Some random MAC stuff!

The cute little buttons came with my online order! Aren't they adorable?!!

So I picked up a few things from MAC (in-store and online)...

First things first, Blacktrack Fluidline. My old one was more than half way used, but it dried out like an old raisin so it was clearly time to replace it. The old jar now sits in my B2M collection of empties. I've been using fluidlines since I was 17 or so. I'm a loyal and devoted fan. This is by far, my most favorite eye liner of all time. Ol' reliable!

Angel (left), Snob

Snob (top), Angel (bottom)

I'm so in love with these two!!! Both, in my opinion, are perfect pinks. Snob is the kind of pink that does all the talking. I wear nothing more than a little Stila Kitten on my lids with some Falsies mascara, Summer Rose beauty powder on the cheeks (it matches this lipstick nicely), and that's it! I love it.

Angel has a frost finish but it doesn't look very frosty at all (I like that). It's a lovely shade of pink for Spring, extremely wearable, and versatile. I imagine this will be the color that I use up the quickest.

Finally, the Naked lipliner (LE) from Quite Cute. The collection as a whole did nothing for me. I know a lot of people were psyched about it, but I wasn't into it. I did, however, notice the Naked liner. I haven't gotten around to trying it yet but something tells me I'll like it.

New favorite eye liners!

Before I get started, I'm so sorry for not posting as often as I usually do. I'll work on that, I promise! It's frustrating to not have my good camera right now. Every time I make an attempt to pick it up from my grandma's, a snow storm hits. Yeah, seriously. For now, I'm stuck with my regular Nikon digital which is great for taking pictures of people, not so much for photographing your makeup. It just sucks because the main focus of my blog is swatching for you guys. Sorry in advance if the quality isn't up to par.

Anyway, I've been loving my eyeliners lately. Particularly, the ones I picked up from MAC's Cham-Pale collection: Feline and the NC15/NW20 Chromagraphic Pencil. I'll be up front and say that the real star of the show here is the chromagraphic pencil. I've been LUSTING for this since its release in the Pret-A-Papier collection. It sold out before I could get my hands on it. I know I could've ordered it from the MAC store, but I figured it'd be back around again.

Feline on top, NC15/NW20 pencil on bottom

Feline (14.50 USD, limited edition) is an ultra black kohl power liner. Seriously, they don't get much blacker than this. It's the perfect eyeliner to smudge or blend out with a smoky eye. Normally, I never wear liner on my waterline because I have small eyes, black liner just makes them look smaller. Still, I tried Feline on my waterline just to tell you guys what I thought of it. I didn't like it. It didn't wear long at all and it migrates quicker than the birds who fly south for the winter. After an hour or two, there was more liner under my eyes than there was on my waterline. I think it's safe to say that this is better for the upper lash line.

The NC15/NW20 Chromagraphic pencil (14.50 USD, limited edition) is top notch. I like to wear this one on my waterline because it makes my eyes look bigger, brighter, and refreshed. This works well when I'm doing the 'no make up'-make up look because it looks natural and pairs well with just a hint of mascara. I also love this when I'm doing a smoky eye with thick liner on the upper lash line. Apply a little mascara to your bottom lashes (just be careful not to hit your waterline) and you'll get that doll-eyed effect. Love it. The best part about this is that it wears for an exceptionally long time, like the chromagraphic pencils are suppose to do. Another thing I think this pencil would be good for is when you're doing red lips. Ever hear that trick about how you should take a concealer brush and some concealer then apply a little around the outside of your lip line to make your red lips pop? In theory, I imagine this would be perfect for that but I haven't tried it yet.

Feline (left), NC15/ NW20 pencil (right)

Both pencils are down right awesome but I'm especially pleased with the NC15/NW20 pencil. I noticed that MAC online is out of stock on both of these pencils. If you can get your hands on them at a store or counter, go for it! You won't be disappointed!

Urban Decay: Book of Shadows III

When I originally posted my giveaway for the UD BoS III, I only bought one for a giveaway on this blog, not for my personal use. Then I received a $5 coupon in the mail from Ulta and I decided to invest in one for myself! I don't own any of the previous BoS sets but since I truly LOVE New York (and I have a newfound affinity for UD shadows since having the Naked palette), I figured I should get one. And, I saved $5. Five bucks is five bucks, right?!

Retail price: $54 USD

MAC Superslick Liquid Eyeliner -- On the Hunt

So, being completely honest here, I wasn't excited about Fabulous Felines. Yes, I love cats, but the color story in this collection didn't intrigue me. I was actually happy about it so I could save up for Venomous Villains, which is debuting later this month. I was, however, interested in the new eyeliners. A few months ago, my MA told me that they were amazing. That's all I needed to know, really...

I ordered mine on Monday, received it on Wednesday. Luckily, because I live in New Jersey, MAC ships quickly. I just picked On the Hunt (true black) ($17.50 USD), to try it out and if I liked it, I would buy Defiantly Feline (chocolate brown with soft pearl) and Marked for Glamour (mid-tone grey with soft pearl).

What I like about it:

- You can easily make thin lines and thick lines
- Just one swipe can get the job done
- Highly pigmented, very opaque
- Stays in place, won't budge nor smear
- Easy to do a cat eye, or winged effect

What I didn't like about it:

- Takes extra time to dry... don't blink too hard! **This formula has a very wet, almost runny consistency**
- The formula got in my lashes, then my lashes got sticky and clumped together when I tried applying mascara
- Upon removal, it came off in big flakes that irritated and stung my eyes so bad
- I have to fight harder to get this off

This is going to take me some serious practice. If you're not very experienced with liquid liners, you may have a hard time with this one too. I found that it got in my lashes a little too easily and I struggled with getting both lines even. Pressing down ever so slightly will cause the line to get thick, fast. I really need to play with this some more. However, if it keeps getting in my lashes, then I won't have much use for it. This liner has a lot of hype surrounding it, so I feel like I must be missing something here.

Swatches:

Just applied, still wet

Completely dry, but has a "wet" look

Have you tried it? What are your thoughts?

Birthday Goodies

So, I turned 22 this past Saturday, the 7th, and I had a very nice birthday with my boyfriend and daughter. Dinner, Netflix, a day of total relaxation -- just what I wanted / needed! I even got a few goodies that I've had on my wishlist for a while. Sorry I didn't post this sooner, but my daughter hasn't been feeling well since yesterday but she's napping now. Anyway, there's just a couple of things, so I'll do my best to keep this short and sweet =)

MAC 239 Brush

I like getting the MAC pamphlets in the mail =)

I feel like there are certain brushes that you just need to have duplicates of. For me, this includes the 239, 266, 168, and I'm sure there's another one that I can't think of at the moment...

NARS Angelika Blush

I had the most difficult time trying to capture the true color of this blush. Angelika is a cool blue-pink cotton candy color that looks very intense in the pan. This was the best I could get it, but the true color is more intense looking than this. 

Again, the true color is more intense. This is a very pigmented blush, so you have to be careful not to apply too much. Sometimes, I like to buff it out with a kabuki brush so it looks more subtle. Also, keep in mind that it doesn't look glittery on the skin!

NARS Lip Gloss in Dolce Vita & Striptease

I got these lip glosses using the code "TEMPTALIA" on narscosmetics.com (expires 8/15). The offer was originally for three individual mini lip glosses, but now they're offering the duo. I knew I'd love Dolce Vita but I was pleasantly surprised that I ended up loving Striptease too. On its own, I could never pull off Striptease because these kinds of neutrals wash me out, big time. When I dab it on my lips over a lipstick, like MAC Lazy Day (LE), I just really love the muted effect it offers. Both colors are beautiful! Also, there's free shipping on any order over $25 using the code, "25FREESHIP".... which almost everything is $25+ so it shouldn't be hard to become eligible (lol).

On a side note, I know a lot of people don't like NARS lip glosses because of the "smell". I'd like to add that I think the smell is so faint, it's dismissable. Then again, when I like something enough, I never let those things offend me.

China Glaze: Ruby Pumps

This color is gorgeous. So unbelievably gorgeous. I haven't tried it out yet, but I'll take pictures when I do.

Last, but certainly not least......

The NAKED PALETTE!

I purchased this online from Ulta last Monday and just got it two days ago. In my opinion, this truly lives up to the hype. The colors are gorgeous. I love neutrals of almost any kind. This palette is fun, the colors are gorgeous, and the possibilities are endless. I'm going to dedicate a whole post to this palette when I get to try out more looks with it and I'll post them. I'll also include swatches in the post as well. I was going to do it today, but my boyfriend and a bunch of guys are framing out an addition to our house so I would've felt a little silly walking around with my camera and an arm full of eye shadow. I did swatch the liners though!

Whiskey on top, Zero on the bottom

Isn't it GORGEOUS?!