MAC Overrich

In lieu of the fact that I still have not used any of the pigments that are offered by MAC, I thought that I would investigate the MAC Overrich collection to try and further my understanding of the pigments. The MAC site describes this collection as “Fall for luscious. Eight pigments that keep you de-lovely and delicious as ever. Oxidized, rich metal hues are a cakewalk to apply, for eyes, face, and all the sweet spots…These Overrich pigments satisfy an appetite for glamour.” Already, I am semi-confused, I have only heard of people using the MAC pigments as eye makeup. Time for more investigation…

This the definition and product description of a pigment on the MAC website. “Pigment is a highly concentrated loose powder that contains ingredients to help it adhere to the skin. Pigment comes in a excellent range of colours. Use to create a subtle wash of colour or a more intense effect. Pigment does not streak or cake, is easy to blend and long-lasting.” This explanation semi helps with my understanding of the product, I think that I have been thinking too much of the Urban Decay pigments that can only be used on eyes.

The colors of the collection…

- Blonde’s Gold - Light tan with gold and white pearl

- Heritage Rouge - Deep burgundy with red and brown pearl

- Copperbeam - Rusted brown with red pearl

- Vintage Gold - Tarnished green with gold pearl

- Antique Green - Turquoise green with green pearl

- Museum Bronze - Rich taupe with gold pearl

- Mega-rich - Frosty burnt orange with gold pearl

- Mauvement - Cool taupe with gold pearl

Well, I really like many of the shades and I think that I could pull them off as eye makeup. However, I am still not really seeing the other parts of the face usage. I decided to go onto Makeup Alley and see how others have used this product. After reading through the reviews, I am only seeing people that use them as eye shadows. They talk about the texture, how to apply them to the eye area, and the look that is created with their usage but nothing about using them of the rest of the face. I think that I will try the using the pigments only as eye shadows but I really want to try some of the colors in this collection because these look tailor made to complement blue eyes.

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Cult of Cherry

MAC’s newest collection for Fall 2008 is called Cult of Cherry. Obviously, this is collection that features a large amount of red products. This collection furthers the deep red lips trends while offering lip products in a range of intensities that allow anyone to wear some version of this trend.

The following description comes directly from MAC, lets see how accurate it is. “The new, forbidden fruit. Deep, dark, dramatic. Lips ripened with juicy cerises and intoxicating kirsches while eyes smolder in luscious spiced chocolate. With its sense of way-to-go dark, this is how we separate the bitter from the sweet…Fall drama just got more delicious.” Ok here we go with the color selection.

Lipstick
- Crème Cerise
- Lightly Ripe
- So Scarlett
- O
- Russian Red

Mattene Lipstick
- Kirsch
- Bing
- Chock-ful
- Rapturous

Tinted Lip Glass
- Liqueur
- Cherry Blossom
- Rich & Ripe
- Jampacked
- Cult of Cherry

Shadowy Lady Eye Shadow x 4
- contains Light Fall, Smudged Violet, Deep Truth, Shadowy Lady

Spiced Chocolate Eye Shadow x 4
- contains Nano-gold, Spiced Chocolate, Brash, and Sweet Chestnut

Tempting Eye Shadow x 4
- contains Tempting, Next to Nothing, Dark Edge, and Sharp

Zoom Lash Mascara
- Zoom Black

Powder Blush
- Plum Dubois
- Blooming

Nail Lacquer
- Illegal Purple
- Silverstruck

Wow! This collection really has gotten me excited! I think this is one of the first collections so far this fall where I really want everything. If I have to choose, I really really want the Lip Glasses in Cherry Blossom and Cult of Cherry (Cherry Blossom had HG status all over it), the Spiced Chocolate Eye Shadow Quad, and the Blooming Powder Blush. Time to head to MAC and try to beat pass the swarming masses…

image courtesy of MAC

Lancome Fall Collection 2008

I have forever walked by Lancôme counters in every single major department store but again this is another line that I have never before tried. For the longest time, I was told that this company still tested on animals and had no intention of ever discontinuing that practice. But recently, I read another report from Paula Deen and she didn’t list them as a company that is currently resting on animals so I decided to give them a shot. When I went looking at Lancôme this time, I was searching for the Rose Fishnets Juicy Tube, one that all the sales associates told me won’t be coming out until the holiday collections are released. So I had to content myself with looking at the Fall 2008 collection instead.

The Fall 2008 collection for Lancôme focuses on browns and neutrals and colors that would be worn by ladies in India. The collection itself is called Maharani Jewels.

Starting with one of there highest rated product, Le Crayon Kohl. For this fall, three new shades have been introduced into this product collection and are grouped together in a collection called Le Crayon Kohl Kajal.
- Amber Nights - brown
- India Ink - black
- Smokey Henna - deep green

Other products are as follows…
- Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow Quad
- Haute Sunset - four bronzy and gold shades
- Lotus Splendor - four neutral shades

- Poudre Elephant Teint Bronzer Powder
- Sunny Manorama - designed to give an “Indian Summer” look to the face

- Juicy Tubes Maharani Jewels
- Ginger Palace - neutral
- Autumn Jasmine - berry tone
- Mango Mystere - deep orange tone
- Guava Enchantment - guava tone
- Bengali Glaze - deep purple

This is definitely not the collection for me. I detest most of these colors especially the ones of the Juicy Tubes, I think they are just all horrible. The eye shadow compacts are fair, they are the only things from this collection that I would purchase. Overall, a major pass until Rose Fishnets comes out in several weeks.

Givenchy Fall 2008 Collection

One line that I haven’t tried anything from yet is Givenchy. Their colors and fragrances have never really had the ability to capture my business thus far. Until now. I fell instantly in love with their newest mascara offering the second that I saw it in a Sephora email. With that as the spark, I decided to do some investing about this line and look at all they had to offer in the area of makeup.

There are two must have products from this collection; the Pocket Beauty Case and the Prisme Again! Shimmer Eyes Limited Edition. I have seen both of these products in the beauty areas of the fall magazines but had never really given much thought to them other than liking them on first sight. We will discuss the Pocket Beauty Case first. It contains a pinky pigment that can be used on lips or cheeks and is housed in silver pocket-watch like accessory. Prisme Again! are two eye shadow compacts that allow the user to create the uber popular smoky eye look. Smoky Shimmer contains black shades and pigments to create a darker eye; Precious Shimmer contains one dark black shade and gold, pink, and white pearlescent shades to create a lighter smoky eye. These are housed in compacts that are based on the concept of the Givenchy suit. These two products alone throw Givenchy into a spot for front runner of the best fall makeup collection.

Oh but there is still more! There are two new shades in the Rogue Interdit lip color collection, Romantic Dandy and Fatal Dandy. Romantic Dandy is pinkish beige to giver a naturally flushed and innocent look. Fatal Dandy is just the opposite of this. It is an elegant red meant to draw major attention to the lips of the wearer. There are also two new shades of the Pop Gloss, also called Romantic Dandy and Fatal Dandy. Think the previous two descriptions lightened up on the pigment with a shimmery texture. Most importantly, Givenchy released a new shade in the Captiv Eyes mascara. Following the trend of this collection, it is called Dandy Black and it the deepest black that can be found in a mascara formula.

I haven’t even begun to discuss what originally drew me to this collection in the first place; the brand new, ultra innovative Phenomen Eyes Mascara. However, with all the raves about this product, it is important enough to me to warrant its own write up. So, my dear readers, you may have to wait a turn for me to write all about this amazing piece of craftsmanship in a mascara tube.

Some New Fragrances for Fall

After my last most wanted list, I began to think about buying new perfumes for the fall. I really have not bought many perfumes over the past few months for two major reasons. One, at this time last year, I went on a major perfume buying spree and I have a ton of fragrances left over from that. Two, as if I already didn’t buy enough for myself, at least one person buys me perfume for every major holiday. In conclusion, I actually have not really been thinking about buying new fragrances any time in the near future.

However, that attitude changed as I was paging through the September issue of Allure magazine. Noted perfumer Frederic Malle gave his picks of the new fragrances in “Fall Review”. The fragrances for this fall are definitely spicier and may be more complex than many of the ones that I already own. The one that caught my eye first is Creed’s Love in Black. Creed is the perfumer to the royal family of England and has been for many years. I find Creed to be one of the gold standards in the fragrance world. This scent is described as having iris in it and being reminiscent of Chanel No. 19 but without all of the heady green notes. It also contains a peachy smell and is described as being one of the smartest fragrances of this fall. Love created for me.

We then progress through the magazine to the article “Uncommon Scents”, a piece about unisex fragrances and which gender they smell better on. The first unisex fragrance that I had ever heard of was CK One, one that I wanted so bad back in the 6th grade. I have no idea if that scent is even made anymore, I honestly haven’t thought about it in years. This article answered my want of a fragrance that isn’t floral or sweet and is one that can be worn everyday with jeans or dressed up with a great pantsuit. After reading this article and the fragrance reviews, I have decided that I am now lemming the fragrance By Kilian Prelude to Love by noted perfumer Kilian Hennessy. The notes are as follows; crimson blossoms, bergamot, lemon, Seville orange, ginger, pepper, orange blossom, and iris. It has both floral and green notes to it and doesn’t seem like it would be overwhelming for everyday. I also love that it has been described as smelling slightly grassy. Demeter’s Grass fragrance is one of the few that I used until I hit the very bottom of the bottle.

This fall will be fragrance beginning for me, its time to try something other than pure floral and sweet fragrances.

September 2008 Lucky

The September issue of Lucky is one of the two largest of the year (the other issue being March aka new spring beauty). I checked my mailbox everyday for this issue and eagerly sat down to pursue it once it finally arrived. This one didn’t disappoint. I found a bunch of things that I really want and made my already long fall beauty shopping list even longer. Here we go…

The first picture is a of a girl with deep red lipstick on, one major fall trend. Form the moment that I saw this picture, I decided that I wanted two of the product pictured; Chanel Rouge Hydrbase Crème Lipstick in Vamp and the Too Faced Mirror Gloss in Envy Me. For someone who thought that she wouldn’t really be into dark lips this fall, I have been picking out a bunch of deeper toned lipsticks.

Another article shows a bunch of products that help to promise the look of poreless skin. There are three products this collection that I would buy in hopes that they would help me continue my quest for flawless skin. The first product is the Stila Hydrating Primer with SPF 15. I think I would use that product more in the winter months. Looking forward to next summer, I would get the Cle de Peau Beaute Smoothing Base for Pores with SPF 22. This product has a greater amount of SPF and appears to be tinted, so I might be able to use this instead of foundation in steamy weather. I also want the Smashbox Compact Anti-Shine. This product is in a compact and will be great to put in my bag for touch ups through out the day.

Other things that I saw that I wanted…

- Kai Body Butter - “Floral but crisp - like fresh-cut blossoms - with a whipped fluffy texture”

- Calypso Christiane Celle Mimosa Body Lotion - “Any Calypso fragrance makes me fell like Tropical Vacation Girl; this one is especially sunny and sexy, with jasmine, rose, and green leaves”

- Lip Fusion Micro-Injected Collagen Lip Plump Color Shine in Dream- “I hate lip plumpers, but I adore this one. It doesn’t sting or break you out in hives and the neutral color is very wearable”

- NARS the Multiple in Malibu - “A beautiful two-in-one cheek-and-lip stick - the heroine in my book falls in love with it when she becomes a beauty editor - bronzy and rosy and gold all at the same time”

- MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel - “As soon as I started using this, friends commented on how much better my skin was looking. It’s amazing for hyper pigmentation, and it’s not too harsh - don’t be put off by the word ‘peel’”

- Du Wop Pure Venom- “This company took their bestselling lip-plumping berry gloss and remade it as a stain. It’s as dead-on gorgeous as the original”

- Aveda Uruku Eye Accent - “this pretty, sheer copper can be built into a rich metallic - stunningly versatile”

Also in this issue, the beauty writers have provided a step by step beauty tutorial on the use of false lashes. I really want to try this advice and see if this is a look that I can master.

Jean Godfrey June’s column was fantastic this issue. I knew that I would love it when I saw eyeliner and a mascara wand pictured. She actually discusses the new Givenchy mascara, a product that I have been obsessed with every since I first saw it on the Sephora website.

Most Wanted Septmeber 2008

These are the products that I really need to purchase this September to continue my fall beauty shopping…

- Urban Decay Lipstick in Gash

- Stila Hydrating Primer SPF 15

- Tarte Emphaseyes High Definition Eye Pencil

- Givenchy Pocket Beauty Case in Sweet Dandy

- Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Smoky Eye

- Lorac Eye Shadow in Star Quality

- Banana Republic Classic Limited Edition Perfume

- Natura Bisse Oxygen Body Cream

- NARS Dolce Vita Blush

- Urban Loose Pigment in Gun Metal

It seems that again this month I am really into buying makeup. I actually haven’t bought any new fragrances yet for fall and really haven’t any majors scents that I am coveting as of yet. I may have to stop by Sephora and find something new to spray on when the temperatures drop.

Clinique Fall 2008 Collection

After my last makeover from Clinique, I really began to get excited about the brand overall. I have been using some of the skincare samples that they gave me last time that I was there and I can’t say that I’m overly impressed with them. I’m more interested in their new makeup colors and hopefully I can find some new colors to update my fall look.

In this line, I am looking for subtle lip colors to work with the strong eye looks of the other collections. To start with, I looked at Super balm lip gloss and the ever famous Almost Lipstick.
Almost Lipstick is considered a product that is a mesh of lipstick and lip gloss. It is not as pigmented as lipstick but it is not a shiny and sheer as the traditional lip gloss. Very my-lips-but-better. The color that I’m most interested in is the famous Black Honey, one of the company’s best selling colors. This is supposed to make your lips look as though you have just been eating berries and you have a bit of the juice on them. I have actually wanted this product for several years now and I’m not really sure why I haven’t bought it yet.

Super balm lip gloss is a product that I have been using since last spring and have really loved. This product is considered be lip balm with color. They are hydrating and gives your serious shine and protect it with nourishing antioxidants. The first color that I got for summer was called Grapefruit and it is bright pink and quickly became one of my favorite glosses ever. For fall, I think I want to try two colors; Currant and Raspberry. Both are sheer berry colors and will still be sheer enough for dramatic eye makeup but are more fall toned.

I guess that I was looking forward less to their fall picks than I thought. I’m really not planning on getting much makeup from this company for fall with their lack of dramatic eye makeup offerings but I know that I will be getting at least two or three lip colors from this company to complement looks from other lines.