Monday, August 25, 2008

MAC Seventease

The final look that was created by MAC for the Fall 2008 season is called Seventease, based the makeup trends of the 1970s. The looks are as varied as the decade, ranging from overdone disco makeup that would be appropriate at Studio 54 to the hippie look embodied by Stevie Nicks. This season has seen a huge return to the 70s in fashion so it is very fitting that makeup looks are going back in time right along with them.

I fell in love with the Gold Mined look created for the Luca Luca fall runway show. This is one the few looks that I have seen so far this fall that I have looked at and fell instantly in love with because it is perfect for me. There are no harsh lines and the gold tones are exactly what complement my blue eyes. This look is a total winner and all the products used are now heading toward the top of my must have list.

The products used are…

- Pigment
- Golden Lemon - Bright lemon gold with shimmer

- Eye Shadow
- Brun - Muted blackish-brown
- Carbon - Intense black

- 7 Lash False Eye Lashes

Barring the false eyelashes, which I have already touched on in previous entries, this is the look that I feel could have been made just for me and my skin tone. I have never used the Pigments before so I know that I will need to visit a MAC counter in order to get help creating this look and I will need to practice it a couple of times before I can wear it out of my house. I am hoping that the Pigments are all that they are rumored to be. I think this will be the first look that I go for from MAC (even though its not my favorite of the bunch) because this one is just the best on for me.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

MAC Honed

The fourth look from MAC is called Honed. All the looks in this collection consist of a natural look with minimal makeup and fuss. These low maintenance looks are perfect for lazy fall days and laid back weekends.

My favorite of the looks is called English Rose and there were only three products used to create this eye makeup look. Yes, only three. In fact, I really feel that anyone can create this look and there really is no excuse for not wearing makeup a look like this is out there. This look was created for Matthew Williamson, to match his fall collection of breezy outdoorsy clothing.

The products are…

- Brow Set Brow Gel
- Clear - Colour free

- Paint Pot
- Groundwork - Mid tone neutral taupe

- Pro Lash Mascara
- Coal Black - Honest-to-goodness black

MAC Paintpots are cream eye shadows that are supposed to be applied with a fingertip and be easily blended. I have never really done well with cream eye shadows because of the smudging issues and they have always ending up creasing in several hours. This was before I started using Urban Decay Primer Potion and I actually haven’t tried any of them since. I have heard that this primer helps cream shadows to stay put. I have decided to give them another chance and I will try the Paintpots from MAC first.

I can’t say that I am madly in love with any other looks in the Honed collection. They are really low maintenance and I think they are way too low maintenance even for me. I understand that every female should have products to create a low maintenance look but I am still not feeling these overall. Maybe it’s the lack of major mascara that is throwing me off this look.

Friday, August 22, 2008

MAC Glamodrama

The third look from MAC is one that I feel is the one that seems to truly embody the way I think of MAC (and the thought that kept me away from their counter for the longest time). This trend is named Glamodrama and all the looks under this category feature color, color, and more color. Furthermore, all of these looks appear to be higher maintenance and would take time and practice to get them to appear the way that they do on the website. The look that I love from this collection is called La La Bollywood.

La La Bollywood was created for Manish Arora’s collection of Paris couture. This is strong eye look with black eyeliner and false eyelashes, a look that I have never been able to conquer. False eyelashes are something that I have always wanted to try out but I have never had the nerve or the needed skill to get them on correctly and to pull them off without fear. So this look may not be for me at all but I still love and would eventually like to be able to pull it off without any problems.

What is needed for the look…

- Fluidline Eyeliner
- Blacktrack - Solid, flat black

- Eye Shadow
- Blanc Type - Creamy beige
- Soot - Deep slate gray

- Adhesive/Dark - adhesive for false eyelashes
- 2 Lash - Wispy fringe

I was looking at this look further and I think that it could be pulled off without the use of the false lashes. Of course, it then wouldn’t be near as dramatic but false lashes really don’t work for everyone and I have always been scared to put the adhesive that close to my eyeball. This can be still be dramatic look for the use of the Fluidline and would work best for nighttime. Overall, I think this is my favorite look of the entire MAC fall collection.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

MAC De-Vine

The second fall trend from MAC is called De-Vine, which is all about makeup looks that are based on the colors of wine and burgundy. I really only like one look in this collection, the one entitled “New Chateaux”, a red wine lip color that was shown on the runway for the latest offerings from Donna Karan. This look is more for a red lipstick virgin or for someone who normally doesn’t wear a lot of makeup but needs a dressed up look for going out. The other looks have too much purple in them to be flattering with my skin tone.

This look features what are called gentle red lips. The lips are still the focus of the entire face but the red is more of a stain than a full on red mouth. The look should be rather simple to create in that there are only two colors involved on the lips and the eyes are very neutral and could be created with a wash of a nude, shimmery shadow.

The two lipstick colors used are as follows; the first one is called Lovelorn and it is a clean mid-tone blue pink, the other color is called Lady Danger and it is a vivid bright coral red. The website doesn’t say exactly how to use these two colors to create the look, however they do provide a picture of the finished look. It appears that Lovelorn is applied to clean bare lips and then Lady Danger is applied to the middle of the lips over it and the two are then blended together. I am not sure if this is the correct way to get this look but that is the way that it looks to me. This look is a simple way for any woman to break into fall makeup colors should have pretty universal appeal.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

MAC Artsy

For Fall 2008, MAC has created five faces to represent the newest trends of the season. The first of these looks is called Artsy. The MAC site defines this trend as makeup that mimics the mediums of art. There are four major looks in this trend, each of which is designed for a certain designer’s collection.

My favorite of the four looks is called Dark Dimension. It combines dramatic eyes with neutral lips and cheeks. This look was created for Monique Lhuillier and was to in contrast to the sculptural simplicity of her designs. Three shades of eyeshadow are used to pull the eyes on full focus.

The shades are…

- Eyeshadows
- Beauty Marked - A deep blackened red with a sparkle/twilight effect
- Deep Truth - Very real truthful dark blue
- Trax - Burgundy-plum flecked with bronze shimmer

- Technakohl Liner
- Auto-de-blu - Intense jewel tone blue

- Pro Longlash Mascara
- Pitchblack - Vintage vinyl black

I would have to change one large part of this look to make it work for me, I really couldn’t pull off the blue eyeliner and eyeshadow. I would work with the burgundies and plums and then find a third color to replace the blue. Black or silver would be an easy choice but I would also like to try using a bronze shade and seeing what the result would look like. This is the first time in a while that I have really liked plum shades and I am really looking forward to making this look my own. I have both Silver Ring and Bronze shades from MAC to use a jumping off point to make this look my own.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Smoky Eyes Using Carmindy's Method

Several weeks ago, I wrote a review on Carmindy’s makeup book. I had stated then that I was going to see how well her advice worked in real life by trying to follow her advice to create a smoky eye look. First, I needed to go out and buy several shadows to help create the look (see my earlier post on my latest experience at MAC for a full explanation). I tried the look three times and have finally began to get it down pat. I used a series of three shadows, eyeliner, and four different brushes to create this look.

I started by using Smashbox Cream Eyeliner in Caviar with an angled brush from Urban Decay on my upper and lower lids, pushing the line as close into the lashes as possible. I then smudged the line with a Q-tip to soften the harsh effect that this product tends to have. Next, I used MAC Filament eyeshadow over my entire lid all the way up until I reached the brow bone. For this step, I used a large shadow brush from NARS.

Next, I used NARS Night Clubbing shadow all over lid up to the crease, using a smaller NARS shadow brush. The last color that I needed to use was MAC Silver Ring. This shade was applied right into the crease with a crease brush from MAC. I then applied Filament right in the corner of my eyes and began the blending process. Carmindy says to the blend the shades until there is a gradation in the colors. This is the most important past of the process and the most time consuming. However, I found that the longer that I spend on this step, the better results that I can yield. Once I was able to get the gradation and the blending down pat, the whole look was much less severe and much more attractive.

I think the only thing that I would change with this look is using a different eyeshadow color for my lid. I am using NARS Night Clubbing, a black color flecked with gold shimmer. I want to try this look with a pure black shadow, a black shade with a silver shimmer in it, and with a deep charcoal shade. I will have to see how the shade change affects the look.

This isn’t a look that I can do everyday. But I really think that Carmindy’s simple advice made what could have been a very hard look to work with and made it much simpler. I really liked the way that this worked out for me and it actually gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to work with dramatic eye makeup. The next step in this experiment is going to be for me to try this look with false lashes to up the ante on the drama.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Chanel Fall 2008 Collection

For many ladies that I know, Chanel is the gold standard of makeup, skincare, and fragrance. I have many of their fragrances and have been branching slowly into their makeup line. My first ever piece of expensive makeup was actually from Chanel and I have never looked back since. That nail polish was one of my most prized possessions for the next few years. The Fall 2008 offerings from Chanel are classic and timeless and at least one of the colors in this collection will work for every woman.

The collection… (from the Chanel Website)

- Exceptionell de Chanel - an intense volume and curl mascara

- Le Vernis Nail Color
- Kaleidoscope - green-gold
- Fantastic - deep wine

- Joues Contraste Powder Blush
- Rose dust - a rosy plum

- Poudre Doue (pressed powder)
- Almond - a soft beige

- Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow
- Le Bronze - a metallic brown
- Bois Bleu - a dark teal

- Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eyeshadow
- Reflects d’Ombre - coffee, ivory, gold, and dark green eyeshadows

- Le Crayon Yeux Precision Eye Definer
- Denim - a gray blue
- Teak - a rich brown

- Rouge Hydrabase Crème Lipstick
- Simply Pink - a coral pink
- Fantastic Plum - a deep purple
- Great Copper - a soft copper

- Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour
- Crazed - a beige pink
- Enthusiast - a limited edition coral red

- Levers Scintillates Glossimer
- Amberlight - an incandescent bronze
- Delight - a pale lilac
- Gold Light - a brilliant gold

At the moment, I feel rather sacrilegious because I actually want nothing from this collection. I went crazy over their spring collection and can go crazy over anything Chanel just because of the double Cs on the packaging. But there is nothing in this collection that grabs me at all. I’m not a fan of warm lip colors or any kind of blue eye makeup. Overall, the shades in this collection really don’t seem at that unique to me. Maybe it would help if I have the ability to see these colors all put together on a model’s face but there is nothing so far to help me with that. Though I must say that of course, I want the mascara that they just came out with. I am beginning to think that furthering my obsession with mascara may just become my whole agenda for fall beauty.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Stila Fall 2008 Collection

This will be my first time ever studying Stila and searching for products that I want to buy. I’m not really sure why I have never tried this much raved about makeup collection especially since I seem to look at it every time that I go Sephora. Looking at this fall collection, I have decided that this is great time to convert to Stila and try some new products.

Sephora is the sole carrier of the star product for Stila this fall, the Front-Row Look Palette. This is just “Wow!” to me. The compact looks like a chic leather wallet and the leather rose on it comes off and can be used as a chic hair accessory. This is already almost completely sold out so if I decide that I cannot live without this product, I will need to order it very soon. This palette contains three eyeshadows and a mini Kajal Eyeliner. The shadow shades are a mixture of matte and shimmer and are in shades of pinks and grays. This product might just be going straight to Number 1 on my fall shopping list.

Sephora has put together several fall looks with the Stila products. My favorite is called the Fall sheer Collection. This looks creates a flawless yet still natural look. This will be great everyday look and it can be used in parts to balance out a strong eye or lip look.

The products used…
- Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
- Eyeshadow Pan in Irma La Douche, Wheat, Espresso, and Dune
- Smudge Pot in Jade
- Major Lash Mascara in Black
- Cheek Color Pan in Fade
- All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in #3
- Lip Glaze in Plum
- Lip Glaze Stick in Plum

These offerings for fall make Stila look a company that I absolutely must try before long. With the exception of the luminizer and the mascara (shocking I know), I think that I will be purchasing the whole fall look that Sephora put together in addition to the palette.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

MAC Starflash Collection

MAC has released their first collection for fall 2008 and even though I am still rather timid with MAC, this one has me very excited. It is called Starflash and so it is all eye makeup. I used to be lip gloss crazy all through college but lately I have really been getting into eye makeup and have been obsessed with correct application of it. So the collection (all descriptions are from the MAC site)…

- Eye Shadows

- Star by Night - frosty midtone blue

- Talent Pool - frosty blue green with gold pearl

- Smoke and Diamonds - frosty dirty taupe

- Top Hat - frosty dirty indigo

- Lotusland - frosty pinky lavender with gold pearl

- Sunset B. - frosty clean midtone pink

- Bold and Brazen - frosty light copper

- Grand Entrance - frosty neutral peach beige

- Glamour Check! - frosty reddish brown

- Mink and Sable - frosty olive green

- Dreammaker - frosty yellow gold

- Go - frosted bronze

- Kohl Power Eye Pencil

- Orpheus - intense black with gold pearl

- Mystery - rich black with green and teal pearl

- Feline - rich black

- Raven - intense black with red pearl

- Plush Lash - a mascara that is designed to instantly plump up lashes and give an extreme voluptuous effect.

So, wow… I pretty much want to purchase this whole collection and all the brushes that they would recommend to go with them and to create all their amazing eye looks. Since I can’t get the whole collection, I will narrow it down a bit. Of the eye shadows, I really want to get Smoke and Diamonds, Lotusland, Sunset B., Bold and Brazen, Grand Entrance, and Go. The kohl eye pencils look completely amazing and I must have the Orpheus and Feline shades. Knowing myself, I say that I don’t need another mascara but I will cave and purchase it next time I go to MAC.
I must say that this collection by MAC has me very excited, maybe more excited than another other collection that I have ever seen by them. I can’t wait to get to the counter and purchase all of these amazing eye colors.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Urban Decay Fall 2008

Urban Decay is another one of my absolute favorite companies, especially for eye makeup. Instead of creating a whole new fall line, they use a mix of existing and new colors to create fall looks, which are illustrated on their website. I went through all the looks and decided on a favorite or at least a first look that I would be trying for this fall. As stated above, I always use Urban Decay’s eye makeup but actually the look that I preferred for fall was one with that focused on lips.

The Look is called Gash and the main feature of it is deep red lips using the Gash lipstick and matching lip pencil. Gash was actually discontinued for a time, so its re-release is quite a big deal for Urban Decay fans. For a frame of reference, this is the lipstick that Gwen Stefani popularized and wore for the first in the music video for ’Don’t Speak” (circa 1996). The eyes are made up but take a back seat to the lip color. Muted gold shades are used to create a subtle yet noticeable eye look.

The colors that are used for this look…

- Eyeshadows- Half Baked and Honey

- Blush - Score

- Lips - Gash 24/7 Glide on Lip Pencil and Gash Lipstick

There is something about strong red lips that reminds of old Hollywood and the height of sophistication. Also, a bold mouth forces people to listen to every word that comes out of it and I really believe these kind of shades can only be worn by someone with a large amount of self confidence. Wallflowers need not apply.

I was really expecting to prefer some of the eye makeup heavy looks for this fall but I guess it turns out that I can get into strong lips too. I always thought that lipstick was much easier to apply than eye makeup but I have recently become aware that heavily pigmented lip shades are just as hard to correctly apply and are much higher maintenance than most eye makeup shades.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

NARS Fall 2008 Collection

The first fall collection that I wanted to view is the latest offering from NARS. I have used NARS for well over two years now but have recently been depending on this company for the majority of my makeup products. There is rarely a month that goes by that I don’t purchase some type of product from NARS. The fall 2008 collection is as follows (from the NARS website)…

- Dolce Vita Blush - a dusty rose powder blush

- Isolde Duo Eye Shadow - an eye shadow duos containing one shade that is described as frosted ginger and the other as shimmering copper

- Cordura Duo Eye Shadow - an eye shadow duo containing one shade that is described as shimmering warm rich brown and the other as shimmering sooty dark brown

- Fez Single Eye Shadow - a powder eye color described as velvety cocoa

- Senorita Lipstick - a cream lipstick in a shade described as sheer shimmering cherry blossom

- Female Trouble Lip Gloss - a liquid lip gloss in a shade described as lilac mauve

- Rebel Yell Nail Polish - a shade described as dusty pomegranate

- Beautiful Liar Lipstick - a cream lipstick in a shade described as sheer spiced coral

This collection is based on a neutral palette mixed with shimmer. This collection is described by NARS as giving a look of “intrigue and sophistication”. There are three pieces that I would really like to get from the fall 2008 collection. The first is the Dolce Vita blush, the rose hue will really complement my pale skin and update my overall look to match the fall leaves and cooler temperatures. The second is the Cordura Duo Eye shadow, both shades of dark brown will be beautiful when used as eyeliners on my blue eyes. The last piece that I really want is the Female Trouble Lip Gloss. I have long been a fan of NARS glosses and this one looks as though it will give a my-lips-but-better look and is a color that will work with a natural face and will balance out a strong eye.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Fall 2008 Beauty Trends

We are now in the official season to buy new beauty products for fall. Gone are the lazy summer days, bright shades, and bronzed skin. This season, beauty is returning to elegance and sophistication. This season focuses on an intense eye or a dark red lip. These two trends have reoccurred every fall for the last few years but of course, every year a new spin is put on them.

This fall we are seeing a lot of bronze colors for the eyes. The one thing that we are definitely not seeing is an emphasis on subtlety and see through washes of color. Multiple shades are being used to create these eye looks and both eyeliner and shadow are needed. The color bronze for eyes is one trend that I am all over. We are also seeing a big emphasis on the smoky eye again this fall. It is now again being created with blacks and grays instead of the colored smoky eye looks that have dominated in seasons past.

To top off all of these dramatic eye looks, a huge number of new mascaras have been released for this season. This fall, mascara is moving away from the basic and some of the new products include products with a vibrating wand, a wand that looks like torture device, and all promise lush lashes. Mascara is my heaven and it looks like I am going to like this fall.

Lips are either taking a back seat to the dramatic eye of are the standout feature of the face. Red is back with a vengeance but this season, we are given many different offerings for red. It is no longer just basic red lipstick colors. Companies are letting us choose if we want to do a strong red lip or we want to be more timid and use a red stain of gloss. This will be fantastic season for every woman to find her ideal red and stay in her comfort zone. No lady should be without a red lip hue this fall.

I have really been looking forward to beginning of fall beauty and so far I have not been disappointed yet this season. I love bronze eye makeup and am really excited that there is now a slew of new products for me to purchase. Mascara this seasons has gone to new heights and amazing effects and I will be testing out all the new products to find the best one yet.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Most Wanted August 2008

It is now time to usher in the official season of purchasing fall beauty products. So far, I have seen so many amazing offerings that it was very hard for me to only choose ten products that I wanted to concentrate on purchasing this month. After much deliberation…

1. Bumble & Bumble Crème de Coco Masque
2. Mistral Mer du Sud South Seas Bath & Shower Gel
3. David Yurman Perfume
4. Givenchy Prisme Again! Limited Edition Eye Shadow Quartet
5. Smashbox Wicked Lovely Eye Shadow Duo in Sexy/Demure
6. NARS Eye Shadow in Cordura
7. Make Up For Ever Aqua Creamliner in 6
8. Redken Real control Intense Renewal
9. Bobbi Brown Almost Bare
10. Guerlain Le 2 de Guerlain Two Brush Mascara

I am really excited about the David Yurman perfume. It’s a woody oriental with rose notes in it. I have a bunch of rose perfumes that are perfect for spring and summer but it is much more rare to find a stronger one that will take me through the fall and winter seasons. I will have to make a special trip to Saks just for this fragrance.