Back to M.A.C

Did you know? 

By returning 6 M.A.C Primary packaging containers to a M.A.C Counter of M.A.C Cosmetics online, you'll receive a free lipstick. 

A pretty good deal seeing as most of us have at least a few items from M.A.C and use them on a regular basis. Start collecting! Also, I've heard that if you take these 6 containers to a store instead of a counter, you'll get a free eyeshadow. Any such cases? Pls do share!

A small action, but a step towards a greener environment nonetheless! Happy collecting! =) 

MAC Hot 'n' Saucy

MAC 

Vera Pearlmatte Face Powder | Flower Fantasy | US $28

Tendertone Lip Balm | Hot 'n' Saucy | US $15

Shop MAC Lipstick | Innocence, Beware! (Cremesheen) | US $14.50

Crushed Metallic Pigment | Aloha | US $34

That leaves us with the last item to review from the MAC SHOP MAC COOK Spring 2012 Collection.

Tendertone Lip Balm | Hot 'n' Saucy | US $15

Available in 4 shades. 

Top row (left to right): Hot 'n' Saucy, Hush Hush

Bottom row (left to right): Purring, Tread Gently

 From left to right: Tread Gently, Purring, Hot 'n' Saucy, Hush Hush

I believe I got the best shade to review! ;) 

 Love this lipbalm! It is my new favorite. The red tone in it is just perfect to give you some color, while not making it too red. It is creamy, leaves your lips moisturized for hours, and gives a good hint of color. SPF 12 too, which is an added bonus! Love it!

Available now in MAC stores and online. 

PS - Check back tomorrow for a full sequence of the photoshoot! =) 

MAC Vera Pearlmatte Face Powder

Check on the lipstick and the pigment.

MAC 

Vera Pearlmatte Face Powder | Flower Fantasy | US $28

Tendertone Lip Balm | Hot 'n' Saucy | US $15

Shop MAC Lipstick | Innocence, Beware! (Cremesheen) | US $14.50

Crushed Metallic Pigment | Aloha | US $34

Day 3:

Vera Pearlmatte Face Powder

 Available in 2 shades!

 

Flower Fantasy

 

Sunday Afternoon

I received the shade in Flower Fantasy for review. 

Just judging by the swatch, Flower Fantasy looks more of a warm shade and Sunday Afternoon looks more of a cool shade. For darker complexions, I'd say the Flower Fantasy would be a better choice. There's a healthier glow of blush in it, and it won't be too pink-y.  For fairer skin tones, you could pull off the Sunday Afternoon giving your cheeks a pink glow. 

Overall, I'd say this is an average buy. 

It's a good blush + highlighter, but I'm not a total fan of the product.  I say so because it's not something unique. It doesn't give you the "I have to get this" effect. Maybe if there was gold dust on it? ;)

MAC Crushed Metallic Pigment, Aloha!

So moving on from where we stopped last week, check off the lipstick!

MAC 

Vera Pearlmatte Face Powder | Flower Fantasy | US $28

Tendertone Lip Balm | Hot 'n' Saucy | US $15

Shop MAC Lipstick | Innocence, Beware! (Cremesheen) | US $14.50

Crushed Metallic Pigment | Aloha | US $34

Day 2:

On today's agenda is the crushed metallic pigment. These 4 shades come together. 

They are from the MAC Vera Collection for Spring 2012

Top row (left to right): Lantern Light, Shifting Sands

Bottom row (left  to right): Campfire, Aloha

 Left to right: Lantern Light (light metallic bronze), Campfire (medium metallic copper), Shifting Sands (pale metallic champagne), Aloha (metallic brown)

Love the second color! The copper seems so rich in it.

So I tried this on my model. 

 Apply moisturizer.

 Apply under eye concealer and a light layer of foundation.

 Since this eyeshadow is powder form, I thought it was best to use some eyeshadow primer to help the eyeshadow stick for a longer period of time. And for it not to crease.

The first thought in my head for this was, it will create a mess! I decided to be safe and cover the face with a tissue. Even if some glitter falls, it won't ruin the face! Highly recommended to do this.

 

 Line upper lashline with eyeliner, and lower lashline with kohl.  

 

Curl the eyelashes and apply mascara.

 Voila!

These pigments are amazing! But instead of having to buy 4 together, I wonder if there's an option to buy just one? For almost everyone, I think there will be only one shade that you'd want to use almost all the time, and one that you'll never use. I'm definitely loving the 2 golden shades (Lantern Light and Campfire)

Uses for pigments:

1. Eyeshadow

2. Mix in glitter for all sorts of things - eg. foundation, blush, lipgloss, nailpaint 

A few tips on using these pigments:

1. Be careful of all the glitter! It can get really messy. If using as an eyeshadow, use a tissue to cover the area under your eyes like I did, otherwise your face will be a glitter ball. 

2. Also, use something creamy such as an eyeshadow primer/face cream on the eyelids before applying the powder. This will help it stick and last longer.

Other than that, love this product! A definite buy. 

MAC Lipstick | Innocence, Beware!

Thanks COVERmagazine! I received these MAC products from them for review, and instead of the usual, I decided to have a little fun and do a photoshoot! You can see the effects on the model. I'll also post up reviews of each product individually.

Special thanks to Karishma and Shivani for being part of the madness! 

 

Items I received: 

MAC 

Vera Pearlmatte Face Powder | Flower Fantasy | US $28

Tendertone Lip Balm | Hot 'n' Saucy | US $15

Shop MAC Lipstick | Innocence, Beware! (Cremesheen) | US $14.50

Crushed Metallic Pigment | Aloha | US $34

Check out my reviews for the products here:

COVERmagazine

Day 1:

Today, I'll review the SHOP MAC Lipstick (Innocence, Beware! Cremesheen)

 

A before shot. 

All-ready!

In-flight schedule

My guest entry for Fashionography:

Hello readers! First a very big thank you to Fashionography for inviting me to do an entry. The three elements - beauty, styling and charisma, can work a magic combo. Blend unique traits, a fabulous wardrobe, and a fresh face; success is bound to be yours! Now Fashionography leaves no excuse to miss exciting trend updates, and I'm here to add a few secrets on the beauty front. Enjoy!

Travel Essentials 

You can fit all you want in your make up kit, and stuff it into your luggage - not a problem. But when you want to make your purse as light as possible, choosing what make-up to put in it can be a dilemma. Here are some products that you should keep with you on-board! 

• Moisturizer
• Lip balm 
• Lipstick and/or lip & cheek stain
• Kohl
• Mini Perfume
• Comb

And if it's a long haul flight, these extra items. Simply because you have lots of time to spare. ;)

• Nail Polish
• Nail Polish remover pads 

Now for some specific reviews on what's good to carry, keeping in mind the 100ml rule:

 The Body Shop | Moringa Milk Body Lotion

60 ml (The sample edition) | Leaves a fresh scent and a hydrating sensation

 Unfortunately, not available in all Body Shops. The travel size is available at The Body Shop outlet in Tung Chung. In addition to the scent, the best feature is that it's a spray. No messy hands, and no messy leaking containers. Can refill too! 

 The Body Shop | Lip & Cheek Stain

8 ml | Rosy effect for eyes and lips 

A product that can be used as a blush and as lipstick. It gives a good rosy hint of color, yet does not feel sticky and uncomfortable. Just dab a few times, and smudge with fingertips. It gives a flushed look, and perfect for a 30 second touch up before landing. 

 Nail Polish Remover Pads

Available at Sasa, these pads are perfect for inflight. Keep a tissue handy to wipe away any excess oil remains. And make sure to take out and seperate a few pieces for cleanup before you start applying nailpolish, as 2 or 3 are often stuck together. Since there are hours before the flight lands, you can take all the time needed to keep yourself busy and give yourself a perfect manicure on board. =)

MAC | Tinted Lip Conditioner SPF 15

A handy item that does a beautiful combination of lipbalm and lipstick. A simple and creamy product - thank god for no shimmer! 

That's all for product recommendations! The rest of the items, you can carry your standard ones. Once again, thanks Fashionography for letting me share my ideas here! Oh, and have a safe trip! ;)

2012 MAC Shop MAC Cook Collection

MAC's new spring collection is the Shop MAC, Cook MAC Collection. The collection was released in early Feb in the states, and will be released internationally in March. Here are some sneak previews!


This is their promo for the new collection. A very retro look. Love the barbie-ish effect.

Their new collection will feature new shades of everything from eyeshadow to nail polish. I expect the new eyepencil colors and lipbalm colors to be great! Can't wait to try them out!

Their new lipbalms are called Tendertone lipbalms. Can't wait to try out all the new shades!

What I've read so far about their collection, is that it features a lot of products that are sheer. In other words, there is no real color to the product, but it adds gloss or glitter. I've also read that their new colors for eyepencils are smooth, and 'to-die-for' to be exact. Once again, can't wait to try them out! I shall post updates soon!

A Fresh Start

Happy New Year

If it didn't bring you joy
just leave it behind
Let's ring in the new year
with good things in mind

Leave every bad memory
that brought heartache and pain
And let's turn a new leaf
with the smell of new rain

Let's forget past mistakes
making amends for this year
Sending you these greetings
to bring you hope and cheer
Happy New Year!



Wishing you all a Happy New Year, with lots of joy and success.

So back to business, my thoughts on the look for the next season, would be to keep it simple! No red lips, no heavy mascara, no blazing bronzer.. just a bit of all to give you a fresh look!

If you've seen some Bollywood movies lately, then you'll see what I mean. They're all just going for a healthy, natural glow.

Dia Mirza in Love Breakups Zindagi

Deepika Padukone in Desi Boyz

Use mineral products for the winter season, and keep it to a minimal. Let the cold breeze give your face a natural colour =). I'd recommend lots of moisture, a very light foundation, soft blush, a little kohl, and an intense lip balm!

Read below for some product recommendations!

Bare Minerals
I myself was recommended this product and absolutely love it!

Pros:
1. Mineral make-up.. so all natural
2. Since its powder form, it doesn't look like you have applied heavy make-up
3. It gives you a healthy glow
4. Long lasting
5. Improves skin condition
6. Quick application!
7. You can choose your coverage. If you want light coverage, just dab a little. If you want heavier coverage, use more of it.
8. Now available in Hong Kong! Harvey Nichols in Pacific Place, and Faces in Ocean Terminal. Visit their booth for a quick demo. 

Cons:
1. It's meant for daily use, and if you're looking for high coverage. This is not for you. This product works well for light-medium coverage

If you have dark circles, I'd recommend using your own cream concealor and using Bare Minerals for foundation. When you first start using this product, it might not look like its making much difference. But see yourself in a different light without applying too much at first, and you'll see the difference. Ask your friends to get it for you now! Trust.

Mac Tinted Lip Conditioner SPF 15

I've lost count of how many times I've re-stocked on this. I have it with me all the time, and it's a great product. Since it's creamy, it works really well as a lip balm and gives a good color too. It comes in 6 shades, and my favorite is the Fuchsia Fix. One more reason I love it, is because I always have a ton of things in my bag, and for some reason, it's always easy to find. Love it!

The New Trend: Bright Lipsticks!

Hello ladies! Been meaning to update for a while, and here is my latest tip:

Experiment with some bright new shades of lipstick!

Believe it or not, red lips are back! I'm sure you've seen red lips from magazine covers to girls wearing it on a night out. And when I say red, I do not mean maroon. I am talking about the red that you once thought about buying but didn't because you thought it would make you look .. cheap? Haha, well cheap or not, it's all over the media, gives a refreshing look to play with, celebs love it, and its catching on! Here are some photos from this year to prove my point! :)

Sonam Kapoor at Cannes 2011

The March 2011 cover for Cosmopolitan India

Deepika Padukone at the Mickey Contracter MAC bash

Doesn't Deepika look lovely? The red on her just shows that red lipstick can also suit (and look fabulous!) on olive skin tones, as long as you wear it right! In my opinion, wear red lipstick when you're applying make up that's slightly heavy, ie. with coverage. Also, when you wear a bright colored lipstick, make sure that the lips are the only defining feature for your make-up on that occasion, otherwise it can look like too much is going on. For example, I would simply apply foundation, kohl, light colored eyeshadow, hints of bronzer/blush/highlighter with a bright lipstick shade. Smoky eyes together with heavy bronzer and a bright lipstick is just a no-no. Leave something for the next party!

If bright red is just NOT your color (like me), opt for a tone of red that is softer. I use the following, and LOVE it. Highly recommended! :)

Pro Longwear Lipcreme: Extended Play, Faithfully Yours, Goes and Goes, Good to Go, Love Forever!, Made to Last, Overtime, Perpetual Flame, Prolong, Sweet Ever After,
Till Tomorrow, Unlimited

MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme Perpetual Flame

This is a creamy lipstick which provides a longlasting color and leaves your lips moisturized. Apply with a lip brush for best results. By doing so, you properly define the shape of your lips. This is important and somehow always underestimated with lipstick. Also smile while applying (thereby stretching your lips), so that you can also fill the gaps that form.

Hope you liked my post! Enjoy with the new look!