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MAC Unsung Heroes: Teddy Eye Kohl

May 11th, 2011 by Karen 40 Comments

I firmly believe that life’s too short to waste wearing boring brown eyeliners (or, on an unrelated note, wearing shoes in summer).

Today’s inductee into the hallowed halls of MAC Unsung Heroics is called Teddy, and when it comes to boring, he’s anything but. Teddy is a MAC Eye Kohl ($14.50) pencil, an intensely rich, dark bronzy brown with subtle golden shimmer, and it’s that shimmer that takes Teddy from the bored-room to the ~~bedroom~~ best room (haha! oops, bad pun).

I think I use Teddy almost as often as MAC Powersurge. It’s one of those colors that always seems appropriate, day or night, and it totally hits the spot when I want to draw extra attention to my eyes but don’t feel like wearing basic black.

Its soft, creamy texture glides along my lash and water lines, defining the shape of my eyes. Every so often I’ll even wear it as a base by smudging it onto my lids; other times I might layer it beneath powder shadows, where I think it looks particularly cute with bronzy golds like MAC Woodwinked.

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MAC Surf Baby: Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment

May 11th, 2011 by Karen 6 Comments

One of four shades from the MAC Surf Baby Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment set ($32.50).

MAC Surf Baby: Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment

May 10th, 2011 by Karen 6 Comments

One of four shades from the MAC Surf Baby Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment set ($32.50).

What say you?

MAC Surf Baby Collection Questions and Answers

May 10th, 2011 by Karen 29 Comments

mac surf baby swatches

You asked some great questions in the comments on last week’s first MAC Surf Baby pictures post, and I thought it might be helpful to try and answer them here.

The collection breaks onto ~~beaches~~ makeup counters May 26 in North America (internationally, this month).

How are the Skin Sheen Bronzer Sticks used?

MAC Surf Baby Skin Sheen Bronzer Stick

Q: I apologize for the silly question, but I don’t think I understand how the bronzer stick is to be used. Is it for contouring, or are you meant to dab it all over and blend like foundation?

— Kim

Hey Kim,

Not a silly question at all. Are you familiar with the NARS Multiples? These Skin Sheens are kinda like thicker, stickier versions of those (basically, like a cream bronzer). They’re more pigmented, though, so a little goes a really long way.

I generally use the non-shimmery shades, Billionaire Bronze and Tan-Tint, for contouring and to add a bit of color to my forehead and cheeks, which are parts of my face that tend to really darken when I tan. As for the shimmery color, Gilty Bronze, I like to use it as a highlighter, wearing it on my upper cheek bones, brow bones and down the bridge of my nose.

To apply the Skin Sheens, I usually swipe a synthetic skunk brush like the MAC 188 across the top of the stick and then apply the product to bare skin or atop a liquid foundation/tinted moisturizer. Fingers work great, too, but I find that a skunk brush deposits a great amount of color — neither too little nor too much — and blends the product well, so it doesn’t look obvious or streaky.

mac surf baby swatches Skin Sheen Bronzer Stick in Billionaire Bronze
From left to right: Skin Sheen Bronzer Stick in Billionaire Bronze, Tan-Tint and Gilty Bronze

mac surf baby Lipglass Krazy Kahuna
Skinsheen Bronzer Stick in Tan-Tint along the curve of the apples of my cheeks to contour
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Sheer Up, Kiddo: The MAC Suntints SPF20 Liquid Lip Balms Are Back

May 7th, 2011 by Karen 13 Comments

When the limited edition MAC Suntint liquid lip balms rose with 2009’s Baby Bloom collection, I was more into how they felt than how they looked. I loved their non-sticky, hydrating formula, but I hoped for more pigment from them at the time.

Oh, what a difference 600 days make…

The Suntints are back, but this time I’m totally into them. I’ve been loving sheer, moisturizing tinted glosses lately, and the Suntints fit the bill. Three of them — Full of Grace (a sheer rose), Pink Tinge (a yellowish pink with golden pearl) and Lilt of Lily (a creamy pale pink) — are arriving with the Surf Baby collection (coming May 26 to North America; internationally, some time this month).

mac surf baby swatches suntint
Swatches from the left: Suntints in Full of Grace, Lilt of Lily and Pink Tinge
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MAC Surf Baby Cheek Powder in My Paradise: A Diva in Disguise

May 6th, 2011 by Karen 29 Comments

mac surf baby my paradise cheek powder review

Don’t let the cute hibiscus fool you. Limited edition MAC Surf Baby Cheek Powder in My Paradise, the one and only blush in the upcoming Surf Baby collection, is a total diva in disguise.

The pretty packaging fooled me at first. It lulled me into expecting a run-of-the-mill peachy gold blush, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. My Paradise roars with pigment. It reminds me of NARS Orgasm, except three times as intense, with a lot more reddish orange inside. Yup, you better bring a fan brush to this makeup dance.

mac surf baby my paradise cheek powder

mac surf baby my paradise cheek powder review

mac surf baby my paradise cheek powder swatch
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Humid Eyeshadow

May 5th, 2011 by Karen 37 Comments

MAC Humid

“If you’re going to San Francisco,” the song goes, “be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.” Flowers like the ones that bloom 365 days a year inside the gigantic 19th century greenhouse that is the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. It’s the oldest municipal wooden conservatory remaining in the United States and one of my favorite places in the city to visit with a camera.

From the steamy, lush jungles of the Lowland Tropics Room to the giant Victoria amazonica water lilies of the Aquatic Room, the structure must contain every conceivable shade of green (they practically drip from the walls!). Not only is it a very peaceful, beautiful place filled with exotic plants, but by virtue of it basically being a gargantuan greenhouse, it also reminds me of one of my favorite MAC shadows, the appropriately named Humid ($14.50).

A MAC artist introduced me to Humid a few years ago. I told her I was looking for one green to rule them all! “This is the only green you’ll ever need,” she said, as she handed me the pan.

Homegirl was NOT kidding. You know the whole “desert island” scenario? Where you can only bring one thing? Well, assuming of course the island had air conditioning, running water, a Trader Joe’s (gotta get my Mango & Cream Bars, yo!) and Channing Tatum, I’d bring Humid Eyeshadow. 🙂
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