MAC A Fantasy of Flowers

Yesterday we looked at the green half of A Fantasy of Flowers, this collection is off to a great start for me and I couldn't wait to start blogging again today and to look at the pink part of this collection.  From the green part of the collection, I was most excited by the Fluidline shade and both of the Mineralize Eye Shadow quads and I am hoping that the pink part of the collection will contain more lip and nail hues that I will want to buy for this spring.  I have been all about the pinks the past few springs and I will start wearing pinks in the beginning of February and then all way throughout the spring and summer.  My pink shades have been getting a workout over the past few springs and I always want to find more great pinks for this spring and summer.  I will start wearing my favorite pink lip and nail shades within the next few days and I will be all about bright pinks for Valentine's Day too.

I have said it earlier in the season and I will say it again here because I am pink shopping again.  My dress for Valentine's Day is black with little white polka dots and I want to do all my makeup in hues of pink.  I might start shopping for some pink jewelry while I am on the pink bandwagon...

"A dream world bursting with brilliant blooms of colour. A stunning bouquet of shades draws you in with hypnotic movement as a magical fantasy emerges glowing with a floral essence. Rose-coloured hues burst from lustrous Lipstick, while a heavenly hybrid of Mineralize Eye Shadows blossoms with natural splendour. Cheeks are kissed with the graceful glow of Mineralize Blush, and vivid pops of colour flourish as Fluidline and Nail Lacquer bring this flowery fantasia to life.", states the MAC website when describing the pink part of A Fantasy of Flowers.

The second part of the collection!

Mineralize Eye Shadow - Four coordinating Eye Shadow shades baked together in a single pinwheel pan. A brilliant way to experience Mineralize's unique properties: remarkably blendable pre-coordinated colours, sheer lightweight application, a pearlized finish with a soft shimmer.
- Pink Sensibilities - pinky brown/chocolate brown/yellow pink/icy blue pink
- Great Beyond - deep blue/dusky plum/icy white lilac/soft mauve brown

Pigment - Pigment is a highly concentrated loose colour powder that contains ingredients to help it adhere to the skin. Create a subtle wash of colour or an intense effect. Does not streak or cake. Easy to blend and long-lasting. Please note: Pigments are sold by weight not volume. Containers can appear to be less than full due to settling of the product.
- Pink Pearl - shimmery lavender pink
- Violet - vivid bright violet purple

Fluidline - Ultra-smooth, Fluidline's gel formula provides the precision of a liquid liner with a silkier, softer finish. Goes on “foolproof” with a brush in an easy dip-and-stroke action. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof. Lines up in a rich array of colours and finishes. Brush sold separately.
- Phlox Garden - vivid violet

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Rose Lily - sheer pastel pink
- Snapdragon - midtone blue pink
- Heavenly Hybrid - midtone berry

Cremesheen Glass - A lip finish that fuses the creamy, sheen-filled nature of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of M∙A∙C Lipglass. Soft, comfortable, non-sticky. Applies with a doe-foot applicator. Use as a top layer to its namesake Lipstick or on its own.
- Pagoda - frosted cool pink
- Playful Petal - electric magenta
- Galaxy Rose - midtone violet pink

Mineralize Blush - Baked minerals refined into a powder formula to provide exceptionally sheer and lightweight application. Colour builds lightly, layer after layer, without heavy coverage. Veils and enhances the cheekbones with a luminous, pearlized shimmer.
- Azalea in the Afternoon - midtone blue pink

Mineralize Skinfinish - A luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish. Smoothes on: adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks, or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face.
- Stereo Rose - coral with golden/bronze shimmering nuances

Nail Lacquer - Revolutionary new high gloss formula. Three long-wearing finishes - Cream, Sheer, and Frosted. Visibly different. Provides no-streak/no-chip finish. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Go hi-lacquer!
- Saint Germain - light cool pink
- Girl Trouble - super glitter pink

286 Duo Fibre Tapered Blending Brush - With its soft dome shape, this two-toned, duo-fibre brush of goat and synthetic fibres provides a sheer, more controlled application of M·A·C Mineralize Eye Shadow.

159 Duo Fibre Brush - A small rounded, double-chiseled paddle-shaped blush brush for the smooth, refined application of powder to shade, blush and highlight the face. Made from a soft blend of natural and synthetic fibres.

187 Duo Fibre Face Brush - A large full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of face powder or pigments. Use to create soft layers or add textures. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres.

This collection is exactly what I thought it would be, I am all over the lip products in this collection and not quite as excited about the eye makeup shades.  All the lip shades are very cool toned and will not work well for many people but they are perfect for me and I have a list of ones that I will want to order.  Rose Lily and Snapdragon are my two favorites in the Lipstick shades, one of these is a pale pink and the other is a medium bubble gum pink shade.  I want every shade of the Cremesheen Glasses in this collection, I will start with the berry toned shade in the winter and then wear the pinks as the spring begins. 

I am on the fence with the bright violet Fluidline, I would either really love it or really hate it.  I am bordering on trying it out since I loved a lilac cream eye shadow from Illamasqua last spring and I am looking forward to wearing it again this spring.  I will have to head to the counter for this product and get the thoughts of the MAC makeup artists on this product.  While we are on the topic of eye makeup, the only eye shadow quad that I would like is the Pink Sensibilities, it contains neutrals and pinks and will work very well with many of the eye makeup shades that I already own.

The Nail Lacquers are my last love of this collection, I must have both of the new shades and I will want to order them right away and start wearing them as soon as they come in.  These are both great pinks and I need to add both to my polish collection.  Nothing else really grabs me in this collection but that is ok since I already have a huge shopping list of items to begin with. 

I still wonder if we are going to be seeing another huge collection from MAC within a month but I think that I will have lots of shopping to do while I am waiting to see what else is on the way from this company!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers

It is very beginning of February and I cannot say how excited I am for this month to be coming to an end; in the past few past, my area in Pennsylvania has received more snow than the whole previous winter and has had only a few days that have climbed over 20 degrees.  Spring will be much appreciated this year than it has for the past few years and I am really looking forward to begin spring shopping for everything from makeup to shoes.  MAC has been releasing a few small collections ever since the day after Christmas and now their huge spring release has just been put up on the website.

I am unsure if this is the big release for spring and will take the place of the collection that always comes out in the first two weeks of February or if another collection is coming our way very soon.  The big February release is often a favorite collection on mine in years past (Hello Kitty, Archie's Girls, Wonder Woman) and I would love for A Fantasy of Flowers to join these collections in my heart and makeup case.  I think this is going to be a great spring shopping season...

The MAC website divides A Fantasy of Flowers into two parts of the collection, it appears that one contains beautiful green shades and the other one is a series of lovely pink hues.  We are going to start with the green collection because that is the one that is working correctly right now.  The MAC website must be very popular right now because the pink collection is crashing when I try to open it up and we will go with the green collection while it works!

"A glorious garden of irresistible shades unfolds, its hidden pleasures unearthed as delicate pastel Pigments unfurl and the dewy sparkle of Cremesheen Glass casts a luminous gleam. Rose-coloured hues burst from lustrous Lipstick, while a heavenly hybrid of Mineralize Eye Shadows blossoms with natural splendour. Cheeks are kissed with the graceful glow of Mineralize Blush, and vivid pops of colour flourish as Fluidline and Nail Lacquer bring this flowery fantasia to life."

Here is the green part of A Fantasy of Flowers!

Mineralize Eye Shadow - Four coordinating Eye Shadow shades baked together in a single pinwheel pan. A brilliant way to experience Mineralize's unique properties: remarkably blendable pre-coordinated colours, sheer lightweight application, a pearlized finish with a soft shimmer.
- In The Meadow - icy shimmering white/dirty olive green/golden mint green/pale yellow
- Golden Hours - copper bronze/golden brown/soft golden peach/pale yellow gold

Pigment - Pigment is a highly concentrated loose colour powder that contains ingredients to help it adhere to the skin. Create a subtle wash of colour or an intense effect. Does not streak or cake. Easy to blend and long-lasting. Please note: Pigments are sold by weight not volume. Containers can appear to be less than full due to settling of the product.
- Chartreuse Bouquet - shimmering acid green
- Lily-white - pale butter yellow shimmer

Fluidline - Ultra-smooth, Fluidline's gel formula provides the precision of a liquid liner with a silkier, softer finish. Goes on “foolproof” with a brush in an easy dip-and-stroke action. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof. Lines up in a rich array of colours and finishes. Brush sold separately.
- Sassy Moss - vivid green

Haute and Naughty Lash - A two-in-one mascara that lets you choose if you want lashes to be naturally defined, or instantly combed and loaded for full-on drama. Easy to use dual-wiper system allows this lightweight formula to go on either way. One wiper refines the application for a clean sweep, while the other loads the lashes for greater impact.
- Haute and Naughty Black - black

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Fleur d'Coral - pale creamy peach
- Naked Bud - neutral sheer nude
- Dreaming Dahlia - sheer red coral

Cremesheen Glass - A lip finish that fuses the creamy, sheen-filled nature of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of M∙A∙C Lipglass. Soft, comfortable, non-sticky. Applies with a doe-foot applicator. Use as a top layer to its namesake Lipstick or on its own.
- Nectarsweet - soft pink peach
- Flare for Fantasy - midtone pink beige
- Star Quality - bright orange coral

Mineralize Blush - Baked minerals refined into a powder formula to provide exceptionally sheer and lightweight application. Colour builds lightly, layer after layer, without heavy coverage. Veils and enhances the cheekbones with a luminous, pearlized shimmer.
- Petal Power - coral pink with gold shimmer

Mineralize Skinfinish - A luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish. Smoothes on: adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks, or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face.
- Perfect Topping - pale pearlized pink

Nail Lacquer - Revolutionary new high gloss formula. Three long-wearing finishes - Cream, Sheer, and Frosted. Visibly different. Provides no-streak/no-chip finish. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Go hi-lacquer!
- Pep Pep Pep - light peach nude
- Soiree - sparkly light bronze gold

187 Duo Fibre Face Brush - A large full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of face powder or pigments. Use to create soft layers or add textures. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres.

286 Duo Fibre Tapered Blending Blush - With its soft dome shape, this two-toned, duo-fibre brush of goat and synthetic fibres provides a sheer, more controlled application of M·A·C Mineralize Eye Shadow.

159 Duo Fibre Brush - A small rounded, double-chiseled paddle-shaped blush brush for the smooth, refined application of powder to shade, blush and highlight the face. Made from a soft blend of natural and synthetic fibres.

I am so excited for the bright green Fluidline in this collection, I have never seen a shade of cream eye liner like this before and this is my favorite piece of this part of the collection!  I am not sure how much wear I would really get from this color but I know that it will be fun for going out at night in the warm weather months.  I hope that this color does not sell out right away and that I can get my hands on it.  While we are looking at the eye makeup, I want both of the Mineralize Eye Shadow quads; I will wear the bronze and gold quad immediately and then all throughout the rest of the year.  I will hold off on breaking out the green one until the spring comes but I think that it is my favorite of the two quads.

As with most of the other MAC collections, the lip products get me very excited and I will need to add more than one or two shades to my collection.  Starting with the Lipstick shades, Naked Bud is my first choice for a nude look against strong eye makeup (like that green Fluidline) or for a natural look on the weekends.  I am even more excited to see that the Lipglass formula included with this collection is the Cremesheen formula, I have been a huge fan of this formula since I first tried it out and I am excited to add yet another one to collection.  My favorite shade from these new shades is Flare for Fantasy, this pink beige is perfect for me and I would wear it all the time and with all kinds of makeup looks. 

Rounding out the rest of the collection...  I want the Nail Lacquer in Soiree and the Mineralize Blush in the new pink shade in this collection.  I see that I have a lot of shopping to do from this first part of the collection and I am really excited to see what the rest of the collection holds.

Onto the pink part of this collection!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Viva Glam Rihanna

Last year was the year of Rihanna for MAC, there were several sell out collections that featured her and the colors that she loves to wear.  I loved the Ruby Woo shade that was given a makeover just for her and now I see that this year will be another year of MAC and Rihanna.  MAC has just released the latest in their acclaimed Viva Glam collection.  Viva Glam is one of their most consistent best sellers and one that often sells out within hours of the initial release.  My favorites in the past have included the Lady Gaga and Fergie collections and I see that this year we will have Rihanna as our spokesperson for this great cause.

This small collection is now available on the MAC and Nordstrom websites and I am sure that several more department stores will pick this collection up within the next week or two.  "Rihanna launches our new M∙A∙C VIVA GLAM with two strikingly bold shades of red frosted Lipstick and Lipglass, perfectly capturing her fearless, confident style. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Rihanna goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature."  I see that Rihanna has released yet another red shade with her name on it...

I love red lipsticks and especially MAC red lipsticks so I am all about this collection even though I have not been a huge fan of the previous Rihanna and MAC collaborations.  This collection introduces the new shade in both the Lipstick and the Lipglass and I bet that I will want both of them if I like the shade.

Viva Glam Rihanna...

Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick - Rihanna's blue-red with frost finish. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature. Pro discount is not applicable.
- Viva Glam Rihanna - frosty blue red

Viva Glam Rihanna Tinted Lipglass - Rihanna's frost blue-red in M∙A∙C's much loved Lipglass formula. Wear it alone or with a Lipstick. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature. Pro discount is not applicable.
- Viva Glam Rihanna - frosty blue red

I do need to see how frosty these shades really are, they could be great new red shades for me or be way too shimmery for my taste. I am interested in a frosty red from MAC as I have several Mattes and Satins from this line already and this would be a big change for my red lipstick/lip gloss collection.  I am thinking that I would be able to pull off this Lipglass even if I don't like the Lipstick when I try it out.

I wonder how many more collaborations we will have with Rihanna for the next few months...

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Vintage Vamp

I am going to warn all of you right now...in previous years I have hated Valentine's Day and spent a whole month before it complaining about it.  This year, I am actually looking forward to Valentine's Day since I have a boy friend for the first time in ages and I think that some of my posts might be a bit different than from previous years.  I will try not to be sappy and goofy, I will be happy this holiday but not silly about the holiday as I have seen from some people in the whole month before.  I will now be coming up with an outfit and beauty ideas for going out that night and this is more likely to be my focus for this blog.  I am thinking that I might wear a favorite black and white dotted dress on mine and then I might want to do bright pink accessories and makeup in this same hue...

I hadn't starting thinking about Valentine's Day beauty until I got the email from MAC about the new Vintage Vamp collection.  This is a Valentine's Day themed lip collection and MAC does one of these collections every single year at this time.  In previous years, MAC has highlighted their best pink and red lip and nail hues and is the start of the Valentine's Day beauty shopping season.  I have always picked at least one or two new shades from this collection in past years however I think that my collection of these hues is getting so large that I may not need any items from this line up.

This collection is online only and will only be offered at the MAC website.  "M•A•C Vintage Vamp - From seductive reds to playful pink, our online-exclusive selection for that pinup-perfect matte lip on Valentine's Day."

Here is the Valentine's Day collection!

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Candy Yum Yum - neon pink
- Ruby Woo - very matte vivid blue red

Pro Longwear Lip Pencil - A new generation of longwearing lip pencil technology. Glides on fluidly and adheres instantly. Defines the lips with an instant release of rich, saturated colour. Pro-longs the hours between re-application.  Transfer proof.
- Kiss Me Quick - yellow red

The only shade that I need from this collection is the Candy Yum Yum Lipstick, this shade is sold out at my counter all the time and is periodically sold out on both the MAC and Nordstrom websites.  I have both NARS Schiap and Funny Face however this face is in between the two shades and I still want Candy Yum Yum really bad.  I will just keep watching for this hue and order it as I can.  I would like to have this shade before Valentine's Day but I wouldn't mind wearing Schiap (as this is still a favorite pink shade of mine) with my black and white dress.

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Feminine Face

Earlier today we looked at a new eye makeup collection from MAC and now we are moving onto a to full color collection to start out the New Year.  I am not quite sure if this is a whole new collection or just a new look created with current MAC products and shades, I guess I will find out when I check this collection out in detail.  Whatever the case may be...this is a very pretty collection of shades and the model has a skin tone identical to mine so I know that I will find several shades to try in it.  The model has very cool toned pale skin and is wearing a variety of pink hues and this overall look would be very pretty for Valentine's Day!

"For a modern, Feminine Face, simply follow the step-by-step instructions for an easy look with a flawless finish. Prep + Prime Natural Radiance hydrates and primes to improve makeup application, Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation provides luminous perfection with a natural-satin finish, and Mineralize Skinfinish finishes for a glow that's subtle, yet radiant. For professional results, apply with the new 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush."

I see that this is not a full color collection and that makes me very unhappy, I love the look that the model has on and I was looking forward to finding new shades for a pale pink eye and lip look.  This is one of my favorite looks to wear at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, I am hoping that that I like the palette in the Mineralize Eye Shadow x 4 collection so that I have another one to add to my collection.  Especially since I won't be finding one in this collection...

Feminine Face is all about face makeup; it presents a series of foundations and primers that will create the perfect base for all the pretty new makeup that I will be buying this spring.  I have been looking at foundation formulas for the past few days and perhaps I will find one in this collection that I will want to try.  My Holy Grail NARS formula is beginning to get low so it is time for me to decide if I want to try another formula or if I simply want to repurchase a bottle of this product.  I have used and loved MAC foundations in the past and I would be very happy to try another formula from this company.

Here is the Feminine Face collection...

Prep + Prime Natural Radiance - A silky gel emulsion, rich in natural ingredients, that hydrates and primes to improve foundation or powder application, control oil and promote smooth texture. Vitamins E and C protect with antioxidants, while caffeine calms skin. Illuminating pearl powders reflect optic brightening. Well-suited for all skins but especially effective on deeper skin tones, the formula disappears upon application, resulting in a beautiful glow.

Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation - A combination of powders creates an optical blurring effect that virtually diminishes imperfections and fine lines, for a more even tone. The light-reflecting, natural satin finish makes skin appear refined, revitalized and refreshed with a new purity, softly lit from within. SPF 15 adds the perfect finishing touch of sun protection. Features our 77-Mineral Complex, Shea Butter and Vitamin E.  Available in a full range of shades to suit every skin tone.

Mineralize Skinfinish - A luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish. Smoothes on: adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks, or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face.
- Gold Deposit - soft reflective golden bronze
- Lightscapade - soft candlelit beige with multidimensional shimmer
- Soft and Gentle - gilded peach bronze

188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush - A flat-topped, full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of any formula colour – fluid, cream, powder or pigment. Ideal for creating soft layers or adding textures. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres.

I want to try this foundation formula from MAC, I have used one of their Mineralize liquid foundations before and I really liked how it performed and how nice it made my skin look.  I think that I will need to try a bit of this on my hand while I shop at the counter this weekend and decide how much I like it.  I love the range of MAC foundation shades, this is one of the only companies that I never worry about not finding a match to my skin tone when shopping at the counter.  The Prep + Prime formula is not one that I have tried yet and one that I would like to purchase when I need a new primer formula.

This isn't quite what I expected to get from this collection but now I am excited to shop for primers and foundations to finish out the winter and head into the spring months!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow x 4

We have just entered 2014 and MAC is celebrating it with two new small collections that will start the year off on the right foot!  They are both small so we will look at both of them this weekend so that I can begin getting ready to go shopping at the counter next week, the holidays are really over now so I can safely enter a mall again and enjoy a nice afternoon of shopping.  My first stop will be Sephora to see what the status on new products are and then my next stop will be the MAC counter to grab some items from Magnetic Nude and to see what else is new since my last visit.  Then I will stop at Limited and Express to see if they have any nice sweaters left and Barnes and Noble for more Agatha Christie books.  I hope the snow stays away next Saturday afternoon!

MAC has capitalized on the fame of their Mineralize Eye Shadow formula and made a small collection based on palettes comprised on these shades.  I have never tried this formula before and I have heard very mixed reviews on this formula, people either love or hate the Mineralize products and I have never been huge fan of mineral products to start with so this will be hit or miss for me.

I only saw this collection on the MAC website so I will be pulling all my information from the company's website.  "The rich pigments of Mineralize Eye Shadow are a cult favourite of M•A•C lovers everywhere, because of their bold, blendable shades and gorgeous shimmer. Now you can create an array of looks for day and evening with Mineralize Eye Shadow x 4, six new compacts in complementing colour waves. Suitable for all skin tones, the pre-filled palettes come with four shades each. For optimal results, apply and blend with the 286 Duo Fibre Tapered Blending and 287 Duo Fibre Eye Shadow Brushes."

Mineralize Eye Shadow x 4 - Six pre-filled palettes with four coordinated colours. Featuring our unique Mineral-Rich Yeast Extract, a blend of 77 minerals that nourishes while providing silky smooth coverage. Its sheer, lightweight application allows each shade to build lightly, layer after layer, for dramatic colour with a lustrous glow.
- A Party of Pastels - four coordinated colours, from pastel pink to soft violet
- A Medley of Mauves - four coordinated colours, from deep eggplant to icy pearl pink
- A Glimmer of Gold - four coordinated colours, from soft gold to copper bronze
- A Harvest of Greens - four coordinated colours, from green olive to blackened burgundy
- A Sprinkle of Blues - four coordinated colours, from intense navy to deep blue
- A Waft of Gray - four coordinated colours, from dark charcoal to white frost

287 Duo Fibre Eye Shadow Brush - A rounded, medium sized, double-chiseled, paddle-shaped brush. Perfect for applying and blending Eye Shadow. Made from a blend of soft, natural bristles and synthetic fibres, allowing for a light wash of colour.

286 Duo Fibre Tapered Blending Brush - With its soft dome shape, this two-toned, duo-fibre brush of goat and synthetic fibres provides a sheer, more controlled application of M·A·C Mineralize Eye Shadow.

I originally thought that the quad of neutrals would be my favorite of the palettes but a different one caught my eye from this line.  I really like the A Waft of Gray, this combination of grays and whites would make a lovely smoky eye and I would also trying mixing a pale lavender hue in with these shades too.  I will be trying this palette out when I visit the counter and I will see how the formulation and pigmentation are.  If I like this formula than I will purchase the neutral palette (A Glimmer of Gold) and then the pale pink palette (A Party of Pastels) and I will have another eye shadow formula from MAC to obsess over!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Blot Powder/Pressed

I have been testing out new staples for the past few weeks and I have found a powder that has occupied a permanent place in my purse every since I first used it.  I am talking about the MAC Blot Powder (pressed version).  I may have dry skin but I always like to have some combination of a pressed powder and blotting papers in my purse.  I use a small amount of a loose powder on my face to set my makeup every morning but I find that my forehead and nose tend to get somewhat shiny throughout the day and I like to keep products with me that can quickly correct this issue.  I don't even remember what the last pressed powder that I reviewed on this blog was, I go through them so slowly and I just finished up a small powder that was so old that the writing had worn off the top of the compact by the time that I was finally done with it.  At this rate, the MAC Blot Power should last me for at least another year or two...

MAC has been one of my favorite brands recently and I have been picking up items for myself nearly every single time that I visited the counter to pick up gifts this past holiday season.  I was trying to remain practical with many of these purchases and I picked up some face items and an extra tube of the Opulash Mascara.  One of my biggest beauty goals for next year is to more brands and I need to try and look for other brands that can perform as well as MAC but this will not kick off for a few more days and it seems like my blog is on MAC overboard right now.

The MAC website provides the following description of the Blot Powder/Pressed, "A unique, oil-controlling pressed powder that sets foundation and finishes the face while adding minimal colour and texture.  For use in professional situations and for frequent touch-ups on set or throughout the day.  Provides a very sheer, matte-looking finish."

This powder is currently available in four shades and is a part of the permanent MAC product line.  I use the shade "Light", this is the palest shade and the only one that suits me.  The powder is very sheer and that is the only reason that can use "Light", if this product was more pigmented then I would need an even paler shade.

I usually use this powder only to touch up during the day, I apply a very little bit of it to my forehead and nose around lunchtime and my skin remains matte through the rest of the day.  I tried this product to set my face in the morning (instead of my usual loose powder) and it works equally well for this purpose but I just prefer to use loose formulas in the morning and then touch up with a pressed formula.  There is nothing special about this product and I can't say that it is an outstanding product but it works nicely and I would recommend it to someone looking for a good touch up powder.  I find that there are very little differences in between most pressed powder formulas and there is very little variation in between formulas/brands.  I would repurchase this product however it will take me a long time to use it up and I will probably want to try and review a different product by the time that I have gotten through this whole compact...

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Magnetic Nude

Earlier today we looked at the Punk Couture collection from MAC and now we are looking at the last of the new collections that were released on Boxing Day.  This collection is named Magnetic Nude and this is the one that I found the most exciting when I quickly looked at the preview of the two color collections a few days ago.  This one promises to be the polar opposite of Punk Couture, I found a few products that will be awesome for getting dressed up and going out and this collection will give me some shades to add to my core makeup collection and great shades to swear by.  At the beginning of every new year, I always look for new neutral shades to add to my line up, this is the time of the year that I look for new Holy Grails and then add more seasonal shades once the spring collections start coming out.

As I stated in the earlier paragraph, I am very excited about the Magnetic Nude collection and I am looking forward to finding quite a few new pieces when I look at it.  I am hopeful that I find a few of the following: several neutral shades of eye shadow that I can wear with ones that I already own, a great nude lipstick/lip gloss shade that will work with any eye makeup look, and a neutral nail polish that I can wear in between bright and dark shades.  I have been wearing reds on my nails since Thanksgiving and I need a change of pace for my manicures.

"Ignite your inner magnetism, as glimmering metallics and natural nudes redefine winter opulence. Skin is radiant in soft peachy nudes, fine golds and sheer pearls. Smoky eyes get a metallic effect, shaded with grey mauve, deep copper and iridescent pink. Flushed nudes lend a subtle yet sexy polish, in cool pink and coral Extra Dimension Blush, and pale, creamy shades for lips create a look that's naturally magnetic.", states the MAC website to describe the collection.  I am so excited for this collection and I am envisioning some great metallic nude eye makeup right now!

The Magnetic Nude collection from MAC!

Extra Dimension Eye Shadow - A liquid-powder Eye Shadow with prismatic reflections in ten shimmering tints. Impact ranges from sheer crystallized light to a highly polished metallic effect. Lasts up to 6 hours.
- A Natural Flirt - iridescent light pink
- Sweet Heat - soft peach pink
- Platinum Love - bright clean silver
- Amorous Alloy - deep terracotta copper
- Silver Dawn - dirty gray mauve

Fluidline - Ultra-smooth, Fluidline's gel formula provides the precision of a liquid liner with a silkier, softer finish. Goes on “foolproof” with a brush in an easy dip-and-stroke action. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof. Lines up in a rich array of colours and finishes. Brush sold separately.
- Chilled - frosted white gold
- It's Physical - brown with purple pearl
- Our Secret - metallic brown with red pearl

Opulash - Superlative style & state-of-the-art science merge. A new formula in a more saturated intense black with extra-volumization, expansion & curl delivered dramatically with our most bodacious brush yet. Lasts 15 hours!
- Bad, Bad Black - black

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Close Contact - creamy peach
- Sensual Sparks - dirty cool caramel
- Morning Rose - soft cool rose
- Carnal Instinct - deep brick red with gold pearl

Tinted Lipglass - 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.
- A Quiet Roar - creamy off white
- Oh My Darling - pale yellow pink
- Overspiced - dirty muted coral
- Hell Bound - brick red with gold pearl
- Steel Kiss - dirty mauve with green pearl

Extra Dimension Blush - A liquid-powder blush with prismatic reflections in five shimmering shades. Impact ranges from sheer crystallized light to a highly polished metallic effect. Lasts up to 6 hours.
- At Dusk - midtone rose
- Autoerotique - dirty coral rose
- Pleasure Model - soft terracotta with pearl

Extra Dimension Skinfinish - A liquid-powder highlighter with prismatic reflections that sculpts, highlights and models the face. The cool, creamy near-fluid formula creates a luminous, well-defined finish. Wears 10 hours.
- Superb - soft peachy nude with multi-dimensional shimmer
- Magnetic Appeal - medium tan with fine gold sheen
- Fairly Precious - peach with dimensional pearly sheen

235 Split Fibre All Over Eye Brush - Subtle or sizzling, edgy or elegant, this split fibre brush allows you to create the eye look you're longing for with its signature blend of goat hair & synthetic fibres.

128 Split Fibre Cheek Brush - Designed for exceptional Blush application, this split fibre brush delivers a soft, diffused look with its unique combination of natural & synthetic fibers.

I have a lot of choices in this collection and this will contain some of my top picks for shopping in the New Year!  I will not go to the mall again until after the new year begins, at that point it should be calmed down from after the holidays and I should actually be able to look around without facing a mob of shoppers.  I might order a few pieces from this collection online right away and then check out the rest of them at the counter when I head out...

My favorite piece of this collection is one of the Lipstick shades, Morning Rose is a soft, cool rose that will be perfect for creating the My-Lips-But-Better look with my skin tone.  I will be able to wear this shade for the rest of the winter and then well into the spring and then pick up again next fall.  This will be a great addition to my lipstick collection and it is my first choice for the whole collection and my first choice from all the new MAC collections.  I can skip over the rest of the Lipstick shades and then move right over to the Lipglass.  I want the Hell Bound shade, this brick red will be very nice for getting dressed up or in a professional environment.  The other shade that I really want from the Lipglass line is the Oh My Darling shade, this neutral pink will work well with everything that I own and I can see myself going through this tube very rapidly.  The lip products are the ones that I would be ordering early because they are ones that I must have and I have used enough MAC lip shades to know that I will love these.

Moving over to the eye makeup part of this collection...  I have already picked up and played with Urban Decay's Naked 3, I will be putting this palette aside for warmer weather and I am sure that the nudes in this collection's palette will work well with and the other Naked palettes.  This new palette is made up of rose gold shades so I am already looking for shades from other companies that will work with this new set of hues.  I want A Natural Flirt, Amorous Alloy, and Sweet Heat to wear with the new shades and to mix with the hues that I already own.  This is a great collection for me to find more eye makeup shades.  I love the Opulash formula and I am considering picking up another tube of this product for when I run out of mascara.

The last piece that I really like is one that I want to see at the counter first, the Extra Dimension Blush in the rose hue is really pretty however I am wary of any blush from MAC that has shimmer in it.  MAC can go too heavy on the shimmer for face products so I must try this one at the counter first and then decide.  If the shimmer is faint, this blush will be a great choice for me but if the shimmer is too heavy then I will be skipping over it.

This is by far my favorite of the new collections and the one that I will be spending the most money on, I will be ordering some of the best products online soon and then will be visiting the counters in the new year to try the rest of the items out.  Now we can start looking forward to seeing what MAC brings out for spring!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Punk Couture

Punk Couture is the first of the two full color collections from MAC to be released yesterday and is the one that looks to be the most relevant to many of the trends that I have been seeing in beauty and fashion magazines over the past two months.  The punk looks that have been all over the runways the past few months are often too much for me to pull off and I have not been dabbling in any of these looks nor have I any plans to.  I know that this collection will excite a lot of ladies but I doubt that I will find many items for myself in it.  I have much higher hopes for the Magnetic Nudes collection that was also released yesterday...

This collection contains bright shades for eyes, lips, and nails...I might find a new lip hue or nail polish shade from this collection so I still might be able to pick up some items from this collection.  I think that I would be more likely to buy new nail polishes from this collection but I will check out every single product and see what I find that might work for me and my beauty style.

The MAC website provides an overall description of the collection.  "Introducing daring new shades for eyes, lips and nails inspired by punk's rebel spirit and revolutionary impact on high fashion. Eye Shadow x 4 blends and builds fierce eyes while vibrant neon Pigments instigate a chaos of colour. Deep tones of matte Lipstick attract all the right attention in Hautecore, Studded Kiss and Instigator, while the gleam of Jet Boy and No Apologies Cremesheen Glass shimmers with golden and purple pearl. Black-as-night cream and teal green lacquer nails in pure, polished punk."  Teal Nail Lacquer might be right up my alley this winter...

Here is the Punk Couture collection!

Punk Couture: Eye Shadow x 4 - An Eye Shadow Quad in four shades: light taupe mauve, rich blackened plum, silvered violet with gold, and intense black. The highly pigmented powder formula applies evenly, blends and builds beautifully.
- All Races - light cool taupe mauve (Matte)
- Idol Eyes - silvered violet with gold (Lustre)
- Magic Moor - rich blackened plum with pearl (Veluxe Pearl)
- Carbon - intense black (Matte)

Pigment - Pigment is a highly concentrated loose colour powder that contains ingredients to help it adhere to the skin. Create a subtle wash of colour or an intense effect. Does not streak or cake. Easy to blend and long-lasting. Please note: Pigments are sold by weight not volume. Containers can appear to be less than full due to settling of the product.
- True Chartreuse - rich flat chartreuse green
- Neo-Orange - intense neon salmon
- Magenta Madness - intense neon blue pink

Haute and Naughty Too Black Lash - Our two-in-one mascara in an intense carbon black. Creamy, velvety, lightweight formula sweeps up lashes and coats from root-to-tip. The dual-wiper system customizes your lash style: naturally defined or powerfully dramatic.

Penultimate Eye Liner - A liquid pen-style liner that provides the ultimate precise, bold line in a rich, deep carbon black shade. Goes on fluidly, in one steady stroke, to style any fashion of eye line.
- Rapidblack - true black

Eye Kohl - A soft-on pencil liner that lines, defines and shades the eyes with rich colour and a silky-smooth, matte/pearl finish. Ophthalmologist tested.
- Smolder - intense black

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Studded Kiss - dark oxblood red
- Instigator - deep blackened plum
- Punk Couture - deep blackened grape
- Hautecore - true matte black

Cremesheen Glass - A lip finish that fuses the creamy, sheen-filled nature of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of M∙A∙C Lipglass. Soft, comfortable, non-sticky. Applies with a doe-foot applicator. Use as a top layer to its namesake Lipstick or on its own.
- Jet Boy - sheer black with gold pearl
- No Apologies - sheer black with pinkish purple pearl
- Dark Outsider - creamy true black

Nail Lacquer - Revolutionary new high gloss formula. Three long-wearing finishes - Cream, Sheer, and Frosted. Visibly different. Provides no-streak/no-chip finish. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Go hi-lacquer!
- Impassioned - bright warm pink
- Formidable - teal green with pink multi changing pearl
- Nocturnelle - black as night black

I love the Nail Lacquer in Formidable, this teal with the pink pearl is simply amazing and I must order a bottle of this shade.  I have nothing like this shade in my collection and I have never seen anything like this hue before.  I have a feeling that this shade will sell out instantly and I cannot wait to get to the counter and I will order this one online later tonight.  Already I am seeing that many of the lip shades are completely sold out and I don't want to miss out on this nail polish too. 

The Nail Lacquer is the only shade that I must own from this collection but I actually like a few more items from it than I thought that I would.  The Eye Shadow x 4 would not be an everyday look for me but I would like to own it and I would use it when getting dressed up and going out at night.  Idol Eyes is a very unique shade and one that I would like to add to my collection.  I already own the Eye Kohl in Smolder and only use it when going out so I certainly don't need another one, I am actually out of my Penultimate formula so I am considering buying another tube or trying another liquid eye liner form from MAC.  The last item that I would like from this collection is a Lipstick shade, Studded Kiss is the only shade that I would be able to pull off from this collection.  All of the others are black hues or has a black tint to them and I would never be able to pull them off.  I am slightly sad because I love the Cremesheen formula and always want to add more of these glosses to my collection.

Two collections from Boxing Day down and one left!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Huggable Lipcolour

The day after Christmas (or Boxing Day for those in the UK and Canada) is a huge day for MAC, they release new collections on this day every single year and they are often among the best ones of the whole year.  In years past, these collections have contained products and shades that would work well all throughout the year and have often become colors in the permanent MAC line up.  The first one that comes to mind is All Ages, All Races, All Sexes (or something to this effect) that was released several years ago and became an instant class for the line.  I am looking forward to seeing what MAC has up their sleeve this year!

Three new collections have come out today and we will start looking at them immediately.  I am in the mood for some new shades of blush and lip gloss that I can add to my permanent line up of products and that would work well with many of the products that I already own.  MAC has brought out two full color collections and then one that introduces a new lipstick formula...the lipstick collection is where we will start because all of you know my love of MAC Lipstick formulas and I get very excited to try new ones out as soon as I can!  I have been rotating back and forth in between the Urban Decay Revolution and the Too Faced La Crème lipsticks and I am ready to revisit some MAC formulas.

The new Lipstick formula is named Huggable and the packaging looks exactly like that of the Sheen Supreme formula that I love to pieces and count among my overall favorite lipstick formulas.  I will be checking shades out and trying this formula as soon as I can get to the counter again!

The MAC website provides the following description of the new formula, "When it comes to gorgeous lips, don't compromise shine for colour. You can have it all in a new formula inspired by Asian trends, hugging your lips in 12 hues that stay bright and luminous for up to six hours. Featuring an array of creamy emollients, Huggable Lipcolour provides a lasting, glossy finish that leaves lips smooth and sculpted."

Huggable Lipcolour - A new high-shine formula featuring an array of creamy emollients, providing a lasting, glossy finish that leaves lips smooth and sculpted. A unique gel base allows each shade to smooth effortlessly onto the skin, with a feather-light finish giving immediate moisture, lasting up to six hours.
- Touche - light beige cream
- Fresh and Frisky - soft neutral peach cream
- Fashion Force - cool coral cream
- Lovebeam - midtonal warm pink cream
- Cherry Glaze - orange red cream
- Feeling Amorous? - midtonal fuchsia cream
- What A Feeling! - midtonal cool pink cream
- Out for Passion - soft warm rose cream
- Red Necessity - deep warm wine cream
- Commotion - deep cool plum cream
- Rusty - deep auburn cream
- Rich Marron - midtonal nude cream

This formula sounds very similar to Sheen Supreme; it combines moisture, color, and shine all together to create a wonderful formula that performs on all levels.  This one has the potential to be another MAC favorite of mine.  My early favorite shade is What A Feeling!, I love this cool pink and I will save this one for the beginning of spring.  Bubblegum pink lip shades are favorites of mine in the spring and this one will be a valuable addition to my collection!  Red Necessity is a shade that I would wear right now and so is Touche.  Touche is a great nude and I would wear this shade all year long, I could see this one being a prime addition to my line up and working with almost all of the makeup that I already own.  I have been using nudes a lot lately and I always want more nude shades.

I will be trying this new lipstick formula the next time that I head over to the MAC counter and I am confident that I will walk away with several new shades in this new formula.  I will report back on what my findings are and I would appreciate any comments from those who have already tried this one out.

photo courtesy of MAC

RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Collection

We are now onto what I believe is the last holiday collection from MAC, it is another one in the series of highly popular RiRi Hearts MAC collections that started coming out in the very beginning of the summer months.  I have no idea when Rihanna's popularity will begin to wane but at the moment it shows no sign of stopping and these collections have been instant sell outs and cult favorites. I am considering going onto Ebay when I have some spare time (maybe after finals week) and looking to see what products from the summer and fall collections are being resold for.  I am willing to bet that they are only rising in price and popularity...

In the previous seasons, I have liked many of the eye makeup from the RiRi collections but I have never liked the lip or face products in the collections.  None of those shades have ever looked like they would work for my skin tone, something to be expected since myself and Rihanna have two very different skin tones and there is no way that shades for her would flatter me and vice versa.  I don't have high hopes for this collection and I would only really look at some of the eye makeup shades from the latest part of the RiRi series...

"Rihanna's latest creative collaboration with M·A·C is a series of stunning looks for lips, eyes and face in shades of metallic majesty and confident colour. This limited-edition collection is encased in exclusive white-pearl packaging with RiRi's iconic rose gold detailing. Wrapping it all up, the pink metallic sheen of the RiRi ♥ M·A·C Makeup Bag in a quilted design, uniquely Rihanna.", states the MAC website when providing a description of the overall collection.

Here is the holiday version of the RiRi collection!

RiRi Hearts MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow: Pfresh Out - Five complementary shades by Rihanna for infinite day-to-night looks: soft champagne, peach gold with pearl, blackened plum, pearlescent pink and violet mauve. Highly pearlized frost finish. Encased in an exclusive white-pearl packaging with RiRi's iconic rose gold detailing. Limited edition.

RiRi Hearts MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow: 2X Dare - Five complementary shades by Rihanna for infinite day-to-night looks: white silver, deep grey blue, beige-grey, cement with pearl and light crystal mauve. Highly pearlized frost finish. Encased in an exclusive white-pearl packaging with RiRi's iconic rose gold detailing. Limited edition.

RiRi Hearts MAC Superslick Eye Liner - A liquid liner in two limited-edition shades by Rihanna - the shimmering white of Pisces Persuasion and rose gold of Cockiness. Water-based, water-resistant, quick and precise to apply. Dries in 15 seconds to a sleek, long-wearing, wet-look, no-smudge line. The superior no-fuss, no-wobble application lies in the "magic tip" of the easy-to-control dipstick applicator. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Pisces Persuasion - shimmery white
- Cockiness - shimmery rose gold

RiRi Hearts MAC Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips that made M∙A∙C famous. Three limited-edition shades created by Rihanna. In Retro Matte - the signature red of RiRi Woo. In Matte - the nude taupe of Bad Girl RiRi and fuchsia of Pleasure Bomb. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Pleasure Bomb - matte fuchsia
- RiRi Woo - matte cool red
- Bad Girl RiRi - matte taupey mauve

RiRi Hearts MAC Bronzing Powder - Rihanna's limited-edition soft, golden brown powder with overspray of gold pearl gives sheer, natural colour and highlights. Ideal for enhancing a skin tone or accenting and enhancing a tan. Formulated for smooth, even application on all skin types. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- Love, Rihanna - soft golden brown with overspray of gold pearl

RiRi Hearts MAC Nail Lacquer - Limited-edition matching shade of Rihanna's signature red RiRi Woo in our high-gloss formula. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C packaging.
- RiRi Woo - matte cool red

RiRi Hearts MAC Double-Ended Brush: 217/239SE - On one end: 217 Blending for shading or blending of colour or creamy products. This brush has fine, densely packed fibres arranged in an oval shape. On other end: 239 Eye Shader, smooth, firm fine fibres in a tapered shape and rounded edge to shade or blend eye shadow or emollient-based products. Can be used to build intense colour on the eyelid. Exclusive white-pearl RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C handle.

RiRi Hearts MAC Makeup Bag - Wrap it all up in the pink metallic sheen of a small rectangular, quilted makeup bag by Rihanna. 6.5" x 4.5" x 1.5" with zipper closure. Limited edition.

I think that this might actually be my favorite of the RiRi Hearts MAC collections, in the other collections I haven't liked any of the face and lip products and this collection is the complete opposite.  A big change with this collection is that the lipsticks are my favorite of the collection and the eye makeup shades don't really do much for me.  I love the fuchsia and the red shades that are included with this collection, the red shade is the original shade that came out when the first RiRi collection was released in the early summer and quickly became a sell out classic.  I am betting that the re-release of this shade with the holiday collection will make a lot of ladies very happy and will cause much more traffic coming to the MAC counters, I was never able to get my hands on it the first time around and now I am very excited to see that I have a chance to buy it again without resorting to Ebay!

The Lipsticks are my first choice from this collection and then the next item that I buy will be the red nail polish made to match RiRi's most famous MAC Lipstick shade.  I only like one of the Eye Shadow Palettes, Pfresh Out is the only eye shadow palette that I am interested in from this collection and I don't know that I like it enough to order it.  Some of the warmer shades are nice but they are nothing special and I am sure that I already own every single one of them from previous eye makeup purchases.  I don't like the other palette and I wouldn't use either of the liquid eye liners so the eye makeup products in this collection hold next to no interest for me and I will be skipping over them completely.  I will also be skipping over the bronzer as I am not a huge fan of shimmery bronzers and I don't use them this time of the year.

I am wondering if the RiRi Hearts MAC collection will continue into the spring months and come full circle early next summer or if this is the last collection in the line.  I guess we will see in the coming months if MAC will be continuing with Rihanna or if they will have a new face for their collections.

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Nocturnals Collection

We have been looking at the MAC gift collections for the past few weeks and I hope that each of you reading this will have gotten some ideas of what they will be giving all of the most important ladies in their lives this holiday season.  I have already gotten a few good ideas for both some friends of mine and a few items that I now want to add to my beauty product collection this holiday season.  I still think that the Divine Night color collection is my favorite collection from MAC this season and I would be most likely to buy myself some new products and shades from this collection.  I am very excited for the holiday season now and I can't wait to see what the rest of the beauty industry comes out with!

The final gift part of collection is called Nocturnals and it will be my favorite part of the gift collection, I see some lip gloss sets in this collection and I know that I will want some for myself and I also can think of a few good friends of mine that would love these little gift sets too.  This collection might be the death of my wallet this holiday season!

From the Nordstrom website, "After-dark glamour comes in mini kits for those seeking nocturnal pleasures. Lip gloss sets evoke the essence of evenings out, Tastitints lip conditioner add whispers of polish and Pigments & Glitter give you smoky eyes in scintillating shade waves."  What is the Tastitints lip conditioner?  Have I missed a MAC product somehow or is this an exclusive to these holiday sets?  I will have to investigate a bit further and see what else I find.

The last part of the MAC gift collections!

Nocturnals Silver and Violet Pigment and Glitter Set - The M·A·C Nocturnals collection features a lavish array of hues for your lips, face and eyes that leave you sizzling from dusk until dawn. The pigment and glitter set features five stackable jars of pigment and glitter that give your face and body extra sparkle for a night on the town.
- Pigment in Kitschmas
- Pigment in Vanilla
- Pigment in Push the Edge
- Glitter in Pink
- Glitter in Grey

Nocturnals Black and Gold Pigment and Glitter Set - The M·A·C Nocturnals collection features a lavish array of hues for your lips, face and eyes that leave you sizzling from dusk until dawn. The pigment and glitter set features five stackable jars of pigment and glitter that give your face and body extra sparkle for a night on the town.
-  Pigment in Naked
- Pigment in Museum Bronze
- Pigment in Copper Sparkle
- Glitter in Black
- Glitter in Gold

Nocturnals Green and Teal Pigment and Glitter Set - The M·A·C Nocturnals collection features a lavish array of hues for your lips, face and eyes that leave you sizzling from dusk until dawn. The pigment and glitter set features five stackable jars of pigment and glitter that give your face and body extra sparkle for a night on the town.
- Pigment in Just Before Dawn
- Pigment in Deep Blue Green
- Pigment in Old Gold
- Glitter in 3D Gold
- Glitter in Reflects Gold

Nocturnals Pink Lip Gloss Set - The M·A·C Nocturnals collection features a lavish array of hues for your lips, face and eyes that leave you sizzling from dusk until dawn. A set of four lip glosses cover your pout in high-impact color and come packaged in a limited-edition glossy black box.
- Dazzleglass in Dressed to Dazzle - pink-tinted with silver sparkle
- Cremesheen Glass in Fashion Scoop - clear pink
- Cremesheen Glass in Petite Indulgence - bright blue pink
- Cremesheen Glass in Color Saturation - dark cool wine cream

Nocturnals Coral Lip Gloss Set - The M·A·C Nocturnals collection features a lavish array of hues for your lips, face and eyes that leave you sizzling from dusk until dawn. A set of four lip glosses cover your pout in high-impact color and come packaged in a limited-edition glossy black box.
- Dazzleglass in Moth to Flame - sheer neutral beige with violet pearl
- Cremesheen Glass in On the Scene - pink with pink and white pearl
- Cremesheen Glass in Night is Young - bright red cream
- Cremesheen Glass in Star Quality - bright orange coral

Nocturnals Tastitints Lip Conditioner Set - The M·A·C Nocturnals collection features a lavish array of hues for your lips, face and eyes that leave you sizzling from dusk until dawn. Tastitints lip conditioner covers your pout in a delicious whisper of color while giving them the hydration they deserve.
-  Sugared Vanilla - creamy light soft beige
- Dash of Lavender - mauve
- Mintessence - milky white
- Taste of Paradise - poppy pink

These lip gloss sets look they would be right up my alley and I know that a bunch of my friends would love to open these up this holiday season!  My favorite set is the Pink Lip Gloss set, I love the Cremesheen Glass formula and I have been using these since the beginning of the summer.  I think these glosses are the formula that I go through the fastest in my collection, I was almost half done with one of them about a month after I bought it and I plan to keep adding these to my lip collection.  I want to give some of these sets to my friends since I know that some of them already love this formula too and I want the other ones to try it out because I know that they will love it just as much as I already do.

I would also like to try the Tastitints Lip Conditioners and I want this set really badly.  My lips get very chapped in the winter and this formula (though I know nothing about it) looks as though it would be a great choice from this company to use during the cold weather months.  I would be very interested to see how I could order more of these if I like the formula so I will look more into the website and then do some asking at my local MAC counter. 

In addition to wanting those two sets for myself, those are also the two that I know that my friends will like the most and these are the ones that I will be ordering.  The Coral set might work for some of my friends so I would consider ordering that one also.  I don't think that any of my friends would like the Pigment and Glitter sets so I will be skipping over them and focusing only on the Lip Gloss sets.

I have finished up looking at the MAC holiday collections and now I am very excited to both go shopping for myself and to start making my shopping list for all the ladies in my life!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Stroke of Midnight Face Palettes

We are now onto the second piece of the Stroke of Midnight gift collections from MAC and the one that will be my least favorite of the group.  MAC releases a gift collection like this every year and this one is almost always my least favorite of their releases.  I typically wouldn't buy a gift like this for any of my friends and I would be more likely to order one of these small palettes for myself.  There are only two palettes in this part of the collection and these are the largest of the palettes that MAC offers, these are definitely gifts that you buy for your closet friends and family members (or yourself).  I might like this collection a bit better if there was more of a shade range, there are only two palettes in this collection and therefore it might be hard for me to find one that I would use every single shade in.

The Face Palettes part of the collection offers two face palettes that contain shades for face, eyes, and lips.  One is crafted for warm toned skin and the other is for cool toned skin, this is not how I prefer to buy makeup and I would be more likely to order the individual products for either myself or my closest friends.  I don't really expect to find a great gift idea in this part of collection but maybe I will get a shock...

"The night belongs to you. Give yourself a complete makeover with M·A·C Stroke of Midnight face palettes, featuring everything you need for a look that has no limits. Go with the Warm palette for a pearlescent shine or choose Cool for deep sophistication.", states the Nordstrom website.

Here is the Face Palettes part of the collection...

Stroke of Midnight Warm Face Palette - M·A·C rings in the New Year with the Stroke of Midnight collection, featuring a range of products for lips, face and eyes that celebrate the dreamy time between dusk and dawn. The Warm face palette tucked into a limited-edition black compact features a range of coordinated eye shadows, bronzing powder, lipsticks and eye kohl so you can create a perfect look that's yours alone.
- Tenderly Eye Shadow - a soft warm pink with frost
- Showstopper Eye Shadow - a deep blackened brown
- After Dusk Eye Shadow - a mid-tonal rosy pink with pearl
- Golden Bronzing Powder - a muted tan-beige with shimmer
- Teddy Bronzer - an intense bronze
- Myself Lipstick - a light dirty mauve with traveling pearl
- Love Talk Lipstick - a mid-tonal cool nude
- Coffee Eye Kohl - deep brown

Stroke of Midnight Cool Face Palette - M·A·C rings in the New Year with the Stroke of Midnight collection, featuring a range of products for lips, face and eyes that celebrate the dreamy time between dusk and dawn. The Cool face palette tucked into a limited-edition black compact features a range of coordinated eye shadows, bronzing powder, lipsticks and eye kohl so you can create a perfect look that's yours alone.
-  Scene Eye Shadow - a muted blue-grey
- All Races Eye Shadow - a cool light mauve taupe
- Magic Moor Eye Shadow - a rich blackened plum with pearl
- Sparkling Rosé Iridescent Powder - a soft pink with gold frost
- Sublime Pleasure Lipstick - a soft mauve cream
- Romantically Inclined Lipstick - a cool plum cream
- Ebony Eye Kohl - an intense black

The Cool Face Palette is the only one of the two that I might be interested in purchasing but I don't really love it, I do have a friend that these shades would work very well on and I would consider buying this for her for Christmas but she is the only person that I would do shopping from this part of the collection from.  The next part of the MAC gifting collection is all about lip products and this promises to be the most exciting part of the collection for both myself and many of my friends!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Stroke of Midnight Eye Shadow Palettes

The other week, we started off the holiday beauty shopping season by looking at the beautiful Divine Night color collection from MAC and it made me so excited to start looking at their holiday gift collections today.  Almost every single holiday season, I have picked up several little gifts from MAC for my friends and these are almost always every one's favorite gifts to unwrap.  Divine Night is going to be all over my shopping list for myself and now it is time for me to start making my holiday present shopping list for others.  I will not start shopping until the middle of November at the earliest and I will admit that I am the queen of online shopping for gifts so I will start filling up an online cart once I have seen some of these gifts in real life at the counters.  I hate shopping around the holidays and will only go to a mall if I am forced to.  I think that I might shopping more when I move to New York City since the individual stores are not near as bad as the mall itself...

Stroke of Midnight is the gifting collection from MAC and it is broken down into several parts.  We are starting with the eye shadow palette part of the collection since I typically buy lip and fragrance sets for my friends and I want to try something different for many of them this year.  I tend to buy more lip products for both myself and those on my Christmas shopping and this is the year that I will try to change this up for both myself and others. 

The Nordstrom website provides a description of the eye shadow palette part of the collection.  "When the clock strikes twelve, the night begins. M·A·C brings you a collection of three Warm, Cool and Smokey eyeshadow palettes with five hues each tucked into limited-edition black compacts with chic graphics and gold piping."

Here is the eye shadow palette part of the Stroke of Midnight collection!

Stroke of Midnight Warm Eye Shadow Palette - M·A·C rings in the New Year with the Stroke of Midnight collection, featuring a range of products for lips, face and eyes that celebrate the dreamy time between dusk and dawn. The Warm eyeshadow palette features a range of gorgeous, neutral hues formulated from highly pigmented powder that applies evenly while blending and building beautifully. The palette comes tucked in a limited-edition black compact and includes a double-ended 213 Fluff brush and 266 Small Angle brush.
- Femme Fi - a frosty golden cream
- Amber Lights - a peachy brown with shimmer
- Socialite - a warm copper
- Mulch - a red-brown with bronze pearl
- Midnight Hour - a warm blackened plum

Stroke of Midnight Cool Eye Shadow Palette - M·A·C rings in the New Year with the Stroke of Midnight collection, featuring a range of products for lips, face and eyes that celebrate the dreamy time between dusk and dawn. The Cool eyeshadow palette features a range of gorgeous hues formulated from highly pigmented powder that applies evenly while blending and building beautifully. The palette comes tucked in a limited-edition black compact and includes a double-ended 213 Fluff brush and 266 Small Angle brush.
- Fair Sex - a light frosted pink
- Deception - a frosty golden brown
- Romance Me - a warm plum with gold pearl
- Shadowy Lace - a blackened plum
- Frisco - a soft pastel pink

Stroke of Midnight Smokey Eye Shadow Palette - M·A·C rings in the New Year with the Stroke of Midnight collection, featuring a range of products for lips, face and eyes that celebrate the dreamy time between dusk and dawn. The Smokey eyeshadow palette features a range of gorgeous hues formulated from highly pigmented powder that applies evenly while blending and building beautifully. The palette comes tucked in a limited-edition black compact and includes a double-ended 213 Fluff brush and 266 Small Angle brush.
- Chillproof - a frosty white
- Retrospeck - a bleached blond
- Gaelic Gold - a metallic gold
- Well Put Together - black with gold frost
- Carbon - an intense black

I want all three of these palettes for myself...not that I am the person that I should be shopping for this time of the year.  I think my favorite for myself is the Warm palette, I love these bronzes and coppers and would use them all throughout the year.  I could make any of these shades work with all of my Naked palettes and I want to add this palette to my collection.  If I was gift shopping, I would be more likely to purchase the Smokey Eye Shadow palette for my friends, many of them don't own these types of eye makeup shades and this would give them the chance to try some new makeup looks out too.  This is the perfect time of the year to try new makeup looks and these shades would be perfect for getting dressed up and going out to holiday parties.

This is the first piece of the MAC gifting collection and I am already getting some ideas of what I will be picking out for my friends this year!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Holiday Colour Collection - Divine Night

The holidays are fast approaching and my favorite holidays collections are starting to hit the stores and company websites.  We have already looked at Too Faced and Urban Decay and one of the ones that I have anticipated the most has hit the company's website late today.  The one that I look forward to the most every single year is the MAC Holiday Colour Collection, this is often one of their best collections of the whole year and one that I covet at least half of the products and shades from every single year.  My favorite year was the one that was inspired by tartan plaid and Scotland themes but I have never once seen a bad collection come out from this company at the holidays.  Every year, I think that the retail industry rushes the holiday season and this year is no exception, I haven't even eaten half of my Halloween candy yet but I will be switching gears to thinking about the holidays very soon, the collections come out very fast this time of the year and it can be hard to keep up if I don't start strong.

"What happens at night stays there. M•A•C captures the moment when flashing lights illuminate a flair for finery and limitless luxury that can only be described as divine. Gorgeous colours in rich finishes inspire an evening on the scene and to be seen. Enjoy yourself - past midnight, the darkness keeps the secrets. Available for PRO Discount."  I have been seeing a lot of collections that are inspired by nighttime and glamour (thinking Great Gatsby) and this collection from MAC proves that this trend will be huge for this holiday season.  I personally am not a huge holiday party person, the holidays for me are more about trying to balance finals and work and I leave very little time left over for seeing people.  Maybe this is the year that I get dressed up and change that trend.  I do love getting dressed up and maybe this will be the best motivating factor for me!

Here is the Divine Night Collection from MAC!

Divine Night Mineralize Eye Shadow - Baked minerals refined into a powder formula provide exceptionally sheer and lightweight application. Colour builds lightly, layer after layer, without heavy coverage. Pairs two rich, contrasting shades with the graphic impact of a luxe powder design. Limited-edition Divine Night packaging.
- Captivating - bright white gold base/deep gold
- Exquisite Ego - bronze base with soft white champagne
- Until Dawn - soft gold base/purple taupe
- Gilded Night - bright gold with silver pearl base/black with pearl
- Past Midnight - blackish purple with violet pearl base/soft white pink frost
- Tonight's Temptation - black with pearl base/royal blue

Divine Night Fluidline - Ultra-smooth, gel formula provides the precision of a liquid liner with a silkier, softer finish. Apply with brush in an easy dip-and-stroke action. Long-lasting. Smudge-proof. Lines up in a rich array of colours and finishes. Brush sold separately. Limited-edition Divine Night packaging.
- Stares and Speculation - dirty olive with gold pearl
- Deliciously Rich - shimmering dirty taupe
- Macroviolet - deep smoked violet with red pearl

False Lashes - Fashionably false in look, but honestly real, this mascara's key benefits of volume and curl are matched by a dramatic end look. The unique edge: the ultra-thickening formula in combo with the plush-'em-up action of its unique double-lush brush.
- False Black - black

Divine Night Kohl Power Eye Pencil - A kohl pencil that has all the intensity and colour power of ultra-soft carbon. Specially formulated to provide deep, opaque coverage and an intense, smoked finish with duo-chrome pearl. Versatile in application: blend or smudge. Limited-edition Divine Night packaging.
- Orpheus - intense black with gold pearl
- Raven - intense black with red pearl
- Mystery - intense black with green pearl
- Feline - intense black with black pearl

Divine Night Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips that made M•A•C famous. Sophisticated shades in lustrous nude, satin taupe, red and plum. Limited-edition Divine Night packaging.
- You've Got It - pink undertone with gold frost
- Flair for Finery - cool pink/nude
- Exclusive Event - taupe brown
- Private Party - dirty pink mauve
- Prepare for Pleasure - clean magenta red

Divine Night Cremesheen Glass - A lip finish that fuses the creamy sheen of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of M∙A∙C Lipglass. Soft, comfortable, non-sticky. Applies with a doe-foot applicator. Use as a top layer to Lipstick or on its own. Limited-edition Divine Night packaging.
- Flair for Finery - cool nude
- You've Got It - nude taupe with green pearl
- Private Party - plum mauve with pearl
- Prepare for Pleasure - bluish red

Divine Night Mineralize Blush - Baked minerals refined into a powder formula to provide exceptionally sheer and lightweight application. Colour builds lightly, layer after layer, without heavy coverage. Veils and enhances the cheekbones with a luminous, pearlized shimmer. Limited-edition Divine Night packaging.
- Lure to Love - cool pink base with pink frost
- Talk of the Town - warm brown base with yellow bronze
- Lavish Living - violet with silver pearl base with gold pearl

Divine Night Mineralize Skinfinish - A luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish. Adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face. Pairs two rich, contrasting shades with the graphic impact of a luxe powder design. Limited-edition Divine Night packaging.
- Centre of Attention - pastel peachy pink with fine pink shimmer/24K gold shimmer
- Perfectly Poised - bronzey coral with golden tones/creamy beige with pinkish purple sheen
- Scene to Be Seen - mauve with pink sheen/brick rose with gold reflects

Divine Night Nail Lacquer - Velvet gold, darkest silver suede and blackened burgundy gloss nails with a lacquered finish to fire up everyone's envy in our high-gloss formula. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Limited-edition Divine Night packaging.
- Fierce Entrance - rich gold bronze
- Military - black matte with silver suede pearl
- Gadabout Girl - blackened plum

This collection has some absolutely amazing products and my favorites are the new Nail Lacquer shades, I must have all three of these new shades and they are ones that I want to order the day that they come up on the MAC website.  I haven't been this excited about nail polish shades since last summer's Butter London collection and I am so glad that I haven't been buying many new shades because I have extra room in my collection to pick up all three of these new shades.  If I had to choose only one, my favorite is the Military shade, I have nothing like this and I haven't seen many shades like this ever before.  This might be my top choice of the whole collection!

I want products for every single facial feature from this collection.  I am going to start with eye makeup since I have been trying to buy more eye makeup products and cut back on the lip products.  I haven't done very well with this so far but I love these Divine Night Mineralize Eye Shadows and this might be a turning point in my shopping!  I will start with this product, the shades that I must have are Captivating, Exquisite Ego, and Gilded Night.  All of these are shimmering neutrals and I will be able to get lots of use from them in the holiday season and then throughout the whole year.  The Fluidlines are my preferred type of eyeliners, I prefer cream eye liner formulas to pencil ones and I have been all about trying new formulas recently.  I want the Deliciously Rich shade, this is yet another one that will be perfect for the holidays and then for the rest of the winter months.

Lip products are not what I should be buying but I cannot resist at least one new addition to my huge lip gloss and lipstick collection with the Divine Night release.  I can skip over the Lipsticks in this collection, the pale pink one is the only one that I like but I already own two very similar shades to this from MAC.  I must try the Private Party shade of the Cremesheen Glass, this mauve will be very pretty for the fall and winter months and I don't think that I own any type of shade that is similar to this one.  I will be skipping over the blush shades until I can see them at the counter, they are all frosty finishes and I prefer a matte finish blush.  I would be interested in trying these shade only if they weren't very frosty/shimmery so I will need to try these at the counter and then make my decision.

This is great start to the holiday collections, I may not be ready to gift shop but I will be ready to makeup shop very soon!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Current Favorites!

I feel like I haven't done a Favorites post in quite a long time now but then I realized how much I was changing around my skincare products based on the very late Indian summer and I have only been using a few products consistently enough to make them "Favorites".  Many of my favorite items right now are color products, my last blush shopping craze has created a bunch of both new favorites for me and also added to my shopping list because I want more shades from these great formulas.  I might be all about makeup right now but I bet that once I start using more of the same skincare products consistently, I will have a another Favorites list on the way!

Here are the products that are in heavy rotation!

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Dollface - "A long-wearing, solar-baked blush that lasts up to 12 hours.  Infused with natural clay harvested from the banks of the Amazon River and naturally baked by the sun, this nutrient-rich blush benefits all skin types for a fade-free flawless finish that lasts an amazing 12 hours. Inspired by tarte's bestselling shades of cheek stains and lip tints, the colors range from soft to vivid to suit a wide variety of skintones. For oily skin types, Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep product in place. Those with dry skin will benefit from the clay's nourishing and hydrating properties, which naturally restore skin's moisture. Combination skin types can rely on its ability to zero in on skin concerns and deliver benefits to restore complexion harmony. The result: Blush that wears better, longer, and truer."  Dollface is a "light pink" shade with cool undertones.  This product has been around since 2011 but a relatively newer product for me, I picked my first two shades of it up at Sephora late in the summer.  The formula is nicely pigmented and the color stays true from the moment that I put it on to the moment that I take my makeup off at night.  Dollface is a pale cool pink that has full pigmentation.  This shade works perfectly for my pale skin and never fails to gather me compliments.

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Morning Eye Rescue - "An eye cream to de-puff, soothe, and brighten tired eyes.  This treatment quenches and soothes the eye area upon application, leaving eye contours looking rested, fresh, and naturally glowing. It hydrates, soothes, and de-puffs with antioxidant polyphenols, moisturizing grape water, and calming white tea extract."  I love Caudalie products and almost always have at least one in my skincare regime.  This eye cream is one of the few skincare products that I have been able to use each day for the day six weeks.  When used in the morning; it helps to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness and it helps to make my under eye makeup go on smoother.  When used at night, it hydrates my under eye area.  This gel-cream formula glides on easily and absorbs quickly, a small drop is enough to cover both of my under eye areas.  I have always loved Caudalie face products, this is the company that really introduced me to concept of anti-oxidant skin care and I love their emphasis on the healing powers of grapes and natural ingredients.

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush - "A moisturizing lip stain that tints your lips with just the right amount of juicy colour and hydrates like a balm. Apply liberally, purse and let the silky lightweight texture melt onto your lips.", I own this product in the bright pink shade and wish that this product was available in more than two shades.  This lip crayon goes on soft and builds pigment to a bright pink hue.  It hydrates well but does need to be reapplied often throughout the day, this product is very similar to a cream lip gloss.  The finish is creamy with a bit of shine and lots of pigment.  I wish that this product was available in more than just two shades, as I would love to collect more of these!

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey - "A universally-flattering, ultra-light lipstick in an iconic shade that anyone can wear because it creates a one-of-a-kind lip look on everyone.  Not quite a gloss, and not quite a lipstick, this transparent lipstick fuses with the natural tone of your lips to create a lip look that’s unique to you. This sheer, emollient-rich formula glides on for easy layering."  Black Honey is a sheer berry tone that looks almost black in the tube.  This is favorite fall product of mine every single year and I will continue to buy this cult lip product as long as Clinique continues to produce it.  This sheer lipstick has a lip balm-like feel and lip gloss-like finish with an easy to wear berry tint on the lips.  I have never met anyone who tried this shade and hated it, it looks different on everyone and is a very easy way to wear pigment on the lips.  This is a fall classic for me and I will be using it until I start breaking out my spring makeup.

MAC Pro Longwear Blush in I'm a Lover - "A lightweight blush with extreme colour perfection and non-fading, eight-hour wear. Ultra fine, silky powder glides on and blends easily to provide a moist, flawless, natural finish or with layering, a brighter, more dramatic look."  I'm a Love is described as simply "pink" but it is one of the best pinks that I have ever worn.  It is a medium bubblegum pink shade with cool undertones, highly pigmented and long lasting.  This is my favorite MAC Blush shade and one of my favorite blush shades that I own.  This product and shade is one of the top rated on the MAC website and it is very easy to see why.

I have a good basis for my fall color products and I am getting a bit excited to see what is coming out the holiday season.  We will see what products I pick up and what ones fall into my favorites within the next few weeks!

photo courtesy of Jelly Pong Pong