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MAC Nude Story Pigments: Naked, Naked Dark, Naked Deep Dark

June 18, 2010
It’s not often that I get to a MAC Pro store, so I get excited any time I am near one. Pro stores are just like the freestanding stores (there are 3 near me) but they carry certain products that are exclusive to their locations and that are “developed by makeup artists for makeup artists and industry professionals.” Being the fan that I am of nude-makeup looks, I was excited to check out the Nude Story collection a couple weeks ago at the MAC Pro Store on Robertson Blvd. Naked Pigment is a staple for me that I use on a weekly basis so I was excited to check out MAC’s newest variations of the shade. (Those not familiar with MAC pigments, note that Naked is in the original container and the new nudes pigments are in the new container/packaging.)



I have to say Naked is still my favorite. I was hoping that Naked Dark would be the equivalent of my holy grail nude eyeshadow Camel (long discontinued). It’s close but not quite what I wanted. Naked Dark and Naked Deep Dark go on borderline orangey on my skin if applied wet – but I still like them for layering and contouring. I am in desperate need of a tan so in a few weeks, hopefully they will be more “nude” on me versus “tan.” I wonder why MAC skipped all the other shades in between such as Medium and Medium Dark. However, a bonus of MAC pigments is that you can mix them together and create your own colors.
Here they are swatched over MAC Prep & Prime.

Some have asked me to include some details on the brushes I use with each makeup item for a while. I will definitely try to include this feature more often. I did feature all my eyeshadow brushes about a year ago. Check out this post for the photos and comparisons Beauty Tools & Essentials: Eye Brushes.

For MAC Pigments, there are a variety of brushes I use depending on how light or dark they are. For the medium-deeper ones I like more denser brushes. For lighter colors, the ones I find myself using the most frequently include the ones below (left to right):

  • Laura Mercier All Over Eye Colour $30 – I like this brush for an all over wash. The shape allows for a quick and easy swipe giving a smooth even wash of color.
  • MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush $28 – I like this because its fluffiness gives a sheer wash of color for a nice highlight. It’s also a great brush to blend different colors on the eyes together to remove any harsh lines.
  • MAC 213 Fluff Brush $22.50 – This is a smaller brush that is nice for a more detailed color application. It’s not as dense as some others which also makes blending easy.
  • Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow Brush $28 – To me this is essentially the same as MAC’s 213. The one photographed was part of the Black Plum Brush set (click here for more details).
  • MAC 217 Blending Brush $22.50 – The white-haired brushes by MAC are my holy grails of brushes. I wish MAC would make more brushes in this type of material. Soft, smooth, has a great tapered shape. I use these for just about everything.
  • MAC 239 Eyeshadow Brush $24.50 – Again, can’t rave enough about these. Densely packed so you can get a heavier application of shadow but makes blending easy.

There was already much debate about the pigments when MAC released the new packaging containing significantly less product for the same price. I have mixed feelings about it – all of which have been expressed by many others. All I will say is that I feel the new packaging is more difficult to work with. Previously I always dipped my brush into the pigment and tapped off the excess back into the container. Now the size is so small that any tapping would result with the entire contents ending up on my floor. Here you can see what I mean.

Original packaging:

New packaging:

That being said, it won’t stop me from purchasing pigments (as it clearly didn’t stop me from purchasing the new nudes). One more swatch view + a mixture of all three plus a bit of Vanilla pigment on the far right (which I am still experimenting).



Have you tried these yet? If so, what’s your skintone and do you find these to be “naked” on you?

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Weekend Look of the Day: J.Crew White Ruffled Tank & Skirt

June 14, 2010
How was everyone’s weekend? The weather here in Southern California has been a bit odd the past few days – at least by the beach. Sunny bits here and there and then mostly cloudy. This was Sunday’s outfit/look.

Top: J.Crew ruffle tank
Skirt: J.Crew white denim mini
Belt: J.Crew patent burgandy skinny belt
Shoes: Prada flats
Purse: Chanel

I didn’t plan to have mostly J.Crew on – but it seems to happen more often these days, although I do have to say it’s with their older pieces from past seasons. I love how comfortable the ruffle top is, but unfortunately, if it’s not tucked in or tied with a belt over, then it looks like a huge tent.

Face:
NARS Beverly Hills + South Beach Multiples mixed on cheeks
MAC Getaway Bronze Blush on top

Eyes:
Clinique Seashell Cream Shadow as a base
NARS India Song Duo
MAC Orpheus Eyeliner

Lips:
NARS Beverly Hills + South Beach mixed/dabbed on lips
MAC Love Nectar Lustreglass + Beach Lounger Lipglass mixed

I’m really loving those Multiple Tints from NARS (see my review of 2 of them here NARS Beverly Hills & Cadaques Multiple Tints = Pure Genius). Beverly Hills pulls more bright pink than red on my skin for some reason, but I still like it. Works well dabbed on lips for a slight tint. I liked it mixed a little with South Beach. I mixed the two on the back of my hand first and then applied on the lips. For cheeks, I swiped Beverly Hills on each cheek then South Beach on top and blended quickly with the fingers.

Also wanted your opinions: for the Chanel – is this something I can still pull off or is it totally OUT of style? It’s an older one, I don’t think Chanel makes the line anymore – at least definitely not the brown-on-brown. It’s just been sitting in my closet for ages. I keep forgetting to bring it out. Input would be greatly appreciated 🙂

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Beauty Investigation: Is There a Dupe for Chanel Riviera?

June 9, 2010
I recently received an e-mail from one of my readers asking if I knew of a dupe for Chanel Riviera. She had decided to wait a bit to think about purchasing it and by the time she decided to purchase it, the color was sold out everywhere online and at all the stores and counters near her. Knowing that “oh no it’s sold out” feeling all too well, I was more than happy to help. I called & visited a number of local stores (about a dozen) but I too was unable to locate the nail polish – so began my quest to find the perfect dupe.
I narrowed down my search to brands that had testers available thus eliminating brands without testers such as Zoya, China Glaze, Essie and all drugstore brands. I swatched about a dozen hot pinks in my notebook and then went back to each counter/store to swatch the four closest matches on my fingers. I have to admit I was a bit nervous swatching so many shades in my notebook – but the Chanel reps were so sweet at each store. They even chimed in with their input about which ones they thought looked the most similar to the Riviera shade.

For some reason the fuschia undertones of some of the shades were throwing off my camera flash, so it was hard to get an accurate picture. Here are two views (to the best of my ability).

  • Thumb: Sephora by OPI It’s All About Me – about 2 shades darker and brighter and a smidge cooler toned

  • Index: NARS Schiap – same intensity, one shade bluer, looks more magenta

  • Middle: MAC Steamy – closest dupe in my opinion, just a bit more intense/sharper looking

  • Ring: Chanel Riviera

  • Pinkie: OPI Strawberry Margarita – second closest dupe, slightly lighter (only a touch)

So, which are the closest dupes? The verdict: MAC Steamy and OPI Strawberry Margarita. From an arms distance glance – you can barely tell the difference. Here they are photographed next to Chanel Riviera. Note that while they look slightly different in the bottles, on the fingers the difference is not noticeable. Are the exact dupes? No.

I was also asked how it compared to Lancome’s Miss Perfectly Pink and Illamasqua Collide – Lancome’s is significantly cooler toned and Illamasqua is a hot electric neon pink. So if you missed out on Chanel Riviera, not to worry – no need to shell out extra money for the shade on ebay. You can definitely find a similar shade! Not an exact dupe, but yes, similar. (Here’s one more shot with the Lancome – can’t swatch it b/c it’s a present.)


In terms of pigment, I actually found all the dupes to be pretty smooth and nicely pigmented. The Chanel did apply the best IMHO, but after 2 coats, you get the same result.

Note that this is by no means the most comprehensive list – just the ones I found 🙂 I hope this helps some! All work is copyrighted. Please do not republish these photos.

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Color Focus: Soft Pinks I’m Loving Right Now

May 29, 2010
I decided to do a different twist on my regular monthly Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now and combine this with my color focus feature. I like soft pinks because they always look so pretty in the compact and tubes. But finding a good soft pink can be a bit tricky sometimes. I can’t tell you how many soft pinks have made me oooohh and aaaahhh only to find it looks way to light or washed out on my skin (ala MAC Hue/Angel Lipstick or Trish McEvoy Gorgeous Demure Lipstick). It still doesn’t stop me from trying to make them work though, lol. That being said, the products listed below are my no-fail and no-tweaking required soft pinks.

There are so many favorites, but these are the ones I’ve been using a lot in the past month. I am actually just starting my 3rd tube of MAC Fabby (see below)! Laura Mercier Babydoll Lip Glace is a favorite that looks good on practically all my friends whether they are fair skinned or tanned.

Blush & Highlighters:

Dior Rose Diamond
MAC Well Dressed
MAC Summer Rose Beauty Powder
(this was repromoted with the Liberty of London Collection in a different compact)

Eyeshadows:

Bobbi Brown Petal Shimmerwash
NARS Nepal Eyeshadow
Becca Angel Loose Shimmer Powder

Cheek and Eye Swatches:


Lip Glosses:

Chanel Waterlily Glossimer
Dior Pink Silk 262 Addict Lip Gloss (swatched here)
Laura Mercier Babydoll Lip Glace
Trish McEvoy Pretty Pink Beauty Booster Gloss

Lipsticks:

Chanel Rouge Coco in Rose Comete (swatched here)
MAC Frost Lipstick in Fabby
D&G Shine Lipstick in Soiree (swatched here)

Lip Swatches:


Nail Polishes:

Paul & Joe Poodle #10
Zoya Jessika
Chanel Mica Rose


I have many more favorites but if I featured all my loves, this would just be a never-ending article if I pulled every single soft pink from my stash. What are some of your favorites and what is your skintone?

FYI, in case you’re new to my blog, I’m a Chanel Shell 1.5 Teint Innocence right now. This is the equivalent to what’s right in between MAC NC30 and NC35. I’m at that point again where I’m in between shades for most foundation lines. You can see My Foundation Shades HERE. I recently tried Bobbi Brown’s newest foundation and found a perfect match in Natural Finish formula shade 4.25 Natural Tan, however the formula didn’t work so well with my skin. So far, Chanel Teint Innocence and Lift Lumieres and DPFs are my holy grails.

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A Few New Taupes From MAC, Guerlain, Trish McEvoy & Too Faced

May 25, 2010
I’ve recently found a few new taupe shades in cream and powder formulas from MAC, Trish McEvoy, Guerlain and Too Faced.

Clockwise from top shadow:
MAC Eyeshadow in Prepped for Glamour
Guerlain Terracotta Eyeshadow Pen in Smoky Metal
Trish McEvoy 24-Hour Shadow & Liner in Topaz
MAC Greasepaint Stick in Dirty
Too Faced Single Eyeshadow in Sitcom Siren

Most of the shades look true to what you see in the compact or stick, except for Guerlain Smoky Metal which went on my skin surprisingly warm. I haven’t tried this shade on the eyes yet, but I have tested out the others. MAC Dirty is such a gorgeous shade but unfortunately doesn’t last at all. It is extremely smudgey and by late afternoon gave me raccoon eyes. Trish McEvoy Topaz is more promising. I used it alone blended out on my lids and it didn’t budge at all. I can’t say whether or not it lasted a full 24 hours since I only had it on for the evening (from around 7:00 pm to midnight). But it lasted the entire time and when I got home looked just as good as when I put it on. My SA tested out the steel black grey shade from Trish and said it didn’t last at all on her and seemed way to soft/moist to be a 24-hour product, so YMMV per shade.

MAC Prepped for Glamour is extremely similar to Satin Taupe but the Prepped for Glamour shade has just a tad bit more red/warmth to it. But otherwise, very close. that I can barely tell the difference. Too Faced Sitcom Siren is my first Too Faced product. Pigment/blendability is nice but I actually prefer MAC. Sitcom Siren is a bit too frosty for my liking.

Swatches with different lighting:



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Bobbi Brown Beach Shimmer Brick + Shore Cream Eyeshadow

May 15, 2010
I’ve been eagerly anticipating the summer Beach Collection by Bobbi Brown for months ever since I saw the preview sheets at my local counter and it’s finally arrived instore at Nordstrom! The collection also features a few new cream shadows in the metallic and regular formulas. I picked up Beach Shimmer Brick and Shore Cream Shadow.

Beach Shimmer Brick ($38) and Shore Long-Wear Cream Shadow ($22)


The Beach Shimmer Brick is a stunning neutral like many of her other highlighters. It’s a bronzey beige with slight peach tones. The shimmer factor is high in my opinion, so if you like subtle, this may have too much shimmer for your liking.

I compared it to a few other shimmer brick shades when I got home and they all seemed extremely similar. Even after swatching them, I could barely tell the difference – so note, these swatches may indeed be worthless in giving you a good comparison, so I’ll try and compensate by description.
  • Beach is the most peachy with no pink tones (at least on me)
  • Sandstone is the most neutral and tan
  • Beige is the lightest color
  • Nude is very similar to Beach, just more pink, less brown


Shore Long-Wear Cream Shadow is the perfect nude skin-toned cream eyeshadow I have been searching for. I have quite a few other nude cream shadows, but those who are around Chanel Shell/NC30ish understand the challenge of finding a good nude. Painterly can be a bit pastey looking, Groundwork is a good contour but not quite nude, Layin’ Low can come off orangey if applied too heavily, and Malted can look a bit greyish on our skin.

Shore has a very slight sheen to it, it’s not a full on shimmer like Galaxy, but not a full on matte like Malted. I love it. I would say it’s one step up (darker) than MAC Soft Ochre.

One last view without flash:

Overall thoughts: I really like both, but if you already have Nude or Sandstone Shimmer Bricks, then Beach isn’t really a must have. I do like the shades in the Beach Shimmer Brick individually though – I think they’ll suit darker tan skintones a lot better than her previous shimmer bricks because they have more color.

I personally love Shore, in the container it looks very bland, but I like it on the skin/eyes blended out. I’m a fan of her regular cream shadows because they just melt onto my skin and look very natural.

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Do You Have a Beauty Emergency Kit?

May 3, 2010
Last week I had one of those days where I had a million things to do during the day with no time to stop by home before a special occasion dinner. I packed my car with my laptop, papers, textbooks, backpack, purse, a change of clothes and an extra pair of shoes (to transition from day to night) but neglected to pack my makeup bag and brushes to touch up.
Luckily, I had my Edward Bess Compact Rouge in Island Rose (for lips/cheeks) and a mini Diorshow mascara tucked away in my backpack which was enough to freshen my look a bit. But it made me realize I needed to put together an emergency beauty kit to keep in my car for those times I need a last-minute touch up or days I forget to bring my makeup bag with me.

I looked to one of my favorite beauty books by Trish McEvoy “The Power of Makeup” for her tips on what to include in a beauty emergency kit. This is what I put together for my own using my trusty quilted planner:

  • Trish McEvoy Power of Makeup Simply Chic Page (Pink Innocence Lip + Cheek, Nude Innocence Lip + Cheek, Golden Peach AOC, Peony Pink Blush, Sand/Pink Shimmer/Snow/Blackberry Eyeshadows)
  • Laura Mercier Eyemakeup Remover
  • Edward Bess Love Always Deep Shine Lipgloss
  • NARS Luxor Multiple
  • Diorshow Mini Mascara
  • MAC Fix + (travel size)
  • Chanel DPF Compact
  • Chanel Spices Quadra Eyeshadow
  • MAC Cremestick Lipliners in Sublime Culture and Beurre
  • Chanel Ebene Waterproof Eyeliner
  • Laura Mercier Brown Copper Eye Kohl
  • Chantecaille Crystalline Gloss
  • Shu Uemura Tweezers
  • A bunch of mini brushes

My so-called “emergency kit” turned out to be quite a bit more than I intended. It’s probably the equivalent to a travel kit or a weekend-away kit. Yes, I am rather high maintenance, so this will probably be a work in progress. But at least I know that by having this tucked away in my car, I will always be well prepared to touch up, redo or refresh my makeup and not have to worry about finding the time to try and get back to the house before a last minute appointment or spur of the moment evening out.

Do you have a beauty emergency kit? What do you have inside yours?

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