MAC Makeup

Cool-Toned Grays Signal a Smoky Black Friday at MAC: Available for One Day Only, the $25 MAC Smoky Black Friday Veluxe Pearl Fusion Shadow Trio

November 26th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Ya know…we should really figure out some sort of long-range communication system that doesn’t involve technology, just in case the sh*t ever hits the fan, and the Internet goes dark, and we need a way to ask each other important questions like, “Girl, are you doing any Black Friday shopping?” or, “What do you think of the new MAC Smoky Black Friday Velux Pearlfusion Shadow Trio?”

My first thought was carrier pigeons, but then many of us have cats…

So now I’m thinking smoke signals, but I haven’t figured out the vocabulary yet.

Like, how would you say, “I think the three Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadows in this online exclusive are just OK,” with a small fire and smoke?

I don’t know…

I’d also want to say, “I probably wouldn’t take off my hoop earrings and throw down if there was a shortage of these trios and I was forced to fight for the last one, but I might reach for one on a Friday night if I wanted to do a fast and shimmery smokey eye that didn’t require a ton of work.”

But that seems like a lot to say with puffs of smoke…

MAC Smoky Black Friday swatches — Wearing Smoky Black Friday on my lids and MAC Matte Lipstick in Nouvelle Vogue on my lips

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Tonight, I’m Livin’ in a Fantasy (My Own Little Nasty World), With the New MAC Nasty Gal Collection Lipsticks

November 26th, 2014 by Karen 34 Comments

MAC Nasty Gal Matte Lipsticks from the left: Runner, Stunner and Gunner ($16 US each, $19 CAD)

“Psst! Look at that girl.”

“Which girl…?”

“That one!”

“Which one? That one right there?”

“Yeah, that one you’re rudely pointing at in broad daylight right there, LOL! The one wearing the dark matte lipstick.”

“Yeah, I see her… She’s nasty.”

“What!? What are you talking about, ‘she’s nasty’? That’s a terrible thing to say!”

“No, doofus. Not like that. I mean she is literally a nasty gal.”

“You lost me…”

“I mean she’s wearing one of the three lipsticks in the new MAC Nasty Gal collection.”

Another fab collab, this one between MAC and Nasty Gal owner/founder Sophia Amoruso, the four-piece MAC Nasty Gal collection is coming to select MAC stores and the MAC website December 4 (through January 1, 2015) with three lipsticks in Stunner (a matte red), Runner (a matte burgundy) and Gunner (a deep matte purple) for $16 US/$19 CAD, as well as a true red Studio Nail Lacquer with a creme finish called Flaming Rose ($12 US/$14 CAD; not shown in this post).

MAC Nasty Gal Swatches from the left: Stunner, Runner and Gunner — Swatches from the left: Stunner, Runner and Gunner

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The Golden Givers of Gorgeousness in the MAC Prabal Gurung Collection Are Priced Like Precious Metals

November 11th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

The gold that graces each product in MAC’s new 14-piece Prabal Gurung collection doesn’t just make the packaging gorgeous. It fashions a world! It creates an experience! These pieces look so fancy that they could pass for pendants hanging from a famous rapper’s gold chains.

They could also probably pass for real gold bars.

No, seriously. These little bricks are heavy! — so heavy, in fact, that if I were to drop one on my foot, I’d probably need stitches.

Or, to put it another way, if I were to put all of them in a purse and swing it around, it would make one hell of a fine medieval weapon.

MAC Prabal Gurung Light English Red Lipstick — Wearing Lustre Lipstick in Light English Red on my lips

That the pieces could potentially double as weaponry is just one of many things I like about this new collaboration between MAC and fashion designer Prabal Gurung…who, I should say, was probably aiming more for elegance, sophistication and grace than hip-hop jewelry.

MAC Coral Lumineux Cream Colour Base — Cream Colour Base in Coral Lumineux

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Purr-Fect Cat Eyeliner Flicks Are Easy With This Quick Makeup Tip Using MAC Fast Response Eye Cream and a Q-Tip

October 22nd, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Throughout the long, hallowed (not really) history of Karen’s Cat Eyeliner Life, Volume I, I’ve drawn a lot of cat eyeliner looks on my cat lady lids, and over all those years, I can count on one paw the number of times I’ve drawn two perfectly angled flicks. That’s how rarely it occurs!

Most of the time, it’s my left flick. The right will be OK, but the left will turn out wonky, angled either too low or too high, or too short or too long.

It’s pretty much guaranteed that one or both flicks will need an adjustment.

One quick way to fix your flicks is with an eye cream and a Q-tip. What I’ll do is soak a Q-tip with a little bit of the cream, then run that along the edges of the flick to instantly sharpen them and/or fix any mistakes, all while adding some extra moisture around my eye area (something I need anyway).
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The New MAC Objects of Affection Lip Gloss Sets in Nude and Red, Pink and Plum, and Nude and Coral

October 22nd, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

It’s Christmas morning.

You tear open an oddly shaped present with shiny reindeer wrapping paper and find a plastic banana holder.

You consider this for a moment…

Do you jump up and down with enthusiasm, so happy to finally have a place to store a banana?

No, you do not, and I can say this with certainty because I actually did receive a plastic banana holder last year as a gift, and I did not jump up and down with enthusiasm.

Now, had I opened the same present and found one of the three new MAC Objects of Affection Lip Gloss Sets instead ($35 each, $42 CAD), things would have been different. I would have leaped and kicked and danced in my flannel pajamas because unlike MAC’s regular holiday eyeshadow palettes and brush sets, which can be hit or miss, their gloss sets tend to consistently delight me.

In my experience, the glosses in their holiday sets are right up their with the glosses in MAC’s permanent line in terms of quality, making them good bets for gift giving.

I’ve gifted past MAC holiday gloss sets to beauty gals of all ages over the years, from my teenage cousins to my 80-something-year-old glam granny, and they’ve always been hits. Even my BFF Cindy, who’s aggressively anti-makeup, hasn’t groaned when I’ve given her one of them. That has to tell you something.

This year, there are three lip gloss sets in the MAC holiday collection — Nude and Red, Pink and Plum, and Nude and Coral. Each one comes with three mini Cremesheen Glasses and a mini Dazzleglass.

I love these two formulas, especially during the cooler months. Unlike the Lipglasses, they aren’t sticky, so my hair doesn’t get stuck to my lips when it’s windy. They’re also moisturizing and shiny, to boot.

I don’t mind having to reapply them every two to three hours because of how good they feel on my lips, like Zella hoodies in gloss form.

The three MAC Objects of Affection Lip Gloss Sets: Overview

If you’re looking for variety, grab the Nude and Coral set. It has a good mix of sheer and fully pigmented shades.
If you want glosses for layering, go for Pink and Plum. Its three sheerest shades really come into their own when layered on top of lipsticks. There’s also a more intensely pigmented bright blue pink in the set for a fun pop of color.
If you go gaga for classic makeup looks, don’t miss Nude and Red. Its three neutral nudes and bright raspberry red go well with makeup standards like cat eyeliner and smokey eyes.

The Nude and Coral Lip Gloss Set

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Stately Shimmer — Cremesheen Glass in Stately Shimmer

MAC Fashion Whim Cremesheen Glass — Cremesheen Glass in Fashion Whim

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Rising Sun — Cremesheen Glass in Rising Sun

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Courtley Coral — Dazzleglass in Courtley Coral

MAC Objects of Affection Nude and Coral Lip Gloss Swatches from the left: Stately Shimmer, Fashion Whim, Rising Sun and Courtly Coral — Nude and Coral Lip Gloss Swatches from the left: Stately Shimmer, Fashion Whim, Rising Sun and Courtly Coral

The Pink and Plum Lip Gloss Set

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Fashion Scoop — Cremesheen Glass in Fashion Scoop

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Pagoda — Cremesheen Glass in Pagoda

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Here’s a Tip for Working With the New MAC Objects of Affection Pigments and Glitter Sets

October 16th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

MAC Objects of Affection Pigments and Glitter Set in Gold and Beige — Butterfingers tested and approved!

The mini jars of MAC Pigment and Glitter in the new MAC Objects of Affection holiday sets are so small (0.09 ounces) that I can barely fit a brush into them. They’re tiny! Butterfingers that I am, I feel like the Abominable Snowman trying to hug Bugs Bunny when I hold these jars, so when I use them, to keep accidental drops and messes to a minimum, I have a little workflow I follow…

First, I place a paper towel down on my work surface. Then, I pour a small amount of whichever product I’m using on the towel, and pick up the product directly from there with my brushes.

Much less mess, and it’s easier to load just the right amount of product on the brushes. 🙂

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For Your Viewing Pleasure, the New MAC Keepsakes Nude Lip Bag and Kristin Perry Jewel Saturation Necklace

October 14th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

First, for your viewing pleasure, Tabs in a rhinestone necklace…

“Day. Officially. Made.” says the woman who lives for chunky kitties in statement jewelry. 🙂

The bling, by the way, is the $68 Jewel Saturation Necklace by Kristin Perry, which Tabs likes because the Art Deco-ness of it makes him feel like he’s in The Great Gatsby.

Next, also for your viewing pleasure, there’s the new limited edition Keepsakes Nude Lip Bag from the MAC Keepsakes holiday collection ($39.50 US, $47.50 CAD).

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Nothing Says “I Love Shimmer!” Like the New MAC Objects of Affection Pink and Rose Pigments and Glitter Set

October 14th, 2014 by Karen 8 Comments

MAC Objects of Affection Pink + Rose Pigments + Glitter — The $35 MAC Objects of Affection Pink and Rose Pigments and Glitter Set

Should I dab a little on my lids or in the inner corners? How about above or below my brow bone? On top of my upper cheekbones? My Cupid’s bow? Maybe I should mix a little in with my body lotion to sparkle-fy my shoulders and legs. Or, should I just pour the entire jar over myself like I’m a bad girl in a Billy Idol video? (Note to self: Do not stick out your tongue if you do this, because that would be a bad idea.)

Ah…just think of all the shimmery, sparkly things you could do with the new MAC Objects of Affection Pink and Rose Pigments and Glitter Set. Great for girls who like choices. 🙂

The $35 set ($42 CAD), one of four MAC Pigments and Glitter sets coming October 27 to maccosmetics.com and November 6 to stores, includes five little bottles (0.09 ounces each), four of them loose MAC Pigments and the other a MAC Glitter.

Two of the Pigments — pinkish brown Tan (which looks great on lids with Saddle and Soft Brown in the crease) and plummy brown Heritage Rouge — are favorites of mine, but I like the entire selection. Good choices for colors to wear with fall’s rich burgundies, purples and coppers.
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