MAC Makeup

MAC is bloomin’ crazy about bright colors and bold makeup, but they do sometimes venture out of their comfort zone.

With the new 10-piece Baby Bloom collection, MAC showcases their nuanced side with five *very* sheer tinted moisturizers and lip balms.

It’s a low-key look for hot days when heavy face makeup is out.

MAC Studio Moisture Tint, $30

From left to right: Light, Medium, Medium Dark, Dark, Deep Dark

The five Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15 tinted moisturizers are new additions to MAC’s permanent line of foundations and replace MAC’s previous foray into the World of Tinted Moisturizers, Select Tint SPF 15 (now discontinued).

The old MAC Select Tints didn’t contain moisturizer — they were just tints — and when I’d wear ’em I’d have to apply some extra moisturizer beneath the color. By adding a moisturizer to the Studio Moisture Tints, MAC kinda lessens the need to use an additional product.

But the old tints were more pigmented than the new Studio Moisture Tints and came in a wider range of colors (including varieties in NC and NW shades. The new Studio Moisture Tints are *much* more sheer sheerer than their predecessors, and MAC consolidated the colors into just five shades:

• Light: a soft pale beige
• Medium: a warm beige
• Medium Dark: a caramel beige
• Dark: a deep caramel
• Deep Dark: a rich golden bronze

I haven’t had much success with MAC foundations in the past (they give me breakouts), but I grabbed a tube of Medium Dark to try at home.
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July 30 isn’t just the day MAC’s Love That Look collection drops. It’s also the day we meet MAC Baby Bloom, a new 10-piece release for face and lips, with new tinted moisturizers and sheer, tinted lip balms with SPF 20.

The Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15 ($29.50) family of tinted moisturizers comes in five shades (Light, Medium, Medium Dark, Dark and Deep Dark), and all five will be permanent additions to the MAC line.

The new Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balms ($14.50), on the other hand, won’t be around forever. They’re limited edition, and the colors include Just a Smudge (a soft pastel yellow with pearl), Lilt of Lily (a soft and creamy pale pink), Pink Tinge (a yellowish pink with golden pearl), Full of Grace (a sheer rose) and Moist Plum (a light lilac with pearl).

This morning I tried Lilt of Lily, a super sheer pink (almost clear on my lips). The texture feels thick, like a MAC Lipglass, but isn’t sticky, and I kinda like the light vanilla taste and smell.

I haven’t been using it long enough to gauge wear time or hydration, but I’ll report back on those soon…

Enjoy the rest of your afternoon. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

“Smile with your eyes,” as Tyra might say. 🙂 MAC must have had the same idea, because this month’s Love That Look collection is all about the eyes.

Love That Look brings 12 limited edition Starflash Eye Shadows ($14.50) and four Pearlglide Eye Liners ($14.50) to counters July 30, introducing a few new shades and re-promoting some previously released colors as well.

MAC Starflash Eye Shadow in Fashion Groupie

Nice to see you again

With their pearlescent finish (opalescent + pearl) the Starflash Eye Shadows have been driving me and many of my fellow MAC fans a little nuts since they first arrived last summer.
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Two things I recently realized about MAC Arena eyeshadow ($14.50):

1. If you say the words “MAC Arena” fast enough, it sounds like you’re saying macarena.
2. The color looks a billion times hotter on the skin than it looks in the pan.

Arena’s a permanent member of the MAC eyeshadow line, but I never really paid her much attention before.

I guess I just thought she looked kinda uninspiring in the pan. With colors like Freshwater (a bright and shimmery blue) to distract me, Arena simply got overlooked.

Thankfully, I’ve come to my senses. 🙂

Arena applies as a shimmery golden peach — a subtle look — but the color packs enough peachy goodness to stand out in a crowd.

So far, I’ve mainly worn her as a wash on my lids, where I think she really brightens my eyes. Perfect for one two-minute eye makeup days.

MAC Arena on lid with flash

MAC Arena on lid without flash

Now I’m wondering how Arena will work with more complicated eye looks…
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