MAC Makeup

A Coral Lip Combo and Face of the Day With the New MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Mineralize Eye Shadow in Golden Hours

February 7th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

MAC Golden Hours Mineralize Eye Shadow from the A Fantasy of Flowers Collection — MAC Golden Hours Mineralize Eye Shadow from A Fantasy of Flowers…

I was chatting with a buddy this morning about springy lip colors (Hi, Agata! Hey, girl!), and it totally put me in the mood for something juicy and coral.

And since you know I’m all about the lip combos… 🙂 Here’s a cute one from the MAC A Fantasy of Flowers collection I stumbled on completely by accident.

MAC Naked Bud Lipstick and Star Quality Cremesheen Glass — Naked Bud Lipstick and Star Quality Cremesheen Glass

Some quick backstory…

One day earlier this week when my lips were painfully parched, I quite literally grabbed the first two things next to me on my desk and threw them on, and they just happened to be sheer nude Naked Bud Lipstick and Star Quality, a bright orangey coral (thank goodness they were lip products, LOL!).

I layered them, too (with the gloss on top of the lipstick, of course), grabbed a mirror and was like, YES! Star Quality’s somewhat sheer, so when it’s layered on top of Naked Bud, you can still see the nude lipstick peeking through, but at the same time you get the juiciness of the orangey coral.

I liked how it turned out, so I did it again today, and I’m sure I’ll be doing it again. These are definitely going into regular rotation right meow. 🙂

MAC Golden Hours on my lids, Tom Ford Liquid Liner on my upper lash line, MAC Smolder on my water lines and Physicians Formula CC Mascara on my lashes

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MAC’s Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick and Lipglass: A Red Lip Combo That’s Red-y for Anything

February 6th, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

MAC Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick and Lipglass — Well, hello, red!

Sure, red lips are classic and timeless and they never go out of style. True, true and true. But, oh! — I would have love to have worn MAC Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick ($16) and Lipglass ($15) over the holidays.

Sadly, they hadn’t been around then because they’re newer than that.

As members of the MAC Viva Glam family of gorgeous products, 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of MAC Viva Glam Rihanna Lipsticks and Lipglasses go to support the MAC AIDS Fund, which helps women, children and men living with HIV/AIDS.

As you may expect, Tabs is finicky about the red lipsticks he allows his pet assistants to wear, but he loves this intense blueish red (he also wishes it had been available over the holidays because it matches his red sequined Christmas outfit perfectly…).

The other day, my buddy Marisol asked me if I considered this Lipstick and Lipglass combo “must have,” and ya know, I do. Must. Have. A thousand times over. 🙂

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Gardening With MAC A Fantasy of Flowers: Today I Grew a Look With Pink Lips and Green Eyes

February 6th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

It’s raining here today, which normally would leave me feeling rather blah (I get the blues when the sun goes away), but today? Not so much.

First, it’s been a dry winter, and we need the rain. Second, the construction guys can’t work when it’s wet…so it’s been gloriously quiet this afternoon. 🙂

All I can hear are raindrops on my window, which is a very soothing sound.

Funny thing is, when it’s sunny outside and the workmen are working (we’re having our siding repaired), I put on my biggest headphones and listen to YouTube videos of ambient rain to drown out the noise, haha! Oh, the irony…

So, because today is kind of cold and gray, I felt like doing something a little springy and colorful. I went with a bright green cat eye with golden coral cheeks and a pink lip using makeup from the new MAC A Fantasy of Flowers collection.

If you ever feel like wearing bright green liner or shadow but aren’t quite sure what to do with it and don’t want anything too over the top, try a green cat eye.

No, seriously. Dude, you can do it!

I like this eye look because there’s a bright pop of color and minimal blending, and sometimes when I’m even lazier than I was today, I’ll skip everything else and just do a single swipe of green on my upper lash lines instead.

With bright green liner like this, I’ll usually tightline my upper lashes with a black liner or eyeshadow (here I’m using MAC’s Carbon Eye Shadow) to give more depth to my eyes and create the illusion of thicker lashes (since mine are naturally wimpy).

Just adds a little somethin’ somethin’…

The green liner I’m wearing here is MAC’s new Sassy Moss from A Fantasy of Flowers, by the way, and woo-hoo! — do I feel like a sassy-pants when I wear it. 🙂

It’s just so vibrant, and all it takes is a couple layers. Very cool. In a way, it reminds me of one of my old-school favorite MAC Fluidlines, Jadeye, but less teal and more green. Similar pop on the skin.

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MAC A Fantasy of Flowers: Like the Best Parts of Spring (Without the Allergies)

February 5th, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

Spring. Fifth grade. The mid ’80s. You couldn’t miss me as I navigated the hallowed halls of Alvarado Middle School, not because of my terrible hair (I had the same ‘do as all of my Filipino uncles… Ugh, so tragic!), but because I was a walking floral nightmare. Not a floral fantasy, like MAC’s new 34-piece A Fantasy of Flowers collection.

My floral jacket. It. Was. Hideous. It was the jacket I wore with every single outfit, even though it didn’t go with anything, and it just made me look crazy. It had this obnoxious floral print with all sorts of flowers just mushed on top of each other. It was ugly, but I thought I was the sh*t.

This collection isn’t like that jacket at all. It’s colorful, but in a balanced way that makes sense. It’s like wandering through a carefully thought out cottage garden…

There are lots of floral hues, pinks, corals peaches, purples and roses grounded with earthier browns and lush greens. It’s like a garden early on a dewy morning, and everything is fresh, and there’s a sense of newness, and that’s because there are lots of shimmery finishes here that catch the light, just like drops of dew catch sunlight on flower petals.

Most of the shimmer comes from the Mineralize products — Eye Shadows, Blushes and Skinfinishes.

This isn’t the kind of collection where the cheeks and eyes look real and natural, and for me that’s the fantastical part of this floral fantasy. The shimmers are turned up! — and wearing them makes me feel like a more glamorous version of my everyday self. Then, you add the really bright Fluidlines and Pigments in the release, which are like the statement pieces for me, and you get even more fantastical.

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Mineralize Skinfinish and Blushes — A Fantasy of Flowers Mineralize Skinfinishes ($30 each) and Mineralize Blushes ($25 each)

There’s a lot going on with cheeks and eyes here, and perhaps because of that MAC kept the lips relatively tame. The colors — pink, coral, peach, berry and rose — remind me of misted flower petals and fancy bouquets… All six of the Lipsticks are in MAC’s creamy Lustre finish, and the six glosses are Cremesheen Glasses, so the lippies are pretty much sheer-to-medium coverage. Nothing too heavy or super opaque, and even the darkest and brightest lip shades are sheer enough to allow some of your natural lip color to peek through.

I had some fun with these pics, but I have a lot more planned for this release — looks and more in-depth reviews. The release arrives on counters tomorrow and is available now on maccosmetics.com.

Take a stroll through MAC’s latest garden, and let me know what you think. 🙂

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Eyeshadows Fluidlines Pigments — A Fantasy of Flowers Mineralize Eye Shadows ($21 each), Fluidlines ($16 each) and Pigments ($21 each)

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Cremesheen Glasses and Lipsticks — A Fantasy of Flowers Cremesheen Glasses ($20 each) and Lipsticks ($15 each)

MAC A Perfect Topping Skinfinish, a a pale pearly pink — A Perfect Topping Skinfinish, a a pale pearly pink

MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish, a coppery bronze — Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish, a coppery bronze

MAC Pink Sensibilities Mineralize Eye Shadow, a pinkish brown, a chocolate brown, a yellowish pink and an icy bluish pink — Pink Sensibilities Mineralize Eye Shadow, a pinkish brown, a chocolate brown, a yellowish pink and an icy bluish pink

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Do You Still Do Your Makeup When the Weather Outside Is Frightful (Rainy, Snowing, Crazy Humid)?

February 5th, 2014 by Karen 39 Comments

MAC Style Blush on my cheeks — Brr, it’s cold outside…

You get all dolled up, spend a chunk of your morning getting ready to face the day, and then BAM! — you open the door and it’s the storm of the century outside. Maybe it’s a torrential downpour, and the rain is coming in from all directions (even sideways!), or it’s a blizzard, and there’s five feet of snow blocking your front door, or it’s monsoon season in the tropics, and it’s humid enough outside to breath with gills, and melt even the most industrial strength long-wearing makeup in a matter of minutes.

When the weather outside is frightful, do you still do your makeup?

I totally do. We don’t regularly get extreme, extreme weather here, but sometimes we do. Here it’s heavy downpours, usually in the late winter and spring, and when they happen, I bust out my waterproof and long-wearing stuff.

I usually start with a waterproof mascara. Maybelline makes one I love called Full ‘N Soft Waterproof. It handles heavy rain, and it’s super affordable (just $7).

Then I’ll add a tough-as-nails brow filler like Hourglass Arch, which I’m seriously obsessed with (again!).

For my skin, MAC Face and Body, which doesn’t budge for nothin’. Then under-eye concealer to cover up those pesky dark circles, followed by a little powder, blush and bronzer. I’ll usually go with something non-sticky on my lips, like a stain or lipsticks, since getting hair caught in my gloss is never fun…

How about you? Do you still do your makeup when the weather outside is frightful (rainy, snowing, crazy humid)?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Welcome to the hump. 🙂

What Was the First MAC Collection You Fell Head Over Heels in Love With?

January 31st, 2014 by Karen 34 Comments

Three words (and some hearts): ♥♥♥ Barbie Loves MAC. ♥♥♥

I affectionally refer to this collection as my gateway collection — the one that started it all, and by “it,” I mean 1) my obsession with MAC and 2) the unofficial start of Makeup and Beauty Blog.

Yup, Barbie Loves MAC was my very first post on MBB (spring 2007). I almost can’t believe this blog will be seven years old next month.

Time files when you’re having fun. 🙂

How about you, my friend? What was the first MAC collection you fell head over heels in love with?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

If only I were this stylish, LOL! (As I sit here typing this in stretchy pants and a hoodie.)

Don’t you just love her over-the-knee boots and that MAC train case? Barbie’s got it goin’ on!

In other news…I’ve become addicted to another Bravo reality TV show. Have you seen Toned Up, starring Internet famous fitness gurus Karina and Katrina?

It sucked me in! I want to hang out with them and do crunches on the beach, LOL! They seem very cool and fun.

A Pink and Bronze Face of the Day Using the NARSissist Eye Palette, With Help From MAC and Urban Decay

January 23rd, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

A few things…

First, this morning I tried on a pair of skinny jeans I ordered online and got stuck in them.

Seriously.

Apparently, I wasn’t paying close enough attention and ordered the wrong size.

Yeah…

I’d managed to shimmy into them up to my thighs when I realized that something was very wrong, and if I’d kept going, I’d need prayer and the Jaws of Life to get out of them.

Lesson learned here, kids. If you’re going to purchase the Citizens of Humanity Avedon skinny jeans, go up at least one size.

Second, SWV lives!!!

I found them while channel surfing last night. SWV Reunited on WE. The combination of early ’90s R&B and reality TV gets me weak in the knees… I can hardly speak. I lose all control. Then something comes over me… 🙂 Hahaha!

Third, I realized this afternoon that pinkish bronze metallic eyes are totally fun. And not too hard to create, believe it or not! I got the idea from a pink and bronze eye look I saw on UD’s website.

For this face of the day, I went with a few products from MAC, NARS and Urban Decay.

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Blossoming Soon: Two New MAC Collections for Spring 2014, Namely MAC A Fantasy of Flowers and Prep + Prime CC Colour Correct

January 22nd, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Spring 2014 Collection — New from MAC for spring 2014: A Fantasy of Flowers

G’mornin’, glory. 🙂

So, PR pics aren’t usually my thing (I’ll take my Canon and a pile of products any day, son!), but with these two new collections from MAC, I had to share.

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers

My inner (wannabe) botanist is super stoked about A Fantasy of Flowers. Its 34 pieces of prettiness arrive online January 30 and at counters February 6 in North America (international babes, it hits your shores in March at all locations except Japan).

The release looks like a veritable botanical garden of gorgeous Mineralize Eye Shadows, Blushes, Skinfinishes, and floral-themed Lipsticks, Cremehsheens and Nail Lacquers, too.

And the blooming doesn’t stop there. The release also features three brushes and a pair of mascaras…but really, you know I’m drooling over the pretty, pretty colors, LOL!

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Lipsticks from the left: Fleur D'Coral, Naked Bud, Dreaming Dahlia, Rose Lily, Snapdragon and Heavenly Hybrid — Lipsticks from the left: Fleur D’Coral, Naked Bud, Dreaming Dahlia, Rose Lily, Snapdragon and Heavenly Hybrid

We’ll see six petal-perfect Lipsticks in MAC’s Lustre finish, namely pale creamy peach Fleur d’Coral, neutral sheer nude Naked Bud, sheer reddish-coral Dreaming Dahlia, sheer pastel pink Rose Lily, mid-tone blueish pink Snapdragon and mid-tone berry Heavenly Hybrid ($15 each US, $18 CDN).

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Cremesheen Glasses from the left: Nectarsweet, Flare for Fantasy, Pagoda, Playful Petal, Star Quality and Galaxy Rose — Cremesheen Glasses from the left: Nectarsweet, Flare for Fantasy, Pagoda, Playful Petal, Star Quality and Galaxy Rose

And for a finish that shines like morning dew, take a gander at the six gleaming Cremsheens ($20 each US, $23 CDN). Choose from soft pinkish-peach Nectarsweet, mid-tone pinkish beige Flare for Fantasy, frosted cool pink Pagoda, electric magenta Playful Petal, bright orange-coral Star Quality and mid-tone violet pink Galaxy Rose.

But what about eyes and cheeks?

Well, how ’bout a bouquet of shimmer with a bevy of Mineralize Skinfinishes, Pigments and Fluidlines…

Mineralize Eye Shadow ($21 each US, $25 CDN)

In the Meadow, an icy shimmering white, dirty olive green, golden mint green and pale yellow (frost)
Pink Sensibilities, a pinkish brown, chocolate brown, yellow pink and icy blue pink (frost)
Golden Hours, a copper bronze, golden brown, soft golden peach and pale yellow gold (frost)
Great Beyond, a deep blue violet, dusky plum, icy white lilac and soft mauve violet (frost)

Pigments ($21 each US, $25 CDN)

Lily White, a pale buttery yellow shimmer
Chartreuse Bouquet, a shimmering acid green
Violet, a vivid bright violet purple
Pink Pearl, a shimmery lavender-pink

Fluidlines ($16 each US, $19 CDN)

Sassy Moss, a vivid green
Phlox Garden, q vivid violet

Haute & Naughty Lash in Black ($21 each US, $25 CDN)

Mineralize Skinfinishes ($30 each US, $35 CDN)
Perfect Topping, a pale pearlized pink
Stereo Rose, a copper bronze

Mineralize Blushes ($25 each US, $29.50 CDN)

Azalea in the Afternoon, a mid-tone cool pink
Petal Power, a coral pink with gold shimmer

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Mineralize Eye Shadows in Golden Hours (left) and Great Beyond (right) — Golden Hours (left) and Great Beyond (right)

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