mac

MAC Unsung Heroes: Soft Brown Eyeshadow

May 27th, 2010 by Karen 56 Comments

mac soft brown

Oh, the buckets of glittery tears I’d shed if MAC ever discontinued Soft Brown Matte Eyeshadow ($14.50).

Don’t be fooled by how uninspiring it looks in the pan. Soft Brown’s like the sun and the rain, and it makes my life a foolish game. Okay, well, that may be going a little too far, but I do think I could probably wear it every day for the rest of my life (no joke).

Because it’s a color I reach for so often, I think of Soft Brown as an “anchor” shade — like the glue that holds many of my eye looks together.

Worn in the crease, Soft Brown’s warm orangey brown gives depth and dimension to smokey looks. In a matte finish, I think it also ups the contrast of any shimmery shades I wear with it in blue, green, peach, pink — you name it.

A few shots of Soft Brown in action…
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MAC Fibre Rich Lash Mascara: Are Sweet Dreams Made of This?

May 25th, 2010 by Karen 27 Comments

The great Annie Lennox once said, “Sweet dreams are made of this.”

Coincidentally, that’s also how I hoped I’d feel about Fibre Rich Lash mascara ($13, available in one shade called All Black).

The product promises extreme volume and density, effortless extension and a smudge-resistant, creamy formula.

Just thinking about all of those things together makes my tummy rumble (like it does for Nutella and Ryan Reynolds)…

Ever since a wave of high-fibre mascaras struck a few years ago, they’ve been all the rage. Tiny fibers embedded in their formulas cling to the ends of lashes making them appear longer and fuller. Several lines sell ’em today, with one of the more popular ones (and most fun to say!) being Imju Fiberwig ($24).

MAC Fibre Rich lives on counters as part of the MAC permanent line. Its black tube looks sleek and minimalist, concealing a compact brush head with a combination of long and short bristles designed to magnify and separate lashes.

MAC fibre rich lash review

So how does it work?
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MAC Pro Longlash Mascara for a Flirty Fringe in a Flash

May 20th, 2010 by Karen 24 Comments

mac pro longlash review
Look, ma… mad fringe!

In one way, MAC mascaras are like Speidi — they tend to get mixed reviews. Some people love ’em; others, not so much.

I’ve been in the love-’em camp for a while because I’ve had great luck with the last few I’ve tried, most notably Opulash, and more recently Pro Longlash ($13), which I’ve affectionately dubbed “The Flash.”

And like the comic hero, Pro Longlash works f a s t , delivering long, glossy lashes in a few quick swipes.

It’s been around for a while as part of the MAC permanent line and comes in two shades, Pitchblack and Barelash. Pitchblack, the shade I’ve been wearing, is carried on MAC counters and in the company’s regular and MAC Pro stores. Barelash, however, is exclusive to MAC Pro stores.
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MAC To The Beach: My Summery Saturday Face of the Day

May 15th, 2010 by Karen 25 Comments

mac to the beach

Hola, ladies. 🙂 Have you heard Katy Perry’s California Gurls? It put me in the mood for my makeup today, a summery look using products from MAC To The Beach. It’s a coral and green eye with a bright orangey bronze cheek and glossy orange lips, loosely based on the MAC promo picture from the collection.

mac to the beach
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Woodwinked Eyeshadow Fakes a Good Night’s Sleep

May 13th, 2010 by Karen 46 Comments

MAC Woodwinked Eyeshadow ($14.50) rocks harder than Metallica. 🙂 Like a beauty BFF, this shimmery shadow’s been with me through good times and bad. Brown in the pan, it applies like a lovely warm gold, and I find myself still reaching for it often because it’s one of those disbelief-suspending shades able to fake a good night’s sleep.

If I had to pick one shadow to have with me after an all-nighter, Woodwinked would be it. A few swipes of this permanent collection shadow on my lids, and I swear I look well rested.

The MAC Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite products from MAC’s permanent collection…

MAC Unsung Hero: Powersurge Eye Kohl

MAC Unsung Heroes: All That Glitters Eyeshadow Is Not Just Another Gold

MAC Unsung Heroes: The Technakohl Liners

MAC Unsung Hero: Groundwork Paint Pot

MAC Unsung Hero: Nymphette Lipglass

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MAC To The Beach: Breaking Waves and Hearts

May 12th, 2010 by Karen 51 Comments

FINALLY! After so many, many months of waiting, surfer girls, we’re going MAC To The Beach! — It’s a warm beach…and we’re walking along the shore, picking up sea shells, pretty pieces of coral, and starfishes like the ones that grace the limited edition packaging.

If I close my eyes and picture the delicious greens and corals in the collection, I feel relaxed and happy; if I listen hard enough and breath deeply, I can almost hear waves breaking and smell the salty air. 🙂

MAC To The Beach crashes onto North American counters May 27, but a handful of US and Canadian MAC stores will be hosting pre-release parties on May 18. To see if there’s a pre-release party in your area, give your local MAC store or counter a quick call.

Wrap it up!

Can I just take a second to marvel at the packaging? We’re talking ’70s, but in the best possible way.

mac to the beach review

The house I grew up in was built in the ’70s, and I remember some of these same colors (LOL!). Our kitchen walls were the exact same shade of pea green! Our countertops, the fridge, the dishes, and my mom’s treasured Pyrex mixing bowls were also in colors very much like the shades in To The Beach.

Well, they say everything old is new again, and I guess they’re right! 🙂 But coming across these shades in a West Elm or Pottery Barn would have been one thing; seeing them on a cosmetics counter is something else entirely. Way to go, MAC, for always pushing beauty forward, even when you’re looking back. Fusing the ’70s with an ocean theme? I mean, who does that?
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MAC Unsung Heroes: All That Glitters Eyeshadow Is Not Just Another Gold

April 30th, 2010 by Karen 55 Comments

There’s an old saying that goes, “all that glitters is not gold.” And it’s true, because sometimes All That Glitters is more like a shimmery golden beige. 🙂

I’m totally kicking myself for not getting to know MAC All That Glitters eyeshadow ($14.50) sooner. It’s been a member of the MAC permanent posse for years but just moseyed into my life last week.
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15-Minute Morning Makeup: Easy Peasy Neutrals with Urban Decay and MAC

April 27th, 2010 by Karen 75 Comments

Lately my morning makeup’s been like Switzerland (neutral). 🙂 I know it’s just a phase, but I haven’t been wanting to spend the time, ya know? Here’s a simple eye that only takes about 15 minutes to do. It features black liner and shimmery brown shadow with just a bit of blending and smudging.
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