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FOTD: MAC Plum Crush Metal Pigments & Redhead Mineralize Skin Finish

2012-01-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I've done a face of the day! The holidays are over and everything is more or less back to normal. Well, except for the onset of an icky cold and a crafting bug. More on that second bug shortly. As requested, here is a look I did with the MAC Plum Crush Metal Pigments Dazzlesphere and two old friends: MAC Redhead Mineralized Skinfinish and MAC Wonderstruck Lustreglass.

What I used:
Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion
MAC Bare Study Paint Pot
Urban Decay Zero 24/7 Eyeliner
MAC Solar White Eye Shadow (brow bone)
MAC Misty Crush Metal Pigment (inner 1/4 of lid)
MAC Light Violet Crush Metal Pigment (lid)
MAC Grape Crush Metal Pigment (crease)
MAC Seasonally Cool Crush Metal Pigment (outer crease)
MAC Redhead Mineralized Skinfinish
MAC Wonderstruck Lustreglass
MAC Opulash Optimumlash Mascara

I know, I know, it's the usally darker smoky eye with a pale lip. It is a bit of a rut I have, but I think that's what I like to do most in winter. As well, I must gloat a bit about how long my lashes are with Optimumlash! In a nutshell, my lashes wing out so beautifully, it is extremely dark and my lashes are super long in just a coat! Two coats and even 3 is absolutely showstopping. I must recommend it and hope you will try it. Yes, will do a proper review very soon :)

Until next time, enjoy the pictures :)

More Beauty Samples for Canadians: December Glymm Box

2012-01-13T12:02:00.000-08:00

Just a little while ago my December Holiday 2011 Glymm box arrived. Glymm is a beauty product sampling subscription service that works much like Luxebox does. The cost is $10 CAD plus tax per month. Each month a new beauty filled box arrives with a 4-5 large samples to try out. Upon receival, they have a survey for your opinions on the products and an opportunity to purchase full size products of some of the products from Glymm. Each survey completed and each box purchased contributes to points that can then be used towards purchasing products on the Glymm site. In addition to full size versions of samples, Glymm also sells many full size products on their website that have been available in previous sample boxes or from brands that may have made appearances in their sample boxes.

My box included 5 beauty products, a coupon code to use online and a wee jar of jelly beans :) I received deluxe samples of Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream, Ahava Mineral Hand Cream and Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Eau de Parfum. I also received Sula Beauty Natural Lip Gloss in Mesmerizing and a Lise Watier Flash Lift Radiance vial.

I guess with the cold weather going around, Canadian ladies need a lot of love in the hand cream department, so two samples isn't a bad idea at all! Ahava Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Cream has a very light floral scent. It absorbs easily into my skin with little residue. It does not feel oily at all. I've used Ahava before from a friend that went to Israel. Ahava uses Dead Sea minerals with witch hazel extracts to smooth dry skin.

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream has a fruity scent. Once again, it is fast absorbing. I find this one has less residue and is more moisturizing than the Ahava Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Cream. Between the two, I'd probably get the Caudalie cream since I prefer the scent, it is faster absorbing and I could get it at Sephora.

The YSL Parisienne Eau de Parfum is definitely one to love. It starts off as a candied berry floral that dries down to reveal some rose notes. I really want a bottle of this!

The Lise Watier Flash Radiance vial is still on my vanity to be used. It is my second that I have received. The first being from my November Luxebox. To be honest, I am always a little doubtful on instance results. As well, I have yet to have a really bad night of sleep to warrant using this.

Lastly, I got Sula Beauty Natural Lip Gloss in Mesmerizing. I am not a fan of the scent straight out of the tube. It is extremely sweet for my nose. On my lips, it isn't so strong, but it is enough where I wouldn't want to wear it. (Sorry, gotta be honest!) The gloss itself is non-sticky and has a medium thickness feel to it. The color in the tube is a deep berry with shimmer. On lips, it comes off quite sheer. Perhaps if the scent was less strong, I'd try a different shade, but for the moment, I'll try some others lip glosses.

Overall, I thought this was a good mix of beauty products. I think that perhaps a hair product would've been a better option instead of two hand creams. I like that their website has quite a few products available for purchase that can tend to be hard to find. Until the next pretty pink Glymm box, enjoy the pictures!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Time for the December 2011 Holiday Luxebox

2012-01-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays! I hope yours was as good or better than mine :) Hopefully filled with lots of sweets, turkey, and pretty things :)

One of my treats I received was my Holiday Edition Luxebox for December. It included Yves Roucher Rouge Dragee Lipstick (full-size) in 66 or 16085 Framboise Sorbet, Yves Rocher Malaysian Coconut Shower Gel, Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Perfume, Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau de Toilette and NYX Slim Eye Pencil 901 Black (full-size).

I've used NYX Slim Eye Pencil 901 Black as a back up in my makeup bag when I need to do a touch up. It's a charcoal blue black that smudges a bit, however its a nice true black that works for evenings out.

I've been a big fan of Yves Rocher for over 10 years, so I was pleased to see a bottle of yummy Malaysian Coconut Shower Gel. It smells like the coconut water I drink after I workout. So lovely and only a little bit is needed.

Paco Rabanne 1 Million was actually my boyfriends gift last Christmas. I liked the idea of the gold brick packaging in the full size edition and loved the scent on myself. So a sample size for him is fabulous so he can take it around with him. It's truly a fragrance that can wear the man if they wear a bit too much of it. Sweet, spicy and a little musky, it is very much my man's scent. ;) I've been wanting to get Paco Rabanne Lady Million for a really long time as well, although I kind of like the men's version a bit more. It's a seductive floral that compliments the men's version.

Also from Yves Rocher I received the Rouge Dragee Lipstick in Framboise Sorbet. It is a subtle shade of raspberry pink. I had to look that up against the Yves Rocher website, given the item number on the bottom. I found this particular shade to be creamy yet slightly sheer. It reminds me of the MAC Lustre formula. It is buildable to near full coverage.

I must say that when I received the Luxebox, it seems like a sweet present from a good friend. Wrapped beautifully in the sleek and elegant black cardboard box, it includes a holiday card, a description card and a surprise chocolate coin all sealed by a personalized sticker. I do like this last months edition and can't wait for the next one :)

MAC Holiday 2011 Plum Crush Metal Dazzlesphere Review & Swatches

2011-12-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

The last of the MAC Holiday 2011 items that I purchased was the Plum Crush Metal Dazzlesphere.It includes Misty, Seasonally Cool, Light Violet and Grape.

Misty is pale silver shimmer. This one is quite like MAC Silver Fog Pigment. It has a slightly drier texture and applies sheerly. I would use this as an inner third of the lid shade or very sparingly on the brow bone of my NC40 skin.

Seasonally Cool is a pale frosty taupe with a hint of lavender. This one applies really nicely. It isn't too dry and seems to come together on a sticky base really well. I like using this as an all over lid shade. I've used mine quite a bit in the last month I've had it ;)

Light Violet is exactly that, frosted light violet. I like to think of it as the pretty yet hard to deal with sister of the bunch. It has this chunkier texture that needs a good stiff brush with a light hand to whip it into working order, as well as a sticky base. Once you get it on the lid, it is still prone to fall out after the sticky base has dried. It also is nearly exactly the same as the MAC Spring Colour Forecast Stacked 1! light violet shade as well as MAC Kitschmas pigment. Besides being nearly the same as a few other MAC products and a bit of pain to work with, it does has this super shimmery fairy like finish with little flakes of pearly glitter. Messy, yet dreamy, not quite perfect.

Grape is a shimmery deep violet grape shade. It has a slight bluish cast to it when applied wet. This one is great as a crease or outer crease shade. It applies nicely over a sticky base and doesn't have issues for fall out. It is very very similar to the grape shade of MAC Spring Colour Forecast Stacked 1! set.

I do have to comment about the packaging of MAC Crush Metal Pigments. I do have to be honest and say I don't really like it. Yes it is simple and does the job, however there is a tendency for spillage when in a rush. After unscrewing the lid, I wish it had a powder dispenser top so that only a wee bit of powder could come out when opened. A dispenser top much like the Lise Watier Loose Eye Shadow would be much better. Regular pigments are less prone to spillage since they're a little bigger in size to hold and are narrower than the packaging of Crush Metal Pigments.

Overall, this set isn't overly unique. If you have the MAC Spring Colour Forecast Stacked 1! Crush Metal Pigment set, you may wish to skip it. Seasonally Cool didn't seem like a shade that I have in my stash, but I could be wrong. I like this set, although I can't say I love it. Much like the other Crush Metal Pigments of past, these do require a sticky base and some work to get a good amount of coverage from them. Certain shades are more prone to fall out due to lots of glitteriness more than just shimmer or frost. I also don't really like that 3 of the 4 shades in this set appear to be shades I've seen before. Oh well, it is lovely as it is. Until next time, enjoy the swatches!

MAC Holiday 2011 Berry Crush Metal Dazzlesphere Review & Swatches

2011-12-27T22:50:00.000-08:00

The second of the three MAC Holiday 2011 Dazzlespheres I purchased is the Berry Crush Metal Ornament. It includes Pearl, Rose Light, Roasted Chestnut and Spicy Smoke. When I went in for a makeover during the MAC Holiday and Glitter and Ice promotion party, the makeup artist used this set on me.

Pearl is a pale pale frosted pink. This one is surprisingly smooth compared to other lighter shades of Crushed Metal Pigments. It works well as a highlighter or inner third eye shade.

Rose Light is medium shade of frosted yellow-pink. It works well as an all over lid color as well as outer crease shade.

Roasted Chestnut is a frosted deep chocoalte brown. I like this as a inner crease color or even as a liner. Frosty dark browns are very versatile to work with.

Spicy Smoke is a frosted pinky red. I don't love this color, but it does work well with the rest of these shades. I guess it is mostly that I don't wear red on my lids. To me, red should be a lip or blush shade. However, I am trying! I did a look where I used this on the middle third of my lid with Roasted Chestnut in the outer crease, outer third of lid and in the crease. Then Rose Light on the inner third of the lid. It worked, but it was a little odd to see red so close my eyes. Oh well, I must keep trying ;)

Of all of the Crush Metal Pigments Dazzlesphere sets, I think this set would be the winner. It has a good mix of really wearable shades that can be work and office safe. The quality of this set was also good to great overall. I didn't feel like there was one I had to work tremendously hard at making it apply nicely enough (hence little comment on each ones specific finish and potential finickiness). I do find myself reaching for this particular set. I've used Pearl and Roasted Chestnut pretty regularily. According to the Canadian MAC Cosmetics site (at the moment), these are still in stock. it is definitely one to check out!

MAC Holiday 2011 Smoky Blue Crush Metal Dazzlesphere Review & Swatches

2011-12-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

The MAC Holiday 2011 Collection includes a few beautiful glittery pots of love. More specifically Crush Metal Pigment Dazzlespheres! I got all three limited edition Crush Metal Pigment Dazzlesphere Ornament sets (Smoky Blue, Berry Crush and Plum) to satisfy my holiday makeup shopping urges ;)

First up of the Crush Metal Pigments Ornaments is Smoky Blue. The Smoky Blue Dazzlesphere includes White as Snow, Silver Sleet, Dark Moon and Winter Sky. While not the most practical for me, I thought this set would add some appropriate cool winteriness to my stash.

White as Snow is a chunky frosty white with a hint of silver to it. It is particularily gritty and probably the least nicest eye shadow I've played with recently. I would highly suggest using this wet and working it into the brush to achieve a better texture.

Silver Sleet is medium silver grey. This had a much better texture than White As Snow. Less gritty and chunky, it seemed finer in texture. I think it allowed it bind together more readily. While this shade isn't overly unique, if you love silvers and platinums, this one is definitely one to love. ~~It is quite similar to MAC Silver Fog Pigment, but not as warm as MAC Platinum Pigment.~~ It is quite similar to Platinum pigment, but not as warm. It is cool like Silver Fog, but not as light in shade.

Dark Moon is shimmery charcoal black. It swatches with a hint of silver and blue in it, but I think those are more so remanants from Silver Sleet and Winter Sky. This had a drier texture than Silver Sleet and White As Snow. I think it works for this particular shade though, because you could use it as a crease shade or outer crease shade.

Winter Sky is frosty indigo blue. This shade reminds me of my cousins wedding color. The purpley blue is one of those happy colors that brightens up this set. The texture of this one lies between that of Silver Sleet and Dark Moon. I think it could have been smoother, but used wet and worked into the brush, it works alright.

Overall, there are some annoyances with Crush Metal Pigments. They do require a base to stick to, there is almost always glittery fall out unless applied wet, the texture can vary greatly within one crush metal pigment set, the packaging is a little troublesome if you have butterfingers and you only get frost and shimmer finishes within a set. With that said, I still quite like this set. I can grab it without much thought to finding coordinating shades and the shades work really well together. I do love my frosts and shimmers, but these do result in a super shimmer eye look using all of the shades. Oh well, getting creative with some mattes and satins will be fun to do! :) Enjoy the swatches until next time ;)

NOTD: OPI Miss Universe Swimsuit ... Nailed It! Nail Lacquer

2011-12-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

I was in the mood for something bright and sparkly a little while ago. OPI Miss Universe Collection Swimsuit ... Nailed It! suited the bill. I picked mine up at Shifeon for $7.95 CAD.

Nailed It is a bright electric cobalt blue frost. It is packed with frosty blue micro glitter. If you don't like glitter, please stay away from this!

The texture is surprisingly not overly chunky as some glitters can be. I would suggest using a top coat though as it dries to a slightly gritty finish. It dries down quickly without much fuss as most OPI nail polish does.

Nail swatches are of 2 coats with Seche Vite Top Coat. The top photo is when I was outside in natural lighting. Second nail swatch photo is indoors with some artificial light. I do find that I do get tip wear in about 4-5 days even though I am pretty hard on my nails.

Now I do wonder about getting a bikini sparkly blue bikini in the same cobalt blue to match. Yeah, I'm all about matching and coordinating my nails to my clothes ;)

November Luxebox Goodie Box

2011-12-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

I got my November Luxebox of goodness a little while ago. (Nearly two weeks actually.) I've been soooo busy lately, since one of my dearest cousins had twin girls just over two weeks ago. Hence, this post now ;)

The Luxebox is available from Loose Button. It is a subscription service that you can purchase a set of samples 1 month at a time, 3 months at a time or a full year. I purchased the yearly since I thought it would be pretty fun to get new samples every month. Each month includes 4-5 deluxe samples.

This months samples included: Paco Rabanne Black XS For Her and Black XS, Lise Watier Plumpissimo Le Gloss Nude, Lise Watier Couleur Folle Mineral Loose Eye Shadow in Folie Soleil, Benefit B. Right! Moisture Prep Toning Lotion, and the bonus Teaopia Cactus Fig Tea.

The Lise Watier Folie Soleil Loose Eye Shadow appears to be a full size product, but it is actually 1 gram, not 2 grams as in the full size. It is very well pigmented but does need a sticky base to adhere to the skin. Folie Soleil is a bright yellow gold. It runs on the warm side of the spectrum. I probably wouldn't use this on its own, as it kind of flattens out the depth of my eyelid. It is definitely a color that works well with a lot of other shades since it gold is fairly neutral.

The Lise Watier Plumpissimo Le Gloss in Nude is a sparkly sheer golden pink. I don't find it to have much plumping action. I've only used it a few times, but with the claims that it will penetrate the lines and expand on contact with the skin. I didn't find that was the case, it swelled my lips a wee bit. However it more so showed my lip lines. Perhaps it is the color that makes it so, but I'll have to see with some other shades. Below I've also included a full face swatch of both the lip gloss and eye shadow. I'm using NARS Orgasm Blush so I don't look too washed out.

The Paco Rabanne Black XS For Her and Black XS samples were relatively large key chains that my honey and I are enjoying. XS For Her is a floral scent with a bit of a spicy vanilla mix. I really this one and am putting on my Christmas Wish List. The mens version is a mix of woody and floral.

I have yet to try the Benefit B. Right! Moisture Prep Toning Lotion. I tend to find skin care products hard to judge without a longer testing period. So perhaps in the near future when I get the full size version I'll be able to do a proper review on it.

The Teaopia Cactus Fig tea smells just amazing. A green tea with bits of fig and orange flower, it is so beautiful to drink. Morning perk without too much caffeine? Yes, this one is definitely one to try out. All enclosed in a nice little orange tin that I think I will use for taking loose teas on the go.

Overall, I do like this set of samples much more than October's Luxebox. The only product I'm a bit iffy on is the Lise Watier Plumpissimo Nude Lip Gloss. Now, time to wait for the December Luxebox :)

I love Returns! Versace for H&M Haul!!

2011-12-04T22:59:00.001-08:00

So you may be wondering about the title, why would you love returns? Well this haul is all composed of Versace for H&M products that were returned. I didn't buy any of it on launch day on November 19. :) No 3AM lineups or waiting for hours and hours on end. Granted, I've been pretty lucky and I've had to have a lot of patience to get my goodies.

I spent way too much, resulting in a huge slash in the cosmetic budget for a couple of months, but it's Versace! I had wanted quite a bit of the Versace for H&M collection, including the metallic dress in either silver or gold. I saw them in store, but they were at least 2 sizes too big for me. It would've been extremely unrealistic for me to get the metalic dress then take it to a tailor who would look at me like a complete nut case.

In any case, in order of purchase, I got the metallic silver sandals, pink patent studded evening bag, metallic silver wide belt, black leather charm bag and the black silk floral bustier. Each one was a pleasant surprise to find. :)

My first visit post-launch to H&M to look for any leftovers, there was a stack of metallic silver sandals, black patent sandals and black pointy toe booties. The majority of which was size 5, 9 or 10. The silver attracted me the most, while the booties reminded me too much of JLo hiking booties from many many years ago. I found one box marked size 6, but a 10 sitting inside. After a little bit of digging, I found the misplaced pair. Yea! The heels are quite high, so I think I'll save these for a night with little walking or dancing.

I also saw the purple knee length dress, but the cut of the dress didn't suit me. Unfortunately, the band going around the neck, didn't sit right on me since I'm a bit short between my neck and bust. Oh well, perhaps someone else will like it.

On my second visit, I got the pink patent studded evening bag and the black silk bustier in what I thought was my usual H&M size, a 4. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to try it on and once I did at home, it was far too tight. I had it on for about a minute when I started to feel light headed. Sadly, I returned it on my third visit but I got the silver belt to match my shoes. Silver shoes, silver dress, pink bag and a simple little black dress = a fast easy outfit :)

But that black silk bustier haunted me. I didn't think I would want it, but the amazing detailing on the front was too gorgeous. A cut out back to show the work of 1000s of burpees I do every week? Yes, I needed it for at least that. The inside was a dream. A bustier inside a bustier?? No one does that for $149CAD!

So I went back but found another love: the black leather chain bag I had oh so wanted. It's heavy golden charms dangle along both sides. All to be held in the crook of my arm with a heavy golden chain. :)

But that black silk bustier...It tormented me! My co-worker kept saying, it not wasn't worth it. However, I knew if it was for me it would be there one day. Plus I had a feeling that there would be a lot of returns ;) I went back day after day for nearly two weeks. Found a few in a size 2... I would need to remove a rib or two to fit into that. Found another two in a size 10. Well, then I'd have to gain all the weight I've worked so hard to get off. Not going to happen! But I found it! Luckily, I had time to try it on in a size 6 (and an 8 just in case) and make sure it fit. Yes, a bit big, but that will just allow me breathing room and space to move.

The detailing in the bustier is amazing, but even in the shopping bag, there is the beautiful print along the sides of the bag. The dust bags for the shoes and bags also have the Versace print and embroidered Versace for H&M logo. Wow was all I could say about it all.

The look options with all of these items will be so much fun! I'm planning on wearing the bustier with black leggings, my Jimmy Choo for H&M black leather jacket, with black booties (since it is winter) and perhaps the pink studded bag for my next date night. Perhaps for New Year's Eve the bustier with a black pencil skirt and a cropped black blazer. Oh the options!

So ladies and gentlemen, check your nearest H&M store that was selling the Versace collection. Stalk it out and maybe, just maybe you'll find someone else's returns that will be your treasure. :) But be careful. Don't be like me and cut into too much of your budgets for other fabulous things ;)

Anybody else out there get some Versace for H&;M? What did you get??? Did you line up for hours or stalk out the returns? I'd love some sharing :)

MAC Fall Color 2011 Emerald Dusk, Starless Night & Blue Storm Review & Swatches

2011-12-04T22:59:00.000-08:00

Oh how I adore MAC Pigments! My heart just went yea! when I saw these in store during the MAC Fall Color Collection 2011 release party. (I know its a little bit late you say...) I got Emerald Dusk, Starless Night and Blue Storm Pigments.

Emerald Dusk is described by MAC as deep yellow blue with white pearl. My initial pictures are pretty washed out, but please do look at the pictures to the bottom of this post where they are swatched wet using plain old water. The yellow in Emerald Dusk becomes more apparent when swatched wet and lends it to being used with possibly some golds and maybe copper. (Hmm, look ideas!)

Starless Night is described by MAC as deep black purple with light purple pearl. This one kind of reminds me of MAC Later Pigment, but with a more interesting base color that isn't just straight out black. It also reminds me of MAC Venomous Villains My Dark Magic Mineralized Eye Shadow but without the chunky glittery bits.

Blue Storm is described by MAC as rich metallic blue. It is a darker richer version of MAC Bell Bottom Blue Pigment.

These three pigments are of course highly pigmented. They happen to be pretty smooth, so they adhere to sticky bases a lot nicer than some of the chunkier pigments and eye shadows do. While they are decent when used dry, they pack on much better when used wet with either water, MAC Fix+ or mixing medium. Among the three, if I had to pick just one I think I would choose Starless Night. Probably because I am just a sucker for anything pink and purple ;)

From what I can tell, these are still available online. I haven't checked with my local counters lately, but when available online, there may be a possibility for those who haven't picked any up yet ;)

MAC Holiday 2011 Glitter & Ice Haul Review & Swatches

2011-11-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

The MAC Holiday 2011 Glitter & Ice Collection collaboration with Johnny Weir is sure to tickle your glitter loving heart. Full of glitter and frost, it sure is one to make your peepers sparkle away. I picked up Morning Frost Paint Pot, Hold That Pose Mineralize Eye Shadow, Winterized Mineralize Eye Shadow and Snow Season Mineralize Eye Shadow.

Morning Frost Paint Pot is a cool light mauvey taupey beige. It is frosty verging on glittery and has a slightly gritty texture. It is nowhere near as smooth as the permanent Bare Study Paint Pot that is more of a shimmery pearl finish. The texture of Morning Frost makes it more mobile, so it slips on the lid rather than staying put as with most Paint Pots. (Perhaps I need to dry it out a little bit.) It is only a hint mauvey taupe than Bare Study. It is quite pale and is super high in shimmer and frost. It is similar to Bare Study that it could be used as an every day base to match up with shades. Having said that, I would've probably picked up another Bare Study instead due to the slipping of Morning Frost. To be honest I don't believe I would have gotten it except for the packaging. The white cap on the usual glass jar is pretty cute and is a great indicator of what is inside when looking through a drawer of Paint Pots and Fluidlines with the usual black caps. :)

Hold That Pose Mineralized Eye Shadow is a frosty melange of pink, grey, and white frost. It swatches to a high frost pinked silver. I would stick to this one being used sparingly as it can be a bit stark, especially on warmer skintones.

Winterized Mineralized Eye Shadow is a frosty melange of navy blue, grey, deep purple, and pink frost. It swatches to a greyed deep mauve. It reminds me a bit of MAC Hynotizing and Shale.

Snow Season Mineralized Eye Shadow is a frosty melange of pink, white and golden champagne. It swatches pinky champagne frost. This one reminds me of the limited edition Love Connection from many collections back. Love Connection does have more golden champagne in it of course since half of it is golden champagne. Snow Season is like Love Connections toned down sister.

The formula of these is pretty consistent across the three that I picked out. On the dry side, I suggest applying these wet to avoid fall out and have a smoother application. They do have a chunky texture due to the frost level, and results in pretty significant fall out. However, since most of these are on the lighter side, think of it as fairy dust for your holiday look.

Now, they are definitely not like the Semi-Precious Collection eye shadows with shades ranging from green to blue and smokey gold. These are extremely shimmery and will probably not attract a lot of people to them. However, I still think they deserve a look. Mixed with a few less shimmery eye shadows, it could be a lovely holiday look.

MAC Fall Color 2011 Three Ring Yellow Review, Comparison & Swatches

2011-11-14T16:49:00.000-08:00

MAC Three Ring Yellow is a Limited Edition released eye shadow from the MAC Fall Color 2011 Collection. In a Veluxe Pearl finish, it is a shimmery shade of yellow green. It applies beautifully as many Veluxe Pearl finish shades do.

I'd co-ordinate Three Ring Yellow with browns, as well as teals and turqoises. Perhaps even copper or bronze.

It is not overly unique if you have the limited edition Rated R eye shadow. However Rated R is greener and less yellow than Three Ring Yellow. It is nowhere near the permanent shades of Juxt or Lucky Green. Both are considerably less yellow and are cooler in tone compared to Three Ring Yellow and Rated R.

Three Ring Yellow is still showing as available on the MAC Canada site. Hopefully you'll be able to add it to your stash :)

MAC Styledriven Show Me! Pro Longwear Lipglass Review & Swatches

2011-11-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

One of MAC's new permanent products in the Styledriven Collection for Fall Winter 2011 is the Pro Longwear Lipglass with nine shades varying from neutrals, pinks, red, purple, to bright pink. I picked out a safe neutral in Show Me!

Show Me! is described as a mid-tone neutral plum. I don't find it plummy, but more a pinky brown. It is a creamy finish with no noticeable sparkles, glitter or pearl. While not a color that screams look at me, it is one that I knew would go with warm and cool looks when paired with darker eye looks or deeper cheeks for fall.

The formula of the Pro Longwear Lipglass is very very sticky, moderately thick, full coverage and has a wet lipstick appearance. It is quite unlike Cremesheen Glass that is thinner, has a sheer coverage, a light feel and is nowhere near as sticky. The big bonus for the Pro Longwear Lipglass is that it lasts far longer than just sipping some drinks. I can easily wear this through a not so oily salad without having the majority of lip product coming off (the usual occurrence with Cremesheen Glass and many other lip products). It's sticky tendency does tend to glom on to bread crumbs and other dry and flaky foods, such as sandwiches, pies and streudels.

One of my concerns is always lipline bleed without a lip liner. Show Me! does not seem to require a lipliner, but I think I'll have to try another one of the darker Pro Longwear Lipglasses just to make sure.

While it lasts through several hours of wear, including eating most foods, its sticky texture is a tad of a nuisance. We've had some very windy weather lately, so my hair tends to stick to it. So I'd suggest applying this just before getting to your destination. I still quite like it and will probably get a few more in the coming months. Thankfully these are permanent, so no rush on grabbing more right away :)

MAC Fall Color 2011 Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish Review & Swatches

2011-11-14T16:46:00.000-08:00

Part of the MAC Fall Color 2011 Collection is the Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish. It is a re-promote from the MAC Danse Collection from Fall Winter 2006. Lightscapade is a pale pearl blended melange of pink, blue, yellow, lavender and a hint of peach.

As pretty as it is in the pan, it is super super light. On my NC40 skintone, it works decently with a light hand as a highlighter for cooler looks. Lighter beauties may find this works lovely. However, this will not be one that I reach for on a daily basis. It is just simply too pale to use as a cheek color and it does not work well with the warmer looks I tend to wear over fall and winter.

Peraps for a cool-toned New Year's Eve look, but perhaps it will be just another beautiful MSF to peruse in my Mineralize Skinfinish collection. Unfortunately, it is sold out in stores and online, however many are available on Ebay and the like. Thankfully, not at $100 as they were prior to the repromote. Thank goodness I held out!

Collectible? Absolutely. Daily use? For lighter beauties as a highlighter.

MAC Ash Violet Fluidline Review & Swatches

2011-11-08T22:14:00.000-08:00

MAC Ash Violet Fluidline is a lovely shade of blackened purple. It has a sheer and frosted finish. It is quite unlike many of the other Fluidline products that tend to be quite pigmented. This one is not so pigmented, which is a bit of a disappointment. Unfortunately, it does not layer very well, probably due to its chunkier texture. However, when layered over Blacktrack, the sparkle shines through for a delicate amount of glitter.

While not my favourite of the limited edition Fluidline's of late, it can add that little bit of glitter to your eye look.

MAC Fall Color Collections Mini-Haul :)

2011-11-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

I know you're seeing MAC Holiday items at your MAC counter and stores already and I have yet to post my MAC Fall Color Collections Haul! My bad! I've been up to many important things, including preparing for a craft sales in the evening, waking up at 6 am to Bodyrock five days a week and working five or even six days a week. I've reviewed MAC Kiss Me Quick, but as you can see, I've got a ton more to review! My little haul includes Three Ring Yellow Eye Shadow, Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish, Show Me Pro Longwear Lipglass, Ash Violet Fluidline, Emerald Dusk Pigment, Starless Night Pigment and Blue Storm Pigment. Yes, I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

MAC Me Over Midnight Blues Fluidline Review & Swatch

2011-11-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

After a long wait, I finally got some time to write a review for this lovely shade of blue. From the MAC Me Over Collection from what seems like eons ago, is the Fluidline Midnight Blue. Midnight Blue is blackened blue. Midnight Blue is not as teal or golden as MAC Siahi. It has a very slight shimmer, but not quite as shimmery as Siahi.

Much like the vast majority of MAC Fluidline's, Midnight Blue is not one to disappoint. It applies smoothly and layers nicely to a solid line. It lasts all day, no smudging or messing about. I love adding to my Fluidline collection!

Classic Red: MAC Posh Paradise Eden Rouge Mattene Lipstick

2011-11-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

The MAC Posh Paradise Collection included a lovely set of Mattene formula lipsticks. I decided to try Eden Rouge as part of my long standing quests for a perfect red lipstick with little lip line bleed. Eden Rouge is a simple bright blue red. It is not overly blue that it doesn't work on my NC40 skintone.

I find that this formula is creamy and smooth to apply. It is somewhat moisturising at first. It gets a hint drying after 3-4 hours of wear, but not so much so where it feels painful. I do notice signs of wear after eating soupy, oily or saucy meals. Of course, much more so with oily food.

Unfortunately, I do notice some signs of lip line bleeding without the use of a lip liner. While not super noticeable after 3-4 hours; after 6 to 8 hours, it does look quite messy. With the use of lip liner, all problems are solved. My choice at the moment is Kiss Me Quick MAC Prolongwear Lip Liner (love it!), it completely stopped it in its tracks :) The last picture in this post is where I'm wearing both Kiss Me Quick and Eden Rouge. Definitely a winning combo :)

MAC Style Driven Kiss Me Quick Pro Longwear Lip Pencil

2011-11-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

In a quest for a perfect red pout, it requires a helper in the form of a proper lip pencil. After picking up MAC Eden Rouge lipstick, I picked up the MAC Style Driven Kiss Collection Kiss Me Quick Pro Longwear Lip Pencil. At $21.50 CAD each, this lip pencil is one of the best I've tried.

Kiss Me Quick is slightly yellow red. It is a permanent shade that applies smoothly without any tugging. It truly helped with lip line bleeding so much so that I can wear red lips far more often in a month than I ever have in the last ten years. After 8 to 9 hours of wear, I only see a little bit of fading. But not so much so that I need to reapply my liner or feel the need to wipe it all off and start fresh. While it doesn't hold up to oily salad dressing or other oily food, it took a lot of oil to really mess it up.

I really love this liner. I have to restrain myself from picking up a back up, since I don't wear red lips all too often. It is definitely worth a look for some hot red lips for the holidays.

My First Luxebox from Loosebutton

2011-10-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

A little while ago, I got my first Luxebox in the mail. The Luxebox is from the company Loose Button where the Luxebox is available on a monthly subscription for $10 Canadian per month.

Each Luxebox contains a few deluxe sample size beauty products based on surveys that I filled in on the Loose Button website. The box arrives enclosed in bubble wrap inside a cardboard mailer box. Enclosed is a card of what is included in the customized October Luxebox.

My box included: Seche Vite Top Coat mini, Chloe Eau de Parfum mini, Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex, Moroccanoil, Lise Watier Flash Light Radiance Vial and a Dealuxe coupon for $25 off a $75 purchase. I absolutely love Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. It is one of my favourite long lasting and hard wearing nail polish top coats. The mini size is going to be perfect for my purse! The Chloe Eau de Parfum is extremely cute. It is a sweet light floral that I can see myself wearing for a special night out. The Olay Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex may be the trick for my dark undereye circles. The Lise Watier Flash Light Radiance Vial maybe just the trick come holiday season.

Unfortunately, my dearest hair stylist and loving cousin has vetoed the Moroccanoil that I got in the box. She prefers I stick to Redken and gave me some Redken Argan-6 Oil samples on my last salon visit. (Yes, a review will be on its way :) I gave the Moroccanoil away to a friend for her to use since she doesn't have coloured hair.

So far, it's 4 hits and only 1 miss. Here's hoping for some new goodies in the next Luxebox :)

Purple & Gold Loving: MAC Posh Paradise Imaginary Half-Wild Hyperviolet Genuine Treasure Paint Pots Review & Swatches

2011-10-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love MAC Paint Pots. They are so easy to use, they enhance eye shadow color and they increase the longevity of powder eye shadows. I was so excited to see more Paint Pots being released in the Posh Paradise collection that released just recently. I picked up four beautiful shades: Genuine Treasure, Half-Wild, Imaginary and Hyperviolet.

Genuine Treasure is a chockful glitter packed antique gold. It is definitely not something I'd recommend to someone who likes matte eye shadow! However, I can take that glitter and match it up with more glitter-goodness. How about topping it with MAC Tempting, Mythology? Yes, it is gorgeous :) It's sticky texture allows for less fall out of your favourite golden or bronze glittery eye shadow. :)

Half-Wild is a creamy medium purple. It goes really well with MAC Vibrant Grape, Plum Dressing and Shockaholic. (Probably not all of those shades together though, that would be a very intense look!)

Hyperviolet is a rich plummy purple. This one is a cross between MAC Violet Trance and Shock-aholic. While similar to Half-Wild, it is deeper in shade.

Imaginary is a deep bluish indigo. MAC calls it a blackened navy, but it has a slightly purple feel to it. So of course between blue and purple comes indigo :) This goes well with many of the darker blue and purple eye shadows that MAC has released. I'm thinking of using it with blue toned pigments and old love MAC Blue Flame Mineralize Eye Shadows.

The formula for all of the Paint Pots that I picked up (except for Genuine Treasure) were creamy and smooth. Well pigmented and buildable, they appear dreamily rich as an eye shadow base. Genuine Treasure on the other hand did not build up well and had a texture that was gritty due to it being chockful of glitter. (Oh well, it's still pretty gorgeous!) My only other complaint is that MAC Paint Pots do dry fairly quickly. So I try to do one eye at a time so that the second eye does not have the base dry out too quickly.

I don't tend to use Paint Pots as a cream eye shadow without powder eye shadow to set it. My eyelids tend to be too oily to do so most of the time. I did try it with Half-Wild over the lid and Imaginary in the crease. It didn't too much after 4 hours and it had a slightly moist appearance that I thought would be interesting to wear out one evening. Genuine Treasure didn't hold up well to being used without a powder eye shadow to set. It moved around too much within a few hours.

Overall, these new release Paint Pots are a great addition to my collection. If you want some additional eye shadow bases to add to your collection, these are definitely ones to check out. I contemplated the remaining Paint Pots, but the only other one that really jumped out at me was Pure Creation. It's a beautiful shade of sky blue that I am sure would look great on others, but perhaps on others. Oh well, you never know I may end up picking it up on my next visit to the MAC counter ;) Enjoy the pictures for now :)

MAC Ultra Darling Sheen Supreme Lipstick Review & Swatches

2011-10-13T00:52:00.000-07:00

I was craving a little something different in my lip product routine while at the MAC counter a few weeks ago. The one product line I had yet to try out was the spring release Sheen Supreme Lipsticks. Their black glossy package instantly attracted me. I picked out Ultra Darling with its soft glossy pink shade.

Ultra Darling is described by MAC as a mid-tone yellow pink. It is certainly a go to shade for me. It isn't a shade that will dominate a look nor will it be too pale or neutral to be too neutral on my NC40 skintone.

It is fairly soft and light on the lips. It does apply smoothly over freshly buffed lips. So hint hint, don't forget to exfoliate as this formula does tend to show any flakes or unevenness on the lips.

It delivers a semi-sheer coverage, much less than your average Satin, Frost or Amplified Creme finish lipstick. It is much more similar to a Lipglass. Or even a Lustre or more pigmented Glaze formula MAC Lipstick.

Unfortunately, the wear time on these is rather short. A few sips of a drink or a meal will surely do it in. Otherwise with no eating or drinking, I found it lasted about 3 hours.

Given the wear time and pigmentation, some may think I would pass up this formula up altogether. However, in this shade as well as other softer, neutral or pink shades I think it works well. I would be less inclined with a deeper or brighter shade of lipstick that requires a lot of work to maintain. Those would probably drive me mad with checking if it was even if I had a drink and needed to reapply every half an hour.

The glossiness and lightweight non-sticky texture are great for those who like the look of a Lipglass but less drawn to it due to stickiness. I think on a windy rainy day this would definitely be something I'd be more inclined to reach for than other glossier lip products.

HTH! :) MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks are available at MAC counters and stores for $17.50 CAD each.

Little Gems: Chanel Illusion D'ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow Epatant Ebloui Illusiore Reviews & Swatches

2011-10-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite products on my makeup counter right now is the Chanel Illusion D'ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows in Epatant 84, Illusiore 83, and Ebloui 86. They are smooth and shimmery pots of all in one easy to use eyeshadow from the Chanel Illusions D'ombre de Chanel. (BTW, my apologies for the group shot with the touched Epatant and Illusiore. I didn't realize my settings were a bit off when I took my initial group shot... oopsies!)

I was only able to get three of the six from the collection (must stick to budget!). Epatant 84 is a taupey silver shade. It is my favorite. Illusoire 83 is a mauvey purple shade. Ebloui 86 is a dark maroon shade.

All 3 shades are very frosty but are very easy to use. It has a slightly springy and moist feel in the pot when I pick it up with a brush. It kind of reminds me of freshly baked cake in how it springs back. I don't have anything else in my makeup collection that resembles it. The texture is smooth, even with all the frostiness. I found I got a bit of fall out with these, but that varied on the type of brush I used. Each shade can be made sheer to full coverage, depending on your taste.

Included with each eyeshadow is a small flat edged brush that resembles a larger travel lip brush with a wide and slightly rounded tip. It picks up the eye shadow nicely, just be careful not to dig into the eye shadow since a little bit of product goes a long way! I also tried using a MAC 239 and MAC 242 to apply the eye shadow. The 239 allowed for a sheerer application, where the 242 was easier to pack and smooth on the eye shadow for a denser appearance. Overall I prefer the 242 for application. I like a longer handle than the included brush from Chanel. It does work well for travel and if you care to toss it in the makeup bag with you for touch ups.

Epatant, Illusoire and Ebloui make for a sure-fire smokey eye look without any guess work. Just match it up with your favorite highlighter shade, your choice of crease color, and you are set. I found that I got about 8-10 hours of wear with these before they started to crease on me. I find most eye shadows will crease on me within 4 hours without any base. I was really pleased with this since I could skip out on using a base, making it extra handy for keeping in the makeup bag for date nights after work. Of course a base makes your lids smoother, so its still a good option, but not a necessity for the Illusion D'ombre Eyeshadows.

I absolutely love these, but despise the price. At $37 CAD each, I kind of held my breath and didn't listen to the total when I handed the Chanel makeup artist my credit card. That was my first time ever to spend that much on single eye shadows. I must say that have been very worth while for their beauty and longevity. I probably will not be getting the remaining three Illusion D'ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows from this collection, mostly due to budget. Sigh, no backups for me, but I will enjoy every last little bit of these beauties as long as I possibly can :)

NOTD: OPI Miss Universe It's My Year Nail Lacquer

2011-10-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

I was wandering through London Drugs grabbing some nail polish remover and almonds, I happened to see OPI It's My Year Nail Lacquer ($10.99 CAD) catch my eye. OPI It's My Year Nail Lacquer was part of the limited edition Miss Universe Collection.

It's My Year is a cool purple with huge amounts of golden shimmer. It foils over the nails and draws loads of attention. The shimmer in this is so dazzling, that I only needed 2 coats to really get full coverage. It lasts a good 3-5 days for me, with a lot of tip wear. I am hard on my nails though, so you may get a bit more wear than me. It applies smoothly without a fuss. It isn't overly thin or thick, just right. It's one of those nail polishes that I can't complain much about, except that it is a bit of a paint to remove. Glitters & shimmers are prone to that, but who doesn't love sparkly nails? ;) Until next time, enjoy the pictures :)

More Than Black: MAC Me Over MAC Avenue Fluidline Review & Swatches

2011-10-02T22:34:00.000-07:00

The second of my MAC Fluidline purchases from the MAC Me Over Collection is Avenue. Avenue is a deep blackened brown with gold micro-shimmer. It's definitely one I'm reaching for on a regular basis. The micro-shimmer is so subtle but adds that extra oomph when you may want to reach for good old Blacktrack.

Even with micro-shimmer lacing through Avenue, it is smooth and glides on with ease. It is well pigmented and only requires a bit of extra work compared to Blacktrack. While it is smooth, the shimmers need a few swipes over just to lay the product flat and evenly.

Avenue reminds me of NARS Aigle Noir Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in shade, however it has very different textures. In addition, I find MAC Fluidlines to have much more versatility and longevity. Avenue holds strong and doesn't smudge for hours and hours on end. I have no problems wearing it all day in the rain or in hot humid weather. It could also be used as an eye shadow base. I tend not to do this because I do have a rainbow of MAC Paint Pots, Cream Color Bases and Greasepaint Sticks in my stash that I am more than happy to use instead. But in a pinch, it does the job.

Unfortunately, Avenue is sold out. I truly hope they repromote it one day for all the MAC Addicts that didn't get a hold of this one. These were available at MAC counters and stores for $18 CAD.