Lilac and Purples Using MAC Eyeshadows and Lovely Lily Pigment

I made a purple look using a pigment I don't think I've ever tried more than once or twice, MAC Lovely Lily pigment. I was pleasantly surprised with this product. It is not gritty on the lid, applied very smoothly even when used dry, and it's just a lovely light lilac that went great with the purples used in this look. I also used one of my favorite medium purples from MAC, Shale. It's a beautiful crease color and also a blender color to blend the light and darker eyeshadows.


I also used Shadowy Lady on the outer V and crease, mixed with a tiny bit of Modern Heir.


I used Baby Petals to highlight.


I also used for the first time a combination of MAC Face and Body foundation and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. I used two light layers of the Face and Body foundation in C3, set by the MSF Natural in Medium Plus. I am so happy that these are exactly my shades. I can't believe how exactly these shades matched my skintone. Watch out for my review of these two face products soon!


I may be a trifle late on this, but I am loving On A Mission beauty powder blush from the Style Warrior collection. The plummy/berry color fully complements my warm complexion, and I like how it looks dark in the pan but just perfect on the skin. It applies like a dream on the skin, and is not splotchy at all. As with all beauty powder blushes, it gives this alluring subtle sheen that is so hard to resist.


I used the very pretty To Swoon For lipstick from last year's Holiday Adoring Carmine: 3 Lips set.


I used MAC Cremesheen glass in Ever So Rich.

Here's a step-by-step. All products MAC unless otherwise stated.


Apply Bare Canvas paint all over lid and lower lashline. Using a fluffy shader brush, apply Fresco Rose paint pot on the lid.


Using Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" brush (or the 239 brush), apply Lovely Lily pigment on the lid dry in patting motions.


Using the 224 brush, apply Shale on the crease.


Using the Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Shadowy Lady mixed with a tiny bit of Modern Heir on the outer V. Blend with the 224.

Pink and Purple-Brown Using MAC Maira's Magic Eyeshadow

Lavenders and Purples Using MAC Eyeshadows and Pigment

Here are some purples using my MAC eyeshadows and pigment in Milk from the Hello Kitty Collection. I also used for the first time the Vibrant Grape eyeshadow that I got from the Style Warrior collection. I like how the name of the product describes how vibrant this color is. It's definitely not a flat purple and it really perks up the colors in this look that I made. I also used Stars N Rockets, Top Hat, and Baby Petals, the last one from the Heatherette Trio No. 2 palette.

Here's a step-by-step illustration. Sorry, no face pics this time! All products MAC unless otherwise noted.


Apply Bare Canvas paint on lids and browbone and lower lashline. Smooth with finger. Using a fluffy shader brush, apply Constructivist paint pot on lid. Foil Milk pigment using Charged Water and apply on the lid using a stiff shader brush (Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" or 239 brush).


Because Milk pigment tends to be a bit gritty, apply a little bit of Stars N Rockets over Milk using the 239 brush to smoothen the finish. Using the 217 brush, apply Vibrant Grape on the crease, going down to the outer V.


Using the Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Top Hat on the crease and blend the colors together using the 224.


Using the 217, apply more Vibrant Grape, blending into Top Hat.

Purples and Pinks using Cory and Aromaleigh Mineral Makeup, and MAC Eyeshadows

Here's a pink and purple look using some of my MAC eyeshadows. I particularly used the Heatherette Trio 2 palette. This is one of the palettes I use regularly because the colors are so pretty, especially Baby Petals and Cassette- they are really great highlight and crease colors.



I also used my new foundation samples from Cory Minerals. I already have full-sizes of Cory mineral foundations in Beyond Cream and Carmel Cream. Beyond Cream is my closest shade, but Cory recently launched new "Deep" Yellow shades that I thought would maybe suit my skintone better. I ordered the samples and I just got them. They are not really deep, in fact, some of them run really light! I love Cory's foundation, though- it is so creamy and it is the most concentrated mineral foundation I've tried - a very miniscule amount is all you need for full-coverage, flawless finish.

In this look, I tried one layer using straight Medium (not in photo). It looked way too light, so in the next layer, I used a 50-50 mix of Medium and Deep. It looked a lot better. I was a little disappointed that I needed to mix Medium and Deep to come up with my perfect shade, but I really liked the result, so maybe it's not so bad to mix after all.

How I applied Cory mineral foundation for this look: I sprinkled a TINY bit on a swirly bowl, swirled my flat top brush in the bowl till all the minerals are tucked in the hairs of the brush, applied the minerals dry, then spritzed my face with MAC Charged Water, and buffed the product in using my flat top brush. I applied two layers of the foundation (very miniscule amount for each layer).


I used Cory blush in Punchie as blush. It's a matte blush, so I added MAC Summer Rose beauty powder on top of the blush for a subtle shimmer look.





I used Estee Lauder lipstick in Midnight Rose.

CORRECTION: I used MAC dazzleglass in Rags to Riches, not MAC lipglass in Nico Now.

Here's a step-by-step illustration. All products MAC unless otherwise noted.


Apply Butternutty shadestick all over lid and browbone and lower lashline. Blend with finger. Apply Fresco Rose paint pot on the lid using a fluffy shader brush.


Using Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" brush (or 239 brush), apply Aromaleigh eyeshadow in Soulmate foiled using Charged Water on inner two-thirds of the lid.


Using a fluffy shader brush, apply Parfait Amour on crease.


Using the Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Nocturnelle on crease and outer V. Blend with the 224.


Using the Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Cassette on crease, blending into Nocturnelle with the 224.


Apply a little bit of Parfait Amour to blend with the darker crease colors using the Sonia Kashuk blending brush.




If necessary, add some more Cassette to contour the crease.


Using the 227 brush, apply Satin Petals on the browbone to highlight.


How it should look so far.


Apply Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero on waterline and to tightline. Using the smaller crease/detail brush of Essence of Beauty, apply Swish on inner lower lashline.


Apply Cassette on outer lower lashline.


Apply Blacktrack fluidline on the upper lashline using the Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush.


Apply Revlon lashes in Flirty.









Face:
Monistat gel as primer
MAC Prep + Prime Refined Skin Zone on t-zone
Cory mineral foundation in mix of Deep Yellow Medium and Deep Yellow Deep
Urban Decay 24/7 concealer on undereye area
Dayna's Rested mineral concealer on undereye area
DreamWorld Whipped Creme (finishing powder) in Butterscotch
Cory mineral blush in Punchie
MAC Summer Rose beauty powder

Lips:
Softlips lip balm
Estee Lauder lipstick in Midnight Rose
MAC Rags to Riches dazzleglass

Last but not the least, Happy Mother's Day to all mothers! I hope this day was filled with laughter, fun, love, and remembrances of how special you are.

Pinks and Corals Using Coastal Scents, NARS and MAC

I tried some of the new products I'd acquired, and let me say that I am really loving them, especially NARS Super Orgasm! It's really the perfect coral-pink shade that I was looking for. I had Orgasm, Deep Throat, and Torrid, hoping that I would get the perfect coral blush, but they turned out to be duds on my cheeks. NARS redeemed itself with Super Orgasm. I am in love!! It's now way up there with my faves Angelika, Sin and Oasis. I also used MAC's blush in Taupe to contour using the 169 brush.

I also applied the Sexy Pink gel liner and the 28 Neutral palette from Coastal Scents in this look. I liked the liner color but I had to apply it several times to achieve the vibrant pink color that I was going for in this look. Peach Bellini gel liner would have been better for this look, but I just ordered it 2 days ago, although I got the notice that it was shipped yesterday. Yay!! Just a note: I used MAC's Penultimate Liner in Rapidblack on the very upper lashline to make it a deeper black. I love the Penultimate Liner coz the tip is SO fine, you can easily wiggle it in your very lashline to create lusher lashes or just to make the lashline appear darker and fuller.

I likewise used MAC's Lollipop Lovin' lipstick (Heatherette collection) and Sugarrimmed dazzleglass on my lips. I love this combination. I am glad I can Back-2-MAC empties for dazzleglasses at MAC free-standing stores. Dazzleglasses are the only products I will be B2M-ing for. I am such a dazzleglass bimbo and I am proud of it. :D They are really amazing glosses with the high-watt shine and subtle-until-light-hits-it micro-glitter I've been looking for.

Testing Blusche Minerals

There is a mineral makeup company that is re-opening its doors to the public either this coming May or June. I was fortunate enough to receive some of its full-coverage foundation formulas to sample and enjoy. Monica of Blusche sent me two shades in two formulas each, and I really am liking either formula. I'm wearing Formula 1 in the following pictures, but Formula 2 is great too, the only difference I remember between the two is that Formula 1 contains kaolin clay and Formula 2 doesn't. I liken the coverage and ultra-smooth finish of Blusche to another full-coverage favorite of mine, Buff'd. Coverage is amazing and is good for those who have some blemishes to conceal, but it is not cakey and feels light on the skin. A very miniscule amount is all you need to achieve good coverage. As with all mineral foundations, a little goes a long way. Monica has a pre-buy brush sale going on right now, and she will be ready to open her cosmetics site (with foundations, blushes and shadows galore) in a month or two, so stay tuned!

I also wore MAC Heatherette Trio 2 for this look, using Nice Vice and Girl Friendly paint pots from the MAC Fafi collection as bases. I would have loved to go all-out on the color as the shades are just gorgeous, but I had to tone it down for work. I also used the uber-creamy Dual Edge eye pencils of the Heatherette collection. I used Fab Orchid on my upper lashline and I truly love how buttery the slip is; it glides like a dream and doesn't tug my lids at all.







Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick on lid and lower lashline as base
MAC paint pot in Girl Friendly on inner to mid lid
MAC paint pot in Nice Vice on mid to outer lid
MAC shadow in Trophy Pink (Royal Assets Holiday Cool Eyes palette) on inner lid
MAC shadow in V.I.P. on mid lid
MAC shadow in Cassette on outer lid and crease and outer lower lashline
MAC shadow in Baby Petals to highlight and on inner corners
MAC Dual Edge Eye pencil (used Fab Orchid) on upper lashline
Rimmel and MAC Zoomlash mascaras

Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
Blusche full coverage formula 1 in Creme Brulee and Brazilian (75-25 mix)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
Lumiere silk blush in Au Naturale

Lips:
MAC Sublime Culture cremestick liner
MAC lipstick in Ultra Madame (from the Holiday Curiositease 3 Plum Lips)
MAC lipglass in Nico Now