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Pigment

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Look of the Day Inspired By My Daily Reads & Readers

June 20, 2010
Today’s look is inspired from a few of my favorite daily reads and readers. The bits of inspiration include the following:

Today’s Look: Summer Casual


Top: J.Crew Perfect-Fit Stripe Boatneck (S)
Shorts: J.Crew
Sandals: Tory Burch
Purse: Chanel
Guest Puppy Appearance: Mr. Jake

Makeup of The Day:

Face: Chanel Sunkissed Illuminator
MAC Refined Golden Bronzer
MAC Dollymix Blush

Eyes: Paul & Joe Eye Gloss 05
Bobbi Brown Seashell Shimmerwash
MAC Naked Dark Pigment (swatches here)
Bobbi Brown Java Metallic Eyeshadow
(Java comparisons)

Lips: MAC Dervish
Paul & Joe Liplacquer 06

Brushes Used:


Eye look was a smokey taupe, here’s how:

  • Step 1: Apply Paul & Joe Eye Gloss in Murmur 05 on lids (for asian eyes, 1/2 way up eye from lash to middle of eye, heavier near lash line)
  • Step 2: Apply Bobbi Brown Java Metallic from lash to 1/2 way up lid for a smokey eye, also heavier near lash line
  • Step 3: Apply MAC Naked Dark Pigment over center of eye to blend out any harsh lines from the darker shades
  • Step 4: Apply Bobbi Brown Seashell Shimmerwash from brow downwards softly to create a subtle highlight
  • Step 5: Curl lashes and apply mascara

Nails of the Day: Chanel Django & Nouvelle Vague



The mani/pedi combo:

I’m surprised that I’m liking the blue nail polish! FYI – the Jcrew top seems to run a bit small. I’m normally an XS in their shirts but found it to be a bit too snug. Or perhaps I just have been having too many sugary drinks and gained weight.

Feedback appreciated! Too much info in one post? Is the look too casual to write about? Would you style the top differently? I like that it can be dressed up a little with a nice skirt or dress pants. But it’s nice as a loungy-carefree-top too. Being in Southern California – my daily style is pretty casual.

I already did a lip swatch and EOTD attempt – neither turned out decent this morning. I’ll try and feature the Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer by itself in another post in the near future.

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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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Color Focus: Coppery Bronze

May 25, 2009

I’m a huge fan of the tanned summery look, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite coppery bronze colors. To avoid bronze-overload, I usually mix different variations or intensities of bronzey shades for eyes, lips and cheeks.

Some of my favorite eyeshadows: 1) Nars Fez, 2) Chanel Lumieres Facettes in Plein Soleil, 3) Chanel Le Bronze, 4) Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials in Malibu, 5) Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow in Copper Cocoa, 6) Le Metier de Beaute Spicy Eyeshadow, 7) Trish McEvoy Sable Bronze, 8) MAC Pigment in Chocolate Brown



I’m a huge fan of bronzey cheeks:
* Top left to right – Becca Mineral Bronzing Powder in Duende, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush in Bahama Brown, Laura Mercier Illuminating Powder in Moroccan Bronze
* Middle left to right – Trish McEvoy Luminzer in Luminous Bronze, Nars Multiple in South Beach
* Bottom left to right – Nars Blush in Lovejoy, Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Warm Bronze (mini size)



For lips, I’m not a huge fan of the dark bronze lips, but prefer lighter bronze shades, or even nude shades with a hint of bronze:
* Left to right – Trish McEvoy Sheer Lipcolor in Barely Innocent, Chanel Aqualumiere in Maritius #86, Chanel Aqualumiere in Key West #83, Giorgio Armani Silk Lipstick #18, Laura Mercier Boho Bronze, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Honey-Flower, Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in Bronzed Pink

For lipglosses:
* Left to right – Giorgio Armani Lipshimmer #57, Trish McEvoy Irrisistible, Chanel Glossimer in Unity #41, Chanel Aqualumiere Gloss in Freeze #66, Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bronze, MAC Lustreglass in Beaux

What are some of your favorite coppery bronze shades?

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