MAC Makeup

How to Do Perfect Red Lips

September 18th, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

Some things are really hard — climbing Mount Everest, saying no to the last French fry, learning how to breakdance when you’re over 30 and completely inflexible (particularly in the hamstrings) — but other things, like achieving a perfect red lip, aren’t that hard at all.

Smooth, symmetrical red lips with crisp, yet not harsh, edges are easy with the right tools, a few tips and a little practice. By the end of this post, you will NOT look like a demented clown about to go on a rampage at a children’s birthday party (although this happens sometimes when I try to do lip liner on bare lips). Pretty soon you’ll be doing ’em like a seasoned pro.

So, let’s start at the very beginning, which is a very good place to start. 🙂

Um…I think I may or may not have just quoted Sound of Music, but whatever!

1. Apply lipstick to the center area of your lips

Begin by applying (directly from the bullet) the red lipstick you’d like to wear around the center area of your lips. The key here: don’t take the lipstick all the way out to the edges.

At this point, as is the case so often with makeup, if you’re doing it right, it’ll look kinda weird…

2. Now drag the lipstick out to your natural lip line

Using a lip brush loaded with the same red lipstick, fill in the edges around the area you applied from the bullet a moment ago, dragging some of the existing lipstick out while also painting all the way to the edge of your lip line. We’re doing this because the brush is more detailed than the lipstick bullet.

Try to get that lip line smooth and even, but it doesn’t have to be perfect at this point.

3. Line your lips with a lip liner in a complementary color

Now set aside the lip brush, and grab a sharpened red lip liner (sharpen it first, because we want the point to be nice and sharp) in a color that complements your lipstick.

Take that lip liner, and start drawing a line right around the edge of your lip, following your natural lip line, and we have two reasons for this. First, we’re creating a boundary for our red lipstick outside of which we won’t go, and second, we’re also using this as an opportunity to tweak the shape of our lips, if need be, to make them look perfectly symmetrical. Like, one side of my lips is thinner than the other, so I slightly overdraw that side at this step to make my lips look even and full.

Next, with the same lip brush you used earlier, although this time without any extra product on it, gently merge the line you created with your lip pencil into the lipstick to soften the appearance of the lip liner.
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MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation Followup: MAC Studio Waterweight Versus MAC Face and Body

September 17th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

Today I’m putting on Waterweight!

Wait — that didn’t come out right… I mean, let’s put on our bathing suits, and take a dip back into the water with MAC Studio Waterweight foundation.

Hmm… That wasn’t much better, was it?

Anyway! Since my review a couple days ago, I’ve gotten some questions here on MBB and on YouTube about how the new MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation compares to MAC Face and Body, so I’m gonna try to answer those questions in this quick followup now.

Down below are also swatches of 21 of the 25 Waterweight shades (not shown are NC 25, NW 50, N12 and N18).

In a nutshell, Studio Waterweight is MAC’s foray into the world of serum foundation — medium coverage, with a lightweight, moisturizing formula and a velvety finish. My combination skin and I have been wearing it daily for the past week, and we’re really happy with it so far!

mac studio waterweight nc shades — 10 of the 11 MAC Studio Waterweight NC shades from the left: NC15, NC20, NC30, NC35, NC37, NC40, NC42, NC45 and NC50

mac studio waterweight nw shades — 11 of the 14 MAC Studio Waterweight NW shades from the left: NW13, NW15, NW18, NW20, NW22, NW25, NW30, NW35, NW43, NW45, NW47, NW50, N12 and N18

One of the main things MAC Studio Waterweight and Face and Body have in common is texture. They both have a similarly thin, watery texture, but I think the similarities really end there. They differ in terms of finish, their ability to blur pores, their coverage and their durability.

Finish

I’ve used Face and Body for years, and one thing I’ve always liked about it is how fresh and clean my skin looks after I put it on. When I work it in (I like to use a kabuki brush with a buffing motion), it becomes one with the skin and imperceptible, and once it settles down, it has a dewy finish — not shiny — that’s very distinct and beautiful.

Waterweight also becomes one with my skin, but I think the finish looks quite different. It’s much less dewy than Face and Body’s finish — more velvety — and while it still reflects a little light, it’s less obvious than Face and Body.

Pore blurring

Serum foundations usually also excel at blurring pores and softening the overall appearance of the skin, and that’s another way in which MAC Face and Body and Studio Waterweight differ.

Face and Body? Hardly any pore blurring.

Like none.

But Studio Waterweight blurs and blurs and blurs…

Coverage

With Face and Body, it’s easy to build up the coverage. If you have the wherewithal, you can build it all the way from super sheer to just shy of full.. I used to do exactly that for pics all the time, but good golly, Miss Molly! — it took forever and A LOT of layers.

Studio Waterweight’s coverage isn’t as easy to build. Solid medium coverage is as far as I can get, and that’s with two or three layers. But I still think Studio Waterweight is easier to work with than Face and Body, and it definitely requires less effort to buff and blend. All I do is pat it on the skin with fingers or a BeautyBlender.
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MAC Guo Pei Collection: Fall 2015

September 15th, 2015 by Karen 29 Comments

Years from now, in the distant future, when historical beauty buffs/artistic archeologists look back on MAC’s 2015 limited edition releases, the award for Best Dressed Collection could easily go to MAC Guo Pei.

This one is a beauty! — and the packaging is also unusual for MAC. The compacts, lipsticks, brushes and glosses are all wearing fabric accents with floral flourishes (there’s even a cute little lady bug on the print) and have details like real stitching on the fabric sides.

mac guo pei night sky — MAC Guo Pei Eye Shadow X 4 in Night Sky

mac guo pei morning light — MAC Guo Pei Eye Shadow X 4 in Morning Light

mac guo pei zenith ethreal orchid brave red — MAC Guo Pei Lipsticks in Zenith, Ethereal Orchid and Brave Red

Unfortunately, the designer treatment also results in one of the more expensive MAC collections around. The two eyeshadow quads are — brace yourself for it — $70 each (!).

Yes, that’s crazypants.

Thankfully, the shadows are up to par for MAC. Unlike the shadows in some of MAC’s other limited edition quads and palettes, which for me are sometimes hit or miss (some feel harder than usual and aren’t as pigmented as their permanent collection counterparts), these are of comparable quality to the shadows in the permanent line.

Thank goodness for that.

All of the shadows in the two quads swatch beautifully, and I haven’t had any problems with blending, skipping, fallout or patchy/uneven application.
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MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation

September 14th, 2015 by Karen 42 Comments

mac studo waterweight foundation — MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation from the left in NC15, NW22, NC35 and NC50

MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation ($33). I’ve been daydreaming about and looking forward to this one for what feels like ages, and not just because I’m a water-baby at heart, but also because it’s a serum formula, and I absolutely do not ever want to go back to the time when most formulas looked and felt heavy, caked-on and obvious (perish the thought!). Serum foundation formulas usually feel lightweight and slippery (the good ones), like you’re slipping into a fine silk chemise, ooh-la-la. You do feel something when you’re wearing them…but it isn’t annoying or obvious.

Serum foundations also excel at pore blurring and disguising fine lines and little imperfections. So yeah, since those are among my daily adversaries (the struggle is so real), I was all over this one.

MAC Studio Waterweight is a bonafide serum foundation, and if you like natural-looking, moisturizing medium-coverage foundations with lightweight formulas, put it on your iPhone Notes list of products to try ASAP.

First things first, the finish.

GAW-GEOUS.

I’m gonna call it a sheen, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it dewy, because it isn’t shiny at all. It’s more refined than that, and velvety. Very natural looking.

As one of those lucky ladies with combination skin, I really appreciate that. My skin just can’t make up its mind! It’s oily on my forehead, dry on my cheeks and acne-prone along my jawline and around the edges of my forehead.

Oh — and there are also noticeable pores and fine lines up in the mix.

mac studo waterweight foundation dropper — MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation from the left in NC15, NW22, NC35 and NC50

I’ve been wearing and testing Studio Waterweight in shade NC42 for a few days, and I’m very happy with it. In many ways, I like it more than Dior Diorskin Nude Air Serum, which I used a ton this summer.

Other than the big difference in price (Diorskin Nude Air is $53 versus $33 for MAC Waterweight), Waterweight also comes in three times as many shades (25 shades versus eight, most of which have peach or pink undertones).

mac studio waterweight ingredients 2 — Active ingredients…

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The SF MAC Powell Street Store: Studio Waterweight Application Tips, Zuca Bags, Haute Dogs and a Viva Glam Miley 2 Lip Combo

September 11th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

For Bay Area beauty junkies (and visiting makeup lovers), a trip to the San Francisco MAC Powell Street Pro Store (45 Powell Street, right down by Union Square) is a must, because when it comes to beauty shopping, it’s an iconic stop, tantamount to visiting the Golden Gate Bridge, Pier 39 or Lombard Street… When you’re in SF, if your schedule permits, you gotta do it!

I stopped by yesterday to check out the new MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation and get some application tips.

Studio Waterweight reminds me a little of my beloved Dior Diorskin Nude Air Serum. It comes in a bottle with a dropper and has a consistency on the thinner side of the spectrum. It just recently arrived on counters, so it’s super new.

I talked to a very sweet makeup artist named Hannah (Hi, Hannah!) at the store — here she is right here — who recommended tapping and blending it on the skin with something like a wet MAC Pro Performance Sponge (MAC’s version of the BeautyBlender).

The Studio Waterweight release also features a super soft synthetic face brush with short, compact bristles and a slightly angled head called the 196 Slanted Flat Top Brush.

Oh, my gosh! — the bristles are SO soft. Hannah said that if you use this brush instead of a sponge, it helps to alternate short strokes with a stippling motion for the most natural-looking skin.

I’m testing Studio Waterweight today and through this weekend and will have more to say about it soon…but my first impression? Very silky and lightweight, which I’m excited about.

Of course I also had to wander around while I was the store (of course), and I spotted these MAC travel bags with matching mirrored compacts that say “MAC San Francisco.”

How cute are these!? Wouldn’t it be fun to travel and collect different MAC bags like these in different cities? That’s something I’d like to do.

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5 Best Highlighters

September 9th, 2015 by Karen 40 Comments

The Tragedy of Tabby, Prince of Novato
Act III, Scene I

Enter Prince Tabby, Queen Karen, Left Turn the Black Cat, Thug the Russian Blue and Lords.

TABS: To highlight or not to highlight — that is the question.

Whether ’tis nobler in the condo to suffer the humiliating pets and chin scratches of outrageous fortune, or to raise paws against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them. To eat, to nap — perchance to dream; ay, there’s the tummy rub.

Wait, what the heck is Prince Tabby talking about!? I don’t know about him, but speaking for myself, there is absolutely NO question about it. I am always, ALWAYS down for highlighting, and here are my five top picks for “Best Highlighter.” These are the ones I wear the most. 🙂

Best Everyday Highlighter: Hourglass Ambient Powder in Luminous Light ($45)

It’s amazing to me how this champagne pearl pressed powder barely looks like I’ve made a dent in it, when I’ve been wearing it pretty consistently — sometimes for weeks on end — for the past few years.

That’s a pretty good thing to know, that a single pan of anything could last until forever, or until Skynet eventually takes over (whichever comes first).

What I love about Luminous Light — I mean, other than the name, because don’t most gals like the idea of being bathed in luminous light? — is the finish. On the skin it looks like expensive, plush velvet bathed in the light of a buttery late summer afternoon.

Ah…

The sheen is unlike anything else I’ve seen before. Soft and subtle, yet still noticeable, and it’s oh, so forgiving of large pores and fine lines (hallelujah!).

All told, this one’s my favorite everyday, all-occasion highlighter in the world!

$45; available now at Hourglass counters and online.

Best Highlighter for a Dewy Finish: MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush ($22)

Hush!

No, you can talk. I was referring to MAC Hush, which I love for its flexibility. It’s a soft peach with subtle shimmer, and I like it just about any which way/any how — on bare skin, on top of tinted moisturizer, foundation, even on top of powder. Whenever I’m aiming for more of a dewy, wet look, out comes Hush.

All I do is use my fingers to apply and blend it, usually on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid’s bow, and it takes all but a minute to use.

I also think it looks amazer-ing in pics.

Oh! — and you can also use it as an eyeshadow base. Score! 🙂

$22; available now at MAC counters and online.

Best Highlighter for Dramatic Looks: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal ($38)

Good ol’ Opal. How many pans of it have I gone through over the years?

Three? Four…? I’ve lost count.

BECCA has many marvelous Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed options, but Opal is the one I wear most, by far. It’s a super shiny golden opal pearl, and for dramatic highlights, it’s unbeatable. Unlike standard-issue high-shine highlighters, of which there are many, it’s the very definition of luminous, and the complete antithesis of harsh and metallic, so skin glows seemingly from within with magical eldritch power without appearing oily.

It’s so friggin’ good that when I had to pick a single highlighter to wear on the red carpet to the Emmy’s last year, I went with Opal. There was no question about it.

Fun tip: to open up the eyes and make them look as big, bright and wide as possible, lightly apply Opal in the inner corners of the eyes, and just above and below the highest point in the arch of your brows.

$38; available now at Ulta, BECCA counters and online.
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5 Lip Colors to Wear With Brown Smoky Eyes

September 4th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

From the left: MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme D'Nude, MAC Amplified Lipstick In Fast Play, MAC Amplified Lipstick in Brick-O-La, MAC Satin Lipstick in Mocha and MAC Matte Lipstick in Lady Danger — From the left: MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme D’Nude, MAC Amplified Lipstick In Fast Play, MAC Amplified Lipstick in Brick-O-La, MAC Satin Lipstick in Mocha and MAC Matte Lipstick in Lady Danger

Of all the many makeup machinations, styles and takes on smoky eyes (and there are A LOT of them; we’d seriously be here until next Tuesday if I tried to list them all), brown smoky eyes are among my favorites.

I know, so predictable. Homegirl loves brown, so of course she’d love brown smoky eyes, LOL! Yes, you have permission to laugh at me. It’s totally cool. We’re all friends here.

BUT YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE, THOUGH!

There are many legit reasons to love brown smoky eyes. One is their versatility in terms of what you can wear on your lips with ’em. Like, with green or blue smoky eyes, I feel like there aren’t as many lip colors you can wear with them, but brown smoky eyes go well with so many different shades! This is music to your ears, I bet, if you’re a lipstick hoarder like yours truly. 🙂

And what you choose to pair them with completely changes the vibe. Just for fun, here are five ideas for lip colors to wear with a brown smoky eye.

1. A nude beige

mac creme d nude lipstick — MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme D’Nude ($17)

This one’s a classic smoky eye-lip pairing combo: the nude beige lip. The trick is to find something pale, but not so pale that you look like you’re under the weather. I like nude shades with a little bit of peach in them to warm things up, and an extra smooth formula, because some nudes look patchy on my dry, flaky lips.

Right now I’m all about MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme D’Nude, a creamy, peachy nude beige.

Tom Ford’s Sable Smoke is another really good one.

2. A neutral pink

mac fast play lipstick — MAC Amplified Lipstick In Fast Play ($17)

You can’t go wrong with a neutral pink lip. They go with just about anything and work for day and night. You can also wear them with warm or cool-toned brown eyeshadows, and Fast Play by MAC is a current fave.

3. A berry

MAC Amplified Lipstick in Brick-O-La ($17)

If you like more color on your lips, a berry shade, like MAC Brick-O-La, will draw attention to yo’ pout but won’t take over your entire look.
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The MAC Vamplify Collection!

August 28th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

What’s Going On!?

And I mean that both literally, and also in reference to one of these new $20 Vamplify Lipglosses. What’s Going On is the hot, intense fuchsia shade.

I haven’t felt this amped about a MAC lip product launch in a while. First time I tried one on, I was about ready to drop my stretchy pants, no joke! 🙂 These lipglosses are what your brain cooks up when you’re having a really fantastic makeup dream that you never, ever want to wake up from. There’s just So. Much. Pigment. I needed someone to pinch me at first because I wasn’t sure if I was straight trippin’.

And there’s so much to love about them beyond the pigments and colors. If these fly off the shelves, I won’t be surprised.

Here are swatches and pics, but I go into a lot more detail in the video.

As always, thank you for watching! I hope you like these as much as I do.