Green Friday

It's Friday and I wanted to have some color on the lids at work as the rules are a little bit relaxed on corporate casual Fridays. As I keep saying again and again, my favorite color is green and I missed wearing it on my lids. I used four (but it can be just three) different MAC eyeshadows for this look. They are all from the permanent collection (I didn't count the highlighter, Goin' Bananas, which was from the C-Shock collection). All this limited edition hype is making me crave for some good old, reliable permanent colors from MAC. Please note that I did this look in about 10 minutes tops as I didn't want to be late for work, so please pardon any mistakes or imperfections.

I am wearing my beauty powder blush in Eversun and it's one of my favorite BPBs from my collection. It's a prettier, sheerer version of the popular MAC blush in Sunbasque, but I prefer Eversun because it is softer but definitely remarkable. It gives the pop of color that I need without making the look garish.

I also used my Joppa mineral foundation and I am really loving this. I got a full size pot for only $10 when they had it on sale, and I am so glad I got a good deal. I love the smooth finish and the great coverage. I am liking this mineral makeup company because they have awesome sales regularly (check out their clearance items) and the pigments/minerals are of really good quality.











Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick on lid and lower lashline as base
MAC shadows in Juxt and Swimming on inner lid and inner lower lashline
MAC shadow in Shimmermoss on mid lid and mid lower lashline
MAC shadow in Humid on outer lid and crease and outer lower lashline
MAC shadow in Goin' Bananas to highlight and on inner corners
MAC fluidline in Blacktrack on upper lashline
Rimmel and MAC Zoomlash mascaras

Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
Joppa full coverage mineral foundation in Light #3
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Joppa Simple Radiance finishing silk in Medium
MAC beauty powder blush in Eversun

Lips:
MAC lipliner in Spice
MAC lipstick in Half-N-Half
MAC lipglass in C-thru

MAC Heatherette: A Review

NOTE: Swatches, product images and information can be found HERE.







In a nutshell, this collection has awesome, well thought-of packaging and concept. It has its star items and a few that didn't excite me at all, mainly because the colors do not go well with my skintone. Nonetheless, there were items that I was glad to lay my grubby hands on. I fell in love with the dual-edge eye pencils, the non-pink lipsticks, a couple of lipglasses, Trio 2 eyeshadow palette and Alpha Girl beauty powder. This collection has items that would make great additions to a girl's neutral and party makeup collections.


Sock Hop and Lollipop Loving with some of the lipsticks from the permanent collection



LIPSTICKS

I really am liking Lollipop Loving and Fleshpot. Lollipop Loving is already sold out at the free-standing store nearest my workplace; the MA told me that there were a lot of ladies buying it in MULTIPLES. Isn't there supposed to be a limit to the amount of same item purchases, like 2 per customer or something? Some ladies would buy 5 per color. Sheesh. Anyways, Lollipop Loving is described as a mid-tone coral with subtle green iridescence, and this is easily the most universal color of the bunch. I am thinking it would suit virtually any skin color, and I think that is the reason why it got sold out easily. It's perfect to pair with Sock Hop lipglass.

Fleshpot is a light neutral beige that would look great with smokey or dramatic eye looks. I want to pair this with a much warmer lipliner like Spice so I don't end up with corpse-looking lips.

Hollywood Nights is a clean fuchsia pink that I stayed clear of because I really am not a fan of fuschsias.

Melrose Mood is a pastel pink that would probably look good with darker pink lipgloss on top, and it seems to be a summer/springy type of color.

LIPGLASS

My fave of the bunch is Bonus Beat. It's a sheer yellow beige with gold pearl, and I tend to gravitate toward light lipglasses in order to tone down darker lipsticks. This is so pretty on my lips when worn over my warmer lipsticks; and it also complements smoky or colorful eye looks.

Sock Hop is a soft mid-tone coral that most people wear over Lollipop Loving. I see this as a cousin of Orangedescence lipglass, but I prefer the latter, although Sock Hop is pretty as well. I like Sock Hop because it complements my corals, browns and berry lipsticks.

Style Minx - clean fuchsia pink; would be a perfect pick for someone who likes fuchsia, but not my kind of color.

Starlet Kiss
- a clean pastel pink; I like it paired with my darker pink and berry lipsticks; it gives a luscious, pink lip look that heralds the warm weather of spring and summer.

EYESHADOW x 3



Trio 1
I passed up on Trio 1 because I already have Cloud Burst from the Smoke Signals collection late last year. Also, the green eyeshadow didn't look too original to me; I also have a bajillion greens and I have Meadowland which is a near-dupe of Mood Ring from this trio. Nonetheless, I've seen great looks using this trio, and if you don't have these colors yet, it would be a neat addition to your collection. The formulas of the shadows in both trios are veluxe pearl and velvet, and they really go on smooth, glide like butter on the lids and have good color pay-off especially when you use a base like paint pots or shadesticks.

Trio 2
I love the colors in this trio, especially Cassette which is described as a blackened eggplant purple. Wow! Just the description alone is a winner in my book. These are three gorgeous, complementary colors that look beautiful over same color paint pots like Girl Friendly and/or Nice Vice from the Fafi collection, and you can create your look as light or as dramatic as you want with this trio. The dual edge pencil in Fab Orchid/Dash Lily would look totally breathtaking with this color group.

DUAL EDGE PENCIL




More swatches are available in my previous Heatherette entry (see link at the start of this entry).

Oh my gosh, these pencils are the creamiest pencils I've ever used in my makeup life, especially the ones with no glitter in it. I used to stay away from pencils because they tug at my lids and create a drag when I line my upper lashline, but these go on like a dream, so buttery smooth and there is no drag whatsoever. I call these my "gel liner on a stick" because the pigment applies as smoothly and easily as my fluidlines and my Indelible gel liners, maybe even better, who knows, and I like the convenience of using pencil and not needing the eyeliner brush. Definitely a plus when you're traveling. The downside is that the creaminess makes it smudge on my lower lashline. I think that can be remedied by either keeping it on the upper lash line, or priming your lower lashline with a shadestick, or setting it with eyeshadow. Either way, you are in for a buttery experience with these babies. My favorites are Black Funk, Fab Orchid and Nighthawk. These are beautiful colors and have awesome slip!

GLITTER:

I am not a fan of too much glitter, but Reflects Gold is not chunky glitter that you imagine from days of old. This is pretty when used sparingly on the eye for a great night look.

PIGMENT:



Even though I am a pigment fiend, I didn't like the Heatherette pigments that much. Jardin Aires didn't go well with my MAC mixing medium; it was splotchy in some areas. I haven't tried it dry, though, so I am thinking it would be best if this is applied dry and not foiled. The color is gorgeous, though. I would be using these for both neutral and dramatic eye looks. A little on the inner corners of the eyes would also give tired eyes a pretty boost. Pink Pearl has better color pay-off than Jardin Aires, and would look great with Trio 2. I like the blue undertones because it almost looks lavender/lilac to my eyes.

BEAUTY POWDER





This is another favorite from this collection. I love the jet-milled, subtle tint with pearlescent finish this product provides. Alpha Girl gives a noticeable but not-over-the-top glow that I like. I use this over my regular blushes and it keeps everything looking dewy but not greasy. Smooth Harmony would work as a great bronzer with slight sheen that is perfect for summer.

NAIL LACQUER:



Lola Devine is my favorite because this color really announces the start of warmer weather. I love it applied on either tips and toes for a fun summer look.

The Heatherette collection has blindingly stunning packaging and pretty, summery shades that would satisfy a craving or two for summer/spring colors. I love the new products that were launched in this collection, specifically the Dual-Edge eye pencil. I hope that MAC comes up with more variants of these pencils as I am really loving the smooth glide and slip, and the deep, rich colors.

Testing 123 Part 2: Another Adorned With Grace Look

I bought another dozen shades from Franchesca of Adorned With Grace minerals before all her stocks ran out, and I was glad I made the last minute order. Franchesca was also nice to include some free samples, plus 5g jars of her Light and Medium/Dark rice finishing powder. I really am loving her minerals; they are simply packaged but they are of good quality and staying power is great, especially when used over MAC Beige-ing shadestick or paint pots. HERE is my previous review of Adorned With Grace Minerals, and just for the record, my second batch of pigments didn't disappoint.


Freebies are the ones in baggies, and the rice powder jars (bottom row)






Here is my recent haul from MAC. I LOVE Joyous beauty powder; it's so fresh and springy, and it really perks up my complexion. Taupe is a gorgeous contour shade as it is matte and has taupe-grey undertones. Viva Glam V is my third VGV lipgloss and it is my HG lipglass. I used all three products for my look below.









Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick on lid as base
Adorned With Grace mineral shadow in Soft Cocoa foiled on lid
Adorned With Grace mineral shadow in Sugared Mulberry foiled on outer lid and outer lower lashline
Adorned With Grace mineral shadow in Plum Fudge Mint applied dry on crease
Adorned With Grace mineral shadow in Creamy Pearl to highlight and on inner corners
Almay Amazing liquid I-liner on upper lashline
Shu Uemura lash lifting and MAC Zoomlash mascaras

Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
DreamWorld mineral foundation in Theia and Tethys (60-40 mix) (Luna formula)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC beauty powder blush in Joyous
MAC Taupe matte blush to contour

Lips:
MAC cremestick liner in Sublime Culture
Silk Naturals lipgloss in Birthday Suit
MAC lipglass in MAC Viva Glam V

Fergie "Viva Glamorous" Remix





RESPONSIBILITY IS VIVA GLAMOROUS

M•A•C COSMETICS’ NEWEST VIVA GLAM VI SPOKESPERSON,
FERGIE, REMIXES HER HIT SONG ‘GLAMOROUS’ TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR HIV/AIDS

LIMITED NUMBER OF FREE DOWNLOADS AVAILABLE AT MACCOSMETICS.COM


New York March 25, 2008 – Three-time Grammy Award winning artist and latest M•A•C VIVA GLAM spokesperson, Fergie, is using her voice to further raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS crisis in youth. Along with PoetNameLife, she has recorded ‘VIVA GLAMOROUS’, a remix of her hit song ‘Glamorous’, as an added contribution to her VIVA GLAM VI campaign. A limited number of free downloads of the remix and VIVA GLAM E-cards will be available March 25, 2008 on maccosmetics.com. The E-cards reinforce Fergie’s Responsibility is Glamorous message by pairing her sexy VIVA GLAM visual with alarming AIDS facts that concern youth. She also encourages people to buy a M•A•C VIVA GLAM VI Limited Edition Lipglass, the sales of which benefit the Global Youth Prevention Initiative. The M•A•C AIDS FUND directs the funds from this initiative to international organizations that address the AIDS crisis in young people. The remix will also be available in April on M•A•C websites in the U.K., France, Australia and Germany.

“Half of all new HIV/AIDS infections are in people under twenty five and it is important that we get the message out to all young people to be educated and understand the risks of HIV/AIDS. I want to bring more attention to this issue and my music allows me to reach the youth that are potentially at risk.”
M•A•C Viva Glam VI Spokesperson Fergie

The M•A•C AIDS Fund, the heart and soul of M•A•C Cosmetics, was established in 1994 to support men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally. M•A•F is a pioneer in HIV/AIDS funding, providing financial support to organizations working with underserved regions and populations. As the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical giver in the arena, M•A•F strives to raise awareness of four key issues in the fight against HIV/AIDS: prevention, the link between poverty and HIV/AIDS, access to care, and adherence to medications and treatments. To date, M•A•F has raised $100 million (U.S.) exclusively through the sale of M•A•C’s VIVA GLAM lipstick and lipglass, donating 100 per cent of the sale price to fight HIV/AIDS. For more information, visit www.macaidsfund.org.

MAC Heatherette: Product Images and Swatches

Collection review coming soon!







Hello 24-Hour Party People! When it comes to life in the big city, Richie Rich and Traver Rains know what time it is! Manhattan's most counter-culture couturiers and red carpet renegades create a world of demented drama for lips, eyes, and all-over glitter that you can practically paint-by-numbers. Two ways to wear it...Good girl by day - Shine and rise! Or bad girl by night - Sparkle like a superstar on Page Six!





LIPSTICK

Traditional M·A·C Lipstick formula in limited edition hot pink case featuring a holographic foil decal of the Heatherette logo. Limited edition.
US$14.00
Lollipop Loving Clean mid-tone coral with subtle green iridescence (glaze)
Fleshpot Light neutral beige (satin)
Hollywood Nights Clean fuschia pink (satin)
Melrose Mood Clean pastel pink (amplified)

LIPGLASS

Traditional M·A·C Lipglass formula in a limited edition vial with pink cap featuring a holographic foil decal of the Heatherette logo. Limited edition.
US$14.00
Bonus Beat Sheer yellow beige with gold pearl (frost)
Sock Hop Soft mid-tone coral (cream)
Style Minx Clean fuschia pink (frost)
Starlet Kiss Clean pastel pink (frost)

Heatherette Trio 1
Three Eye Shadows in a hot pink compact with holographic foil decal of the Heatherette logo. Limited Edition.
US$32.50
Mood Ring Pastel Mint Green (veluxe pearl)
Cloud Burst True Black with subtle green pearl (velvet)
Hoppin' Clean pastel peach (frost)

Heatherette Trio 2
Three Eye Shadows in a hot pink compact with holographic foil decal of the Heatherette logo. Limited Edition.
US$32.50
Baby Petals Pastel Pink (satin)
V.I.P. clean mid-tone yellow pink (velvet)
Cassette Blackened eggplant purple (veluxe pearl)

Dual-Edge Eye Pencil
A dual-edged pencil where one of the tips provides a creamy eye liner formula that gives smooth, precise application in classic tradition while the second tip offers a glitter-finished eye liner. Use separately, as a dual line, or layer one over the other for an intense finish. Limited edition.
US$16.50
Black Funk/Pop Blue True black/turquoise with silver glitter
Phone Me/Text Me Charcoal grey/metallic silver with silver glitter
Nighthawk/Front Row Coffee brown/neutral peach with gold glitter
Fab Orchid/Dash Lily Jewel-tone purple/mid-tone lavender with silver glitter

Glitter
Reflects Gold Translucent glitter with gold reflection
3D Silver Multi-reflective color

Pigment
Jardin Aires Gilded peach with silver reflect glitter
Pink Pearl Midtone pink with blue reflection

Beauty Powder:
A luxurious jet-milled pressed powder providing sheer tint with a pearlescent finish. Specially tinted to coordinate with the shades of the Heatherette collection. Packaged in a hot pink compact with holographic foil decal featuring the Heatherette logo. Limited edition.
US$22.00
Smooth Harmony Medium golden bronze
Alpha Girl Pink with gold nuances

Nail Lacquer
Lola Devine
Medium golden bronze (cream)
$$$$$ Yes Metallic silver foil (frost)

Lash
Full length upper-lash featuring lush style, flirtatious length, and Diva-style glamour. Lashes are finished in high-shine patent. Limited Edition.
$11.00
She's Good
She's Bad






























My Bridal Makeup Attempt: A Step-by-Step Illustration

When I was in New Jersey, I roadtested a bridal look for my cousin Jewelyn who is getting married next month. I used MAC eyeshadows that were bought specifically for her wedding (as recommended by a MAC makeup artist), as well as some products from my own personal collection. I was a little intimidated by the fact that (a) I am not a professional makeup artist; (b) this is probably just the third or fourth time I've ever done full makeup application on somebody other than myself, (c) I did the whole thing at night without the benefit of natural light, and (d) every step was being documented by her groom using his camera. That said, I did the best I could and if there were some mistakes, I do admit to them; but given the limited lighting, I tried my best to work under not-so-ideal conditions. Nonetheless, she and her mom liked the result. Some products would be tweaked as the big day nears, but this is more or less going to be her look. It was also a good thing that she has beautiful skin; I didn't waste much time in concealing blemishes.


Start with clean, moisturized face. I also primed her face using Camellia Rose skin-smoothing primer v.2.


Using Jewelyn's own Everyday Minerals kabuki brush, I used DreamWorld mineral foundation in Tethys (Sands formula), using the swirl, tap, spritz (using MAC Fix+ moisture spray) and buff technique. I did two layers of foundation.


I applied Mary Kay Signature concealer in Ivory using my fingers to hide undereye circles.


Using a concealer brush, I applied Bare Minerals Well Rested undereye concealer over Mary Kay. I carefully blended until it looked seamless.


This is my key product for this bridal look. Instead of the usual finishing powder like mineral veil, I used Cargo's new and innovative Blu Ray high definition pressed powder made specifically for high definition film and photography. This is how it is described at Sephora.com:

What it does:
Created to provide flawless results while looking completely natural during high-definition filming, blu_ray™ Pressed Powder contains specialized photochromatic pigments that adjust with the light so that your base makeup always looks perfect regardless of lighting or setting.

What else you need to know:
Photochromatic pigments adjust with the lighting so that you have natural looking makeup no matter what the setting, while ultra-fine micronized minerals fill the look of fine lines and reduce the appearance of imperfections. An irregular particle size creates light dispersion, an effect that softens the look of the skintone. This oil-free powder is perfect whether you are getting married, going to your prom, having portraits taken, or simply want to look fabulous anytime and comes in a sleek black compact for convenient touch-up on the go.


I normally opt for mineral-based setting powders, but I chose Blu Ray because of my special bridal task. I figured if this product was made specifically for high definition photography, it would help in achieving the flawless look I needed. You be the judge if it actually achieved what it claimed it could do.

If you noticed, I also used my new EcoTools powder brush to apply Blu Ray.


Using a concealer brush, I applied MAC Painterly paint pot as base for her shadows. I blended with my finger to create an even canvas.


Using the MAC 217 brush, I applied MAC Retrospeck eyeshadow on her lid.


Using the 222 brush (not shown), I applied MAC Mulch eyeshadow on her crease. I also blended a little MAC Bronze eyeshadow on the crease after applying it on the outer lid using a shader brush.


I used a shader brush bought at Target to apply MAC Remotely Grey eyeshadow from the N collection on her outer lid.


I blended the crease colors using Sonia Kashuk's blending brush, similar to the MAC 224.


Using my Essence of Beauty fluffy brush, I applied MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow on her browbone.


I filled her brows using my EcoTools angled eyeliner brush and Ardell brow powder.


I applied MAC Stubborn Brown Powerpoint eyeliner (pretty, understated brown) on her upper lashline. I adjusted her shadows, added more color and blended as I deemed fit; cleaned residue using Q-tip and eye makeup remover, re-applied Well Rested.


Curled her lashes, used a mascara base (white primer from Maybelline XXL mascara) and added Avon mascara to plump up her lashes.


How it looks so far.


Using the MAC 169 brush, I contoured her cheeks with MAC Emote blush.




For the life of me, I forget the mineral blush I used on her. I think it's either My Minerals Bath and Body or Silk Naturals blush.


I used Lumiere's angled duo-fibre brush to apply the blush on the apples of her cheeks going slightly upwards.


The ever-gorgeous and my holy grail lipstick - MAC Viva Glam V!


I applied MAC Fafi lipglass in Cult Fave over VGV lipstick


Her wedding look


I leave it up to a real hairdresser to do her hair!

Thanks for looking!