A few new MAC lip products

Happy November! Here's a few new lip products that I recently purchased from MAC:


MAC recently released their ridiculously huge holiday collection. As far as the color collection goes (Glitter and Ice), nothing sparked my interest other than a few dazzleglasses and a lipstick or two.

Double Spin (Cremesheen) and

Dressed to Dazzle Dazzleglass.

Double Spin

Dressed to Dazzle

Top: Double Spin, Dressed to Dazzle

 Double Spin is a very pale, milky pink. It's so pale that it makes it a little difficult to pull off, especially because it's quick to show every imperfection on your lips (so make sure you exfoliate). I like to dab it into my lips with my finger. It looks more wearable on me that way. Naturally, I had to buy Dressed to Dazzle to compliment the lipstick. It's the perfect layering gloss to go hand in hand with Double Spin. This is a lip combo that I've been frequenting lately. I get three to maybe four hours of a wear before needing to reapply.

Glitter and Ice

Because I loved Dressed to Dazzle so much, I wound up buying Glitter & Ice too. If you're looking for a shimmery, glittery, nude gloss to layer of your nude lipsticks, this is what you need. I just got it today and wore it over Honeylove. Gorgeous. I imagine this will layer very nicely over Myth as well.

And I bought one more...

C-Thru

For good measure, I also purchased C-Thru lipglass. This is a permanent shade. I haven't gotten the chance to mess around with it yet but it's a gorgeous nude with subtle micro shimmer -- another nice layering gloss.

Chanel Tweed Pink Blush

Or also known by its proper name, Tweed Pink Tissages de Chanel. Let me first say this, I'm a blush fiend.  I can't help myself. I love all kinds of blushes: pink, coral, peach, nude, matte, shimmery, frosty, whatever. I'll take it. Tweed Pink is one of the most beautiful blushes I have in my collection. Looking at it makes me happy.

This is also one of the most flattering pink blushes on my skin tone. It's pink without being too pink. Does that make sense? It's soft, blends well, and the color payoff is excellent. Though, for $45 USD a pop, that's what you ought to get.

So, based off the swatch it might look too shimmery for some people's tastes, but it doesn't give you disco ball cheeks or anything. I promise. Sometimes, a swatch can be deceiving. Tricky, tricky!

I tried to find some dupes in my collection and these were the closest (but not quite):

L-R: NARS Angelika, Chanel Tweed Pink, TheBalm Down Boy

NARS Angelika is a deeper, more intense blue based pink that imparts more glitter/shimmer. TheBalm Down Boy is completely matte and the formula is quite powdery. Like I said, they're a little similar but not quite...

It's that time of year again!

Happy Friday! I received my order from MAC yesterday. I only ordered one thing from the new Semi Precious collection. Last year, I was all over In the Groove (okay, mainly Stereo Rose but I was loving all of the MSF's and lipsticks... and blushes). This year, eh... I could pass on most of it. I picked up one MSF for now, Semi Precious Pearl. Out of all the product photos I had seen on Temptalia, this one looked the most appealing.

I was instantly attracted to the raspberry, gold, copper, and white veining. Like most MSF's, this one is very shimmery so I think it works best as a highlighter. Although, lighter skin tones can probably pull this off as a blush (if you use a light hand). I tried it that way today and loved it. But like I said, I think most will appreciate this more as a highlight. 

L-R: outside color, center, swirled together

The Junk Drawer: PP50

I haven't done one of these posts in a while. This one is dedicated to a primer. Specifically, MAC Prep + Prime SPF 50. To my surprise, it wasn't that cheap. $30 for 1 oz. However, I typically don't mind paying the money for a product that works for me.

The first thing that bothered me about this product was the packaging. It comes in a hard plastic squeeze tube. For those who use it regularly, you might have a problem squeezing out that last bit unless you cut the sucker open. This ended up not being a big deal to me, though, mainly because I won't be finishing it any time soon.

The product itself does its job. Overall, I think it's an ideal primer. My makeup lasted all day -- even in the 90-something degree humid weather. I also liked that it had a lot of SPF in it. If your skin can tolerate it, you'd probably like it. The formula is like a lotion (because of the SPF, the regular P+P has more slip) and it has a slight, bearable lotion scent. 

Unfortunately, this primer broke me out like nobody's business. I'm pretty sure I have never experienced a breakout like this with a makeup product before. I had small pimples all over my cheeks. No bueno, folks. Just to be sure, I discontinued use of the primer and sure enough, my skin cleared right up. To be EXTRA sure, I tried using it once more. And sure enough (again), I broke out like crazy.

So now it lies in my junk drawer. That is, until I dump give it to my bestie. Like I said before, I think it could be a great primer if your skin tolerates it well. I haven't had any breakout issues with their regular Prep + Prime formula (which I think is great, by the way). 

Tarte for True Blood Palette Swatches

Jeeeeeeeez, there's so much going on with this palette that I'm going to have to break it up into a three part ordeal. The next post will be for the primer, liner, mascara, eye shadow dupes, and roundup. This is going to be very picture heavy...

By the way, if you haven't seen my first post with sneak peek pictures of the shadows and packaging, click here to check it out.

Row 1, 2

The Light, Fairy

Dusk, Dawn

Werewolf, Waitress

Nocturnal

Row 3, 4, 5

Charmer, Glamour Me, Stake

Bayou, Telepath, The True Death

Immortal, Moss, Legend, "V"

Ever hear the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover"? To be honest, I was put off by some of these shadows when I swatched them on my arm. The mattes, were by far, the easiest to swatch (and had the nicest formula). Others, not so much (a few kicked up a lot of dust -- mainly, some the shimmery shades). However, when used with a primer, I noticed a HUGE difference. For the sake of example, I swatched two of the shadows using the primer that came with the palette:

"V", Immortal, without primer

"V", Immortal, with primer

Yowza! Huge difference, indeed! As you can see, a primer is absolutely necessary or else you'll be very disappointed. Overall, I'm impressed. The only one I consider to be a dud is "Nocturnal". Out of all the shadows, it's the least pigmented.

A few favorite glosses

So far during this spring/summer, I've really been into lip glosses. I'm usually more of a lipstick person but I like the change. Here's a few I've been wearing a lot lately:

NARS Wonder (LE)

I love this gloss because it's a nice way to wear orange without screaming orange. Does that make sense? Point is, this color is just right. It makes your lips look lush and juicy.

MAC Viva Glam Cyndi

Cyndi is one of my summer colors and one of the few "reds" I like to wear. 

VG Cyndi lipstick on top, lipglass on bottom

Saving the best for last, my absolute favorite lipgloss is actually a drugstore gem, Revlon Colorburst lipgloss in  Rose Gold.

I really like to pair this with a nude lipstick (something like MAC Honeylove), but it wears well on its own too. It's a perfect everyday color, especially for the summer.

Surf, Baby!

I bought a few things from MAC's latest collection, "Surf, Baby!" that I wanted to share with you guys.  Here goes:



My Paradise Cheek Powder


I've been wearing this everyday. I love, I love, I love. I would describe this as a warm matte peach with a shimmery gold overspray.

L-R: Peach color alone, Gold overspray,  Mixed

Hibiscus Lipstick

This is such a fun summer color. It's a bright coral that pulls more red than orange, in my opinion. It lasted several hour without touchups. It has a Cremesheen finish.

Strange Potion Lipglass

Strange Potion was originally in Venomous Villains ('10). I regretted not getting it then, but I'm glad I got it this time around. It's a soft, corally (<--- not a real word) - pink, making it easy for most to pull off.

Good Lovin Lipglass

My favorite! It's a shimmery nude that has some pinkyness to it. I dabbed a little VG Gaga II (the nude one) over my lips, then applied this gloss. Perfection. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush and Lip Care Stuff

On Mothers Day, I was able to goto Sephora but I was on a time limit. Luckily, I knew exactly what I wanted. A few posts back, I added Tarte's new Amazonian clay blush in Dollface to my wish list. Well, I got it! All of the colors are beautiful. I figured at $25 USD a pop, I would just buy one and if I liked it enough, I'd probably try out another one next time.

Contains 5.6 grams / 0.20 oz. of product for $25 USD

Dollface is the perfect light baby pink. It has a matte finish and for me, it lasts through the day. I can see this working on a variety of skin tones. It's nicely pigmented (though, I read that some of the other colors are even more pigmented) and blends easily into the skin. And, for those who love natural beauty brands, Tarte is right up your alley. Being completely truthful, organic / natural beauty brands don't affect my decision making. Meaning, I'm not overly concerned about product ingredients (or I'm not as concerned as I ought to be?). Anyway, would I buy this again? Yes, despite it being rather expensive, in my opinion. It's an over all great product with a small but eye-catching range of colors. There's something in this line for everyone. I'd like to try Blissful, Amused, and Flush next. What do you think? Have you tried it?

So, the lip care thing...

I'm going to start a new segment on lip care because I have chronic dry lips. Ten bucks says I'm not the only one. Flaky, icky, cracked, bleeding lips all year round. Kinda makes applying lipstick a bummer, huh? Although, that's pretty much my fault because I don't give them much TLC but I've decided to turn over a new leaf. I'm going to test various products ranging from drugstores to MAC to Sephora and whatever else I can get my hands on. I'm going to test each product on its own for a span of 3-4 weeks, then I'll report my findings to you. Sound good? I'm on a mission! Right now, I'm testing Smith's Rosebud Salve. I'll let you know the verdict in about two weeks. 

I got it! I got it!

I had such a fantastic weekend and an amazing Mothers Day. I can't wait until next year when I can celebrate with my two babies. Wow... two babies! I need to get used to saying that, haha. Anyway, I happened to be at Nordstrom on Sunday so I could find a dress for a wedding. I stopped by the MAC counter and whaddya know! They happened to have just ONE more tube of Ever Hip lipstick in stock. If you read my last post, I was grumbling because it sold out online and at my local counter. It was meant to be, I guess! So, here it is:

MAC Ever Hip (LE) (Cremesheen)

I'm so bad at descriptions but here goes...

Ever Hip is coral, but it has some definite pinkyness to it (which is why I found it to be easily wearable despite me being cool-toned). The finish is very creamy (hence, cremesheen) and opaque after some layering. Also, I found that it lasted several hours on my lips. Score!

I can't won't wear orange lipstick of any kind regardless of how 'trendy' it is (because I know I could never get away with it) BUT I am loving coral for summer. This lipstick goes hand in hand with Alpha Girl beauty powder, by the way.

Ever Hip lip swatch, I'm also wearing Alpha Girl beauty powder

Some dupes for ya...

Looking through my lipstick collection, I'm noticing that I keep buying the same colors. Well, same colors with different names and finishes. I've become so redundant! Whatever, I love a nice blue-based pink.

So, recently I bought Snob from MAC. Just my kind of color... and finish. Lately, I've really been into Satin finishes. I did realize, however, that it kind of resembles Revlon's Pink Pout. MAC lipsticks are $14.50, Revlon is about $7-8 (don't quote me on that, because some places have different prices).

When comparing the two, I would say that Snob has more of a blue base to it and has an ever so slight sheen.

Then I whipped out I Like It Like That (In the Groove '10). Oh dear, I love this color. It has an amplified finish. So, it's not matte, definitely more glossy than the other two. Also, it's darker (and bluer) than Snob. Still, if you couldn't get your hands on this baby, Snob is a good alternative.

L-R: Revlon Pink Pout, MAC Snob, MAC I Like It Like That

And, for good measure, I figured I'd throw in an swatch photo from an old post featuring Viva Glam Gaga. That was all I wore last summer (made sure to buy a back up!). Gaga is discontinued, but will always be a favorite of mine. It has a glossy, lustre finish. It's not an exact dupe for any of these colors per se, but it does belong in the same color family. It's a lighter, brighter, blue-based pink.

Viva Glam Gaga

Snob and Pink Pout are the only two permanent colors. Gaga and I Like It Like That are limited edition, sadly.

Let's discuss Fashionflower... and other stuff

I completely cheated myself out of Ever Hip lipstick. I'm kicking myself hard. Actually, I had every opportunity to get it when I was shopping online but I forgot. And then it sold out.... my counter sold out too. Boo!

I've really just been picking and choosing things here and there from MAC collections. I haven't seen anything particularly eye-catching lately (except for Ever Hip... don't remind me). I did, however, pick up Alpha Girl beauty powder (from Heatherette '08). I love beauty powders... and blush... and anything cheek related.

The packaging is your basic black MAC compact but the product itself imprinted with a very pretty floral pattern. I would describe it as being a subtle coral that leans more pink. I love these kinds of shades for Spring / Summer. Alpha Girl isn't heavily pigmented. I get some decent color payoff on my skin but I'm an NW20. If your skin tone is very deep or dark, you may have a bit of a hard time with this one. Overall, I'm very pleased with it. Edit: I forgot to mention that it's not frosty or shimmery. I add a little By Candlelight MSF to my cheekbones because I like to get my glow on!