Vampy Lip Colors featuring MAC Media and Dark Side

With Fall being on the horizon, and the glorious bordeaux's and beautiful wine colors starting to pop up in stores, there's pertinent excitement to soon be had with wearing plums and burgundies and gorgeous deep sultry reds. I know I am beyond excited!

Back To Basics! Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack

It's that time of the year again where holiday cheer comes to an end and we finish the leftovers of wine and chocolate. Where Starbucks Red Cups make that once made appearances will now disappear into its hiding place for the next 11 months, where the leaves fall in preparation of the coming Spring.

Finding the right eyeliner for me is like finding a unicorn in a luscious green landscape. Most eyeliners either work for a few hours or fail horribly because my eyelids do not adhere to them. I always envy people who can use a pencil and draw in a line casually while looking spectacular and at ease. Or someone who has a kohl liner who messily draws an awesome looking line. I, on the other hand, have to spend a lot of time prepping and priming the lids just to make a fabulous eyeliner look mediocre. This is one of the reasons why I don't sport eyeliner on a daily basis despite my intense love for it. When I do have a few extra minutes in the morning, I use the one eyeliner that has never failed me - the Mac Fluidline gel liner in Blacktrack.

Bold Lipstick; a Mac Impassioned Review

I like lipsticks. In fact, I am guilty of hoarding a bunch of lipsticks I rarely use. I think many women can attest to that because we just absolutely love having a color to choose from at our leisure. In my case, there was a period when I was collecting bold lipsticks for when "that special occasion" would arise. Like a fine wine, I stored each special lipstick in a dry, cool tempered drawer with the lippies housed in their original packaging for safekeeping. 

It wasn't until recently that I started to wonder what the point is to keep them and not use them! So i unboxed them all, and put them with the rest of my lippies. Instead of saving them for an occasion, I decided to use one of my favorites, Mac Impassioned, for a night out that's anything but "glam" - an NBA game! As in the home of hot dogs, chicken strips, fries and a bunch of other yummy eats that is lipstick unfriendly ;) It didn't matter because the shade is so gorgeous and shouldn't be locked away.

Impassioned is a classic fuchsia shade in Mac's permanent range of lipsticks. After seeing this shade on so many people, a particular Korean celeb caught my eye. Jeon Ji Hyun sported a similar fuchsia/bright pink in the drama My Love From Another Star. While I never watched the drama, she was the inspiration for many looks recreated by bloggers. I have to admit, I cannot stop staring at her lips. It's gorgeous! 

Impassioned was the most similar color I could find. The lipstick is so hydrating, and has a gorgeous buttery texture. Since it's an amplified shade, the pigmentation is strong. To make it more wearable for the day, I would suggest using a darker pink, or red gloss to soften the bright neon look of fuchsia. 

I used Starlooks lip pencil in Tipsy as a base to keep the strong lip as long lasting as possible.

Readers, do you like bold lipsticks? Do you tone them down for work/school or save them for special occasions? :)

MAC MSF: Stereo Rose / Review

Stereo Rose has been one of the most coveted MAC MSF's I have ever encountered. Before the re-release, I had been searching everywhere for it! I received the 2010 one as a gift many months ago but not before perusing eBay at its ridiculous prices! Since the re-release, it had me thinking of its hype. Is it worth the hype? Are their any dupes? 

This MSF makes for a beautiful glowy blush and an extremely lovely rose highlighter. It's a bright coral with bronze undertones. The golden shimmers are subtle and adds a nice warmth to the pan which is just a swirl of prettiness! 

It looks darker in my photos due to indoor lighting but the blush translates gorgeously onto the skin with its vibrant sheen. 

Lasting power is really impressive. It stays on all day through wind and rain. It's of those blushes where a little goes a long way. The pigments are amazing!

The packaging is classic MAC. Sleek, with a see through lid. You can see the shimmers straight from the pan but it is not sparkly at all.

These swatches aren't even close to how pretty this blush is in real life!

Overall, I really love this blush. I don't opt for this regularly because the blush is very obvious when worn but I think it looks fantastic in photography. It really is a "must-have" for blush fiends and highlighter lovers but Milani's Rose D'Oro is a very close dupe. Personally, Petticoat is amongst one of my favorites from MAC but Stereo Rose has its place in my heart as well.

Did you buy into the hype of Stereo Rose? Thoughts?

Smokey Taupe with the Naked 2 Palette

Hello friends! Hope you're having a good week so far. Mine has been quite good thus far. I'm forever looking forward to the weekends though ;)

On Sunday I went out with a friend for lunch and decided on trying every new thing I recently got, including the Naked 2! I'm still being experimental with the color combinations because they are significantly cooler than the first one. But I love it all the same, maybe even a tad bit more at the moment!

I unfortunately did not have my regular camera with me so my iphone will have to suffice.

I appreciate all your comments in my last post about hair! I haven't used any hot tools on my hair for about a month now and the shea butter cream has been a miracle product for me. I'm going to look into the shampoos/conditioners that were recommended :) Looks like I'll be doing a hair haul very soon, lol.

I used Busted and Verve for my eyelids and a little bit of Snakebite on my lower lash line to set the eyeliner. 

I also used MAC Blacktrack to line my eyes, no mascara because it looked very dramatic to me already o_o 

Closeup of the eyeshadow

For my foundation, I used Makeup Forever HD Foundation in shade 115. It is a beautiful foundation that is light reflective and luminous. It's also surprising very light and the foundation intensity is under your absolute control. 

I used Benefit Hervana as a blusher and highlighter. It's a beautiful blush, really multidimensional and versatile! I adore the spring-like colors and the zany swirls although not a huge fan of the packaging. I prefer a compact.

For my lips, I used Benefit's Benetint lip stain. I LOVE IT! Words can't even express it. It's very long lasting and has a very distinctive rosy color. 

That concludes my look for the weekend. I'm continuously experimenting with colors and combinations. I suppose the fun is in the experimentation ;) 

Smokey taupes - yay or nay? :)

FOTD: Eyeliner!

Hello, my friends! How is your week going so far? How is work/school? I hope you all started it with a bang! My week so far has been good. I've been addicted to prize claws... you know those claw games at arcades? I recently acquired a new pink domo =p

This was from Dave & Busters.

Anyway, aside from that laborious hobby, I've been meddling with eyeliner. I'm not usually big on eyeliners as you can see in my pictures but I like how it defines the eyes and change your look drastically. With eyeliner, I look and feel like a completely different person. I guess I'm still not used to it yet, but I'm starting to really like it.









I certainly look more awake than usual. I am crazy about eyeliner right now! Here's what I used:

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Warm Sand (see my review here) - I'm still really loving this foundation. It's got that certain consistency that dries really quickly to a nice, semi matte finish. It feels so luxurious and nearly a second skin. Half a pump is more than enough to cover redness and even out the skin tone.

Alison Raffaele Mineral Powder Foundation in Skintone 2- I've been using this as a finishing powder although it's really meant to be used as a foundation. The loose powder is silky smooth and has a beautiful finish. It looks wonderful by itself as well, and just the right amount to even out any flaws.

CoverGirl Perfect Point Eyeliner in Black Onyx - The eyeliner that stayed on almost all day. It did smudge, but it lasted over 6+ hours. That's also probably because I work in an very air conditioned office so it doesn't have time to melt off my face. It's also extremely cheap... I got it on for $1 at Dollar Tree. There's also a smudging tip on the back of the pencil, which I've tried but didn't like the results on myself. It's easier to use a smudge brush.

Lancome Subtil Blush in Cedar Rose - One of my prettiest blushes! It's extremely sheer but it builds up lightly and adds a nice wash of color for the cheeks. I like the dusty rose color because of its warmth and subtle glow. Less is more!

MAC Lip Gloss in Rich and Ripe - Oldie but a goodie :) I really love this color! Unfortunately, this came out sometime in 2008 or something and I can't find it anymore. Good thing is that I have a lifetime supply of lip products to keep me afloat!

MAC e/s duo in Illusionary Burning Ambition - One of my safe neutrals I like to sweep on my lids. It's a no brainer and is great when travelling. Somehow, this brown color is everything I like in a brown... it's a true neutral but with a hint of gold . I have some brown eyeshadows with a reddish tone or is too coppery. This duo is one of my favorite eyeshadows, and it never fails. Never.

So that was my look. Now, my question is, do you guys wear eyeliner daily or only for special occasions? I'm curious to know.

Talk to you guys soon!!!!! :)

One more thing, the winner of the my Apothica/SkincareRX giveaway is Vintage Makeup! Congrats, beautiful!

NOW CLOSED.

MAC Face & Body Foundation.... again!

Remember how much I liked the MAC Face & Body foundation in my last post? I liked it so much that I (somewhat) guiltily got 2 more bottles, both in different shades. I got it in shades C1, and C2...I do think they match me better. I was doing endless swatching online because I don't really like going into the MAC stores. I am normally NC20-25 but most of my foundations are NC25ish and sometimes they can come off too yellow for me which was why I settled for shade N2 (neutral) in the beginning. I went to several MAC stores a handful of times and they matched me with NC15 which I thought, in my mind, was out worldly.

Anyway,  I've noticed a lot of people were concerned with MAC foundations because they broke out from it. I've never had any bad experiences with MAC before, but I used to use their studio tech foundation (the one in the compact), and I had hives around my face as a result of it. That was years ago, and I'm not sure if they've changed formulas since. Also, the face & body one does not have sunscreen in it, which is pleasant because those sunscreen ingredients aren't there and it photographs better.







It's becoming kind of a holy grail foundation for me this summer. I love that it's water based, because I have unseasonably dry skin year round. At first, since it's a face and body foundation, I thought it would be super dense but it's quite the opposite. In fact, it's most liquidy foundation I've ever used :p

I do hope you are all ending your week well. It's Friday, after all :)

I also wanted to remind you all not to forget to enter my giveaway sponsored by Apothica and SkincareRX (link) :) You have until Aug 24th to complete your entries. Gonna be street food hopping in San Fran this weekend. Enjoy the rest of your day! :)

Review: MAC Face & Body Foundation

Hey everyone! This week is rolling by so fast. I'm looking forward to the weekend already!

I recently tweeted that I am in LOVE with the MAC Face & Body Foundation! LOL I only got it 3 days ago but it's so unique that I'm surprised I never took a 2nd glance at it! o_o I read a lot of reviews from other bloggers and I've been dying to try it for months. I was feeling guilty to purchase it since I had so many foundations at home, but I was like.. what the hey... o_o I have absolutely no self control.

The Face & Body foundation is an ultra sheer, ultra liquidy foundation that provides sheer coverage and has a dewy/satin finish. I shouldn't even call it a foundation because it's soooo liquidy. When you pour it out, you literally have to watch it so it doesn't roll off your hands.

Packaging: I'm not big on how it looks. It's not gorgeous to look at... it's more like something makeup artists carry in their arsenal. But it's sensible packaging with the foundation in the plastic bottle with a trusty twist cap closure. It's neither yay or nay but all uniformly MAC.

I got the shade in N2... it's neither cool or warm, just a very skin-like color. And if you look closely enough, it's more like a liquidy pigment of color. It's very light, but it blends out like a dream (sorry for the cliche).

You have to shake the bottle before you pour it on your hands because the foundation separates. This is from what I read online so I do it beforehand in case. It's probably due to the high level of water in it.

This is partially blended. It looks darker on my hand, but it turns brighter as it's being blended.

Blended out. It's very dewy so a nice blotting powder will set this foundation evenly.

Natural light

Indoor lighting

It's not going to cover blemishes and other stubborn flaws, but a sheer foundation is amazing at evening out the skin tone. 

On me. I have a pimple where my beard would be...LOL







The sheerness of it may turn some people off but it's really a nice well rounded product. It feels more like a tinted moisturizer than anything else because of how hydrating it is. I know a lot of people who've had allergies to MAC foundations... I'm not sure if this has the same ingredients as their studio sculpting one. I haven't come across allergies using it, but I'll def report it if I do.

Here are the ingredients:
Purified Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Butylene Glycol, PVP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Tea-Stearate, PVP/Eicosene Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Talc, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Santalum Album (Sandalwood), Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Zinc Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben. May contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Chromium Oxide Greens.


There is also no sunscreen ingredients in it either. Some people get allergies from the sunscreen in makeup from reacting chemicals. 

Price-wise, I'd say this is an incredible deal. It's $32 retail for 4oz/120ml. That's like 4 different foundations for the price of one! That's $8 per ounce... cheaper than a drugstore foundation.

Have you tried Mac's Face & Body Foundation? Thoughts?

disclaimer: purchased myself :)