Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

The MAC Ellie Goulding Collection Is Polished Pop Star Power

December 4th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

There’s also a video review in this post. If it’s not appearing, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

Wearing a sexy scuba outfit while rocking big blonde hair that looks like it’s being whipped back by 12 Beyoncé fans doesn’t mean you have to go OTT with your makeup.

The first time I saw the sexy scuba promo pic for the MAC Ellie Goulding collection on Instagram a while back, I thought, “OOH! LOVE! Now this is makeup I would want to wear.” It looks so approachable and fresh, but there’s still some drama to it, like the black-winged liner and falsies. I think Ellie just looks really beautiful.

Then I saw the promo pics for the products and fell head over heels.

I’m not sure, but I might be in the minority when it comes to how much I love these colors, specifically the warm browns and neutral browns, but I’m sorry. I’m not 22 years old and about to rock an emerald green eyeshadow to Costco anymore.

I mean…I’ll do it on occasion, 🙂 but when I think of makeup that I know I can wear over and over and over again, it’s things like this: warm browns on the eyes; beautiful bronzy cheeks with a peachy glow and juicy, glossy coral lips.

In that promo pic, Ellie looks like she’s either about to belt out a song, or make out with somebody, LOL!

mac ellie goulding ill hold my brush — MAC Ellie Goulding Powder Blush Duo in I’ll Hold My Breath ($28)

mac ellie goulding halcyon days — MAC Ellie Goulding Halcyon Days ($44)

MAC releases so many collections, but for me, this one stands out. The brand does stuff with singers all the time, but sometimes their collaborations seem a little half-@ssed, ya know? Like the Mariah Carey one? Come on… One lipstick and no special packaging? Like, that’s it? But this got the full red carpet treatment.

Lots and lots more info in the video at the top, and here are some swatches and pictures. Have a look, and let me know what you think.

mac ellie goulding halcyon nights — MAC Ellie Goulding Halcyon Nights ($44)

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Soap & Glory’s $12 Winter Wonderhand Set Is Here to Help Dry Hands Across the Land

December 4th, 2015 by Karen 9 Comments

Sleigh bells ring,
Are you listening?
In the lane,
Snow is glistening.
A beautiful sight,
We’re happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderhaaand!

[insert applause here]

Aw, thank you! Thank you! You’re too kind… 🙂

LOL! Virtual Christmas caroling. We should make that a thing…

In related news, this $12 Soap & Glory Winter Wonderhand gift set couldn’t have come at a better time for parched paws across the land, because wherever temps have been dropping, dry skin has been itching and cracking.

The set comes with three large sample-sized 1.69-oz. tubes of Soap & Glory’s Hand Food creams in rosy bergamot Original Pink, sweet lime Sugar Crush and almond vanilla Smoothie Star.

To really get behind these, first, you have to like sweetly scented lotions, and I do this time of year, since all three of the lotions fit that bill. Second, hello hydration! I keep a full-size bottle of Hand Food on my desk year round because of how moisturizing it is (L’Occitane Shea Butter Whipped Hand Cream is another fave), and it’s nice to have a more portable bottle to keep in my purse.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: High Tea Lipstick

December 4th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

There ain’t no party like a high tea party ’cause a high tea party don’t stop!

This occurs to me not only because I’m currently craving tea and those tiny sandwiches from The Rotunda again (OH, MAH GOSH! So good…), but also because of the recently launched frosty beige MAC Mariah Carey Lipstick.

Even though I can totally picture Mimi rocking a frosty beige lipstick, it’s the kind of color that isn’t always easy to wear, which got me wondering about other MAC lipsticks with a kinda-sorta similar vibe.

After combing my mental MAC files, I remembered High Tea. It’s a $17 pearly beige pink in the MAC Lustre Lipstick line, and it has just enough frostiness to hit those high notes without being so frosty that it becomes difficult to wear.

mac high tea closeup — Wearing MAC High Tea on my lips

There was a time when I was regularly wearing tubes of High Tea down to the nub (you know I love me some nude lips). It’s one of those “it goes with everything” nude lipsticks, and I think it looks great by itself for a quickie nude lip.

Maybe because of the subtle frosty, shiny finish, it also makes my lips look a little fuller (I think). Yup, being a MAC Lustre, High Tea has a glossy, holiday-hoppin’ finish, but it isn’t sticky like a gloss, which means that I can wear it without worrying about my hair whipping around when it’s windy and getting stuck to my pout.
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It’s Sweater Weather! (P.S. I’m Currently Addicted to Bath & Body Works Candles)

December 3rd, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

It’s December, there’s a chill in the air, it rained half the day, and there’s a carpet of colorful autumn leaves on the ground.

Yup, it’s sweater weather, which means that it’s also a good time to burn my new favorite candle, the appropriately named Sweater Weather, by Bath & Body Works ($22.50). It’s currently bringing sweater-themed holiday cheer and a cozy eucalyptus, juniper berry and sage scent to my living room right meow.

There’s something about candles and the holidays, right? This time of year, it really feels right.

Conveniently — or, not so conveniently, depending on your perspective on scented candles — a new Bath & Body Works store opened at the mall by my house, and GURL, you know that saying about how you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone? Well, it totally applies to Bath & Body Works, LOL! There used to be one in my town, but they closed a little over a year ago, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it until this new store opened at the mall.

Anyways, the candles. The store has all of their fall and winter stuff out now, and there are a ton of scents to choose from, but it’s not just the fragrances. The candles themselves are also great quality.

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December Is Mini Mani Month With the $59 Ciaté London Mini Mani Month Set: Hoarders, Watch Out!

December 3rd, 2015 by Karen 9 Comments

ciate mini mani month open 1 — The 24-piece Ciaté London Mini Mani Month Set ($59; a $199 value)

There are so many pretty, pint-sized bottles of nail polish in the utterly adorable Ciaté London Mani Mini Month set, and they’re all leading me to completely fail at my attempt to NOT hoard things.

ciate mini mani month — From the left: Raspberry Collins,Rom Com Rouge, Mini File and Purple Rain-Bow

ciate mini mani month 2 — From the left: Hutch, Pom Pom, Double Bubblegum and Heirloom

There’s a long-running joke among my Filipino friends and I that Filipinos are hoarders, and, well…at least in my family, it’s totally true. Seriously, my folks never get rid of anything! On a trip home a few months ago, I found this one cheesy poster that hung in my room when I was a teenager. Came to find that it had been living in my parents’ garage for more than 20 years!

I tend to hold on to things a long time, too, but I’ve been working on it. I recently read Marie Kondon’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, which has a lot of great tips, but it’s hard to resist the urge to hoard everything under the sun.

Especially when faced with something as hoard-worthy as this 24-piece set…

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Ahh… My Lips Feel So Much Better Thanks to Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil

December 3rd, 2015 by Karen 34 Comments

clarins instant light lip comfort oil 890

Why isn’t this product permanent, already?! Because it seriously needs to be. Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil, a combination shiny lipgloss/moisturizing lip treatment oil, is back again after going into hibernation for part of the year.

This year, if you’re not quick enough, a particular dry-lipped pregnant lady, who shall remain nameless (she’ll be covered in cat hair), just might clear out the entire stock.

I’m just sayin’. If you have dry lips and like Clarins, you should act quickly. 🙂

My goodness, this has been a freaking godsend. It’s available in two shiny, lightly tinted $24 shades — the 01 Honey shown here and another shade called 02 Raspberry.

It’s a massively moisturizing, shiny lip treatment oil with a non-sticky formula. The oils are 100% plant-based, too, and include hazelnut and jojoba (among other oils) to plump, soften, smooth and nourish.

Ingredients
Hazelnut oil nourishes, plumps and softens lips.

Organic Jojoba oil nourishes and smoothes, without a sticky after feel. Leaves lips soft, comfortable and perfectly hydrated.

Mirabelle Plum oil (present in the honey shade) protects from dehydration—promoting soft, supple lips.

Raspberry Seed oil (present in the raspberry shade) nourishes and protects lips from future aging with anti-oxidant benefits.

After a few hours wearing this magical witch’s brew, my lips look and feel about as close to new as they ever get. They’re much softer, moisturized and feel better, and my lip lines and flakes look considerably less obvious. The finish, which starts out glossy, fades to a satin over the course of a few hours.

I usually wear this on its own or with a nude lip liner, but sometimes I’ll use it on top of a lipstick.

This one here, 01 Honey, tastes (and smells) a little like honey and apples to me, and it’s not one of those artificial flavors. It tastes real. And real good.

Even the applicator is a joy to use. It’s absolutely spa-caliber. It just feels soft and velvety on my lips and gets the product everywhere it needs to be.

I love, love, LOVE this to pieces, and I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it joins the Clarins permanent line. It’s sure to become a cult classic.

Honey and Raspberry are available now (for a limited time) at Clarins counters and online.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Unsung Heroes: Blooz Eye Kohl

December 2nd, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of my all-time favorite permanent collection products.

MAC COSTA RICHE: And there she goes! She’s grabbing Blooz, YET AGAIN.

MAC TEDDY: Seriously!? What’s up with that? She was using us every day, and now it’s like she doesn’t even know we exist. All she cares about is Blooz.

MAC COSTA RICHE: Yeah, and it’s giving me a case of the blues.

MAC TEDDY: Haha.

MAC COSTA RICHE: I’m not kidding! I miss being on her water lines…

MAC TEDDY: Me too. 🙁

MAC COSTA RICHE: You know what I want right now?

MAC TEDDY: What?

MAC COSTA RICHE: Brownies.

MAC TEDDY: Ooh!

MAC COSTA RICHE: Let’s make some brownies.

MAC TEDDY: YASSS! 🙂

If eyeliners could talk… I bet if Costa Riche and Teddy could talk, they’d be talking mad sh*t about MAC Blooz ($16.50). It’s one of MAC’s sassiest, sexiest dark navy liners, and it’s the only MAC Eye Kohl I’ve been wanting to wear lately.

But let’s back up a little… Cue the falling leaves and jingle bells! *jingle, jingle, jingle*

Every December, like clockwork, my eyes freak out, and the only liners I’m able to comfortably wear are the old-school MAC Eye Kohls. The dry, crisp air outside coupled with the dry, warm air inside from the heater, which runs nonstop this time of year, wreaks havoc on my lash and water lines. They practically cry out for moisture and won’t tolerate long-wearing eye products like gel liners that are just too drying.

I wouldn’t say that MAC’s old-school Kohls are moisturizing, but for whatever reason, they don’t bother my eyes in fall and winter when so many other things do. I was all about Teddy and Costa Riche for the past few winters, but now I’ve got the Blooz.

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