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December 2009

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MAC Dupes: Can You ID These MAC Colors Or Tell the Difference?

December 31, 2009


I don’t write much about MAC because I find that since there are so many MAC experts out there, I don’t feel like I would be contributing much by writing about the line. But I actually do like MAC products quite a bit. To me, they are definitely the most fashion-forward with trends and I love that they have such a wide range of colors, textures and finishes for all their products. Because there are so many colors, I think that just about anyone can find something they like.

One of the things I’m not crazy about though is their frequent discontinuation of colors to make room for new ones, but if your favorite product has been discontinued, there are chances it may be re-promoted with a new collection or that a very similar color will be released under a different product name.

All the products above are different colors, and while they aren’t 100% the same, they are so close that once you apply them on the skin, you can barely tell the difference. Can you ID these or tell the difference?

  1. Pink Swoon Sheertone Blush
  2. Pink Glow Matte Blush (discontinued around 2007)
  3. Dark Edge Satin Eyeshadow (LE with N Collection, January 2008)
  4. Rummy Satin Eyeshadow (LE with D’Bohemia, May 2005)
  5. Bendel Girl Lipglass (Henri Bendel exclusive in September 2007)
  6. Light That Fire Lipglass (LE with Warm & Cozy 2009 Collection)
  7. Sugarshot Lustre Eyeshadow (LE with Sugarsweet, March 2009)
  8. Light Ray Lustre Eyeshadow (LE with Turquatic, July 2006)
  9. Cherry Blossom Lipglass (LE with Cult of Cherry, August 2008)
  10. Cultureclash Lipglass (LE with Electroflash, July 2008, will be re-promoted in Feb 2010)
  11. Trifle Lipglass (LE with Antiquitease, October 2007)
  12. Tongue-in-chic Lacquer (discontinued, unsure of date)
  13. Flash of Flesh Lipglass (LE with D’Bohemia, May 2005)
  14. Bare Necessity Dazzleglass
  15. Camel Eyeshadow (discontinued in 2000?)
  16. Modelette Eyeshadow (released with MAC Warm & Cozy 2009)

My New Years Resolution is to use up more and buy less (we’ll see how well that actually goes). All of these from my stash are still good, I normally don’t throw out things according to the standard expiration dates.

That being said, it still doesn’t stop me from wanting MAC to repromote Maroon pigment, Brass Pigment, Coco Pigment, Pleasureflush MSF, Shrimplette Lipstick, Sharp Beige Lipstick, Fringe Eyeshadow, Heavenly Bliss Eyeshadow, Camel Eyeshadow, those cute Diana Ross pink makeup brushes and a bunch of their original blushes that they discontinued. The closest thing I’ve found to MAC Camel is the new Modelette Eyeshadow, but it’s still a tad bit different. Close enough for me to be happy right now though.

I wish MAC would do an “Originals” collection every year and repromote discontinued products from the past as a collection.

Have you found any MAC dupes?

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Giorgio Armani Spring 2010: Nude Contrasts

December 30, 2009

My Armani guy at Saks called me to tell me they got the spring collection in so I rushed over to check it all out. It was all very soft, light, airy and spring-y, reminds me of something a fairy would wear. Very pretty, sparkly and eye-catching! They didn’t have testers yet, but they let me play with the eyeshadow palettes since lately they haven’t been sent testers until a few weeks after they receive shipment of the product to sell.

The collection consists of:

* 2 new Silk Lipsticks: #98 is a pale pink shimmer, #99 is a neutral-warm pinky rose (similar to Nars DV but warmer)

* 3 new Lipshimmers: #62 is a pale buttermilk-cream color, #63 is a sparkley beige, #64 is a shimmery pale pink with a hint of peach

* 2 new Nude Contrasts Palette (4 Eye Designing Colors): # 1 has a pale iridescent baby blue, golden sand, matte black, pale sparkly ivory, #2 has a light golden nude sparkle, shimmery soft pink, matte black, and pale warm cream shimmer

* 1 new Eyeliner (didn’t catch the actual name): 01 is a pure black

* Shimmer Powder 5: repromoted from holiday, a sheer pale sparkle powder (very very sheer)

So far, I believe only the eyeshadow palettes are available online at Giorgio Armani. I’m not sure when the rest of the collection will be up online though.

A couple spring previews from the February 2010 issues of Voce & Maquia for more views:

The haul: Nude Contrast Palettes 1 (left), 2 (right), Silk 98 Lipstick,
Lipshimmer 63 (top), Lipshimmer 64 (bottom)
Close Up of Nude Contrasts 1 & 2

Swatch of #1

Swatch of #2

Lipshimmers & Silk Lipstick

Swatches on bare skin, L to R: Lipshimmer 63, 64, Silk Lipstick 98


Here’s a look from Biteki, while I can’t read Japanese, it indicates the MAC Lipglass is 2N, so I’m assuming the lipstick is also from MAC Warm & Cozy collection. Please note my camera washed out the color on her face, so it looks like she is barely wearing anything – I did the best I could, but hopefully it will give you an idea of how to coordinate the #1 palette. Can anyone translate?


Overall thoughts: The shadows are surprisingly pigmented for lighter shades and they are more sparkly than most Armani shadows which typically have finely milled shimmer. The swatches make the colors all look similar, but in real life they are more contrasted with each other. I think these will make a really pretty neutral eye that will go with a lot of different shades.

The lipshimmers are pretty, #64 is the frostiest gloss I’ve ever seen from Armani, but still lovely. It reminds me of MAC Prrr & Bobbi Brown Pink Sugar though, so if you don’t have access to Armani or want to shell out $$$ for the gloss, you can definitely find cheaper alternatives.

Silk 98 is pretty, it’s a more pink version of MAC Plink! but still on the sheer side. I might go back for 99 at some point because it looked like a pretty rosey pink without shimmer.

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Estée Lauder Michael Kors Very Hollywood Collection Spring 2010

December 26, 2009

This spring Michael Kors has designed a collection for Estée Lauder “Inspired by iconic Hollywood glamour for everyday life.” I’ve been looking forward to the release ever since preview pictures were posted on BeautyEditor.ca back in early November which featured a fresh and modern looking collection. I was excited to see that Nordstrom put out their tester unit a few days ago. The collection is divided into two categories: beige/peach and pink/rose.


What I picked up:
* Blushes in Sunset Coral (a soft healthy coral) & Sunset Pink (a vibrant powdery pink)
* Eyeshadow Duo Blonde Mink (dusty beige shimmer and dusty-brown)
* Lip Gloss in Starlet Rose (pale light cream) & Starlet Peach (soft milky baby peach)
* Lip Sheen in Hollywood Gold (pale beige-gold), Starlet Peach (soft coral peach), Honey Blonde (medium beige shimmer)
* Shimmering Loose Powder (a soft medium pink shimmer powder)

L to R: Sunset Coral & Sunset Pink

Sunset Coral Blush

Sunset Pink Blush

Blonde Mink

L to R: Blonde Mink Eyeshadow Duo,
Starlet Peach Lipgloss, Starlet Rose Lipgloss


L to R: Starlet Peach Lipgloss, Starlet Rose Lipgloss,
Hollywood Gold Lip Sheen, Starlet Peach Lip Sheen, Honey Blonde Lip Sheen

Loose Shimmer Powder


Beige packaging & cute coral boxes


Overall thoughts: I think the colors are great for a fresh and simplistic look. Standouts for me are the lip sheens which are a semi-sheer creamy lipstick. I picked out the most natural beige and peach colors for the lip sheens (there were 2 other colors, a powder pink and bright rose). Most of the lipglosses seemed on the sheer side and have that distinct EL gloss scent (which I’m not sure my nose will be able to stand). The blushes are nice for a healthy glow.

Overall, stunning for Estee Lauder, and definitely great for everyday and extremely wearable, but the colors seem pretty dupeable. In the near future, I will need to think over my purchases more carefully before being sucked in by pushy sales associates. However, the colors are well coordinated and the nude lipsticks are very flattering and wearable where I find most other brand’s “nudes” and “beiges” look like death on my face.

Very pretty and suitable for spring. I think it will be flattering for all ages.

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Clinique Juiced Up for Spring 2010 = Simply Irresistible

December 26, 2009

I normally don’t use a lot of products from Clinique with the exception of 3 staples I purchase repeatedly (Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser, High Impact Mascara and Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliator) but I couldn’t resist the charming designs of the Spring 2010 Juiced Up collection. I like Clinique because of their cute advertising and also because of their generous Gift With Purchase events. I find these to be a great incentive for me to try new things from the line every now and then simply because I leave feeling like I got my money’s worth with all the free goodies they send me home with.

I picked up two items:


* All Over Face Color in Mixed Berries – This comes in an embossed cherry print powder with three variations of pink. The finish is shimmery but not overly frosty, swirled together, you get a very soft luminous pink blush.

* Eyeshadow in Fresh Picked Berry – There were two different eyeshadow choices, I picked up Fresh Picked Berry which has a cool pale pink shimmer and a warm coppery brown. The colors seem pretty dupeable, but I could NOT RESIST that cute cherry design!

Both are on the sheer side like most of the eyeshadows and blushes I’ve tried from the line. They didn’t swatch so well on my skin when I tried to take photos. If you like Clinique, you will like the new items because they are consistent with the other products in the line. If you prefer colors that show up more visibly on the skin these probably won’t be for you. The two items I got are very wearable and natural, so I think they are worth checking out even if you’re not a Clinique fan.

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Rescue Beauty Lounge Pink Shimmer Nail Polish

December 24, 2009

Happy Christmas Eve to everyone! I wish everyone a great holiday full of good health and happiness.

I jumped on the bandwagon for the Rescue Beauty Lounge sale and added quite a few new shades to my mini collection of Killa Red, Cherry Love, Ani, and Leila. I got a manicure for tonight’s Christmas Eve dinner with my family with Pink Shimmer from RBL, here are the pictures (3 coats):


Most of the RBL nail polishes I’ve tried are great for their color, pigment and texture. The Pink Shimmer is quite a bit sheerer than most of the other colors, it barely showed up with 2 coats, so I asked the girls to add one more coat at the salon. The color comes out to be a really pale light pink pearl. I like that it’s not frosty and that the shimmer is subtle, but it’s not the most unique color and seems easily dupable.

I like lighter colors for my fingers (darker ones for the toes) so this works great for me. I’m thrilled to have been able to get some at 50% off. I hope they do this sale again soon! There were quite a few shades I didn’t get that I wish I had now.

With flash:


In natural sunlight:


More swatches and photos of the other shades to come in the next week once my manicure wears off.

Hope everyone has a great holiday!

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Holiday Haulings from The Primping Parleur

December 23, 2009

Just wanted to remind all my readers that you can still get 20% off your online order from The Primping Parleur until the end of the month! Just enter the code BEAUTYLOOKBOOKBLOG at the checkout. Check out my original post HERE for more details and information.

Anyone who already ordered, what did you end up getting with the promotional code? I’d love to hear what you bought! I got quite a few presents for my girlfriends – they are all packed up and wrapped right now, but for myself, I got:

  • Paul & Joe Eyeshadow Harvest Moon 95 (waves to Joeybunny for convincing me!)
  • Becca Lip Tints Yasmina (nude-mauve on the left) & Estella (warm but pale nude on the right)
  • Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight


P&J Harvest Moon 95 Eyeshadow is a neutral plum-nude with shimmer. I think it will make a good natural contouring shade. The Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight Shimmer Powder is a soft champagne shimmer powder that gives a nice candlelight-like-glow, I used this on my eyes all over the lid which gave a nice glowy effect, but the color just didn’t seem all that unique. The Becca Lip Tints are both sheer but very wearable nudes for my pigmented lips. I think I need to try more of these.

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