mac

MAC Sized to Go and I Are Hitting the Road Together

June 3rd, 2011 by Karen 32 Comments

MAC Sized to Go

Even though I feel like I’m getting a little better at packing (thanks to the power of the pre-made list), I still stress out over how to bring my liquid beauty products on trips.

I swear, those little zip-top bags the TSA makes you use are cruel. They’re never big enough to hold everything I ~~want~~ need, but now MAC has a possible solution. Thanks to the new MAC Sized to Go line, I shouldn’t ever have to leave home without at least some of my MAC must-haves again.

The new collection, coming soon to MAC freestanding stores, contains nine miniature versions of MAC skin care favorites in tiny 1-oz. bottles and tubes.

Aren’t they cute? 🙂

MAC Sized to Go

MAC Sized to Go
Mini me!

MAC Sized to Go
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Bombshell Lipstick

June 2nd, 2011 by Karen 44 Comments

mac bombshell lipstick

I’ve always loved the theatricality of makeup, and by that I mean more than just its ability to alter our appearance (the WHIZZ! BAM! POP!), but also how something as seemingly insignificant as a tube of lipstick can completely change the way we feel and how we see ourselves.

Take today’s Unsung Hero, the mighty MAC Lipstick in Bombshell ($14.50). One minute with it on, and I feel my inner Mary Ann turning into Ginger!

Sometimes this frosty golden pink gets typecast as a “Barbie pink,” and it’s not hard to see why. Like Barbs, she can be quite flirty and fun, but this Bombshell is also capable of playing other roles, like seductive siren/Bond girl. 🙂

While Barbie cruises the PCH in her pink convertible, Bombshell tests her Masarati on the streets of Monaco. Girlfriend werks a pair of four-inch patent-pink Louboutins and a black tank dress. She’s on her way to a high-stakes poker game to gather intel, her slick ponytail whipping in the wind as she takes every turn a little too fast. Although her mind is on her mission, she recalls the brief but witty exchange she had with a charming billionaire last night. She wouldn’t mind getting to know him better, but now is not the time.

LOL! Yeah, that’s my Bombshell. Sure, she’s pink and girly, but she might just kick your @ss.

mac bombshell lipstick

mac bombshell lipstick swatch
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MAC Bombshell Lipstick

June 1st, 2011 by Karen 12 Comments

MAC Bombshell Lipstick, $14.50. Do you ever wear this shimmery rosy pink? I’m crushing on it hard these days!

MAC Unsung Heroes: Sunbasque Sheertone Shimmer Blush

June 1st, 2011 by Karen 60 Comments

mac sunbasque blush

At the top of the list of not-so-smart things I’ve done over the past few days: starting to watch a scary movie at 10:30 p.m. Yes, that’s when I cranked up Insidious the other night thinking I’d only watch “10 minutes of it” before going straight to bed.

Bad idea.

Of course I had to finish it, which was like watching Britney’s infamous breakdown (I couldn’t look away!), except with sudden loud noises, scary silhouettes seen through darkened windows, and creaky wooden floors. NOTE TO SELF: films featuring demon possession do not make for relaxing bedtime fare.

Luckily, I also managed to do something pretty smart this week, which almost balances things out. I remembered where I put my missing pan of MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Sunbasque ($19.50), one of my summer faves for sunkissed cheeks, and arguably one of MAC’s user-friendliest (I don’t think that’s a real word…) blushes.

Sheertone and I met a couple of years ago at a MAC counter when I’d asked a MAC artist for a blush recommendation. I wanted something easy that would look great with a tan, and she pulled out Sunbasque, a shimmery, peachy pink bronze. What made it special, she said, was the slight red it contains, which complements the reddish tones in tanned skin.

It’s like a multifunction printer, but instead of printing, scanning and faxing, it blushes, bronzes and highlights. The bronze tones lend warmth to my cheeks, while the peachy pink adds a flush of color. The subtle shimmer just draws a little more attention to the face, but not so much that I look like I’m rollin’ straight to da club.

Two layers (it’s sooo easy to blend), and I look like I spent the entire day practicing cannonballs at the pool…and napping and reading Us Weekly.

mac sunbasque blush in pan

mac sunbasque blush swatch
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12 Ways to Wear MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass

May 31st, 2011 by Karen 110 Comments

When I imagined MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass ($14.50), I really wanted it to be flexible — something that wouldn’t only look pretty on its own, but would also work with as many other products as possible.

Here are 12 possible pairings to spark some ideas (featuring some of my favorite peach, pink and coral MAC Lip Pencils, Cremestick Liners and Lipsticks). Oh, and please let me know in the comments if you can think of any other cool combos to try.

mac evolution revolution lipglass Hibiscus

mac evolution revolution lipglass hibiscus

mac evolution revolution lipglass Hibiscus

mac evolution revolution lipglass Subculture

mac evolution revolution lipglass subculture

mac evolution revolution lipglass Subculture
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MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass: A Closer Look

May 31st, 2011 by Karen 9 Comments

A closeup of MAC Lipglass in Evolution Revolution ($14.50), one of nine pieces in the upcoming MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions Collection launching exclusively online on June 21.

MAC Evolution Revolution on lips

MAC Lipsticks <3 Evolution Revolution

May 30th, 2011 by Karen 7 Comments

MAC Lipglass in Evolution Revolution ($14.50) looks fab paired with peach, pink or coral MAC Lipsticks. 😉

The MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions Collection: MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass

May 30th, 2011 by Karen 281 Comments

mac evolution revolution lipglass

I suppose the very first spark that led to MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass ($14.50) ignited one day in Mrs. Mannah’s second-grade class. The year was 1982, and I’d just met Jen, who would quickly become one of my lifelong BFFs.

Evolution Revolution is the shade I created for the upcoming MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions Collection, a nine-piece collection of MAC Eyeshadows and Lipglasses launching June 21, exclusively online (available now!). It’s also the real reason for the secret squirrel trip I took to Toronto last April.

MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass

MAC Lipglass in Evolution Revolution

mac evolution revolution lipglass

Jen and I still recall with frightening accuracy all of the cute boys in our second-grade class. “Remember Lee, with the missing tooth?” Jen will ask. “Oh, yeah,” I’ll reply. “Total hottie.”

Sometimes I find it hard to believe, but we’ve been obsessing over boys for nearly 27 years. Jen’s having a baby boy in the fall, and I can already tell he’s going to be the new object of our affections.

The next piece of the EvRev puzzle fell into place the very next year in Mrs. Hartunian’s third-grade class, which is when I met Cindy. She had long black hair, a talent for drawing graceful pictures of glamorous girls, and a great Granny Goose potato chip hookup (her dad worked there, so she would always bring a huge box of assorted chips to every class party).

Cindy is still my number one surf buddy, and the one person I can always depend on when I’m feeling blue.

But Evolution Revolution’s real roots didn’t take hold until high school, when Jen, Cindy and I all played flute in the school band. It was between orchestra rehearsals and marching band competitions (BAND GEEKS!) that our friendship really grew.

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