Browsing Category

MAC

MAC Nordstrom

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set, Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink Review

August 3, 2018

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set, Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink Review

MAC always has some of the best beauty sets for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. With how much has sold out this year I’m thrilled that most of the MAC sets are still in stock online. I did stop by my local Nordstrom yesterday and a lot of the sets were sold out in store. I’d recommend checking online if you’re interested in any of the Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives. You can always use their Buy Online Pick Up In Store feature too. I use it to search for each item (on beauty, clothes and accessories) to see if my local store has items in stock. All you have to do is enter in a ZIP code and there are mile / distance options you can input. Saves a lot of time and trips in case they don’t have it in store! I hauled 3 of the MAC Nordstrom sets. Each one is priced at an incredible value for what you get:

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale ends August 5th so there are still a few more days to shop the sale before prices go up. In the past they sometimes keep the beauty sets at the sale price until they sell out. I’m working as quickly as I can to also swatch some of the Bobbi Brown sets as some of you have asked which neutral sets are the best.

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set

The MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set has one of the prettiest neutral-cool colors I’ve seen in a long time. It’s like it’s a different variation on the Urban Decay Naked 2 which I love but get bored of sometimes. As one who is a little meh about all the warm orange tone palettes that have flooded the market, I’m beyond thrilled about this one. There is also a MAC Nordy Girl Matte Set which I was really tempted by but I opted for the Metallic version and am 100% happy about it.

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set Review | The Beauty Look Book

This palette has eight eyeshadows. Two are matte and the rest are gorgeous shimmers in soft silvers, muted rose shimmer, tan shimmer, grey and ash pearls. The pigment on every single color is perfect and they layer together nicely. The cheek color is a pale light pink with gold pearl. On me it’s a highlighter that gives a barely there diffused look. It highlights and brightens my skin tone without adding too much frost and I think it’s perfect. With palettes I rarely love all the colors and with this one EVERY SINGLE COLOR is perfect for me. It also comes with a full size Technakohl Liner in Graphblack (pure black) and In Extreme Dimension Lash Mascara in Black.

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set Review | The Beauty Look Book

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set Review | The Beauty Look Book

Above wearing:

 

Lip Trio Nude + Pink

There are two lip sets that I picked up from the sale: Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink. Both sets have 2 full-size lipsticks and 1 full-size creamy lip glass color. I always pick up the nude set each year as they have different limited-edition exclusive colors you can’t find in their regular line. This year all the colors in these 2 sets are new.

MAC Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink

MAC Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink swatches

The Lip Trio Nude has two full-size lipsticks in Pretty Natural (a perfect nude pink peach, cremesheen finish) and Love Drought (a metallic rose champagne). It also has a full-size lipglass in Body-Con (creamy nude beige). I love the colors in this set although the metallic color is very metallic. For me it’s best toned down with the lipgloss or any clear lip gloss. Texture and finish is creamy and just as good as individual full size MAC items.

MAC Lip Trio Nude Nordstrom: Pretty Natural, Love Drought, Body-Con review

MAC Lip Trio Nude Nordstrom: Pretty Natural, Love Drought, Body-Con review and swatches

The Lip Trio Pink has cooler-toned lip colors. It contains two full-size lipsticks in Petalhead (matte creamy rose) and Pink Addict (perfect metallic pink rose). It also has a full-size lipglass in Sweet as Pie (cool-toned pale rose pink). Alone the lipglass is a little too cool-toned. I prefer Cultured Lipglass or All Things Magical for a cool-pink.

MAC Lip Trio Pink Nordstrom: Sweet as Pie, Pink Addict, Petalhead review

MAC Lip Trio Pink Nordstrom: Sweet as Pie, Pink Addict, Petalhead swatches

I’m really happy with my haul picks. I will say if you haven’t seen or bought any of the sets yet, I’d recommend you head to your Nordstrom soon as the sale ends and so many of the sets have sold out. By comparison the Bobbi Brown Deluxe Eye and Cheek Set looks similar in tone to the MAC Nordy Girl Metallic. I’m swatching and playing with it today to let you know by tomorrow first impressions but I looked at it in store and the quality looked really good. For neutral lip comparisons, I feel the MAC ones are more trendy. The Bobbi Brown Nude Lip Color Trio has more beige colors with a more everyday vibe. Also the Laura Mercier Nude Lip Collection has great options with a more neutral-pink vibe. I’m going to try and have that one swatched by Sunday but note the Laura Mercier set has existing colors you can buy anytime if you’re trying to decide on one.

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set, Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink Review

Bottom line lots to love at an affordable price. I find the colors excellent and wearable but think they would suit a wide range of ages. I think they’re nice for beginners too.

You can find the MAC Nordy Girl Metallic, Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink at Nordstrom as part of their Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives this year.

 

Lips MAC

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick + Lip Gloss Review

August 1, 2018

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick and Lip Gloss Review | The Beauty Look Book

MAC launched a limited-edition collection called Plenty of Pout. It has a selection of lipsticks and one lip gloss with plumping ingredients they say are meant to “take lips to their very fullest potential.” MAC describes these has having a full bee-stung look with sheer, creamy colour. These contain a ginger root complex that has a cooling sensation to make lips look volumized upon application. At the same time they have oils to moisturize and smooth. As one with naturally full lips I usually don’t look for pluming lip products (I don’t want them bigger!). Also many tingle lip products are so strong I can’t handle the sting. Still the colors in this launch looked perfect and nothing would stop me from trying them. There are 6 shades of the Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick and 1 shade for the Plenty of Pout Plumping Lip Gloss.

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick and Lip Gloss Review | The Beauty Look Book

The Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick that come in a similar tube style to the Huggable Lipsticks (now discontinued), Liptensity Lipsticks and Tendertalk Balms. I personally love this style of lipstick because I feel they’re less prone to breakage, especially with the Florida heat outdoors sometimes can soften the base and make my lipsticks break.  These are described as sheer and creamy, but to me they seem to have medium to full coverage. Texture is indeed smooth and creamy with a very slight tingle to me. It feels minty and cool. All the colors and glossy shine are just perfect to me. Since they are so creamy I do need to blot once otherwise it looks like I have too much product on. The colors can probably be duped but the best thing about these is that for me there is no tweaking or mixing required. Colors work for me straight out of the tube and they are moisturizing. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the strongest), I’d rate the tingle at a 7. Your mileage may vary depending on how sensitive your lips are.

  • Kiss and Cuddle is a creamy light peachy beige
  • Nicer Than Nice is the perfect baby pink
  • Smooth Going is a soft coral pinky peach
  • So Swell is a muted pink brown
  • Ample Chic is a perfect hot pink
  • Crazy Lush is a vibrant hot red

Some have a slight hint of shimmer in the tube but they apply like creams on my lips, shimmer isn’t really visible once I have them on.

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick Review | The Beauty Look Book

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick Kiss and Cuddle, Nicer than Nice, Smooth Going, So Swell, Ample Chic, Crazy Lush and Lip Gloss Review | The Beauty Look Book

Swatched on bare lips. For skintone reference I’m wearing the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff on the face. MAC Equivalent is NC35 or NC37 for the Studio Fix Fluid Foundation.

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick Kiss and Cuddle, Nicer than Nice, Smooth Going, So Swell, Ample Chic, Crazy Lush and Lip Gloss Review | The Beauty Look Book

There is also a Plenty of Pout Plumping Lip Gloss which is a soft clear light pink. This gave my lips the same amount of pain the Buxom Full-On Lip Polishes and Glamglow Plumprageous Nudes. It comes with a sponge tip applicator which is easy to use however I could not wear this one more than 5 minutes before I HAD to remove it with a bi-phase makeup remover. Another semi-rant is that once you take the applicator out of the tube you see how little product there is! This is the same issue I had with the Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath I reviewed a few weeks ago. On the lips the MAC Plenty of Pout gloss is clear. I would not recommend – for me this was 10 out of 10 painful in terms of the sting, but if you can take the tingle and don’t mind how little product there is inside then there’s nothing wrong with going for it!

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lip Gloss Review | The Beauty Look Book

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lip Gloss swatches | The Beauty Look Book

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lip Gloss swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Both the lipsticks and lip gloss do plump the lips. Not in an overly done way but there is noticeable fullness with both. If you can handle a bit of tingle I think they are worth looking into – especially since the lipstick colors are perfect. If not I’d recommend you opt for the MAC Cremesheen Lipsticks for a similar creamy feel with a bit of shine or the MAC Liptensity Lipsticks if want similar coverage but with a semi matte finish.

You can find the MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick and Lip Gloss collection out now. Everything is limited-edition. Available in stores and online at Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Dillard’s, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and MAC Cosmetics.

MAC Plenty of Pout collection provided courtesy of MAC for review.

 

MAC

MAC x Aaliyah Collection Review + Swatches

June 21, 2018

MAC Aaliyah Collection Review and Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

The MAC x Aaliyah Collection launches in stores today with limited-edition pieces for eyes, lips and cheeks. I wanted to share some quick swatches and first impressions as I suspect some pieces will sell out quickly. The overall vibe is what MAC calls moody, deep and neutral. I’d say it’s just that. The color scheme has more of a fall vibe but I think there are some stand out pieces that I think you should not miss. The items in the collection include:

  • Lipsticks ($18.50 each) in four shades – Try Again (matte), More Than a Woman (amplified), Street Thing (frost), Hot Like (amplified)
  • Lipglass ($17.50 each) in four shades – Brooklyn Born, At Your Best You Are, Li Li’s Motor City, 1 in a Million
  • Lip Pencil ($18 each) in two shades – Nevermore and Follow Your Heart
  • Age Ain’t Nothing Eyeshadow x 9 ($32) – Age Ain’t Nothing (mix of finishes)
  • Bronzing Powder ($28) – Baby Girl (pearl finish)

Up first are the lip products. There are four Aaliyah Lipsticks, three of which are very creamy and smooth, one is semi sheer and a little patchy on my lips. From left to right we have Try Again (matte nude brown), Hot Like (perfect red cream), More Than a Woman (the perfect wine plum cream), Street Thing (shimmery sheer black). All of these have that signature soft vanilla MAC lipstick scent.

I think More Than A Woman is the most perfect wine color I’ve ever tried. Plum wines are hard to pull off for my complexion – so many are either too blue or turn fuchsia on my lips. Try Again almost looks almost deathly on my olive complexion. Street Thing was the worst for my lips – it swatched nicely on the arm and as I was swatching I thought to myself I wish this color was in eyeshadow form, powder or cream because it would make for a unique black shadow with shimmers.

MAC Aaliyah Lipsticks | The Beauty Look BookMAC Aaliyah Lipsticks Try Again, Hot Like, More than a Woman, Street Thing

There are four Aaliyah Lipglasses. They don’t necessarily match the Lipstick colors exactly but can be worn alone or layered on top of the lip colors. We have left to right: Brooklyn Born (soft champagne pearl), Li Li’s Motor City (orange cream), At Your Best You Are (sheer wine), and 1 In A Million (sheer/patchy deep plum brown). My favorite is Brooklyn Born which has the smoothest pearl and actually didn’t wash me out. At Your Best You Are is another perfect plum for me. Li Li’s Motor City is fun for summer but with my olive skin sometimes orange can be a hard color to pull off all the time. 1 in a Million is so pretty color-wise but pulled streaky as it contrasted with my natural lip tone quite a bit. If you have deeper lips the contrast won’t be as obvious. I think if I were to add a deep liner underneath and blend it would smooth out.

MAC Aaliyah Lipglass Brooklyn Born, Li Li's Motor City, At Your Best You Are, 1 in a Million review and swatches

MAC Aaliyah Lipglass Brooklyn Born, Li Li's Motor City, At Your Best You Are, 1 in a Million review and swatches

MAC Aaliyah Lipstick and Lipglass Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

There are two Aaliyah Lip Pencils which I think were odd color choices given the range of lipstick and lipglass colors. Nevermore is a deep blackened purple which would go well with Street Thing or 1 in a Million but would contrast sharply with all the other shades. Follow Your Heart is a standard brick red which would go well with the reds, but not so much with any of the other shades. Still they are creamy and soft in formula.

MAC Aaliyah Lip Pencil Review and Swatches

MAC Aaliyah Lip Pencil Review and Swatches

Finally there is one item for eyes and one for the cheeks.

MAC Aaliyah Bronzer baby girl and Aaliyah Age Aint Nothing Eyeshadow Palette

MAC launched an Aaliyah Bronzing Powder called Baby Girl which I have mixed feelings on. On my complexion it applies nicely but it has a very stiff texture and sheer finish. The color is going to be better suited for women who are light to medium in skin tone, I think it will be too light to show up on deeper skin tones. It works for me but I feel like it would have been better to have at least 1 more shade option. For this particular bronzer it looks nice – but I think there are much better options including the Becca Sunlit Bronzers or Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers to name a few.

The Aaliyah Times Nine Eyeshadow Palette called Age Ain’t Nothing which is excellent in pigment and texture. Some of the other Nine Eyeshadow Palettes have great colors but aren’t the best in terms of texture. This one in the Aaliyah collection is smooth and well pigmented. The colors can create a variety of looks. I find myself gravitating towards the bottom two rows but every single color blends and layers well together. As usual my recommendation for palettes are to buy only if you think you’re going to use most of the colors. Texture and quality-wise it’s really good.

MAC Aaliyah Eyeshadow x9 Age Aint Nothing and Baby Girl Bronzer Swatches

Overall some nice pieces, but I don’t feel like I really gravitate towards most of the colors. The three stand outs for me are the More Than A Woman Lipstick, Brooklyn Born Lipglass and At Your Best You Are Lipglass. These aren’t seasonal colors but I can appreciate a really nice wine-colored lip. And for Brooklyn Born I feel like the texture and shimmer are so smooth they add a really pretty shine. Whether or not you like these colors I hope this post along with all of mine helps as a reference guide especially if you don’t have in-person access or can’t get to a counter right away.

You can find the MAC Aaliyah Collection out now. Everything is limited-edition. Online at MAC, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard’s and Bloomingdale’s.

Many thanks to the MAC team for providing the MAC Aaliyah collection provided courtesy for review.

MAC

MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Full Face Kit + Hot and Heavy Face Powder

June 17, 2018

MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Collection Review + Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

MAC has quite a few new launches this month and I’m working as quickly as I can to swatch them for you! Up first is the MAC Patrick Starrr summer collection with the Summer Starrr Full Face Kit ($49.50) and Hot and Heavy Face Powder ($34). The items are limited-edition and the whole vibe of this launch is warm.

The Summer Starrr Full Face Kit comes at an incredible value price. You get an Eyeshadow Quad called Heat Stroke, Bronzing Powder in Give Me Life and two Lipglasses in Cream Pie and Fashion Punch. Colors for the lips and cheeks are very wearable for any skintone, the quad is more trendy and VERY warm with reds and oranges. Heat Stroke has four very pigmented and smooth eyeshadows. I’m one who still cannot really pull off the full-on reddish eyeshadow trend although every single one of my friends embraces it. And also everyone else I see wear it looks AMAZING while I do not. The NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette is still one of the few pinkish-toned palettes I can actually wear. Below is a closer look at Heat Stroke Eyeshadow quad. I tried it a number of ways and colors are just not for me.

MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Heat Stroke Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Heat Stroke Eyeshadow Quad swatches

The Lipglasses are both light and neutral. They’re creams without shimmer. I feel like the Fashion Punch color has been launched before in the older original packaging. It’s a beige cream. Cream Pie is a neutral pink cream. I’ve swatched them below next to the Patrick Starrr Holiday 2017 lipglasses as well since he had two neutrals.

MAC Summer Starrr Lipglass Fashion Punch and Cream Pie swatches

MAC Summer Starrr Lipglass Fashion Punch and Cream Pie vs You Betta Werrrk and Mamastarrr

MAC Summer Starrr Lipglass Cream Pie and Fashion Punch swatches

The two cheek products are warm and summery. The Give Me Life Bronzing Powder is part of the Full Face Kit. It’s a warm matte brown that has a soft semi-sheer finish. On my skin it’s warm but not orangey. It’s a lot more wearable than it looks from what I see in the pan. The best item in the entire collection to me is the Hot and Heavy Face Powder which is available separately. It’s a soft golden champagne shimmer which is perfect! Shimmer is fine and smooth without any heavy frost.

MAC Give Me Life and Hot and Heavy

MAC Give Me Life and Hot and Heavy swatches

MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Collection Review + Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Collection Review + Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

The quality is excellent for everything in this launch. Colors are all smooth and apply beautifully. I think the face kit is an excellent value. I also fully support and applaud brand and influencer collaborations like this. It makes me really happy to see these kinds of partnerships! The colors have a good mix of neutral and on trend aspects. That being said, with kits I feel the same way about kits as I do palettes – they can be tricky if you don’t 100% love all the colors. For the Full Face Kit I cannot wear the Heat Stroke Eyeshadow quad by itself. It takes a lot of mixing with cools or neutrals for me to be able to pull off the colors easily – I did test everything for several days and embraced the red eye look at home and while out and about. It was well outside of my comfort zone. The rest of the items are more my vibe although I do think the color are dupeable. If you are looking to add more to your collection at a value price these items are great. If you own a lot of MAC already you may want to shop your stash.

My favorite item is the Hot and Heavy highlighter. It’s the perfect mix of warm gold + champagne for my skintone! I also really like the Cream Pie Lipglass as a wearable pale milky pink. Have you tried anything from this launch yet? What did you think?

You can find the MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Face Kit and Highlighter out now. The Summer Starrr Full Face Kit runs at $49.50 and Hot and Heavy Face Powder retails for $34. Available now at MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillard’s.

MAC Patrick Starrr items provided courtesy of MAC for review.

 

Highlighters MAC

New MAC Launches: Strobe Collection, Mineralize Blush and Galactic Glitter

April 30, 2018

MAC Roundup Strobe Collection, Mineralize Collection, Galatic Glitter Launch

I’m catching up on some recent new MAC launches – there are so many I feel like you can literally blink and miss them! Today I’ve rounded up three launches with the Strobe Collection, Mineralize Blush and Galactic Glitter.

_____________________

Strobe Collection

MAC Strobe Collection Review and Swatches

Up first is the Strobe Collection which brings us new ways to glow. MAC is truly one of the leading trendsetters – I feel like they were the first to launch amazing highlighters and glow creams! In this collection we have:

  • Strobe Body Lotion in Opalite ($33 for 3.4 fl oz/100 ml) is a soft thin lotion with a beautiful pink iridescent gleam. If you’re looking for something that has a more natural sheen versus glitter/sparkle this is the one for you! It has the prettiest soft pink glow without being overdone. It’s also lightweight and not sticky which is going to be a plus for me in Florida heat.
  • Prep + Prime Fix+ Shimmer in Pinklite and Goldlite ($26 each for 3.4 fl oz/100 ml) is the Prep + Prime mist with shimmer added! There are little metal balls in the bottles to stir up the shimmer since it settles. These add a very natural sparkle to the face when you set. On me it’s very very natural, Pinklite has pink flecks while Goldlite has a warm gold sheen.
  • Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Whisper of Gilt and Show Gold ($34 each) are both repromotes, I feel like Whisper of Gilt is the classic soft gold champagne everyone needs to try! Show Gold has a duochrome sheen and is more glitzy on the skin. The formula in general has a high shine shimmer frost finish.

I have all the other Extra Dimension Skinfinishes so I swatched them below in case you haven’t seen them before. Left to right: Whisper of Gilt, Show Gold, Beaming Blush, Double Gleam, Glow With It, Oh Darling, Soft Frost, Superb.

MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish Highlighter Swatches

Strobe Lotion swatches were hard to capture. Once you blend it disappears into the skin to give the most beautiful gleam! I swatched it straight out of the tube along with the Strobe Creams (for the face):

MAC Strobe Body Lotion in Opalite vs Strobe Cream

_____________________

Mineralize Blush Matte

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Nuanced and Mineralize Matte Blushes

The Mineralize line has been a favorite of mine for their highlighters and powders. Mineralize Skinfinishes in Global Glow and Lightscapade are my favorites in the shimmer finish and I use the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus and Medium Golden to set makeup. I’ve collected a number of the blushes over the years but this launch they added a matte version. They are on the sheer side and are very natural. If you want a natural blush these are amazing! There are also four highlighters each with 4 shades in the pan. I picked up one. The MAC highlighters usually last all day long on me, the blushes are sheer and faded by afternoon. I still like them for the natural look – they are easy to touch up without looking muddy.

  • Mineralize Skinfinish in Nuanced ($34 for 8 g/0.28 oz) is a soft quad with neutral pink tones, when swirled it gives a soft pink sheen to the skin, it is on the shimmery side but on me it did not emphasize pores or texture (your mileage will vary depending on your skin type)
  • Mineralize Blush Matte ($29 for 4g / 0.14 oz)
    • Humour Me is a dusty brown neutral
    • Naturally Flawless is a soft nude peach
    • Hey Coral Hey is a soft coral pink, I initially thought this would be a dupe for Chanel’s Foschia Rosa, but the MAC one is a lot sheerer and lighter
    • Like Me Love Me is a light medium peach
    • Sweet Enough is a mauve pink neutral

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Nuanced and Mineralize Matte Blushes

Two beauty looks with the Mineralize Skinfinish in Nuanced (left) and Mineralize Matte Blush in Hey Coral Hey (right). Base worn is Sunday Riley The Influencer Foundation 190, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus, Hourglass Arch Brow Gel in Soft Brunette, Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Quad in Transformeyes.

MAC MSF Nuanced and Matte Blush Hey Coral Hey

_____________________

Galatic Glitter – New Lipglass Shades

MAC Lipglass Very Go Lightly, Mystic Powers, Elemental Forces, Good Juju, All Things Magical, Magically Delightful, Soar

I almost skipped the Galactic Glitter launch just because of the word “glitter.” There are new glitters in the small pigment glitter jars which I don’t wear, but what caught eye were the new Lipglass shades ($ for)! There are a number of new colors along with a few repromotes. If you’re new to MAC lipglasses they have a wide range of colors. Last year they redid the packaging to what you see above. My original haul and picks here. They are semi-thick with a high shine and slightly sticky. This makes them last a long time on me and they don’t budge. If gloss is prone to sliding around on you, I’d recommend adding a liner first. New ones I bought:

  • Very Go Lightly is a sparkling pale champagne
  • Mystic Powers is an iridescent pink opal glow
  • Elemental Forces is a warm beige
  • Good Juju is a pretty warm pink shimmer
  • All Things Magical is a perfect mauve pink shimmer
  • Magically Delightful is a medium-warm pink
  • Soar is a classic mauve (repromote in this collection but it was always sold out when I stopped by the counters near me!)

MAC Lipglass Swatches Very Go Lightly, Mystic Powers, Elemental Forces, Good Juju, All Things Magical, Magically Delightful, Soar

MAC Lipglass Swatches Very Go Lightly, Mystic Powers, Elemental Forces, Good Juju, All Things Magical, Magically Delightful, Soar

_____________________

MAC Roundup Strobe Collection, Mineralize Collection, Galatic Glitter Launch

Overall lots to love with MAC. I can always find something new that catches my eye. Since I’ve been collecting MAC since my high school days I’ve accumulated a lot of their products so it’s only natural that one begins to see similarities between launches.

If you’re a MAC junkie like me and already own a lot, I’d say my top picks to check out are the Strobe Body Lotion, Nuanced Mineralize Skinfinish and Matte Mineralize Blushes. I’m obsessed with Lipglasses in general and am happy with all the new shades. My top 3 favorites are Elemental Forces, All Things Magical and Magically Delightful.

One last thing that I wanted to mention is that the MAC Gently Off Wipes + Micellar Water are now available in the small travel size. This makes them more travel-friendly as the full size is HUGE! I bought two of these the last time I was at the store. They’re not as emollient as the Regular Wipes.

You can find the MAC launches out now. I usually purchase mine in store or online at MAC Cosmetics or Nordstrom.

Press samples include the MAC Strobe Collection. All other items purchased by me.

MAC

MAC Roundup: Hyper Real Glow, Mineralize Skincare, Prep + Prime Fix+ and New Brushes

February 20, 2018

MAC Newness, Scented Fix+, Mineralize Skincare, Hyper Real Glow Palettes, Synthetic Brushes

MAC has launched quite a few new things this year and I feel I blinked and almost two months have already passed by. New products roll out at lightening speed which I can barely keep up on so today I have a roundup of several launches.

Hyper Real Glow Palettes

MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette

Up first are two new highlighter palettes called Hyper Real Glow ($39.50 each). There is a warm gold option called Get it Glowin’ and a cool pink option Flash + Awe. They come in cardboard packaging with a magnetic closure and mirror inside. Both seem pretty sturdy in packaging. The shimmer is very smooth and doesn’t emphasize pores or imperfections on the skin. They can be built to a high shine frost but if you layer them over blush or bronzer the shimmer effect is smoother and not quite as intense. The colors in each palette aren’t the most unique – if you own a lot of highlighters these will probably be similar to other MAC shades. The formula is really good and I think these are a pretty good value for the price.

MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette Review and Swatches

Get it Glowin has two golds that look really similar on my skintone, the variations are slight once on the skin. Then there is one warm bronzey shade. At the moment I’ve just started to get back a little of my tan after being in Miami over the weekend. Right now Get it Glowin adds a lot of warmth and glow to the skin. As I get darker I suspect it will be more of a highlighter.

Flash + Awe surprised me because I was almost certain this would look white on my olive skin. The shades are pale and definitely highlighter material but they aren’t as pale as I anticipated. The colors are similar on my skin but I really love the soft diffused pink glow these give. Lasting power is really good with these powders and there is very little powder fall out.

MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette Swatches Get It Glowin' and Flash + Awe

Both palettes applied the face on two separate occasions:

Left with Get it Glowin’:

MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette Swatches Get It Glowin' and Flash + Awe

Right with Flash + Awe:

New Brush Launches

Next are the new brushes. MAC redesigned all their Makeup Brushes with synthetic materials. Some of the classics have remained but there are also new shapes and options. If you want a more detailed review of their brushes I can do a separate post on them. For now here’s a quick look at some of the new ones alongside a few others I had purchased before.

Some brushes like 125S, 128S and 127S are split fibers which gives two different effects. The one side you’ll see below is the brown fibers for powders and the other side is a different material more ideal for creams.

All the brushes are very well made with smooth and super soft tips. My MAC brushes have lasted a long time over the years, some I think I’ve had since 2003 and they’ve held up without any issue. So far the synthetic version seems to perform just as well as the originals.

My top 4 MAC brushes are the 239S, 219S, 140S and 217S.

In addition MAC has also started carrying beautyblenders in their stores and on their website. These are the best makeup sponges I’ve tried. Nothing really quite compares to them!

MAC New Brushes Synthetic Launch

Mineralize Skincare Additions and Fix+ Scented

MAC Mineralize Reset & Revive Charcoal Mask, Mineralize Charged Water Charcoal Spray, Fix+ Scented

Last but not least are some new additions to skincare. There are two new products in the Mineralize Skincare Line. They launched two new charcoal infused products which are designed to detox the skin. The Mineralize Reset and Revive Charcoal Mask ($31 for 100ml) is a gentle purifying mask that removes excess oil without stripping the skin. On the face it feels really soothing. It will shrink a little as it dries but not so much that it feels overpowering. Skin is left feeling a lot more clean and less oily. They’ve launched a Mineralize Charged Water Charcoal ($26 for 100ml) spray with you can use before moisturizer or to set makeup. To me this has a similar feel to the MAC Fix+ on my skin. I do like to use it as a freshening product before I apply moisturizer, but to me the effect is almost identical to the MAC Fix+ just a tad bit more moisturizing.

Perhaps my favorite launch is the MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Scented Mist ($26 each for 100ml) . These came in the mini sizes last year in Rose, Lavender and Coconut. I stocked up on TONS of these since the minis were limited-edition. I’m beyond thrilled that they launched these in the full size. I love these to set makeup, refresh the skin or even to prime before moisturizer and foundation. I find them really versatile and the scents are soft and not overpowering.

That wraps up my MAC roundup! Of course as I’m finishing this post more launches have already arrived. I’ll be reviewing more in the weeks to follow.

You can find the new MAC launches out now. Available online at MAC, Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty and Saks Fifth Avenue.

MAC launches provided courtesy of MAC for review.

 

MAC

MAC Jade Jagger and MAC x Patrick Starrr Collections

December 14, 2017

MAC Jade Jagger and Patrick Starrr Collections Review + Swatches

There are two new MAC collections that launch today! I have both the MAC Jade Jagger and Patrick Starrr Collections reviewed with swatches and first impressions.Everything is limited-edition and I wanted to get these up as soon as I could before items sell out. Up first is the MAC Jade Jagger Collection which has a focus on MAC’s mineralize products in new shades. I’ve been a long time fan and collector of the Mineralize Skinfinish and Skinfinish Natural along with the blushes. I’ve found the eye and lip products can be hit or miss. Everything is beautiful in color and very wearable – but your preference for shimmer might make you pass on the shadows.

There are two Mineralize Eyeshadow Quads in Burning Nights (cool tones) and Golden Shine (warmer tones). Both quads are with the baked formula which makes the shadows harder and stiff. They are all on the shimmery/sparkly side true to what I’d envision someone like Jade Jagger to wear. I found they swatched poorly on the arms but applied better on the lids if I prime them. When I applied these they are prone to fallout – there’s quite a bit of sparkle so you will need to do some clean up on the cheeks. The good news for me is once I applied them they stayed put. There is also a gorgeous Mineralize Skinfinish with a shimmer and matte bronze called Satin Shimmer. This has medium-sheer pigment and looks natural on the skin. I adore this duo but found it similar to my favorite MSF in Global Glow (also swatched below).

MAC Jade Jagger Mineralize Eye Shadow in Burning Nights, Golden Shine and MSF in Satin Shimmer

MAC Jade Jagger Mineralize Eye Shadow in Burning Nights, Golden Shine and MSF in Satin Shimmer

MAC MSF Jade Jagger Satin Shimmer vs Global Glow

MAC Jade Jagger Satin Shimmer vs Global Glow

I have two of the three new Mineralize Rich Lipsticks in Sunset Pearl (nude pink) and Rolling Red (deep red). Both are super smooth in texture and feel hydrating on the lips. In other shades I’ve tried the Mineralize Rich Lipsticks are sometimes on the sheer side. These are good in pigment with a pretty soft shine to them.

MAC Jade Jagger Mineralize Rich Lipstick Sunset Pearl and Rolling Red

Swatches below:

MAC Jade Jagger Mineralize Rich Lipstick Sunset Pearl and Rolling Red

MAC Jade Jagger Mineralize Lipsticks Sunset Pearl and Rolling Red Swatched

Up next is the MAC x Patrick Starrr Collection which I absolutely love everything in. The Eyeshadow Quads have a lot of repeat shades but for some reason the formula in these quads feels a lot better than most of MAC’s single shadows. They’re smooth, buttery and rich. I think they’re just beautiful. There are two in Patrick Starrr Glam AF with Brule, OMIGAUD, Saddle and Embark and the GoalGetter has Soft Brown, Amber Lights, Swiss Chocolate and I’m Into It.

MAC Patrick Starrr Eyeshadow Quads Glam AF and Goalgetter

MAC Patrick Starrr Eyeshadow Quads Glam AF and Goalgetter swatches

The Set Powder is something I’ve never tried before and I’m thoroughly impressed with this one. It looks translucent but there’s a soft beige tint to the powder which works perfectly for my medium skin tone. I’m ordering a few back ups of this one – I’ll have to investigate the other shades from their regular line as well. It is a soft matte without any white cast on my skin and lasts an impressive amount of time.

MAC Patrick Starrr Set Powder

Next are the lips which come in matching lipstick and lipglass shades. There are corresponding lipliners from the permanent lineup but they come in special-edition packaging. Lipsticks and Lipglasses come in the following shades: She Betta Werrrk is a pale but wearable pink, Mamastarrr is a perfect nude, Patrick Woo is a bright vibrant red. Lip Pencils come in Edge to Edge (pink), Mahogany (brown) and Brick (deep red). I really appreciate the fact that the pale pink shade is wearable even on my pigmented lips and olive skin tone.

MAC Patrick Starrr Lipsticks and Lipglasses

MAC Patrick Starrr Lipsticks and Lipglasses swatched

MAC Patrick Starrr She Betta Werk, Mamastarrr, Patrick Woo Lipstick and Lipglass swatches

Quick look with a little bit from both collections wearing:

MAC Beauty Look with Jade Jagger x Patrick Starrr Items

MAC Jade Jagger and Patrick Starrr Review + swatches

Overall thoughts: I really like everything in the MAC Patrick Starrr collection. The shades are wearable, the quads are excellent in formula and I’m 100% obsessed with the setting powder. I do think the lipliners are ones you can skip. The colors are good and classics but they’re permanent (except for the special edition packaging) so there’s no rush to get them if you’re on your list. The Jade Jagger collection is really pretty – I love the colors and the Mineralize Skinfinish, but I still haven’t been super wowed by the other products in the Mineralize line. Out of the two quads I do like Burning Nights a lot more – pigment is better and it’s easier to apply on the eyes for me.

You can find both collections online now at MAC Cosmetics. I believe the Jade Jagger collection will be available only at select MAC stores (I called a few near me and neither of them said they were going to receive it). The MAC x Patrick Starrr Collection is also available at Nordstrom. Everything is limited-edition.

MAC Jade Jagger and Patrick Starrr items provided courtesy of MAC for review.