Archive for the ‘Swatches’ Category

Swatch of the Day: MAC Old Gold Pigment

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

One of my favorites!! Not sure why it took me so long to swatch this, as it’s a completely fun pigment!

MAC Old Gold Pigment
Description: Frosted tarnished gold (Frost, Permanent)
oldgold2

oldgold3

This is a duochrome pigment, and looks either gold or green depending on the angle and light. The base you apply it over can dramatically change the tone, so I decided to swatch over several different paint pots.

My skintone is a MAC NW20 and all photos were taken under “natural light” light bulbs, which mimic natural daylight.

First up is Old Gold applied over Painterly paint pot.
oldgold

Now Old Gold applied over Artifact, Blackground, Greenstroke, and Delft paint pots.
oldgold4

Blackground and Delft really brought out the green in the pigment, while Artifact enhanced the gold. Always neat to see how paint pots can change a color!

As a side note, the photo of Old Gold on macpro.com looks horrid. It looks like a muted bland pink peach. I have a calibrated monitor for photo editing, so my colors aren’t off… Another reason why I do not go off of the swatch photos on the MAC sites when looking at colors.

Swatch of the Day: Kitschmas vs. Milk

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

I’ve been wanting to compared these two since I got Kitschmas a few months ago :)

MAC Kitschmas Pigment
Description: Light airy shimmering pink/mauve pearl (Frost, permanent)

MAC Milk Pigment
Description: Frosty pale silvery pink (LE: Hello Kitty)

milkkitschmas
Kitschmas is in the vial on the left, Milk in the full jar on the right.

When comparing them next to each other in natural light, Kitschmas appears to have a more pink tone, while Milk has a more lavender tone. Both have the same frosty & chunky texture.

Swatching Procedure: Both pigments were applied over MAC Painterly paint pot. My skintone is a MAC NW20. Photos were taken under “natural light” lightbulbs, which mimic natural daylight.

milkkitschmas2

Conclusion? I tried hard, I really did! But I couldn’t find a super noticeable difference between the two once applied on my skin. Both look the same frost/glittery pinky-lavender shade to my eye.

So I would safely say that if you have one of these, you do not need both. Milk was a limited edition pigment released in the Hello Kitty collection February 2009. Kitschmas is part of MAC’s permanent collection, and has been part of many collections (my vial is from this past winter’s Mischief Makers “Cool Capers” pigment set). It will be part of the upcoming (and highly controversial) Rodarte collection, launching early this fall.

Yay for UPS Man!

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

My MAC Pro goodies came today :D

To my horror the box was half opened and crushed in… wtf? Luckily everything was in there and nothing was broken (mostly due to what I ordered, no pressed powder products). Still made me sad to see the sorry shape the box was in :(

I immediately jumped to try to the skin corrector and concealer.

pureorange
MAC Studio Finish Skin Corrector in Pure Orange is helpful for concealing blue under eye areas (along with blue/black tattoos, or so I’ve read). This is a problem that plagues me, and my concealer just wasn’t cutting it so I decided to give this a whirl. I stuck the pan in a depotted 4-pan eyeshadow palette. The product is very creamy, and just the tiniest dab is all I needed. When I first applied of course it was neon orange, but it blended in easily with a MAC 194 concealer brush. The blue tinge was reduced considerably.

studiosculpt
I have always used the discontinued MAC Studio Touch-Up Stick Concealer, but as of late I have found it difficult to work with… dry and scratchy. (Which totally could be due to the age of the product, I’ve had it for over 3 years.) So I threw the MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20 in my order as well. I applied it over the Skin Corrector. This product is deliciously creamy and easy to apply and blend in. It combined with the skin corrector definitely brightened up and improved my under eye area!! Now only time will tell how long the product holds up, and if I’ll look like a mess in a few hours or not. :)

Only thing I don’t like about it is that it looks like the Painterly Paint Pot. I think I’ll have to write a big “C” on it so I know it’s my concealer :)

loosefoundation
At last, more foundation! Oh how I’ve missed it, especially since it’s my sunscreen since my skin gets rather finicky about moisturizers/skinscreens. As you can see, I don’t use the foam applicator it comes with. I yank that sucker out, and I shoved the temporary sponge up in the lid. I’ll see if this helps when I accidentally tip over the container. I love this foundation, but I really wish MAC offered a better container for it :(

I am very pleased I got 1.5 years of use out of my first foundation. Of course I wasn’t using it daily, but even with daily use, that’s still like a year or so! Definitely not bad :)

macprojune
And the rest of my goodies, which are backups for existing products that are soon to run out, or will in a few months. Since I don’t live anywhere near a MAC store (100 miles to the nearest), just counters which won’t accept my Pro Card, I decided I’d just order up some replacement stuff. I figure if I don’t open it it’ll stay fresh just fine :)

I should do a comparison picture of a brand new Clear Brow Set, and my existing tube! My existing tube is light brown from all the shadow the wand has picked up. Quite amusing, at least to me.

And those are my new goodies :) Time to update the collection list!

Swatch of the Day: MAC Give Me Liberty of London Eyeshadows

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

I only purchased two from this collection:  Bough Grey and Birds & Berries.

MAC Birds & Berries Eyeshadow
Description: Frosted dark green blue (Veluxe Pearl, LE: Give Me Liberty of London)
birdsandberries

MAC Bough Grey Eyeshadow
Description: Mid-tone blueish grey (Satin, LE: Give Me Liberty of London)
boughgrey

Swatching Procedure: My skintone is a MAC NW20. Product is applied over Painterly paint pot, so results may be different if applied on bare skin. All photos taken under “natural light” bulbs, which mimic natural daylight.

libertyoflondon

Swatch of the Day: MAC Paint Pots

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Swatched my MAC Paint Pots today!

What is a Paint Pot?

A highly pigmented eye colour that goes on creamy but dries to an intense, vibrant finish. Long-wearing, colourfast. Creates seamless coverage without weight or caking. Blends smoothly over the lids. Cream-based, can be mixed with M·A·C shadows and liners.

MAC Painterly Paint Pot
Description: Nude beige (Cream)
painterly

MAC Fresco Rose Paint Pot
Description: Mid-tone pink with matching pearlized pigments (Frost, Discontinued)

MAC Blackground Paint Pot
Description: Black-grey with multi-colour (Pearl)
blackground

MAC Greenstroke Paint Pot
Description: Frosted mint green with gold pearlized pigments (Frost, Discontinued)
greenstroke

MAC Delft Paint Pot
Description: Deep teal with gold pearlized pigments (Frost, Discontinued)
delft

Swatching Procedure: My skin tone is roughly MAC NW20. Photos taken under “natural light bulbs” which mimic natural daylight.

paintpots

Swatch of the Day: MAC Haux Eyeshadow

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Today’s swatch is MAC Haux Eyeshadow!

MAC Haux Eyeshadow
Description: Soft muted rosy brown (Satin)
haux

Swatching Procedure: Product applied over Painterly paint pot on MAC NW20 skintone. Pictures taken under natural light.

haux2

Swatch of the Day: MAC Pop Colour Eyeshadows

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

I only have two from this new release: MAC Red Brick and MAC Atlantic Blue. (Had them for several years) Both use to be pro only colors, but now are available to “normal” MAC stores as part of the permanent line! Woohoo!

MAC Red Brick Eyeshadow
Description: Orange Red (Matte)
redbrick

MAC Atlantic Blue Eyeshadow
Description: Bright violet blue (Matte)
atlanticblue


Swatching procedure:
My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20). Photos are taken in under natural daylight from a window. Product is applied over MAC Painterly paint pot.

popcolour

Swatch of the Day: Sephora Colorful Mono Chrome N°04 Eyeshadow

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Whew, what a long name for an eyeshadow! :D

I have this up for swap on MUA and someone requested photos so I decided it was a good time to grab a swatch of it as well, and just post it all up on here.

I don’t think this eyeshadow is still sold, I bought it quite awhile ago and hardly ever used it.

Sephora Colorful Mono Chrome N°04 Eyeshadow
Description: I would describe it as a teal that reflects some green and gold. Unfortunately I cannot find the official color description :( Sephora’s description of Colorful Mono eyeshadows: “Sephora Mono Eyeshadow has the perfect, high-payoff combination of brilliant color, an easy-blending formula, and endless versatility that will revolutionize your eye-makeup outlook and deliver show-stopping effects. This expert formula comes in three fabulous finishes: matte, glittering, and metallic shimmer. Apply your color dry for a natural vibe or dampen your brush and apply wet for an all-out sophisticated stare. Let inspiration be your guide and watch your makeup go from everyday to extraordinary.”
sephorachrome

Swatching Procedure: Product and swatch pictures taken under “natural light bulbs” which mimic natural dayling. Skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20, and product was applied over MAC Painterly paint pot.

sephorachrome4

Swatch of the Day: MAC Embark Eyeshadow

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

I have yet to buy anything from MAC’s Warm & Cozy collection (my initial excitement over the products wore off as I started to see swatches), but I did already have Embark eyeshadow, which is a permanent product but part of the collection. So I figured I might as well go ahead and swatch it since it’s in a current collection :D

MAC Embark Eyeshadow
Description: Intense reddish brown (Matte, Permanent)
embark

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20 (maybe NW15 since any tan is fading). Photos are taken in under natural daylight from a window. Product is applied over MAC Painterly paint pot.

embarkswatch

It applied a bit “chunky” to my skin, I don’t know why. Felt like I really had to dig the brush in to get any on the brush. Kind of chalky… I don’t think I’ve used this eyeshadow too much, maybe once or twice to darken up a look.

I’m torn on whether I should get Modelette eyeshadow from Warm & Cozy… I already have so many browns and neutrals that I am not sure I really need another. So I think I’m saving my money for something else…

Swatch of the Day: MAC Hypnotizing Eyeshadow

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Gotta swatch my only purchase from the Love Lace collection! :D

MAC Hypnotizing Eyeshadow
Description:Frosted greyed mauve (Frost, LE: Love Lace)
hypnotizing

Swatching procedure:
My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20 (maybe NW15 since any tan is fading). Photos are taken in under natural daylight from a window. Product applied over MAC Painterly paint pot.

hypnotizingswatch

Swatch of the Day: MAC Yellow & Gold Eyeshadows

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Time to swatch my yellow and gold MAC eyeshadows!

MAC Chrome Yellow Eyeshadow
Description: Vivid bright yellow (Matte)
chromeyellow

MAC Bright Sunshine Eyeshadow
Description: Bright clean primary iridescent yellow (Frost, PRO)
brightsunshine

MAC Rated “R” Eyeshadow
Description: Bright, yellow green (Starflash, LE: Love That Look)
ratedr

MAC Goldmine Eyeshadow
Description: Intense gold with shimmer (Frost)
goldmine

MAC Gorgeous Gold Eyeshadow
Description: Low-light yellow gold (Veluxe Pearl)
gorgeousgold

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20 (maybe NW15 since any tan is fading). Photos are taken in my bathroom under “Natural Light” bubs which mimic natural daylight. Products applied over MAC Painterly paint pot.

yellowgoldall

Swatch of the Day: MAC Eye Liners

Saturday, December 12th, 2009

eyelinersall2
Time to swatch all of my MAC eye liners that are in pencil form! (Fluidlines to come later)

I don’t have a lot from MAC because Urban Decay has a hold on my eye liner soul with their 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. But I have picked up some MAC ones here and there. I love MAC’s Pearlglide formula, and the Softsparkles are nice as well.

MAC Auto-de-blu Technakohl Liner
Description: Amethyst
autodeblu

MAC Full of Fuchsia Technakohl Liner
Description: Fuchsia-purple with icy fuchsia sheen (LE: Makeup Art Cosmetics)
fulloffuchsia

MAC Grey Utility Powerpoint Eye Pencil
Description: Uniform grey
greyutility

MAC Minted Eye Kohl
Description: Vibrant mint green with pearl
minted

MAC Rave Pearlglide Eye Liner
Description: Deep purple with purple glitter (LE: Love That Look)
rave

MAC Black Russian Pearlglide Eye Liner
Description: Black with navy blue glitter (LE: Love That Look)
blackrussian

MAC Iris Accents Softsparkle Eye Pencil
Description: Pale violet with silver pearl (LE:
Balloonacy)
irisaccents

MAC Peacocked Softsparkle Eye Pencil
Description: Rich turquoise green with silver pearl (LE: Little Darlings)
peacocked

MAC Chocolight Softsparkle Eye Pencil
Description: Teddy-brown with matching pearl (LE: Little Darlings)
chocolight

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20 (maybe NW15 since any tan is fading). Photos are taken in my bathroom under “Natural Light” bubs which mimic natural daylight.

eyelinersall

Swatch of the Day: MAC Cream Colour Bases

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

ccbs
Today’s swatches are my three MAC Cream Colour Bases: Plumed Violet, Pearl, and Premeditated. Cream Colour Base is often abbreviated CCB.

What are Cream Colour Bases? MAC’s description is:
Versatile and multi-purpose, Cream Colour Base can be applied directly to bare skin, or layered over foundation, moisturizer, or powder. Smooth and easy to apply with a brush, sponge, or fingers-colour effects range from a light veil to highly dramatic, depending on method of application. Cream Colour Base is fragrance-free. (The following shades are not recommended for use in lip area: Black, Dusk and Fawntastic. The following shades are not recommended for use in the eye area: Fabulush, Improper Copper, Premeditated and Virgin Isle.)

MAC Pearl Cream Colour Base
Description: Soft pale gold with icy shimmer (Frost)
pearlccb

MAC Plumed Violet Cream Colour Base
Description: Pro, Discontinued?
plumedvioletccb

MAC Premeditated Cream Colour Base
Description: A deep, bright vivid blue red (Discontinued?)
premeditatedccb

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20 (maybe NW15 since any tan is fading). Photos are taken in my bathroom under “Natural Light” bubs which mimic natural daylight.

ccb`

I did these swatches today because tomorrow I am mailing out Pearl to a new owner. I could never get Pearl to work… it would make my eyelids really greasy and everything would crease… even if I put it over a paint pot. I didn’t have a use for it, so I posted it up for swap. I am getting Cakeshop shadestick in return. I haven’t ever used a shadestick, but figured it could be something neat to try. At the very worse it ends up sitting around like my Pearl CCB has been doing, :D

I have done a few pretty purple looks with Plumed Violet applied as a base. I have never used Premeditated, only swatched it 2 or 3 times. I have Flammable paint, so I don’t really need a red eye base (yeah yeah, they say not to use it on eyes… I’m a risk taker!). So Premeditated also sits around. Maybe some day I’ll find a use…

Swatch of the Day: My MAC Pink Eyeshadows

Monday, November 30th, 2009

pinkpalette
This time around I’m swatching the eyeshadows in my “Pink” MAC palette! These are the ones that I’ve decided are “full” pinks. I have a “Pink-ish Purples” palette that I put other ones in that, to me, are not a full pink or a full purple color. Does that make sense? Probably not, but most people have unique ways of organizing their palettes to their personal tastes.

MAC Passionate Eyeshadow
Description: Real mid-tone red (Matte)
passionate

MAC Sushi Flower Eyeshadow
Description: Pinky-coral with pink shimmer (Satin)
sushiflower

MAC Budding Beauty Eyeshadow
Description: Bright fuchsia (Frost, LE: Dejarose)
buddingbeauty

MAC Sunset B Eyeshadow
Description: Frost clean mid-tone pink (Starflash, LE: Starflash)
sunsetb

MAC Swish Eyeshadow
Description: Bright pink with icy shimmer (Frost)
swish

MAC Pink Freeze Eyeshadow
Description: Bright pink with icy pearl (Frost)
pinkfreeze

MAC Sweet Lust Eyeshadow
Description: Pinky-rose (Lustre)
sweetlust

MAC Slip Pink Eyeshadow
Description: Sunny coral pink with pearlized pigments (Velvet, LE: Technacolour, Lingerie)
slippink

MAC Yogurt Eyeshadow
Description: Soft pale pink (Matte)
yogurt

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20 (maybe NW15 since any tan is fading). Swatches are done over MAC Painterly paint pot to provide a base, therefore results may appear different on bare skin.

Photos are taken in my bathroom of the shadows themselves under “Natural Light” bubs which mimic natural daylight. Swatch pictures were taken by a window with natural sunlight.

pinks1

pinks2

pinks3

Swatch of the Day: MAC “Bright Green” Eyeshadows

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Today’s swatches are…

What I categorize as my MAC “bright green” eyeshadows!

MAC Swimming Eyeshadow
Description: A scintillating sea green (Lustre)
swimming

MAC Bio-Green Eyeshadow
Description: Bright yellow green with gold pearl (Frost, Pro)
biogreen

MAC Lime Eyeshadow
Description: Lime green (Matte, Pro)
lime

MAC Bitter Eyeshadow
Description:Vivid bright golden green flecked with shimmer (Velvet)
bitter

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20. Swatches are done over MAC Painterly paint pot to provide a base, therefore results may appear different on bare skin.

Photos are taken in my bathroom of the shadows themselves under “Natural Light” bubs which mimic natural daylight. Swatch pictures were taken by a window with natural sunlight.

brightgreens

Swatch of the Day: MAC Fresco Rose Paint Pot

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

The swatch of the day is…

MAC Fresco Rose Paint Pot
Description: Pink with matching pearl (Frost)

frescorose1

frescorose2

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20. Swatch done over bare skin.

Photos are taken in my bathroom which has “Natural Light” bulbs to mimic natural daylight. No flash is used.

frescorose3

Swatch of the Day: MAC White Eyeshadows

Friday, October 30th, 2009

The swatch of the day is…

My 3 white MAC eyeshadows!  These are the ones I consider “true” whites that don’t have any overtly gold/pink/whatever tones to them.  Those I include in my highlights palette, and not my white palette.

MAC Crystal Avalanche Eyeshadow
Description: White with reflects (Veluxe Pearl)

crystalavalanche

MAC Chill Eyeshadow
Description: Luminous satin, cool white (Discontinued)

chill

MAC Gesso Eyeshadow
Description: Vivid white (Matte)

gesso

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20. Swatches are done over MAC Painterly paint pot to provide a base, therefore results may appear different on bare skin.

Photos are taken in my bathroom which has “Natural Light” bulbs to mimic natural daylight. No flash is used.

whiteall

Swatch of the Day: MAC Silver Eyeshadows

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Swatch of the Day is…

My 8 MAC silver eyeshadows!

MAC Pandamonium Eyeshadow
Description: Smoky grey with silver pearlized pigments (Lustre, Limited Edition)

pandamonium

MAC Knight Divine Eyeshadow
Description: Black with silver pearl (Veluxe Pearl)

knightdivine

MAC Smoke & Diamonds Eyeshadow
Description: Frosty gray taupe (Starflash, Limited Edition)

smokeanddiamonds

MAC Silver Ring Eyeshadow
Description: Grey with silver sheen (Veluxe Pearl)

silverring

MAC Silverthorn Eyeshadow
Description: Mid-tone gray with silver pearl (Veluxe Pearl, Limited Edition)

silverthorn

MAC Electra Eyeshadow
Description: Silver with icy shimmer (Frost)

electra

MAC Cumulus Eyeshadow
Description: Creamy grey with silver pearl (Frost, Limited Edition)

cumuls

MAC Idol Eyes Eyeshadow
Description: Silvered violet with gold (Lustre)

idoleyes

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20. Swatches are done over MAC Painterly paint pot to provide a base, therefore results may appear different on bare skin.

Photos are taken in my bathroom which has “Natural Light” bulbs to mimic natural daylight. No flash is used.

silverall3

silverall

silverall2

Swatch of the Day: Mineralize Skinfinish

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Swatch of the day is…

MAC Blonde Mineralize Skinfinish

Description: Soft Pink to Rose degrade (Forst, LE: Blonde, Brunette, Redhead)

blonde1

and….

MAC Redhead Mineralize Skinfinish

Description: Gold to salmon pink degrade (Frost, LE: Blonde, Brunette, Redhead)

redhead1

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20. Swatches are done on bare skin (no base, foundation).

Photos are taken in my bathroom which has “Natural Light” bulbs to mimic natural daylight. No flash is used.

blonderedhead

Swatch of the Day: Reflects Glitter

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Swatch of the day is…

MAC Reflects Purple Duo Glitter

Description: Sparkling rich purple (Permanent to Pro line, also in Metal Urge collection)

reflectspurpleduo1

and…

MAC Reflects Copper Glitter

Description: Sparkling saffron  (Permanent to Pro line, also in Makeup Art Cosmetics collection)

reflectscopper1

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20. Swatches are done over MAC Painterly paint pot to provide a base, therefore results may appear different on bare skin. With glitters I do a set applied dry and a set applied wet (wetting agent being MAC Fix+).

Photos are taken in my bathroom which has “Natural Light” bulbs to mimic natural daylight. No flash is used.

reflectsall

Swatch of the Day: Urban Decay 24/7 Super Stash

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

Swatch of the Day is.. (and a tiny review)

Urban Decay 24/7 Super Stash set

Description: This is a set of 9 Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. 4 of the colors are exclusive to this set.

  • Zero (zealous black)
  • Oil Slick (black sparkle)
  • Corrupt (brown sparkle)
  • Eldorado (gold)
  • Graffiti (bright medium green with silver sparkle)
  • Binge (navy)
  • Ransom (bright iridescent purple)
  • Rockstar (darkest eggplant)
  • Stash (dark green/gold)

udsuperstash

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20. Swatches were done on bare skin (no base).

Photos are taken in my bathroom which has “Natural Light” bulbs to mimic natural daylight. No flash is used.

udsuperstash2

I just picked this set up at Sephora today, so I thought I’d say a few quick words about it as well. First off, I LOVE the 24/7 pencils! The formula is so soft and creamy – no tugging on the lids here! For about 30 seconds the product remains blendable, and then dries down to a waterproof formula. And holy crap, they’re waterproof! I swatched several shades on my arm at Sephora, and their makeup remover would not remove them and I had to use alcohol (side note: MAC Wipes DO remove these liners easily, I’ve never had difficulty removing them at home). As much as I love my MAC products and prefer to buy MAC, I definitely give Urban Decay the upper hand on eye pencil formulation and color choice!

I originally went for this set for Graffiti and Eldorado. I have Zero and Stash already, which I got in another 24/7 set last year (seems that Zero is included in nearly all the sets). However, I am loving Oil Slick, Corrupt, and Binge as well! Oh, and Rockstar… hell, they’re all great!

My only gripe so far is the size. I thought my 0.8g sized 24/7 pencils were small… these in this set are 0.5g and TINY. I can see how they can be difficult to hold and use, but I think I’ll be able to adjust. Even though they’re tiny, I think they’ll all last me a decent while, or so I hope! I heard that Eldorado will be released to the full size collection in the spring, which is good to hear because I am really loving it’s rich gold color.  I hope the other 3 (Oil Slick, Corrupt, and Binge) also join the full size collection.

The set was $36, which comes down to $4 per pencil. Not terrible! Definitely a good way to sample shades, or to save money. Full size 24/7 pencils are $17 a piece and very large, so if someone isn’t a heavy liner user, I see this as a great way to get some great liners for occasional use, and not have to spend a lot of money on full size products.

Swatch of the Day: Milk

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

Swatch of the Day is..

MAC Milk Pigment

Description: Frosty pale silvery pink (Limited Edition)

milk1

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20. Swatches are done over MAC Painterly paint pot to provide a base, therefore results may appear different on bare skin. With pigments I do a set applied dry and a set applied wet (wetting agent being MAC Fix+).

Photos are taken in my bathroom which has “Natural Light” bulbs to mimic natural daylight. No flash is used.

milk2

Swatch of the Day: Fresh Green Mix

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

This is something new that I am going to try! :D

Swatch of the Day is..

MAC Fresh Green Mix Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo

Description: Lime mono/Golden olive with blue, gold and aqua veining (Frost)

freshgreenmix1

Swatching procedure: My skin tone is roughly a MAC NW20. Swatches are done over MAC Painterly paint pot to provide a base, therefore results may appear different on bare skin. With Mineralize Eyeshadows I do a set applied dry and a set applied wet (wetting agent being MAC Fix+).

Photos are taken in my bathroom which has “Natural Light” bulbs to mimic natural daylight. No flash is used.

freshgreenmix2

Mineralize Eyeshadows

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

Like I did with my lip products, now it’s time to discuss the Mineralize Eyeshadows (MES) I have from MAC. I only have 3, but since they’re duo/trio setups, you kinda get more colors for your money.

MAC seemingly likes to discontinue the mineralize shades pretty frequently, so all 3 of these are discontinued. I just found Sea & Sky at a CCO, which made me quite happy as it’s a gorgeous color.

Here are swatches over Painterly paint pot. My skin is NW20 foundation shade.

Danger Zone MES:
MAC Description: “Three shades of Mineralize Eye Shadow all in one. Each palette offers a complete eye look in the signature high colour, and dimensional pearl finish of this mineralized formula. Limited edition. 2.2 g / 0.07 oz”
My thoughts: I got it because of the red. I always wanted a nice red eyeshadow, and MAC seems to lack it. Unfortunately, it goes on a bit more orangey than you would think. I’ve honestly only used it once, on Halloween. When I used it with a bit of Fix+ the color was a bit truer to how it looks in the pot, and also lasted a long time! The middle silver streak is utterly useless, it’s huge chunks of glitter that go everywhere. I’m actually a bit scared to use it in my eye area for fear of getting the chunks actually in my eyes. The red and black are very smooth, and blend nicely, making up for the horrid silver glitter stuff.

Sea & Sky MES:

MAC Description: “Two Mineralize Eye Shadows in one large compact. One shade features a mélange of three shades, the other provides a complementary or contrasting solid shade. Both provide medium buildable and lightweight application with a pearlized frost finish. Limited edition. 2.2 g / 0.07 us oz US $17.50″
My thoughts: LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! The blue is absolutely gorgeous! It’s unlike any normal blue shadow I have from MAC, which is why I was so happy to find it at a CCO. The white/silverish side is also nice, but very frosty.

Persuasive MES:
MAC Description: “Three shades of Mineralize Eye Shadow all in one. Each palette offers a complete eye look in the signature high colour, and dimensional pearl finish of this mineralized formula. Limited edition. 2.2 g / 0.07 oz Shade description: Frosty light blue/silver pearl stripe/frosty indigo (Frost)”
My thoughts: Aside from the horrid silver streak, which is the same as the one in Danger Zone, I like these colors as well. Blendable and smooth, but very frosty. I used it along with a glitter liner from Urban Decay for my New Year’s Eve look, and it was nice.

Thoughts about ALL MES:
They are tricky to get good color pay off. I wouldn’t suggest using them without a good base, like a paint pot (which I did for swatching). A lot of people also use Fix+ on the brush to get good color pay off, I tried it with Danger Zone, and it did help. Also makes them last longer. Because they’re frosty and sort of glittery, I find them messy to apply, and you get fallout all over your face if you’re not careful. The frosty look can get to be a bit much, especially for an everyday look (see my “Ice ice” entry on 01/15/09 for an extreme MES look), and it seems like all the color offerings are frosty in this line.

They do come in some neat colors, which is why I’ve bought the ones I do have. But I don’t actively try to buy MES, for the reasons I just stated and because they don’t fit into my palettes with my other shadows. Unless some crazy new color comes out, I probably won’t buy anymore of them, unless I decide to buy a duplicate Sea & Sky, if the CCO still has them whenever I go back.

Let’s talk about… my lip products!

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

Slowly working my way into pictures of my collection (I want to save the final, huge picture until after I get my Hello Kitty items)… figured I’d start out with my lipglosses.

I do NOT use lipstick. I don’t like it. Too much of a hassle for me. I’ll take Carmex over lipstick any day! So there’s the explanation of why there’s no lipsticks being discussed.

I’ll start with my MAC glosses, then I’ll talk about one or two other things.


There’s all my MAC lip products!

Here is them swatched on the back of my hand. Of course my skin color (NW20 shade) isn’t like my lips, but I didn’t feel like putting on 8 glosses on my lips, so when I talk about each one I’ll say a bit about how they look on my lips.

Clear Lipglass:
MAC site description: “A unique lip gloss that can create a high gloss, glass-like finish or a subtle sheen. Designed to be worn on its own, over Lip Pencil or Lipstick, Clear Lipglass is the perfect product for creating shine that lasts. It contains Jojoba Oil to help soften and condition the lips and a tiny bead of this highly concentrated product is all that’s needed to cover the lip area. Packaged in a convenient squeeze tube, Clear Lipglass is easy to apply using a lip brush. Clear Lipglass can be mixed with other products, like Pigments, and can be applied anywhere on the body except for the eye area to create interesting effects. 15 ml / 0.5 US oz US$14.00″
My thoughts: This is indeed an incredibly shiny clear lipgloss! I used this a lot when I was modeling for photoshoots, a photographer is actually who made me try it the first time. If you’re looking for a straight up shiny gloss, here you go! I have to admit, though, I don’t like the squeeze tube. Mine has “exploded” several times when changing elevation, and the cap gets all sticky. I really don’t use this very much anymore.

Spring Bean Lustreglass:
MAC description: “Two high-powered effects – Lustre and Glass – in one new lip finish. This amazing ornamental finish shines the lips with hi-shine overlaid with various tones of pearlized glaze. Beyond sexy. Transcends all known shine. 4.8g / 0.17 oz US$14.00 Shade description: New apple green with gold sparkle pearl overglaze”
My thoughts: I have to admit, I bought this because I wanted to see what a neon green lipgloss was really like. It can be a bit scary, but on my lips (and others, from reviews I have read) it makes a caramel-like shade. Unless you glop it on, you can’t tell it is green!

Spree Lipglass:
Description: Pink champagned taupe (cream). Limited Edition from July 2007 “Novel Twist” collection released only at Nordstrom
My thoughts: It’s pretty, but I don’t wear it often. It definitely has a brownish look to it, which is probably why I don’t wear it often, as I tend to gravitate towards pink shades.

C-Thru Lipglass:
MAC description: “A unique lip gloss available in a wide variety of colours that can create a high gloss, glass-like finish or a subtle sheen. Designed to be worn on its own, over Lip Pencil or Lipstick, Tinted Lipglass is the perfect product for creating shine that lasts. It’s pigmented, very shiny and can impart subtle or dramatic colour. It contains Jojoba Oil to help soften and condition the lips. Tinted Lipglass is packaged in a convenient bottle with a sponge tip applicator that provides a quick, smooth, even application. 4.8g / 0.17 oz US$14.00 Shade description: Soft peached-beige with shimmer (Cream)”
My thoughts: I like this, as it’s very neutral when you don’t want obnoxious lips, or if the eyes are played up big time. Like most lipglosses, as long as you don’t pile it on, the color reminds sheer. Definitely a shade anybody could probably use.

Elaborate Lipglass:
Description: “Soft low karat gold with pearl (Repromote, Rockocco August 2006)” Limited Edition from May 2007 “Moonbathe” collection
My thoughts: I picked this up at a Cosmetic Company Outlet (CCO), and glad I did. It’s similar to C-Thru, but has a lot more sparkle, so it jazzes up the lips if I don’t feel like looking so boring.

Venetian Lustreglass:
MAC description: “Two high-powered effects – Lustre and Glass – in one new lip finish. This amazing ornamental finish shines the lips with hi-shine overlaid with various tones of pearlized glaze. Beyond sexy. Transcends all known shine. 4.8g / 0.17 oz US$14.00 Shade description: Maraschino pink with pearl”
My thoughts: OK, this shade scares me. Just a bit too bold. It comes out bright red on my lips. And eyes are my big thing, I never have an “appropriate” moment to wear this. I honestly don’t know how the MUA at MAC got me to buy this, haha. All I know is that I was in New Orleans on a MAC spendy frenzy! I do plan on doing maybe a bit of a “retro” look with subtle eyes and trying out this product.

Prized Petal Lipglass:
MAC Description: “Sheer coral pink with white and gold pearl (LE)” Limited Edition from May 2007 “Strange Hybrid” collection
My thoughts: As you can see, seems like I have a lot of LE lipglasses. Blame it on the counter MUAs! I’ve come to hate how they push LE items that a few months later I can’t get more of. Really a pet peeve of mine. I LOVE this lipglass! Just a pretty, sparkly pink shade! I dread the day I run out :(

Valentine’s Lipgelee:
MAC description: “A soft jelly-textured glosser for the lips. Fab to apply. Squeezes on. Distributes evenly and easily via its special slanted tip. Moisturizes and conditions the lips – saps them up! Makes them look wet, shiny, super-lush! Comes in a wide range of sheer, soft tints! 15 ml / 0.5 oz US$14.00″
My thoughts: I don’t have an official shade description because… well, it’s discontinued! (Of course, right?) I’ll leave you to guess where I bought it, too (coughcountercough). Another one of my favorites, this goes on really light and sheer, so even though it looks dark pink, you can tell from the swatch it’s clear and light. Doesn’t have the “thick, gloppy” feel that the lipglasses seem to have. Now, I did cover my butt with this one, and saw it at a CCO, so I have a brand new backup tube! Of course, this tube, like my clear, has also exploded when I went from sea level to 7200 feet in elevation. I took off the cap, and it came squirting out uncontrollably! I lost maybe about 1/3 of the tube in this incident, and caused quite a mess.

That’s my MAC lip products!! Through this experience, I’ve learned to avoid counters, as they seem to push the limited stuff more than permanents. Not always the best thing to do. It makes me sad :(

There’s two other things I want to talk about now.

First one is the MAC Lip Conditioner

MAC description: “An emollient balm aimed at maxing-out repair by conditioning lips, locking in moisture. Contains Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Avocado Extract, Wheat Germ Oil, vitamins A and E. Formulated for high impact to use alone or under lipstick. Petroleum-based, but not goopy, helps seal in moisture to protect the lips from the environment. US$12.50 ”
My thoughts: I just got this from the Friends & Family sale. So far I am really liking it! Doesn’t have any weird scents or tastes (some lip products taste waxy), and isn’t thick like Carmex is. Kinda expensive for heavy use, but doesn’t need to be reapplied as often as a normal lip balm does.

Last lip product I have (besides the myraid of lip balms, which I am not going to discuss, and random lipglosses I’ve gotten as gifts or just because) is Too Faced Lip Injection.

Description: “Lip Injection is a clear cosmetic that enhances your pucker for lasting fullness. Its patented formula is based on medically-proven blood vessel dilating technology touted to create the sexiest pout this side of a plastic surgeons office. This wonder wand is a celebrity secret weapon against puny, lifeless lips.” 0.16oz $18.50
My thoughts: What a strange little product! I got this when I use to model, and yep, it plumps your lips! Also makes mine bright red. Do I really need it? Probably not, I have pretty full lips naturally. But it was fun to play around with. Major gripe is that anything it contacts on your body it will turn red, so if it’s windy out and you have long hair, watch out! Countless times I’ve ended up with a red streak across my cheek from my hair blowing into it on my lips, and then touching my face. It does sting for maybe 5-10 minutes after you put it on. I noticed that it doesn’t seem to last very long, maybe an hour, two hours. I was told by the MUA that sold it to me it would last 4 hours, but it doesn’t seem that long.

So there you have it! All my lip products! I do believe I am going to buy all 3 from the Hello Kitty collection (an orange, bright pink, and purple) because they are really pretty. Other than that, I really don’t buy them very often. I love lipglosses, but I hate the thick feeling, and what happens when it’s windy and you have long hair, haha.