MAC Haul

So, I bought a few little goodies from MAC...

Going Bananas (LE) (Frost)

I just got this in the mail today, actually! It's a light, bright yellow -- very frosty and pretty! It's a little more on the sheer side, not very opaque, but has a nice color payoff.

I Like It Like That (Cremesheen)

This also came in the mail today. I meant to get it when the collection was released, but I was more occupied with getting my hands on the MSF's. 

Viva Glam Gaga VS I Like It Like That (Gaga is the top swatch)

I Like It Like That and Viva Glam Gaga definitely belong in the same color family, but they are different. Gaga is a light, bright blue-pink and I Like It Like That is a darker blue-pink. I wore this out for a little bit today and I can say that this is very opaque and it's definitely vibrant and fun. 

All That Glitters (Veluxe Pearl) & Expensive Pink (Veluxe Pearl)

My MA recommended Expensive Pink to me and I love it. I think it compliments All That Glitters very well. I used these two in a smoky eye look by putting All That Glitters on my lid, Satin Taupe on the outer crease and I mixed Expensive Pink with the Satin Taupe. To finish it off, I lined the outer third of my lower lash line with Mystery (using a (219) pencil brush) and I blended it into my upper lash line as well. 

All That Glitters

Expensive Pink

All That Glitters (left), Expensive Pink (right)

Lustering (Lustre)

One swipe on left, three swipes on right

Isn't a gorgeous pink? It's very pigmented, very pretty. A pink like this is meant to be the main attraction to a look so I keep my eyes and cheeks simple while Lustering does all the talking. 

Review: NARS Laguna Bronzer

I think I've mentioned the Too Faced Bronzed & Beautiful Palette before -- which is good (also, a great bargain), but not nearly as amazing as Laguna. For $32 USD, you get a lot of product. I mainly use bronzer to contour and I have to be picky about what kind I use because as a super fair lady, things can go horribly wrong if the color is too dark or too orange. I recommend this for fair-medium skin tones. For medium / darker-skinned beauties, I think Casino may be a better bet for you. With the Too Faced palette, I have to swirl my brush (I use the MAC 109 to contour) around quite bit to pick up color and I notice with this, just one swipe picks up a lot of color. Therefore, you really don't need much to get the job done and it's quite a large pan. I can imagine this lasting for a good while. The texture of the powder itself is very silky smooth. I say, this was definitely worth the splurge.

Little Miracles: Origins Spot Remover

This isn't a review as much as it's just a tip. My skin breaks out terribly, promptly before and during Aunt Flo's grand entrance. I get bombarded with a nasty zit or two. They're unpoppable (<---- not a real word) and painful. At times, they're even hard to conceal. I've found that, by nature, I just look hellish when I'm on my period.

I've tried different spot treatments in the past, many of them. I've never found one that I keep going back to. Burt's Bees isn't so bad, but it's unsanitary. It's a roller ball and I think that it doesn't make much sense to create an acne product with an applicator that comes in direct contact with the zit(s). Mind you, a product that gets used again and again.

Origins: Spot Remover (3 fl. oz.), $12.00 USD

Anyway, I've bought this once before and loved it. I passed by an Origins shop and decided to use it again -- with much success! You only need a small amount. I apply it to the affected area after I wash my face, before bedtime.

MAC In The Groove: Hang Loose

MAC is always terrorizing me with free shipping, so I caved. Don't they know I'm an addict?! Well, I suppose that's why they offered the free shipping. I only got one thing, since I've been on a crazy spending spree the last few months and my little peanut is celebrating her first birthday on Tuesday! She's crazy into Dora the Explorer, so we'll be making a pit stop to Toys 'R' Us later. Anyway...

I bought one of the mineralized blush duos, which I originally had no intention of getting. I've been wanting 'I Like It Like That' (Cremesheen), but I opted for this instead. I picked 'Hang Loose', which (to me) is an intimidating combination of pink and shimmery purple. The pink is very similar to a blush from MAC's permanent line, Well Dressed. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about having purple on my face, so I looked at swatches online and realized that I *NEEDED* to have this. 

The swatch on the farthest left is the purple, the middle is just the pink, and on the farthest right, they're both swirled together. I suggest using a light hand with this. Don't underestimate it because it's so light and dainty looking; it's very pigmented and easy to go overboard with! I'll update this later with a picture of me wearing it.

MAC In The Groove: Mineralize Skinfinishes

MAC's In The Groove collection was released earlier this week and I couldn't tell you how thrilled I am. I've been anticipating this collection since April because of the Mineralize Skinfinishes (is it really any wonder?). I meant to get two lipsticks from the collection, I Like It Like That and All Styled Up, but I didn't *sigh*. Anyway, I got three of the four MSF's, all except Comfort -- which is far too orange for my pasty NW20 skin tone. I wanted to share up close photos, taken in natural light, and swatches. So, here goes:

By Candlelight:

MAC describes this MSF as being "golden pink". I don't think it's as pink in the pan as it in the swatch (which I was unable to capture). It's a very light pinky sheen.

Petticoat:

Petticoat is the reason I lusting for this collection so badly. Even when I knew it was coming back, I almost paid $40 USD at a CCO just so I could have it then and there but the angel on my shoulder told me to wait =)

Stereo Rose:

Ah yes, the holy grail of MSF's. Stereo Rose is highly coveted by many MAC addicts as it has not been released in a collection since 2005. Five years is a long wait! Also, it's the only true coral Skinfinish. Hence, all of the hype. These are already sold out at my MAC counter, as well as MAC online, but they me be restocking them online soon so check back to maccosmetics.com if you want it but haven't been able to get it!

All Three Swatches:

June Favorites

Ha! My first list of favorites.... it's rather exciting!

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

This is my favorite eyeliner of all time. In fact, this is the first thing I ever bought from MAC (including a 266 brush!). I had to be maybe... 17? These are NOT recommended for the waterline, but Ive never been known to do as I'm told. They stay on the waterline forever. With that said, I don't apply eyeliner on the waterline anymore because I have little baby eyes and doing so makes them look smaller! Still, I use it everyday on my upper lash line (with the 266 brush) and it stays in place until I wash it off. This liner also gives a similar (if not the same) look as a liquid liner, except that it is much easier to apply. Just my opinion, though! Also, there are six colors in the permanent line. I have five out of six, and I love them all dearly. They apply smooth and it's very easy to make a straight line. They sell for $15 USD each, and they last a very long time.

Viva Glam Gaga & Cyndi

I paired these both together because I love them both, equally. I didn't really give either of these much of a chance when they first came out. I like to collect... so I collected them! Both of these lipsticks have a Lustre finish and very decent color payoff. I like that I have control over the depth of color. Gaga is a very stunning blue-baby pink that can be hard to wear. Frankly, it's not my best match, but I love it anyway. This color is fun and flirty, and in my opinion, it pairs very well with a black/grey smoky eye. Cyndi emulates versatility. Never, ever have I dared to wear red until I came across Cyndi. I'm sure you could dress this color up, but I love it as an everyday color too. I love both of these Viva Glams because I feel oh so confident whenever I wear either of them. They're not intensely bold or over the top, but they're certainly fun to wear and worth giving a try! Remember, all proceeds go directly to the MAC AIDS Fund. Being beautiful on the inside bares more importance than being beautiful on the outside.

Swatches:

Left two swatches are of Gaga, farthest to the left one swipe, second from the left is Gaga with several swipes. Second from the right, is Cyndi with one swipe and farthest to the right is Cyndi with several swipes.

MAC Paint Pot: Bare Study

I love using paint pots for bases. Normally, I use Painterly, but I'm loving Bare Study for the Summer. I try to keep my makeup as light as possible on those super hot, humid days. I especially avoid doing heavy makeup on my eyes. Sometimes, I don't even bother with liner. Bare Study is great because it keeps my foundation from creasing on my lids, but also adds some nice shimmery color so I don't even need shadow at all. This has quickly become one of my favorite paint pots.

Loreal Telescopic Mascara

By nature, I have short, thin lashes and they're not very dark either. So, when I find a mascara that I think is worth talking about, that's probably because it really is. I've tried mascaras from all brands, ranging from drug store to high end and this beats them all. The beauty is in the wand. It allows you to really pull at the lashes, making them ultra lengthy! Though, I must say that it doesn't provide much in the thickening department. Still, I prefer this mascara over any other and the best part is that it's only $7-8 USD.

Too Faced: The Bronzed & the Beautiful Palette

I bought this palette in March  for $35 and that's a steal. You can still purchase it, by the way! I don't often favor palettes, the ones where they throw in lipstick and eye shadows and blah, blah, blah. I get the impression (most of the time, not ALL of the time!) that it's the company's way of pawning their least successful products onto the public. And, for that matter, I don't think that you can make a compilation of cosmetics where everything works for everybody when everyone's different! That said, I really love this palette... minus the brush. I use Sun Bunny everyday to contour and for a while, that's the only one I was using. Now, I also use Pink Leopard for blush and Snow Bunny as my highlight. Everything in this trio compliments each other and I really like that. As I said, I bought this in March and I haven't even hit pan on the Sun Bunny yet, which I really do use everyday.

MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush: Peachykeen

I have a decent collection of blushes and this tramples over all of them. It is, hands down, the one that I reach for most. I tend to favor blushes with shimmer. They do a nice job of brightening up my skin, as it is dry. Peachykeen is so beautiful and to me, it looks like a blush that would best compliment warm tones, but I love the way it looks on me. DARE TO WEAR!! (haha)