All Things Glam by Lena

Dose Of Colors Lipstick's in Seductive & Dark Secret + Swatches

2014-06-17T08:25:00.000-04:00

Dose Of Colors is a new (to me) cosmetic line that I came across them via Instagram. They carry lipsticks, lipgloss, and false eyelashes. They have an array of beautiful shades available. After seeing tons of pictures and swatches I knew I had to try a some of the lipsticks out. They have 10 shades in total, with each lipstick priced at $16. Being the pink and purple lover that I am, I purchased Seductive and Dark Secret to try out first.

On to the swatches...

Seductive Dark Secret

As you will notice right away is the pigmentation of these lipsticks. The colors are vibrant and opaque. The formula is similar to Mac's amplified finish lipsticks, but with an extra kick. The staying power is great, and even when removed they leave a stain on the lips, so even then a tint is still noticeable. Overall I like the shades I chose, but I would love them if they were in matte form. I'm ok with an amplified finish, but sometimes the shine can be a bit much. I prefer matte finishes with the option of adding a gloss to give shine. I look forward to trying out a couple of their glosses next!

To check out the other 8 shades, along with their glosses and lashes, click HERE to visit their website.

Have you tried anything from this brand? Thoughts?

Mac Sharon & Kelly Osbourne Haul + Swatches

2014-06-12T13:14:00.001-04:00

Mac has decided to collaborate with the mother-daughter duo Sharon and Kelly Osbourne for one of their latest collections. Upon seeing the color story I was blown away by the packaging which for those that know me, I'm a huge sucker for! I knew certain pieces would be must haves! Above are the items that I purchased last week when the collection launched online (Mac launches collections typically a week to 10 days earlier on their online site). While many items sold out the same day, the collection launches in store today so there's still a chance that you can grab some things. Hopefully my swatches will help a few ladies decide.

First up is Kelly's portion of the collection...

Jolly Good Mineralize Skinfinish Duo

Cheeky Booger Blush

Top portion of Jolly Good, Lower Portion of Jolly Good, Cheeky Booger

Bloody Brilliant Eyeshadow Quad

Spoonful of Sugar, Tickety Boo, Fizzy Rose, Shadowy Lady

Riot House, Strip Poker, Dodgy Girl, Candy Yum Yum

Now on to Sharon's portion of the collection...

Refresh Mineralize Skinfinish Duo

Peaches & Cream blush

Top portion of Refresh, Lower Portion of Refresh, Peaches & Cream

Duchess Eyeshadow Quad

Sweet Eyes, Sexy Eyes, Femme Fatale, Embark

Cranberry lip liner

Bijou lipglass

Cranberry lip liner, Bijou lipglass

Sharon's portion of the collection really impressed me. I found all of the shades will work well for women of color such as myself (Mac NC50 for reference). The shades compliment my complexion very well. Iv'e worn a few of the items every single day since I got ahold of them. Even grabbed a back up of the quad and blush. Her items were the main items that sold out extremely fast.

Now for Ms Kelly's portion... Based on my swatches above I'm pretty sure you can tell that I wasn't impressed. Her shades really did not work for me. Kelly Yum Yum and Dodgy Girl were the only 2 items I would recommend for someone in my shade range. The face products look completely ashy on me. And while they will work for those with a more fair complexion, they should be a total pass for us women of color. The quad wasn't too bad, but nothing unique about it at all. One of the shades (Shadowy Lady) is permanent, and the other colors can be easily duped.

Overall I'd say the collection was pretty decent. It has a little bit of everything that would look great on different shade complexions. So if there was anything of interest based on my swatches, I'd suggest heading over to Mac, Macys, Nordstroms, and Bloomingdales to grab them. I'm almost sure certain items won't last past today.

Hope this post was helpful for someone :)

Have you purchased or plan on purchasing anything from this collection? What are your thoughts?

Mac Alluring Aquatic Haul + Swatches

2014-05-17T15:28:00.002-04:00

MAC has an upcoming collection called Alluring Aquatic. Set to launch in stores May 22nd. Just like any other Mac collection, it becomes on sale on their website 1 week before the usual launch date. Here are the items that I purchased, along with swatches. Enjoy :)

The collection actually has 3d water droplets on each item!

boxes too!

Now on to the swatches...

Mystical, Pet Me Please Me, Goddess Of The Sea, Enchanted One

Golden, Refined Golden

Aphrodite Shell, Dephic

Sea Me Hear Me

Golden, Refined Golden, Aphrodite Shell, Delphic, Sea Me Hear Me

(taken in natural light to get the most accurate color)

Water Deities, Modern Lure

Sea Worship, Lorelei, Fathoms Deep

Shimmerfish

Sea Worship, Lorelei, Fathoms Deep, Shimmerfish

Mac 127 and 233 brushes

I'd have to say, the shades in this collection aren't your "typical" spring or summer colors, but with this amazing turquoise shiny packaging, works for me! I have to admit, I was sold on the packaging alone. But after seeing some colors, I knew I had to have some!

The eyeshadows were really impressive. Nice and smooth, and very pigmented! The glosses, shockingly are my favorites. I'm not a gloss fan, but the 2 I grabbed I love!! Especially Modern Lure. I don't own any similar shades to that one. The color was opaque, and not sticky at all. Mac totally has my vote on those. Need to grab a back up before it sells out! As for the bronzers, they're ok. The Extra Dimension ones surprised me a bit. I expected them to be more on the sheen, metallic sort of side (like Superb, WOG, and others) but on me they pull more towards a matte/satin type of texture. Didn't expect that at all. Lipsticks I can't really speak on just yet, as I haven't swatched them on my lips. But I can already tell Mystical will be the most unique for me. I don't seem to have anything similar to that shade in my collection. The polish was a win for me as Iv'e been looking for an silver sort of metallic polish lately. So that was right up my alley. Sea Me Hear Me...very pretty! Nice berry shade that I can see myself reaching for this summer. And lastly, as for the brushes...they feel super soft! Can't wait to try those out!

Overall, I'm happy with the items that I chose. If I could I would pass on Golden Bronzer, and maybe Pet Me Please Me. Those 2 were the least impressive in my opinion. As for my loves... Sea Worship, Lorelei, Modern Lure and Mystical. Hope this helps :)

Have you purchased anything from this collection?

Do you plan on doing so?

Mac Proenza Schouler Lipstick Dupes + Comparisons

2014-04-21T20:49:00.000-04:00

Hello lovelies! As promised in my previous MAC Proenza Schouler lipstick haul post, I went ahead and swatched some Mac lipsticks that I already own to compare to 3 of the new released shades. Continue reading for comparisons and possible dupes.

Woodrose, Pure Zen, Jubilee, Innocence Beware, Freckletone

Pinkfringe, Naughty Saute, Snob, Pink Friday, Pink Plaid

Mangrove, Lady Danger, Sail La Vie, So Chaud, Scarlet Ibis

As you can see above, I don't own any dead on dupes for any of the Proenza shades. However, Scarlet Ibis was extremely close to Mangrove. In shade comparison and finish. The Proenza collection is live now on the Mac website, Nordstrom, and Macys. It hits stores this Thursday, April 24th. Hope this post was helpful on deciding what shades you will purchase or pass.

What are your thoughts? Will you be purchasing anything?

Mac Proenza Schouler Lipstick Swatches

2014-04-09T20:51:00.000-04:00

Woodrose, Pinkfringe, Mangrove

Woodrose

Pinkfringe

Mangrove

Woodrose, Pinkfringe, Mangrove

This collection was set to launch April 3rd, but Mac decided to push the date back a bit further to April 24th. However, Naimies released a few items on the original launch date last week so I went ahead and ordered. They only had the lipsticks and liners I believe. I plan on purchasing the blushes as well once it hits Mac online.

Now for the shades. Woodrose is pretty sheer! Took about 5 passes to get the color shown above. Pinkfringe was a bit better with Mangrove being the most pigmented. Overall, aside of the pretty packaging (which is always my weakness) I could've totally passed. No unique shades to me. I have shades very similar in my collection already. I will follow up with a dupe post prior to the collection launching. These lipsticks are more pricier at $22 so I may be able to save some a few bucks :)

Will you be picking up anything from this collection?

What are your thoughts?

Tom Ford Blushes: Narcissist, Savage, Flush + Swatches

2014-03-23T12:30:00.002-04:00

Narcissist, Savage, Flush

Blushes and lipsticks are 2 of my favorite makeup products! I decided to introduce Tom Ford to my collection. I recently purchased 3 blushes, a 3 lipsticks and 1 eyeshadow quad. Here are the blushes I picked up along with swatches.

Narcisisst

Savage

Flush

Narcissist, Savage, Flush (without flash)

Narcissist, Savage, Flush (with flash)

Unfortunately of the 3 blushes above, Narcissist is no longer available. It was discontinued some time ago, but you still may be able to find it at your local Cosmetic Company Outlet. My local one here in NY (Tanger Outlets Deer Park) carries Tom Ford products now. Discontinued ones, along with a few permanent shades ranging from lipsticks, quads, perfume, foundation and more. So if you're interested in trying some products out be sure to check there first as they do offer a discount on that brand :)

Do you own any Tom Ford cosmetics? What are your thoughts?

Sacha Cosmetics Kamaflage Palette

2014-03-22T16:48:00.000-04:00

First and foremost I'd like to say a huge hellooo to my followers who have waited patiently as I took a break from blogging, and a big WELCOME and hello to my new followers. So sorry for my recent hiatus but I've been busy with life. Being a wife, a mother of 3, working full time, freelancing part time, and recently completing makeup school can play a huge toll on you. But IM BACKKKK and have so much to share! Makeup and all things girly/glam are a passion of mine, so I look forward to the whole blogging experience that I missed so much! So again, thanks for your support! Its greatly appreciated :)

Now on to my first blog post of 2014!

I recently came across a new makeup line called Sacha Cosmetics. A well know vlogger, blogger, and makeup artist Jackie also know as LilPumpkinPie05 and MakeupGameOnPoint recently did a review on her YT channel for some products from the line. Now after completing makeup school as stated above and learning more in depth information about building a kit, a product she used and reviewed stood out more to me. That would be the Sacha Cosmetics Kamaflage Foundation Palette...

The palette can be worn as foundation, concealer and has the pigmentation of a camouflage cream. Camouflage is a step up from concealer. Its more potent with extreme pigmentation. Used to cover more than your typical blemish. Can camouflage skin imperfections such as vitiligo, hyper pigmentation, port wine stains, tattoos and more! So I just knew it would be great to own one for my kit. I went ahead and ordered the Medium-Dark one online using a discount code that Jackie shared.

Here are a few pics and swatches of the product...

without flash

top row: Warm Beige, Pure Beige, Almond Beige, Perfect Tan, Perfect Caramel

bottom row: Perfect Honey, Cocoa Beige, Perfect Spice, Perfect Bronze, Perfect Copper

with flash

swatched in front of window (natural light)

Warm Beige, Pure Beige, Almond Beige, Perfect Tan, Perfect Caramel

Perfect Honey, Cocoa Beige, Perfect Spice, Perfect Bronze, Perfect Copper

As you can see the shade C. Beige which stands for Cocoa Beige is a dead on match for my NC50 complexion. It has a creamy light weight feel, and the coverage is insane! I tried it on a portion of a tattoo of mine and it has amazing coverage!! I will be sure to follow up with an in depth review once I really try it out. If interested in trying any products from their line use the code "JACKIE" for 25% off of your total purchase.

Have you heard of this cosmetic company? Any thoughts?

RiRi Hearts Mac : Summer

2013-06-22T18:04:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Mac has collaborated with the amazing Rihanna! Her summer portion of the collection was released online on June 18th. After a long wait to place my order, I finally got through. Below is my haul along with swatches. Enjoy :)

Heaux, Riri Woo, Riri Boy

Hibiscus Kiss Barbados Girl Luster Drops

Heaux, Riri Woo, Riri Boy

Hibiscus Kiss Bronzer & Blush Barbados Girl

Out of all of the lipsticks, I'd have to say Riri Boy is my fave. Its a matte version of the lovely Up The Amp lipstick which I love!! I was let down by Hibiscus Kiss. The bronzer is my complexion (NC50) so it doesn't serve its purpose. The blush on the other hand is lovely, but its so little product, and very similar to other blushes that Mac has launched, therefore I could've passed. It would definitely be lovely for anyone NC45 and lighter. The Luster drops also took me by surprise a bit when I swatched it. It seemed to have a bit more shimmer than the usual lustre drops. I will definitely give all of the products a try and report back to you all.

Did you purchase anything from this collection? Thoughts?

Mac Feel My Pulse : Possible Dupes & Comparisons

2013-05-21T12:49:00.002-04:00

Feel My Pulse

Feel My Pulse, Maybelline Brazen Berry, Strong Woman, Heroine, Seductive Intent, Feel My Pulse

From the photo above you can tell that none of the mentioned lipsticks are actually dupes. Very close, but not dead on. Now paired with a liner or gloss the difference may be very minimal to none. But I myself had to have it! Brazen Berry seemed to come the closest to me even though Feel My Pulse is more purple. I guess the finish being the same makes them seem so similar. Hope this helps a bit for those who were unsure of whether they should purchase Feel My Pulse or not.

To see my Temperature Rising haul and swatches as well as recommended must haves and which items I could've passed on click HERE

What are your thoughts on Feel My Pulse?

Mac Temperature Rising Haul + Swatches

2013-05-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

Refined Golden

Strobe Golden Elixir Liquid

Refined Golden Strobe Golden Elixir

Hot Nights Ripe For Love

Temperature Rising Quad

Performance Art, Temperature Rising, Swelter, Beauty Marked

Bare My Soul Quad

Romantico, Bare My Soul, Friendly, When In Rio

Rhythm & Liquid Passion

Altered Beige

Feel My Pulse

Liquid Passion, Rhythm, Altered Beige, Feel My Pulse

Overall I was pleased with my purchases, with the exception of 2 things. I could've totally passed on Altered Beige and the Temperature Rising Quad. Altered Beige was a bit too sheer for my liking, and the eyeshadows in the Temperature Rising Quad were not as great of quality as the usual Mac eyeshadows. They swatched super sheer and patchy.

Now the Bare My Soul quad is a must have!! I haven't purchased a Mac quad this lovely in a long time! I don't usually back up quads, but I may have to do so in this case. All of the shades were unique and very pigmented.

Feel My Pulse is another must have in my opinion. Mac has released many similar shades in the pass, so if you missed out I'd definitely say grab it. But even though I own many purple lipsticks, this one seemed to be right up my alley. I'm a cremesheen/amplified/lustre sort of girl. I tend to stray away from mattes and satins. I like them at times, but I often end up pairing a gloss on top which alters the color in most cases. Feel My Pulse gives me that sheen and pigmentation all in one. None of my other purple Mac lipsticks does that. I'm a purple lover as well, so either way it was coming home with me. To see Feel My Pulse possible dupes and comparisons click HERE

Lastly, Golden Elixir Strobe liquid. Looove that stuff! I usually use Mac Lustre drops mixed into my tinted moisturizer or foundation during the warmer weather, and this strobe liquid gives that same effect. Gives off a glowy sort of appearance that looks amazing!! I'm new to Strobe liquids but I'm so glad I finally gave it a try. This is another product I definitely plan on backing up

All of the must haves that I mentioned above were the first items sold out when the collection hit online. I'd totally check them out when it launches in stores May 23rd before you regret it :)

Have you purchased anything from the Temperature Rising Collection? Any favorites?

Dupe Alert!! OCC Belladonna Lip Tar

2013-05-19T18:47:00.000-04:00

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is a very popular cosmetic company well know for their unique shades of lip tars. I have done a few post's raving of them, also providing swatches which can be seen HERE and HERE.

Well the lovely shade above, Belladonna was a very popular shade that has been discontinued. Many, including myself have searched high and low for comparable colors, and I've never come across one that was close enough to the amazing shade. Now I had experimented with the different shades on numerous occasions and found out that most of the shades mixed together equals another. I passed on a few shades because of that. I then figured that I'd be able to dupe Belladonna with some of the colors I already owned. And I was right!!

The colors that I combined to make a shade similar to Belladonna were:

OCC Butch

OCC Pretty Boy

OCC Hoochie

Sleek Peek-O-Bloo (Substitue for OCC RX)

I started off with 20 drops of Butch and 20 drops of Pretty Boy
The color was too pink, so I then added a few drops of Hoochie, a more magenta shade
That brought the mixture to a form of purple, but wasn't as vibrant, and still a bit too light
I then added Sleek Peek-O-Bloo and that sealed the deal darkening it and giving it that kick!

I then got the shade below...

OCC Belladonna next to my mixture

(notice the color separation, you must mix well)

Belladonna vs My mixture

(with flash)

Belladonna vs My mixture

(without flash)

These are the tubes that I used to store my mixture. They can be found HERE

Belladonna vs My mixture

As you can tell by the pics above, the shades are extremely close! Almost identical actually. I notice a tiny bit of a difference when swatched, but when I tried them on the lips they looked exactly the same!!

Now, I have to say the key factors in getting a very close shade match is to use OCC Butch (gives that neon effect that Belladonna has) and a magenta sort of pink shade. As you can see above, I used Sleeks Paint Pout as a substitue and it worked out fine when mixed with the lip tar. So Sleeks Paint Pouts are definitely a cheaper alternative. I own a few shades and they are very comparable to lip tars!

So for those that loved the discontinued Belladonna, or for those who never got a chance to try the purple loveliness in a tube, give this concoction a try! If you're a purple lover such as myself, whatever shade you end up with is bound to be a pretty one :)

Have you ever tried OCC's lip tar in Belladonna or any of their other lip tars?

What are your thoughts?

RiRi ♥ MAC: RiRi Woo

2013-05-07T11:19:00.000-04:00

Mac now has joined forces with the lovely Rihanna! She has a few collections set to be released over the next few months. RiRi Woo is the first item to be launched. Rihanna was a major fan of Mac's permanent and well known lipstick Ruby Woo. So the popstar teamed up with Mac and made her own version. It's a perfect shade red, and looks amazing on may skin tones! It was an online only item, and I had missed out. It sold out in 3 hours!! BUT she set up a Mac Pop Up Shop at her concert that I attended, so I was able to grab a few :-)

READ ON »

Mac Hayley Williams: Sounds Like Noise

2013-04-28T15:23:00.000-04:00

READ ON »

MAC Baking Beauties Haul + Swatches

2013-04-28T14:43:00.004-04:00

Raspberry Swirl Lavender Whip

READ ON »

Mac Lavender Whip Old Vs New + Comparison Swatches

2013-04-28T14:43:00.003-04:00

Upon the repromote of Mac's infamous Lavender Whip, many noticed that the color wasn't exactly the same. I swatched both the new and old release and noticed the small difference.

Lavender Whip 2013 release Lavender Whip old release

READ ON »

Mac In Extra Dimension Haul + Swatches

2013-04-28T14:00:00.000-04:00

READ ON »

Harmony Gelish Love In Bloom Collection Spring 2013

2013-04-06T16:04:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know based on a previous post, I love Gelish manicures! I picked up a few shades below from their new Spring 2013 collection. I tried the first shade (below) and I must say they are definitely spring appropriate! Can't wait to try the other colors out. A Mint of Spring is my next choice

Mac Fashion Sets 2013

2013-04-06T10:32:00.000-04:00

Mac has done it again! They released some of the most raved about shades from their limited edition collections and repromoted them with matching sets. The sets consisted of lipsticks, lip liners, lip glosses, eyeshadows, and nail polishes. I myself went ahead and grabbed all 4 sets but passed on the eyeshadows and nail polishes. These shades are perfect for the upcoming Spring/Summer!!

Now on to the pics and swatches...

Lipsticks

Ablaze, Silly, Embrace Me, Heroine

Lipglosses

Ablaze, Silly, Embrace Me, Heroine

Lip liners

Ablaze, Silly, Embrace Me, Heroine

Swatched as sets: lip liner, lipstick, lipgloss

Ablaze, Silly, Embrace Me, Heroine

Now I must say, SIlly was the only one I had considered skipping, but then decided to go ahead and purchase. Soooo glad I did, because that one turned out to be the most unique of them all. I love it! I found close dupes of all of the shades except for Silly. I will share those with you all in another post. I was super excited about Heroine being repromoted as that has been my all time favorite purple lipstick ever!! Glad I now have a liner to pair it with as well as a backup!!

Did you pick up anything from this collection? What are your thoughts?

Ka'oir Lipstick Haul + Swatches

2013-03-10T16:09:00.000-04:00

I recently came across a brand of makeup... Ka'oir cosmetics. She has an array of unique colored shades of lipstick. I saw pictures on Instagram, and videos on YouTube raving of these babies, and being the makeup lover that I am, I decided to try a few out...

Rude Girl, Pool Party, Harlem Knight, Jamaica, Racquel

These lipsticks are super creamy, super opaque, and they are long lasting! I grabbed these when she had an active coupon code that was posted on her Instagram page @KeyshiaKaoir , but I definitely plan on trying more out soon. The warm weather is approaching and these shades will definitely be in. The colors are not for the faint of heart, but will totally be an eye grabber on a night out. That's the joy of makeup.... No limits!! Especially with color :)

Have you tried any products/lipsticks by Ka'oir? Thoughts?

Mac Archie's Girl Collection Haul + Swatches

2013-03-10T15:35:00.001-04:00

I purchased some items from one of Mac's recent collections... Mac Archie's Girls. The collection was divided into 2 parts based on the 2 ravishing rivals who aim for Archie's affection. Spoiled rich Veronica, and the blonde next door Betty...(inspired by the comic Archie's Girls)

Betty lipstick packaging

Betty Bright lipstick

Veronica lipstick packaging

Daddy's Little Girl and Ronnie Red

and here are the swatches for all 3 lipsticks...

Betty Bright, Daddy's Little Girl, Ronnie Red

Now on to the lipglosses...

Betty lipglasses in Summer Sweetheart and Kiss & Don't Tell

Veronica lipglass in Mall Madness

Summer Sweetheart, Kiss & Don't Tell, Mall Madness

Veronica Blush in Prom Princess

Flatter Me Pearlmatte

Flatter Me Pearlmatte and Prom Princess Blush

This collection also came with a few accessories. I picked up the mirror, coin purse, makeup bag, and travel brush kit

Mirror that comes with a slipcase

Coin Purse and Makeup bag

Coin Purse and makeup bag

Makeup bag is a decent size. Holds a good amount of my makeup

Travel brush set with its tin case

Brushes are 266, 226, 242, 168, 167

Overall this collection had some great items. I myself am a Veronica sort of gal so of course her pieces caught my attention and worked much better for me on my NC50 complexion. The packaging was an added bonus and that's what made me get a few of the accessories. I love the mirror and have been carrying it around ever since I received it!

Did you pick up anything from this collection? Are you a Betty or Veronica?

KleanColor Femme Lipsticks

2013-02-22T00:15:00.000-05:00

I recently came across this brand of lipsticks after seeing a video from ColouredBeautiful on YouTube. I then looked for online swatches as well as other info on these lippies. Many have mentioned finding them at their local beauty supply store. I myself have never came across them there. I did however find them on the actual KleanColor website. They were only $1.99 each. After adding a few shades to my cart and attempting to checkout, I noticed that the shipping was a bit much. I then did a google search and found a seller on eBay selling them at a cheaper price with free shipping.... SCORE!! I purchased a lot of 12 which included all of the shades from this collection. You can also find auction's where there are lesser quantities being sold as well. At the price that they were going for I decided to try them all. The link to the seller can be found HERE.

Now on to the swatches...

Lighting Struck, Envious Desire, Jewelry Box, Sky Dive, Happily After, Cast Of Spell

Magic Lime, Tingling Mimosa, Pink Seeker, Flirty Tango, After Hours, Purple Machine

These lipsticks come in different finishes. Majority are a sort of sheen finish, and a few are matte. Some are super sheer, while others pack a punch. Now all of my swatches were built up to show the true intensity. It took some a few more swatches than others. I can say that the 4 that were the most opaque and didn't need to be applied as much were Jewelry Box, Sky Dive, Cast of Spell, and After Hours. The others were more sheer and seemed to apply too streaky. Some of the formula's are greasy and thin, sort of like Vaseline, while others were a bit more creamy. But at less than $2 a pop, what can you really expect? They aren't horrible, but I myself wouldn't wear them alone. Maybe layered or mixed with another lipstick to create another shade or better staying power. I will also check them out with a liner applied underneath, as well as lined on the lips to see if they work out better. I'll be sure to do an updated review when I try them out further.

Have you ever tried these brand of lipsticks? If so, what are your thoughts?

FOTD: Mac Smokey Eye & Bold Lip

2012-12-12T23:29:00.001-05:00

Face:

Mac Match Master Foundation 7.5

Mac Studio Finish Concealer NC45 & NC50

Mac Dark and Deep Dark Skin Finish Natural

Mac Studio Fix Powder in NW50 (contour)

Cheeks:

Mac Devil Blush

Eyes:

Mac Dipdown Fluidline

Mac Smut Eyeshadow

Mac Rice Paper

Mac Brown Down

Mac Carbon

Lips:

Mac Seductive Intent

Mac Currant lip liner

As requested by a few of my followers on Instagram, I will be doing a tutorial on this look really soon so make sure to follow my YouTube Channel if you aren't already doing so :)

What do you think of this look? Have you ever worn a smokey eye with a bold lip?

Swatches: Mac Taste Temptation Mattenes with Comparisons

2012-12-12T23:12:00.001-05:00

Flash and No flash

Mac Petals & Peacocks, Night Blooming, Heroine, Seductive Intent

Petals & Peacocks and Night Blooming are almost identical!! Huge plus since P&P is one of my all times fav lipsticks. I have a few backups but glad to see I have a similar alternative.

Heroine and Seductive Intent aren't as similar as I expected. Heroine is one of my fav purple shades by Mac and I was hoping Seductive Intent would be close enough to call a dupe. Unfortunately it isn't :( It's not as purple as Heroine, and pulls more pink/magenta. Of course with a lipliner, it can easily be tweaked to be more similar to Heroine. A photo of me wearing it can be found HERE

Did you purchase anything from one of Mac's latest Taste Temptation collection?

Swatches: Mac Spring 13' Forecast/Lips Palette

2012-12-12T22:42:00.001-05:00

I know I have not been posting lately... Super busy with the holidays, life, and my upcoming birthday. I promise to get back to my usual routine of posting very soon :)

Now my last post was for Mac's Pro Palettes. I totally forgot that I had another one and wanted to come and share swatches with you all...

Nude, Talking Tan, Right On Orange, A Look In Lavender, Strut the Cherry, Electric Spring

I find these shades to be pretty similar to a few that I already own. I love the convenience of the different shades in one palette. Perfect for mixing to create new shades!!

What are your thoughts??

Swatches: Mac Pro Lip Palettes

2012-10-17T21:06:00.000-04:00

So if you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I purchased 2 of these Mac Pro Lip Palettes, 6 Preferred Pinks, and 6 Editorial Reds a couple months back. Since then, I went ahead and purchased my 3rd one, 6 Select Plums which happens to have some great shades for fall! Mac also has 2 more palettes, 6 Modern Browns and 6 Editorial Oranges. I passed on those as I already own a good amount of the shades from each palette already.

Now on to the swatches...

6 Preferred Pinks

Violetta, Creme de la Femme, Lovelorn, Show Orchid, Please Me, Pretty Please

6 Select Plums

Cyber, Amorous, Twig, Hang Up, Captive, Verve

6 Editorial Reds

Russian Red, Lady Danger, Dare You, Ruby Woo, Mac Red, On Hold

Overall I think this was a great idea for Mac to finally make lip palettes. I own over 100 Mac lipsticks, and smashed almost 40 of them into travel jars for my kit. Was better for travel, however, it's still way bulkier than these palettes. So this is definitely a much better alternative. It's also great for someone who wants to try out many different shades and formulas. Much cheaper as you get 6 shades for $40(usd). The only downside is that you only get 1/3 product of an actual tube of lipstick. Not too bad in my opinion, as I hardly ever finish a full tube anyways. The formula for each remained the same, and applied just as well as the regular tubes. I actually prefer these better as I now love using a lip brush to apply product.

I purchased all of my palettes through Mac's Canada customer service. They're pro items available to everyone, however they weren't available through Mac's U.S. pro site or customer service back then. However, I did log onto Mac pro today and it now says coming soon. So I would think pro stores as well as Mac customer service (U.S.) should begin stocking them pretty soon. Until then feel free to order like I did via Canada's customer service number. Shipping is a bit more ($7.50 flat rate to the US for up to 10 items) but if you order enough product it'll be worth it.

So what are your thoughts on these new palettes? Do you own, or plan on purchasing any?