serious eye trauma, worsen open wounds and even lead to respiratory problems.

But in clay form — that’s a whole different story.

Throughout history, different cultures have used volcanic ash clays for health and beauty. Even our girl Cleopatra was a fan.

So, does it work?

I know a thing or two about gunk… Last week my acne-prone skin decided to freak out. The stress of moving, excessive junk food and insufficient sleep all joined forces to summon pimples on my forehead.
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