My Back 2 MAC Pick: Faux

I had finally accumulated enough empties to bring back to the MAC counter at Macy's for their Back 2 MAC recycling program. I'm sure many of you already know about this, but if you don't I'll give you a brief description of what it is. Back 2 MAC is a recycling program in which you can give back six of your empty containers (with certain exclusions) to a MAC store, counter, or online and receive a free lipstick or eye shadow in return. From what I understand, you can only choose an eye shadow from the store. Also the containers you bring back don't have to be fully empty, any expired makeup just sitting around can be brought back too. For full information check out MAC's website here. 

So knowing that I was going to get a lipstick, I browsed online at MAC's collection of lippies to ultimately decide what shade to get. I didn't want to pick a color I would never wear, to be honest, I have a few already that are just collecting dust, so I wanted to get a color that I would wear often and finish. In the end I was torn between Brave and Faux. I know these two have been all the craze everywhere because of Kylie Jenner so I had hoped that these shades would still be available. Of course when I got to the counter Brave was sold out so the decision was made for me to get Faux.

Faux is described as a mauve, muted pink and is almost an identical match to my natural lip color. I find it to be a great color for every day and also for work. I was a little hesitant to get this lipstick because it is a Satin finish but after trying it on in the store, I was sold. It felt very comfortable and easy to apply.

I really enjoy the fact that MAC does this and will continue to use the program. Hope you guys enjoyed my mini post! Talk to you all very soon.

MAC Haul: The Marilyn Monroe Collection

This past Tuesday I was able to attend the Marilyn Event in Shrewsbury before its official launch. The place was packed and though my girlfriend and I got there at 7:30 (the event started at 7), a few items were already sold out, including one of the lipsticks I had really wanted. So when I went to the city on Thursday and went to the MAC store at Grand Central, I managed to snatch the LAST one. The SA made sure to let me know it was the last one, by bidding me farewell with "enjoy our LAST Charmed, I'm sure."

Anyway, back to the event itself. If you have ever been to a MAC event, you know it's madness. Women of all ages come to purchase these limited edition items and to socialize. All the MUA there that night were gorgeous in sparkling black dresses and platform heels. There were young guys passing drinks and hors d'oeuvres. My friend and I grabbed a prosecco, a form of sparkling wine and tried to browse the items. I was rather disappointed they only had one display of the items. I could not for the life of me find the beauty powder and it was a free for all for the lipsticks. Women didn't place the items back properly in the display (something that drives me up the wall) and of course there was some slight purse stabbing.

About a half an hour later my wonderful, patient friend and I exited the store with our goodies in tow. I mainly focused on the lip products and only purchased one eye shadow. I was disappointed at how light the blushes were and two out of the four eye shadows looked so similar and since I didn't even get to look at the beauty powder I passed on it all together. I do like what I purchased, especially Charmed, I'm Sure and Little Rock. If you are interested in the line, check your counters because the website is all sold out of the limited edition items. All right, this is long enough, here is my haul.

For those of you lucky enough to snag something from the line, what do you think of it? 

MAC Hey Sailor! Haul

MAC's Hey Sailor! Collection is still not available at counters, but you can find the products at the MAC cosmetics website and at their freestanding PRO stores. Every year MAC launches a beachy/nautical themed collection and each year, they manage to sucker me in. This is a 40 piece collection, pretty large if you ask me! Out of everything that I picked out, I'm pretty excited to use the highlighter and lipsticks (surprise, surprise). Anyway, here's the haul. I didn't swatch the lipsticks and lipglass on my lips because I have a cold and I didn't want to display my ridiculously red nose.

Shop Mac, Cook Mac Haul

Hi my lovely readers!

Hope everyone is having a nice fresh start to the week. Don't let those Monday blues get you down. Think of the beginning of the week as the start of being an even more awesome person (cause I know you all are pretty awesome already!)

I picked up a few things from the Shop MAC, Cook MAC collection. They of course, were all lip products. I already had two of the Kissable lipcolours from the Peacocky collection which launched last January, but I went ahead and included them in the pictures. There is a slight difference in packaging between the two collections. The Shop Mac lipcolours have a thick black stripe on the tube while the Peacocky lipcolors do not.

I also picked up a lipstick from the collection. I had really wanted Quick Sizzle, but it sold out like a hotcake so no luck there. I settled for Watch Me Simmer, which is a crazy bright coral, pink shade. It's very spring.

The last thing I picked up was the Tendertone in Tread Gently. I have to say...I LOVE this. Oh man. I made mention to my mom how much I loved them when we passed the MAC store in Grand Central, and she just told me I have a package from MAC coming...I wonder if she got me more.

Did any of you purchase anything from the collection? I would love to know!

First Look: MAC Viva Glam Nicki

I'm sure a few of you ladies got the MAC email in your inboxes to be one of the first to grab the new un-released Viva Glam Nicki. Being the sucker I am (yes I freely admit this) I purchased it. 

The promo picture of the lipstick is a bit deceiving if you ask me. It leans towards a more pale pink. The actual lipstick is really bright and no where near the shade Pink Friday. Both are Satin finishes, which I'm guessing is Nicki's favorite finish? As many of you know, I don't particularly care for Satin finishes. They accentuate and enhance every flaw on your lips and can apply unevenly.

I do enjoy the color. It's very, VERY bright. I see this color working lovely with medium to dark skin tones. Be warned, due to the yellow undertones, it can make teeth look a little yellow. 

In the end, unless you need this color in your collection or are an avid Nicki Minaj fan, this isn't a must-have. 

MAC Semi Precious Blush and Shadow Haul

I first caught a glimpse of the Semi-Precious line in a Marie Claire magazine about a month or so ago.  I immediately went insane over the shadows and the blushes. For some reason I love the swirled baked aesthetic appeal of it.

Now due to my immensely growing makeup collection, I couldn't buy every single shade. After much reviewing and YouTube watching, I decided to settled on...all three blushes and three of the eyeshadows.

Feeling Flush is really pigmented and great for darker and cool skin tones. Warmth of Coral is a beautiful peachy blush that can come off a little powdery on darker skin tones. Pressed Amber is a beautiful brown that is great to add some warmth to your face.

My Mineral Mode looks nothing like the promo picture. I think I just got an un-swirled one. Golden Gaze is my favorite, great to use for a smokey eye. Rare Find I have not used yet but I think it will pair lovely with hazel and brown eyes.

What did you get from the line?? 

MAC Surf, Baby! Haul

Hi, my name is Stephanie and I am such a sucker for packaging.

So when MAC came out with Surf, Baby! my eyes lit up. The packaging is quite summery and very...beachy for lack of a better word. Unlike the To The Beach collection from last year, this collection has more of a chilled-out and laid back feel. The MAC logo is encased in what looks similar to a surfboard design, the mellow yellow color and hibiscus flower add to the whole California, surfer beach bum vibe.

If you are interested in bronzers and metallics, I would say for you to definitely check this collection out. This is the first MAC collection that I've seen the focus being on so many different kinds of bronzers. However, considering this is their summer collection I shouldn't be surprised.

The other big hit would have to be the My Paradise Cheek Powder. It's currently sold out on the MAC website so if you really want it, check your local counters or other department store websites that carry the MAC brand.

Ok, enough! On to the pictures and more commentary.

Saffron is a repromote shadow while Sun Blonde is a new shade. Saffron is a caramel orange that leans warm. Sun Blonde is not like anything I own. It's literally a dirty blonde color with a gold sheen to it. The two together make a wonderful eye combination.

This is similar to the NARS multiplier and is great for contouring. This is very pigmented and you need to use a light hand with it. Dab the stick onto the desired area and blend. It's also best to do one side at a time since this does seem to set fairly quickly.


Do you see the gold nuggets of awesomeness? This is the only pigment that clumps like that, however it's probably my favorite out of the 4. The darkest pigment is a beautiful blue that will be a great liner when used wet. The second color on the bottom is the sheerest and has a bit of a seafoam green color to it. The last pigment is a metallic silver that is quite lovely as well.

I've heard that the Studio Careblend Powders are not powdery and go on the skin smooth so I was excited to try this out. Gold-Go-Lightly is smooth and adds a nice warm glow to my face. I can see myself reaching for this often.

Love, love this color. Adding the gold overspray with the blush gives you a nice peachy sheen. Or if you are like me, you can completely avoid the flower and just use the peach blush on its own. Don't be scared of this color, I was at first because it came off orange in some pictures I looked at. It's definitely not orange.

 

Beautiful coral shade that will add to the whole orange-being-the-hit-color-of-the-summer vibe. I'm surprised this is the only lip product I got from the line! This is another fast seller, it's sold out on the MAC site currently.

Hope you guys enjoyed my haul. What did you get from the collection? Did you love it, hate it? Don't care? Let me know!!

This is totally off topic, but I just got a surprise post dedicated to me from my blogger friend, Rhain! Check her blog out!! Rhain's Blog Thank you again Rhain for the sweet post!! <3

MAC Quite Cute Haul

I'm back! Sorry for being away for so long, I've been busy with work, for the past few weeks and any free time I have I've been hanging out with beau, my friends or online playing WoW. Now I am back. I have posts that I've been wanting to do so I'm not out of material for the blog. I think I was just a bit burnt out a bit constantly cranking out stuff all the time.

My blog return commences with a small haul from MAC's Quite Cute Collection. I was super excited about the blushes for this line, however after hearing some not so awesome reviews from fellow bloggers and other blush lovers, I decided to pass these. I wasn't willing to pay 23 bucks for a blush that's just "OK." Looking over the line, I love the names that MAC gave each colors, it definitely adds to the cute appeal, however; why no cute packaging!? I feel that this line would have been perfect for MAC to change their packaging to add even more to the cuteness. I guess the free pins with the $75 dollar purchase is the only cute we'll get.

Speaking of cute pins, my pins didn't come with my order so I contacted MAC online to ask why, now I will have my pins by Monday! ^^ All right, enough of my babble, (I bet you guys are bored already) here is what I got.

Being the lip fanatic that I am, I was all over the lip products. I know many people don't like the Plushglasses due to the stinging and smell, however, these don't bother me at all. The smell reminds me of a very strong Carmex smell. The colors are a bit sheer but I think these would be great over a matte lipstick. The Plushglasses are suppose to plump and fill out your lip lines giving you a fuller pout, which they do so I am a very happy customer with these. My favorite has to be Bubble Tea, I adore the name and the nude color.

For lipsticks, my favorite out of the two has to be Play Time. What a beautiful color! To me, it's like an semi-iridescent purple that makes your teeth look super white. Playing Koi however, I am having a complicated love-hate relationship with. In the picture, it looks decent, however I'm not impressed with the finish. I've come to realize that out of all the lipstick finishes, satin finishes are my least favorite. This finish accentuates any flaw on your lips, and if your lips are slightly chapped, forget it. You will look like a hot mess. The color of Playing Koi I love, the finish just makes me so sad. I think I may just have to play with it a little more to figure out how to use it.

What did you guys get from this collection? Share your thoughts!

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 Review and Swatch

Lady Gaga's newest collaboration with MAC is very different from her first. Instead of a bright bubble gum pink, Gaga and Viva Glam have decided to go for a softer more neutral nude. This is an amplified finish which means it applies very opaque and rich.

What do I think? I love the way it looks in the tube, but I feel it blends too much with my skin. I need a gloss or something to add a bit more dimension or else it just looks too blah. I do love that she has her signature on the tube like her first. I feel that this nude would be great for people with skin tones that are darker than NC30 and lighter than NC20. In fact it would probably look stunning.

Did any of you lovely ladies pick this shade out? If so what do you think? Let me know! I hope all of you have been well. I know I haven't been posting much but I'll have a quick review of the CoverGirl Lip Perfection lipsticks tomorrow!

MAC Wonder Woman Pictures and Swatches!

Without further ado, I present my MAC Wonder Woman haul!! At first it was tempting to get everything from the line because I'm a sucker for packaging but I stood my ground and only got a few things from the collection. Click on the photos to enlarge!

I could not resist the blushes from this line. I can't wait to try these!

Love these HUGE lipglasses! However I will say that will pose as a problem for those with thinner lips. Emancipation is a lovely nude that will compliment most skin tones. I think Athena's Kiss is a beautiful watery pink.

 

I have to say that Marquise'd is my current favorite nude color. I may have to get a backup of it! I think these lipsticks will pair perfectly together with the lipglasses that I picked up.

My lovely friend was sweet enough to take some photos of the products that she purchased. The Penultimate liner pen is quite large and will be great for those with a ton of lid space. The Wonder Woman lipglass is a true red that will flatter almost everyone. 

Hope you guys enjoyed my haul! What did you get from the line? Let me know. I love sharing and hearing what you got. =)

Happy Friday!

MAC Wonder Woman Preview Part 1

I'm gonna keep you guys on the edge of your seat for the swatches and photos of what I got. Muahaha. Part 1 is gonna be some pictures I took of the event and just my overall experience of it.

I first received my MAC invite to the Wonder Woman preview about two weeks ago. Of course I called the next day to RSVP and told my best friend that she needed to save the date so we could go together.

I almost didn't make it to the MAC preview because of the horrid weather we've been having. I prayed to God and His makeup angels to have the weather be decent enough for me to go and my prayers were answered! I ran off to the city in the afternoon to meet up with her.

I RSVPed to show up at 7:30...I should've just said 7 because we walked by the place at 6:50 and there was no one there, when we came back it was SWAMPED. The store was locked and I got a red smiley face to show that I "checked-in." It was a really unique experience, they had these buff male models in tight black Wonder Women shirts serving drinks and cookies.The drinks were terrible! Haha, it was some sort of ginger mint Mojito concoction of a mess. The cookies were good though.

The MUA were all scattered about applying the makeup on to other lovely ladies but I took my request card and jotted all the things I wanted. My lovely friend also picked a couple of things as well.

Would I do it again? Only for a collection I'm super excited about like this one and also when it's warmer.

Me and my BFF

Eye Tutorial: Natural Look

I know I mentioned a dozen times how much I love my neutrals on this blog. I wanted to show you guys my neutral eye look so I decided to do a tutorial on it! This tutorial is more geared toward those with hooded lids or monolids so I will make sure to do a tutorial for those with double lids as well soon! Maybe by the end of the week I'll have it up. Hope you guys enjoy it and let me know if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them! 

MAC Peacocky Haul

MAC is trying to drain makeup lovers wallets dry! First it was Cham Pale then it was Stylishly Yours, now it's Mickey Contractor and Peacocky collections all in the span of two weeks. What gives MAC? Not only that, the prices are more expensive.

The MAC Peacocky collection consists of a beautiful array of limited edition eyeshadows and Kissable Lipcoulour. The colors are bold and bright and it is tempting to get them all but there are certain colors that are dupable. Temptalia has the entire list of dupes of this collection if you head on over to her site!

This is what I got

It was so tempting to get all the lip colors from this line. However after much debate I settled on these two: Scandelicious and Flaunting It. Kissable Lipcolours are not like lipglasses from MAC. They go on smooth and are as vibrant as lipsticks. There is no tackiness or stickiness. 

These eyeshadows are larger than your average MAC shadow. I fell in love with Noir Plum and Dandizette the moment I saw them. Tweet Me is a great neutral and you know how I am about neutrals! I will do some looks with these colors soon!

What did you guys get from the Peacocky Collection? Tell me cause I wanna know!